Putting the customer first: Total Quality and customer service at the British Library Document Supply Centre

Gives a brief, recent history of the British Library Document Supply Centre and an outline of its customer base. Presents some of the Centre’s many customer service improvement initiatives including courses, clinics, link‐up events, the marketing department’s customer retention programme and the Centre’s customer publications and database access services. Describes the setting up of a Total Quality Management programme in conjunction with a specialist consultancy, and its implementation through a steering group, process improvement groups and a series of kaizen continuous improvement of process workshops. Concludes that TQM has contributed significantly to improvements in speed of service and the quality of relationships with customers.