Improving Customer Relations with Social Listening: A Case Study of an American Academic Library

Janet Harris

Stewart, M. C., Atilano, M., & Arnold, C. L. (2017). Improving Customer Relations with Social Listening: A Case Study of an American Academic Library. International Journal of Customer Relationship Marketing and Management (IJCRMM), 8(1), 49-63. doi:10.4018/IJCRMM.2017010104


The case study discusses social media and the role it plays on customer relations within a academic library. Social media changes rapidly and at times may be difficult to keep up with current applications. The library wanted to explore the effects of social media and how it could be used to meet consumer needs. Social network use is in the billions, how this may provide an avenue for libraries remains a work in progress. 
The library found that when it followed other entities on Twitter they began receiving increased attention. This is how social listening became a integral part of how the library began to use social media as a tool to present information. 
It also found that this presented a way for complaints to be heard. This became a valuable tool  allowing feedback to information and the ability to improve services by using social media. 
Social media is ever-present in our lives and is a major communication tool. This case study presented a factual account of how to use it to improve library function.