BNL, E-Books Customer Service
The Dutch National Library service (now part of Koninklijke Bibliotheek, formerly Stichting Bibliotheek.nl) aims to give everyone free and easy access to information, knowledge and culture. Dutch libraries have the most complete and extensive collection of titles available in the Netherlands. Since January 2014, users have also been able to borrow and read e-books on their mobile devices.
‘FAQ’ website
BSL was asked to design and develop the customer service portal for e-books users, as well as a range of widgets related to the e-books site (including my bookshelf, e-book categories and the ad-hoc search widget).
Based on a Drupal CMS, BSL designed and created the ‘Frequently asked questions‘ (FAQ) site within the space of just a few weeks. Despite the tight deadlines, the site matched the customer’s requirements exactly, whilst also matching the existing Bibliotheek.nl house-style. The result is a stand-alone website, where the customer has total control over the contents. From defining the categories and subjects, to providing (unlimited) detailed information pages, containing answers to common problems.
The site is a great success, and is a welcome addition to the e-books platform, assisting hundreds of users each day.
Helpdesk and information source
The ‘FAQ’ website is an effective way of keeping e-book users up-to-date about anything related to the use of e-books on different mobile devices. The website not only deals with the standard type of questions handled by an average help desk, but has an informative role to play as well. For example, visitors to the site have access to many instruction movies and tips aimed at helping new e-books users.
Reaction form
One way in which users can contact the Dutch Library service/Bibliotheek.nl is the “reaction form”. The form has been designed to make use of the various so-called ‘decision trees’ created by the library service.
By means of multiple input-related pulldown menus, the form gives a choice of all common situations that may arise. Once specific input has been provided, the user is given the most appropriate answer. The design of the form makes it easy to add new questions on the basis of information received from users (both now and in the future).
