User satisfaction survey about the units of the Study and Information Centre – 2017

We would like to answer questions that were frequently asked in the 2017 satisfaction survey, including all units of the USZ Study and Information Centre. (The building consists of the USZ Klebelsberg Library, the Congress Centre, the Student Service Office and in addition, the TIK Café, the University Gift Shop and the University Book Store operated by the Universitas Ltd.). This year’s survey took place between November 8^th and December 6^th, 2017, in which our visitors could fill in our online questionnaires concerning all our units. We are delighted that we have received a large number of responses from which we can conclude that it is as important for our visitors as it is for us that TIK should offer the highest level of services possible. A survey of 69 questions was completed by 1677 visitors, out of which 1484 were answered in Hungarian and 193 in English. It was a pleasure for us that our respondents wrote about 551 comments and shared their personal experiences with us.

(To measure satisfaction we used a 5-grade scale, where 5 was the best and 1 was the worst value.)

Questions and answers

1. Could the opening hours of the library / the building be extended?
2. Can Wifi be faster / better?
3. “Is it possible to delete all personal files from the library computers after logging out?”
4. “Is it possible to have English operating system on the lab computers?”
5. “Why aren’t there any bean bag chairs in the reading rooms?”
6. “Is it possible to install more sockets in the reading rooms?”
7. “Is it possible to solve the temperature issues? Could it be warmer in winter and cooler in summer?”
8. There had been several remarks about the programs held in the building.
9. “Why aren’t there enough tables and chairs – as essential equipment for learning – in the atrium all the time?”
10. “It would be useful if there were more group study areas. There could also be more seats and tables in public areas of the building which do not belong to the library.”
11. “Why isn’t it allowed to enter the library in a denim jacket?”
12. “Could baskets be applied in order to help me bring my personal belongings to the Library?”
13. “Why do the lockers always break down? Wouldn’t it be possible to apply more cloakroom attendants?”
14. “Could there be more bicycle parking racks?”
15. “Why isn’t it allowed to bring drinks to the Library, although it’s possible to buy drinks from the vending machines located only 2 metres away from the security guards?”
16. “I’m not allowed to bring and eat my own food in the building. Could this issue be resolved somehow?”
17. “The conditions of the restrooms are inconvenient. They should be cleaned and checked for maintenance more frequently.”
18. “Creaking doors, faulty door handles and unsteady water pressure. These are unacceptable in such a large establishment.”
19. “Lately the queue in the cafeteria is always really long. The service standards decreased a lot.”
20. “Extending the capacity of the TIK Café should be important, because there aren’t enough seats.”
21. “The menu of the cafeteria needs an improvement. 
22. “The opening hours of the Student Service Office (SSO) is quite far from being student-friendly. Could they be extended?”
23. “The e-mail address given on the SSO’s website is invalid and I can’t reach you on the phone. How can I contact you then?”

1. Could the opening hours of the library / the building be extended?

The opening hours of the library reached a value of 4.4 according to the evaluation of those who filled in the questionnaire, but several comments mentioned a need for e.g. opening hours on Sundays in the exam period, longer opening hours on Saturdays or longer opening hours for the full operation. There were also comments stating that it would be easier to solve this if only the learning areas would be open and the library would be closed down.

In December 2015 the opening hours of the library – in response to our readers’ requests and in consultation with the leadership of the University of Szeged – was significantly increased from 67 hours to 81 hours a week – which means 14 more hours a week. Both the operation of the building and the increase in wage costs mean a considerable additional financial burden. Based on circulation data, we can say that readers are grasping the opportunity. Any further extension of the opening hours would entail an additional rise in costs but currently, the institutions (TIK, Klebelsberg Library) lack the necessary resources. It can be carried out only after a detailed needs assessments, with the consent of the university’s management.

2. Can Wifi be faster / better?

According to the evaluation, this issue reached a value of 3.48 (slightly less than the average), with 70 comments. In most of the cases, there were complaints about the regular Wifi disconnections and that in some parts of the 2^nd and 4^th floors the signal strength is not adequate. Further criticism is that we cannot provide Wifi for those of our visitors who are not university citizens.

This House is one of the largest university buildings made of ferroconcrete structures and metal shelves, making it almost impossible to create a perfect system with whole Wifi coverage. The existing one has been built with substantial financial resources, so we can supply 1000 connections in the building simultaneously. It is important to note that unfortunately, the connection is also activated by the non-internet users’ devices, but after the “traffic jolt” is detected, the system will disconnect the device to relocate the place to someone else.

Each of our tools has good (professional) quality and is capable of serving the university citizenship generally corresponding to adequate standards. The demand for wireless networking is exponentially evolving, so the developments can never come to an end, of course. Last year, for example, we increased the number of IPs that we could assign to the double of the previous number, so now there are twice as many devices that can be served than last year. With regard to further developments, we have recently started consultations with the University of Szeged Computer Centre, which will mean additional antennas and the expansion of the associated software licenses.

3. “Is it possible to delete all personal files from the library computers after logging out?”

It has been an issue that the computers of the computer lab are rather slow, and from a data protection perspective it isn’t safe to keep random files on the computers after logging out.

Since the 5th of February 2018, files saved by the users are not kept anymore on the library’s computers. These measures were taken in order to keep our users’ personal data safe. The gradual upgrading of our public computers is on our to-do-list, but its implementation is financially inhibited, thus the replacement takes more time.

4. “Is it possible to have English operating system on the lab computers?”

Yes it is, and there are computers that have English Windows and Office installed on them at the end of the computer lab on the 3rd floor.

5. “Why aren’t there any bean bag chairs in the reading rooms?”

Our patrons couldn’t have known about it, but by the time of completing our survey, the purchasing of our new bean bag chairs had been in progress. The bean bag loungers and chairs arrived in the middle of January, and our users could have started using them by the end of the fall exam period.

6. “Is it possible to install more sockets in the reading rooms?”

At the time of the building’s inauguration in 2004, nobody could predict the extent need for charging opportunities for our mobile devices. It is not possible to install more sockets on the concrete floor of the reading rooms, so our aim is to place more sockets on the top of the tables. For this the items of furniture need to be altered, which could only be done gradually and it means more upcoming financial burdens. But it is on our agenda to have them done. During the Spring Semester we plan to install 7 more sockets.

7. “Is it possible to solve the temperature issues? Could it be warmer in winter and cooler in summer?”

According to our survey submitters, the center’s temperature scored 3.97. In the comments temperature was mentioned 30 times and we also received 10 remarks about the staleness of the air within the building, considering mainly the summer period. Most of you appreciated our blanket loaning service, but some thought there is a need for more blankets.

Our perception of heat and cold are not the same. Some prefer 22°C, for others not even 24°C would be warm enough. We try to keep track of the center’s temperature, but we have to accept that the system of our building has its own limits, thus it may not respond immediately to the sudden rise or fall of the temperature, considering the large amount of space that needs to be heated or cooled. You may notice that certain areas have warmer and colder parts in winter, it is always warmer at the galleries. We recommend to change the location, if you feel cold, move away from the windows or find a place on the gallery. We always try to maintain a temperature of 22°C everywhere, and if needed we will provide even more blankets.

The summer air-conditioning is usually adequate, (most university buildings don’t have AC at all) and sudden temperature changes are mostly handled only with a little delay. Extreme cooling of the building would mean an undue rise of the expenses and in the case of an outdoor temperature of 35-38°C, an indoor temperature of 25-27°C would be rather unhealthy.

8. There had been several remarks about the programs held in the building.

Many of you think that the provided information about the time and date of these events is insufficient and the noise level of the programs are rather high, considering that they are held in a library, which could be especially annoying during the exam period. The survey submitters gave a general rating of 4.28 to the building as a venue for programs.

One of the main services and income sources of the Study and Information Centre are the programs held in the building. The different units accommodated in the building always try to inform each other about the upcoming events. But despite of all good intentions and effort we have to admit, these events sometimes might cause some discomfort. We try to minimize the nuisance as much as we can. It is important to mention that all income from these events are fully invested to ensure and develop the center’s educational, research, service-related and meeting area function.

“9. Why aren’t there enough tables and chairs – as essential equipment for learning – in the atrium all the time?”

Actually, the atrium was not designed for this purpose, and we don’t use this place in this respect. However, we understand the need for a space in the atrium with a similar role to the exhibition area, although it could only be a restricted version due to the number of students present in the atrium. We have been thinking about it but its realization requires additional financial resources and extra space. If an event is organised in the atrium, manpower is also needed to move the tables and chairs away. Nevertheless, we have similar ideas and ambition, therefore the available free tables and chairs will be placed there.

10. “It would be useful if there were more group study areas. There could also be more seats and tables in public areas of the building which do not belong to the library.”

As we pointed out in our answer to the question in connection with the atrium, arrangements will be made to comply with this request. There is a significant amount of chairs and tables in the rest of the building: in the exhibition hall, the group study areas and even in the lobbies of the Conference Centre.

11. “Why isn’t it allowed to enter the library in a denim jacket?”

Many objections were raised against the fact that security guards force the readers to take off their lightweight jackets before entering the library, meanwhile wearing heavyweight jerseys or cardigan sweaters are permitted.

It is highly debated how the security staff categorizes the size and type of the coats. We try to handle these questions in the most permissive and liberal way, however, we have to take the safety of our books and equipment into consideration.

12. “Could baskets be applied in order to help me bring my personal belongings to the Library?”

In the past, there had been an attempt to use thick plastic bags for this purpose but it was not so popular. We are about to introduce the so-called “basket service” temporarily, on an experimental basis.

13. “Why do the lockers always break down? Wouldn’t it be possible to apply more cloakroom attendants?”

We received more than 60 comments altogether on the cloakroom and the state of the lockers. While according to the evaluation, the former one reached an average value of 4.25, the latter one scored 3.56.

There are 646 automatic lockers in the building which are opened and closed by the visitors several thousands of times a day. The lockers have been operating for 14 years now, and they have to supply more and more visitors every year. There is a weekly maintenance of the lockers. As soon as a locker breaks down, we forward it to the University Maintenance Service but the repair takes time due to a number of time-consuming processes: the assessment of the problem, the equipment acquisitions and their construction. According to our current statistics, the failure rate of the lockers is less than 1%, since maximum 1-2 lockers break down weekly. We are constantly working not to exceed this ratio.

14. “Could there be more bicycle parking racks?”

When visitors were asked how satisfied they were with the number of bicycle parking racks, their evaluation reached an average value of 3.6.

The extension of the bicycle racks is constantly on our agenda. Regarding the question of extension, we have to consider the ratio of transport and green areas and obviously, we do not intend to constrict neither type of the areas available for the visitors. Last summer we analysed the possibility of extending the bicycle rackson the “mound” located between the Study and Information Centre and the Faculty of Arts. With this concept, the parking of presumably 30 more bicycles will be available in the near future. In connection with the bicycle racks, we would like to focus your attention to the fact that many bicycles are parked here which do not belong to the visitors of the Study and Information Centre. Obviously, it is not in our power to regulate this.

15. “Why isn’t it allowed to bring drinks to the Library, although it’s possible to buy drinks from the vending machines located only 2 metres away from the security guards?”

We intend to have those food and drinks kept away from the different places of the Library which can be spilled or can fall over, causing irreversible damages to the documents and computers. We placed desks next to the vending machines to encourage the consumption of coffee, colourful and sugary soft drinks, etc. there. In this manner, we can resolve the contradiction that vending machines are located within the security zone. It’s permitted to bring tap and mineral water to any part of the building, even to the reading areas.

16. “I’m not allowed to bring and eat my own food in the building. Could this issue be resolved somehow?”

We are aware of the need for a dining hall for the visitors. We have already assessed the possibility of setting up a dining hall in several university buildings. It presents some difficulty that according to the original concept and plans of the Study and Information Centre, there aren’t any places in the building which can be properly accessed, where there are possibilities to heat food, wash up the dishes and which are equipped with an exhaust fan. In spite of this, we are continuously analysing the functions and utilization of our areas and as soon as we find a possibility to establish a dining hall, we will take the necessary steps.

17. “The conditions of the restrooms are inconvenient. They should be cleaned and checked for maintenance more frequently.”

The Centre’s visitor circulation has increased dynamically in recent years, which led to the extension of the opening hours in 2015. The growing traffic means that the restrooms are used by hundreds of visitors in a day, which increased the deterioration and contamination of some of the areas. As we noticed this, the maintenance agenda was changed to provide a faster and more efficient way for the replacement of the heavily used appliances. We have also started the intermittent replacement of the wash basins. Our visitors can also help to keep the restrooms’ proper condition of cleanliness during the day, since they are cleaned for them every morning.

18. “Creaking doors, faulty door handles and unsteady water pressure. These are unacceptable in such a large establishment.”

Our maintenance staff sends the list of the faulty and heavily used parts daily to the University Maintenance Service. Unfortunately the unsteady water pressure is beyond the scope of the Centre, it is in connection with the Szeged Waterworks Company’s Drinking Water Quality Improvement Program. We already sent them an official statement about the pressure level problem and according to our experiences they have dealt with the situation and have stabilized it.

19. “Lately the queue in the cafeteria is always really long. The service standards decreased a lot.”

The capacity of the Study and Information Centre is many times larger than its café’s. They serve for the coworkers of the building, the students and every other visitor participating in the building’s events. We try our best to improve the quality of the service, but unfortunately the waiting time in the queue might be longer at peak times.

20. “Extending the capacity of the TIK Café should be important, because there aren’t enough seats.”

Every regular guest of the cafeteria might have noticed the fact that the space and the capacity is very limited. With regard to the increased traffic and in order to maintain the comfort level of our guests, we extend the number of seats as much as possible (e.g. by opening the terrace when the weather is good). There are many guests who bring food from a different place and eat it here, reducing the number of available seats. There are also many people who study or teach here, ignoring the original function of the place. We are already planning to make a separated corner in a different space for this purpose, where you can make a reservation on an hourly basis.

21. “The menu of the cafeteria needs an improvement. I would like to see more sugar-, lactose-, gluten-free products and more fruits. The selection of the salad bar could be more diverse, it might be more desirable to the guests then.”

We already have lactose-free products in our menu, sandwiches and pastries for example. Please, always ask our colleagues about the current special offers and they will help to those who have food intolerance. Our guests can have any of our coffees with lactose-free milk at the same price. Preparing and storing gluten-free products have very strict rules, so we would have to have a gluten-free kitchen, which is currently not feasible due to our limited space area. The selection of the salad bar has been continuously freshen up from September 2017, currently we offer 15 additions those who are longing for a salad. Latest additions: chicken breast, different types of cheeses, egg salad, Russian salad.

22. “The opening hours of the Student Service Office (SSO) is quite far from being student-friendly. Could they be extended?”

Years ago, the opening times of the SSO was defined in accordance with the students’ agenda as much as possible. On the other hand, as an administrative service we attend to be always available, therefore we are open even during the semester breaks at our regular hours. We will consider extending the opening hours of our contact client service and one of our plans is to increase the number of the student matters we manage, which will affect our opening hours as well. However, our main goal is to improve our electronic administrative procedures for the convenience of our clients.

23. “The e-mail address given on the SSO’s website is invalid and I can’t reach you on the phone. How can I contact you then?”

We noticed these problems as well – unfortunately, besides the contact client service we were unable to manage the telephone calls and e-mails properly. Therefore, we started many upgrades recently – in addition to the personal client service we will start a back-office telephone call center, and we will manage the e-mails in a ticketing system where the sender and our administrator can track the status of the notification and the administration process, thereby ensuring that every request is answered in time.

 

There are many lessons to be learned from this survey, because we got first-hand responses about our services and the effectiveness of our day-to-day work. Every unit of the József Attila Study and Information Centre truly believe that our guests’ opinion has a major importance. Since we can improve our current services and start new ones according to our users’ needs.

We would like to thank to all those who contributed and completed our survey.