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This is the original Virtual Reference Exit Survey sent to 14 libraries:

Name:

VR Service:

1. What is your system's response rate to exit surveys? (if you don't know exactly, an approximation would be fine)

2. What method do you use for exit surveys? (if you use more than one, check all that apply)
- pop-up
- as part of transcript
- in browser window at end of session
- separate email to patron
- other - please describe

2a. If you use more than one medium, do you worry about duplication, or frustration by the patron? Why or why not?

3. Why did you choose this medium?

4. If possible, attach wording of your exit survey.

5. Other comments/ideas/suggestions you would like to share.


Here is a table showing the results from the Libraries who responded to our querey:

Contact	Service	Response Rate	Method	Why	Other
Joe Thompson	Maryland AskUsNow!	17-18%	pop-up	made available by 24/7 Reference	Ideally I would like to also initiate a delayed survey system (at least 3 days later), where we can contact people by e-mail to find out if they really could use the resources sent to them in the live transaction. QandA NJ has done something along these lines. Unfortunately we don’t have the staffing or a system to do this at this time.
Kristen J. Pool	KnowItNow (Ohio)	5-7%	A link in the browser window at end of session	We worried that with so many patrons using pop-up blockers, we wouldn’t get as many surveys completed if we used a pop-up rather than a link.
Barbara Pitney	Ask a Librarian (King County)	12.58 -17.2%	pop-up	Easiest for us to manage and monitor	I receive ONLY completed exit surveys, which were 1,262 in 2004 for an 8% return rate. However, all surveys (whether completed or not) are directed to our Webmaster where they are tabulated. As a result, each question has a different total since some questions are left unanswered. The totals range from 3,052 to 4,171. Based on 3,052 our survey return rate since MAY 2003 (when we launched our exit survey) is 12.58% Based on our highest number 4,171 our rate of return is 17.2% / I have found patron comments to be the most helpful, especially if they answer NO to question #7 in tweaking our service as well as addressing staff performance issues. / According to our exit surveys (both complete and incomplete) we have between a 50.75% - 56.57% rate of repeat users of our live chat service. Many of these may not fill out a second, third, fourth, etc. exit survey. / our live chat service is used heavily by students in grades 6-12 (45.48% based on just completed surveys) with homework assignments. I'm sure that many of these students don't fill out surveys after every one of their sessions. I do know, however, that if they don't get good service (meaning getting an answer to their homework assignment) they are more likely to fill out the exit survey telling us so!
Deb Hutchison	Find It Now & Homework Help (VPL)	10-15%	pop-up	Simplest method. Easily built onto VR software (we chose not to use our vendor’s generic survey, and wrote our own instead – they just replaced the address for their survey with ours). We’ve been happy enough with the response rate that we haven’t explored other options.	I’m not entirely happy with this survey – the look and feel of it, the number of questions (too many), and some of the data points. I’d also like to add an option to request followup from the coordinator (me), so it’s easier to address complaints/dissatisfaction in a timely way. I’ve been working with our vendor to explore customization options for the vendor’s generic survey.
Martin House	NCKnows (PLCMC)	10%	pop-up		I use the exit surveys mainly for quality control. I also think that exit surveys are inherently flawed, because I most commonly receive a survey from a dissatisfied customer or an extremely satisfied customer. We, generally, miss all those customers who fall in the middle, received quality service, but do not think it important to fill out a survey. Maybe we need some sort of incentive, at least the first year of a new project, to prompt patrons to fill out a survey form. Another aspect to keep in mind, at least from anecdotal information, is that often times the dissatisfied surveys are from young adults who have unreal expectations of what is possible, both in terms of chat reference and realistic limitations of information. So, I always factor in, that even if our satisfaction rate is 85%, in reality it should be more around 90%, because it is hard to communicate to impatient students that there are limitations.
Ronna Nemer and Mary Beth Train	OCLC 24/7 Reference AskNow (San Jose)	15%	pop-up	Chosen for us when the software was designed. / In the early days of the San Francisco Bay part of what was to become AskNow, the online librarian was supposed to push a web page with the survey, after mentioning that it was coming. Most of the time the librarians forgot to do this. For this reason, we went to a pop-up form. / These surveys can now be accessed in a report format. Negative comments are highlighted so we can look at the transcript related to that survey.	Susan McGlamery and I wanted to find out how people found out about the service, their opinion of the quality, experience, and answer they received, and the ease of use (or not.)
Caleb Tucker-Raymond	L-Net	10-19%	pop-up

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