Lessons from time spent on the other side of the desk.

I've been working in front line library work, either in Reference or Circulation for thirty years or more and I thought I knew it all, saw it all and knew what to do with it.   However lately, I've run into situations which have offered me new insights on library-oriented customer service.  These insights came as a result of my own experiences as a customer or client in various businesses which I use on a daily basis. 

As we all do, I often need to pick up a coffee, run errands, pick up groceries, etc.  During these outings I often come across good and no-so-good examples of customer service and I take a few moments to observe the service provided and evaluate the experience.  It's easy after that to put things in perspective and relate the experience to my own performance at the front desk of the public library where I work.

Looking at some incidents as a consumer/client in the past few weeks I've realized a few pointers that I can use at the desk.  Here's two examples:

I recently stopped by one of those drop-in hair salons for a trim.  My heart quickly sank when I was presented with the person who was assigned to me: sour expression, no eye-contact, a mumbled "follow me".  Entrusting my frizzled head to someone with limited communication skills seemed a bit risky, but I meekly followed her to the chair (the wrong one of course!) and put my future self-esteem on hold for the duration. 

The first minutes were slow and I tried to find some type of comment to break the ice.  A pleasant-smelling hair product seemed to offer an opportunity for some light conversation.  I joked about smelling like a fruit cocktail, and I think she got the humour.    Luckily, this little remark helped put us both at ease and the conversation improved a notch.   I can't say that we'll ever be best buddies, but we were able to share small talk and she was able to suggest a few options and changes to my haircut which were remarkably stylish and cute.  

Later I thought about the times when I don't offer a smile, or at least a small friendly remark to a library client and I understood exactly how they must feel.  I have promised to make a bigger effort in the future so that the patron feels comfortable enough to ask questions, inquire about new titles or suggestions and feel accepted and respected during his/her time at the library.

That being said, the other example comes from one of my pet peeves while visiting the local coffee shop.   Though I know the use of words like 'dear, sweetie, my dear, etc...' are a result of regional conversational quirks, I am never comfortable with strangers using these terms with me.   It's probably just a personal feeling, but I feel like the counterperson is being condescending or overly familiar with me.  Not much I can do about it, I'm not about to start an issue with them, I just blankly offer my thanks and move on.  It's actually not their problem, but mine.  I am a private person and am very cautious about who I open up to.

Am I using these types of greetings at work?  Maybe not, but do I find myself trying to become too familiar with the clients?  Is there a line to draw between wanting to know the client enough to offer a good service and just plain being nosy or pushy?    Looking at my attitude with the library clients, I find myself holding back and watching for verbal clues or gestures, and even body language to judge exactly how the conversation should go.  From this I've learned that a simple "Hello, can I help you?" is not always enough when helping a library patron.   A smile, eye contact, watching body language and demeanor are also essential to  a succesful offer of service.  

Over the next few days, I invite you to observe the customer service skills around you when you're shopping, picking up your lottery tickets, etc.   Try to apply these observations, learn from the good and bad examples.   I'd love to hear about what you've seen and picked up.