Customer Service

Both of my jobs require a lot of customer service.  Some days I get to wishing that I could just go to my bedroom and read a book, or to my sewing table and work on a quilt.  Serving the public is often challenging, to say the least.  And being polite to people who feel no requirement to be polite in return, is downright hard.

A regular patron at my branch library has returned, now that we are re-opened for business.  He is older -- probably mid-80s -- and obnoxious.  For some reason he always gets under my skin.  I give myself pep talks about how I shouldn't let him get to me, especially since he treats everybody the same way.  But I am usually unsuccessful.

This week's example: Mike came in and wanted 2 addresses.  One for William M. Daley (President Obama's Chief of Staff).  This is no problem.  The Chief of Staff has an office in the West Wing of the White House, so you can send mail to him at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C.  The other address was for George Mitchell, who just resigned (May 20, 2011) as the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace.  Mitchell's home state is Maine.  There is no public listing via online telephone directories for a George J. Mitchell in Maine. [Surprise, Surprise]  Mitchell no longer has an office in D.C.  He does head an Institute in Maine, at which he would, presumably, receive mail.  I offer the address and telephone number for the Institute as a possibility.  Mike's reply: There is no one there -- I don't know whether he will ever get anything I send there -- why didn't I pick up the phone and call Washington to ask them for Mr. Mitchell's address?  My reply: we can't make long-distance telephone calls for patrons: here's the number if you wish to call.  Him: is it an 800 number?  Me: no, there is no 800 number.  Him: what good is the library to me if you won't do these things?  I say this to try to convince you to take initiative and go the extra step.  Me: I'm sorry, but long-distance calls are actually blocked on our telephones.  My job is to try to find the contact information for you, then it's up to you what you want to do with that information.  Him: if someone asked you this question, someone that you liked, would you do this for them?  Me: no, we're still not allowed to make long-distance phone calls for patrons.  Him: do you have reciprocal agreements with other libraries who might do this for me?  Me: I can give you the telephone numbers for any other library that you wish to call and ask; my belief is that they will all tell you that it's up to you to make the telephone calls.  Him: are there services that will do this kind of work for people?  Me: I expect there are for-fee research services; I don't know of any off the top of my head.  Would you like me to find some contact information for them for you?  Him: what about the number for the State Department?  Me: There is more than one number for the State Department, I have a directory here that lists quite a few.  Him: are they 800 numbers?  Me: no, they are not.  Him: I need a piece of paper.  (I gave him a sheet of scratch paper to use and offered a pen.)  He said: Thank you -- sorry to bother you.  And walked away from the desk.

That's how my interactions with Mike always go.  It doesn't make me feel any better that the other librarians get the same treatment and have the same issues.  I wish, just once, that he would come with a straightforward question I could answer to his satisfaction; although it's possible I would never satisfy him.  He's right, of course, that I don't like him.  But I work hard at being polite, giving him a pleasant welcome, and answering his questions despite my personal feelings.  That isn't the first time he's wanted me to make long-distance calls or use a research service (at the library's expense) to find information for him.  He also has a germ phobia (I think).  When he sits waiting for us to do our searches for him, he turns his chair so it faces away from anyone; same when he stands near the desk; he stands turned away from people (rotating as necessary).  Once when he came in a librarian at the desk had the remains of a cold & coughed while he was there.  He demanded the manager and threw a fit, insisting that she should not be in the building because she was sick.  He also insisted, by phone and by letter, that there was no need for our building to be remodeled, it was a complete waste of time and money.


And, he doesn't even have a library card.