[Publib] RE: Librarian Talents -

[BookBitch]

I'll be happy to tell you how high end retail relates
to public libraries.  Simply put, we are both serving
the public.  

We are both there to provide a service to our
customers.  Library customers, or patrons, or whatever
you want to call them, deserve more than just being
provided with the information they seek. They deserve
to be treated with kindness and friendliness, just
like the customers in any retail establishment should
be treated.

I have met sales people at Nordstrom's that were not
the friendliest, but I have also received hand written
thank you notes for purchasing a pair of shoes that
were on sale for $20 and for buying a lipstick.  The
point is they stress good customer service from the
top down, and so should libraries.

With everything we are up against, from budget cuts to
bookstores that encourage people to sit around and
read to people thinking they can find everything they
need on the Internet, it behooves us to treat our
patrons as we would like to be treated, sans any type
of eye rolling.  

In my humble opinion, librarians who feel that having
customers return again and again is something only of
importance to retail establishments are sadly
mistaken, as are librarians who feel that simply
providing a service is enough.

Stacy Alesi
Library Name *Censored*
Boca Raton, Florida
(& MLIS student at USF)


--- "Robert L. Balliot"
<rballiot at oceanstatelibrarian.com> wrote:

> 
> 
> Greetings,
> 
> I am not sure how high end retail clothing sales
> relate to public libraries.  I have shopped at
> Nordstrom's and I don't recall anyone smiling at
> me.  I dress down to shop and salespeople 
> tend to gravitate towards those
> people who appear to have money to shop. If I
> am suited up, everything changes.
> 
> I don't think that you can have someone attend
> a workshop once a year and expect any measurable
> results, unless the workshop reinforces
> a systematic customer service methodology. 
> 
> *************************************************
> Robert L. Balliot
> 1-401-441-5763
> Skype: RBalliot
> Bristol, Rhode Island
> http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm


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