[Publib] Overdue notice language

[Shannon Stiller]

Robert, I think I follow you, but my point is that the patron would not say, "Don't use the library because I owe $1.40 and I didn't like the snarky sound of their notice," they would say, "I had *one* item that was just a *little late* in *all* the time I have been going there, and they sent me a *rude* letter saying I was lazy and irresponsible for not returning them!  Can you believe that?"  [When in actuality, they probably are habitually late with a whole lot of items and complain loudest about fines ;)] 

Shannon Stiller


-----Original Message-----
From: Robert L. Balliot [mailto:rballiot at oceanstatelibrarian.com]
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 10:29 AM
To: Shannon Stiller; 'Chris Ely'; publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] Overdue notice language



Using the same logic and for profit analogy:

If someone shoplifts at a store, which results
in the prices going up for everyone, and they
are caught - is it better to make sure that their
experience is a pleasant one so they will tell
all of their friends?

If their friends are also shoplifters, I am 
sure that they would be happy to know that they
are welcome at the store and their friend who
was caught would be happy to tell them.

However, if someone is caught shoplifting and
tells their friends and relatives that they
were caught and they will never go back again,
perhaps it is actually a good thing.  Perhaps
they will get help.

If you decide not to use a free
public library again because you did not like
the wording in a notice that you owe $1.40 and still
have materials out, then it is your loss - not
the library's.  If you tell all of your friends
and relatives not to use the library because
you did not like the wording of a notice that
you owe $1.40 and they do, then your friends and
relatives would be fools.  And, they are not going
to become any less foolish by not using the library.

If only someone had intervened early with MY
chronic library lateness, perhaps I would not
have had to become a librarian to avoid fines.

*************************************************
Robert L. Balliot
1-401-441-5763
Skype: RBalliot
Bristol, Rhode Island
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm
*************************************************

-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of Shannon Stiller
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 10:56 AM
To: Chris Ely; publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] Overdue notice language


I agree with Chris Ely here:

"If materials are coming back and patrons are complaining, it's quite 
possible what's been accomplished is patrons saying, "I'll never go 
back there again." And they may be passing that on to their friends, 
family and the rest of the community, without adding the reason why 
is because *they* were late with materials and miffed at the tone of 
the notice."

When I was in sales in a previous life, I learned that when a person has a
good experience, they share it with one or two people, but when they have a
bad one, they share it with 10.  Rarely do they share that information with
someone who can actually *do* something about it, and rarely do they include
their liability in their description.  

I do like the personal, conversational approach to them though.  I would
guess that many who receive overdue notices in the mail-- and it seems that
the ones who get them get a lot of them-- tend to just disregard them as the
same old same old.  Changing the wording to sound more direct and personal
may just get that patron's attention.

Shannon Stiller
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