or, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Fear and Loathing at a Public Library Reference Desk



The Language of Service

   January 12th, 2010

Hitting a nail on the headI love Kate's recent post about the words we use and the impact they have on customer service.

Language is very important. Just yesterday I had an unpleasant exchange with a patron. She came up to say she was having trouble with the printer, and I started giving her printer tech support. All of this was unhelpful, because she was actually having trouble with the copier. It was frustrating for both of us, and could have been avoided if I had listened to what she was saying instead of the words she was using.

I'm going to make a point of using Kate's "yes, and..." suggestion from now on. It's such a simple thing, yet it encapsulates so much of what libraries do right (and wrong). Great observation, Kate.




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One Response to “The Language of Service”

  1. kate Says:

    Thanks so much – glad you liked it! See you in Boston, hopefully.