Comments on: "Hi ! No, I can’t help you" http://librarygarden.net/2006/06/02/hi-no-i-cant-help-you/ An ongoing conversation among librarians with differing perspectives (public, academic, school, consortial, youth) but one shared goal: ensuring the health and relevance of libraries. [insert your own gardening metaphor here] Fri, 17 May 2013 18:44:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Marie http://librarygarden.net/2006/06/02/hi-no-i-cant-help-you/#comment-2145 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:50:00 +0000 http://librarygarden.wordpress.com/2006/06/02/hi-no-i-cant-help-you/#comment-2145 I don’t think waiting a few seconds is that big of a deal. I’m kind of tired of patron this, patron that. Do you know how many are rude and demanding to us???? Plenty, like someone else said, it’s a two way street.

]]> By: Anonymous http://librarygarden.net/2006/06/02/hi-no-i-cant-help-you/#comment-2131 Sun, 26 Aug 2007 03:40:00 +0000 http://librarygarden.wordpress.com/2006/06/02/hi-no-i-cant-help-you/#comment-2131 Maybe if the patrons didn’t act like they were the only one’s in the place our body language wouldn’t being saying NO, I can’t help you. It’s a two way street.

]]> By: zgirl http://librarygarden.net/2006/06/02/hi-no-i-cant-help-you/#comment-1509 Fri, 02 Jun 2006 21:27:00 +0000 http://librarygarden.wordpress.com/2006/06/02/hi-no-i-cant-help-you/#comment-1509 Another nonverbal way of saying NO at a public service desk is to be completely absorbed in some other task. I went to the library yesterday to check out a book. I approached the circ desk with the book in one hand and my library card in the other, and stood, waiting to be acknowledged by the person at the desk who was busy checking in a stack of books. She didn’t look up for a few seconds, and when she did, she continued checking in the books while asking if I needed help. That’s definitely a big NO to a patron. I felt like I was interrupting her. I understand that there are often other tasks to be done while on a public service desk, but I think it’s important to stay alert, and when someone approaches, quickly put that work aside and focus your attention on the patron.

]]> By: Steve http://librarygarden.net/2006/06/02/hi-no-i-cant-help-you/#comment-1508 Fri, 02 Jun 2006 16:16:00 +0000 http://librarygarden.wordpress.com/2006/06/02/hi-no-i-cant-help-you/#comment-1508 We drafted customer service standards at MPOW. They define things we should be doing, but there also some attitude statements like: “Acts like they want to be at the desk.” I think that is really important because it is so easy for our thoughts to be displayed on our faces.

We have also been talking about things like follow up and saying thanks to library patrons. In the end, I think it boils down to this; if you really care whether a patron gets what they need, and if you really want to help them, it’ll show. You will seem happy to see them and glad when they find what they need.

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