1) The document discusses the importance of providing exceptional customer service in a library setting. It emphasizes that customers will remember how library staff made them feel more than anything else. 2) Staff are encouraged to greet customers with a smile, make eye contact, choose a positive attitude, and leave personal issues at home in order to provide the best customer experience. 3) The document outlines best practices for being approachable, comfortable, and actively listening to customers to ensure they feel supported.

1. Exceptional Customer Service
Julie Pinnell
Doane College Library

4. What they will remember is how
you make them FEEL

6. Your attitude will impact customers
more than anything else
• Greet customers it’s everyone’s responsibility
• Fish = be there, play, make their day, choose
your attitude
• Leave personal issues at home. You can pick
them up later.
• Be grateful for your job

7. MODEL REFERENCE BEHAVIORS
CHECKLIST
APPROACHABILITY
Smile
Makes Eye Contact
Gives Friendly Greeting
Is At Eye Level
COMFORT
Speaks In Relaxed Tone
Goes With Patron
INTEREST
Maintains Eye Contact
Makes Attentive Comments
Gives Full Attention
LISTENING
Does Not Interrupt
Paraphrases
Clarifies

9. Easy Street
• Greet
• Signage
• Hours
• Virtually yours
• “Yes and…”
• Trust
• Give alternatives
• Kindness

10. STATEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
I. Librarians must provide the highest level of service through appropriate and usefully
organized collections, fair and equitable circulation and service policies, and skillful, accurate,
unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests for assistance.
II. Librarians must resist all efforts by groups or individuals to censor library materials.
III. Librarians must protect each user's rights to privacy with respect to information sought or
received, and materials consulted, borrowed, or acquired.
IV. Librarians must adhere to the principles of due process and equality of opportunity in
peer relationships and personnel actions.
V. Librarians must distinguish clearly in their actions and statements between their personal
philosophies and attitudes and those of an institution or professional body.
VI. Librarians must avoid situations in which personal interests might be served or financial
benefits gained at the expense of library users, colleagues, or the employing institution.
Adopted by the American Library Association, 1981

11. SERVING ALL PEOPLE EQUALLY
Paragraph I of the American Library Association's STATEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
reads:
The intent is that each of us give every patron the same level of respect, attention and
courtesy.
We don't, for example, give city or county officials preference over other patrons, or treat
"street people" with less respect than others. Children and their questions are given the
same level of care we give to adults.
All people in the community are entitled to
equal library service.

12. BEING OBJECTIVE
Paragraph I in the American Library Association's STATEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS is
an important one. Not only does it call for the same treatment for all, it calls for being
objective and neutral in the way we handle requests:
It means that even if you do not agree with what the patron wants to do, even if you dislike
the information asked for, you must put aside your personal opinions and handle the
request in a neutral, impartial way.
Your personal opinions are yours off the job. At work, you must remain unbiased.
Providers of reference service must be unbiased in helping library
patrons.

13. Grumpy People
• Staff: • Customers:
• Information waiters • Listen / take notes
• Kindness • Recognize their feelings
• Acting lessons • Agent vs gatekeeper
• FISH = be there, choose • Small acts of personal
your attitude kindness
• 4 Agreements – don’t • Help from a co-worker
take it personally & be • Process for appeal
careful in your words

14. What they will remember is how
you make them FEEL

15. Thank you!
Julie Pinnell
Doane College Library
julie.pinnell@doane.edu