The route for all my errands today was planned around a trip to the library in a neighboring town. They had the book I really wanted. You know how it is, you finish a good mystery and find that what you thought were 20 more pages of that mystery are actually the first 20 pages of the next one. Ok, I wanted it and wanted it today.
Checked the online catalog, one copy was supposed to be on the ‘shelving cart’. When I got to the library, I dutifully checked the shelves in case it had been shelved. Not there. On to the circ desk to ask for help. And even though I’m a librarian, I still get nervous when I have to ask for help. I’m afraid someone will be cranky with me. That’s not at all fair I know, must be the result of some long forgotten bad library experience.
Enter nice library lady. She checked the shelving carts in the back room. She came out to double check where I’d looked and other places that it might have been mis-shelved. But no luck, not to be found. She kindly offered to place a hold on it, which I turned down, secretly planning to head for Borders to get it. This was truly great customer service and even though I didn’t have the book, I was happy with the experience.
Moments later, while I was looking for some other stuff, over came nice library lady with a big smile and THE book! She knew it had to be somewhere and wasn’t going to give up.
Thank you Colonie Library for a great customer service experience (and for the cookies at the checkout counter!)
One of the great and funny things about our breed. We are relentlessly helpful (library gentlemen, too).
You’re so right Steve. I was picturing myself doing all those same things if a customer had come to me for help. And yes indeedy, library gentleman are relentlessly helpful too! 🙂 And don’t we drive our friends and family nuts with way too much help sometimes.