When I initially came to class last Tuesday, I saw little resemblance between reference librarianship and the Zingerman’s business practices. Like Zoë, I felt uncomfortable comparing a profit-driven venture like Zingerman’s with a “public good” like libraries. Of course, libraries emerge in all sorts of formats and settings, not just in public. Yet, this sense of discomfort remained because I firmly kept this binary mindset: public vs. profit. I saw the value in applying a lot of the best practices that Weinzweig highlighted, but I was still skeptical in what I saw was appeasing bad customer behavior. “Why should library professionals concede to ridiculous demands!?” I asked myself. I agreed with Nicco when he mentioned being both impressed and frustrated with how Weinzweig explained how to handle “off-the-wall” demands. [1] On the one hand, I agree that it is important to acknowledge a customer’s strange request rather than belittle them for it. The way Weinzweig details approaching these requests like a complaint led me to appreciate a service practice that went above and beyond to show respect towards the customer. However, I was also frustrated because I saw this as being incompatible in a library setting. How could we even entertain these demands when we have neither the resources nor the mindset of a business?
My perception changed when Kristin brought up the idea of the persona of librarians. The all-knowing, yet cold and unwelcoming librarian is seared into the cultural psyche of almost every patron that comes through a library’s doors. Yes, the patron’s demands might be ridiculous, but as librarians, we are supposed to have the answers! The cold and unwelcoming stereotype might further dissuade patrons from asking any type of question, so why should we meet these unfavorable expectations when we react negatively to one “off-the-wall” demand? The idea of a library persona becomes even more useful when considering how to handle angry patrons. When a patron brings their frustrations to the reference desk (that frustration possibly being a fine or a technical conundrum), the librarian persona helps to shield that anger from landing on you personally. Whether we like it or not, we are considered the embodiment of the library, so we become the sites of protest against unjust policies (perceived or actual) or uncompromising machines. Utilizing the library persona as a forcefield maintains the distance needed to resolve patron complaints in a way that reestablishes respect between the two parties.
Yet, a few lingering questions that I did not address at the end of class continue to plague me. I kept thinking of instances when the customer/patron turns abusive and the persona is forcibly stripped away. In particular, I found Weinzweig’s response to customer harassment [2] to be wholly inadequate as the needs of the customer are STILL addressed at the expense of the servicer. While Weinzweig considers a painless exit of a harassment situation the highest priority, he does not consider the impact this has on the servicer. For example, would the Zingerman way work in instances of sexual harassment? When a servicer’s persona AND personhood is stripped away? I find it frustrating that Weinzweig fails to consider this type of situation, which I believe goes beyond the bounds of typical harassment and deserves some degree of “setting the customer straight.” [3] In a library setting, the safety and dignity of librarians and all patrons is paramount, so how do we maintain that in the face of harassment? And does that have to be balanced against providing good service? At what point do we determine that a customer/patron relationship must end and that good service is no longer possible? Ultimately, when is the persona not enough?
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[1] Weinzweig, Ari. 2004. Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service. New York: Hyperion, p. 73.
[2] Weinzweig, Zingerman’s Guide, pp. 75-77.
[3] Ibid, p. 76.
You make a good point about wanting to be yourself at work. I would argue that a persona is merely a heightened version of your best self, not faking it. Also, I think you've implicitly raised an important point for class -- that we don't create our work attitudes around the worst-case scenario patrons.
ReplyDeleteGood points all around with regard to the question of how far is too far to go when accommodating an unreasonable or even abusive customer/patron before making some kind of counter-move. I agree that Weinzweig's methods are extreme in this regard, and that some key contextual differences in a library environment compel us to take a bit of a different tack. Promoting informed, engaged civil discourse seems to be part and parcel of the "public good," that libraries aim to serve.
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