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Customer Service Policy Flagler County Public Library
POLICY: The Flagler County Public Library strives to offer excellent library service to all. While an adequate facility and fine collections are necessary in order to meet community needs, it is equally important that the library staff and volunteers provide accurate, efficient, and friendly service at all times. Library staff is the bridge between the patron and the materials and information sought by the patron. The Customer Service Policy of the Flagler County Public Library System is the foundation for all staff and volunteer interactions with the general public. All other library policies should be interpreted in relation to the principles outlined below. PROCEDURES: The Library should offer the same quality of service to everyone regardless of age, race, sex, nationality, educational background, physical or mental limitations, or any other criteria which may be the source of discrimination. Patrons should be treated as if they are the most important people in the world. They are! This means that serving a patron always takes precedence over paperwork. No patron should ever be kept waiting because of paperwork. Judgment calls should be made in the patron’s favor. If a staff member makes a mistake, it should always be to the patron’s advantage. If a staff member is unable to comply with a patron’s request, every attempt should be made to offer an alternative. Staff members should be familiar with and able to articulate library policies - as well as being able to explain the rationale behind them. Staff members should greet every patron who comes to the library in a friendly manner and should make every effort to help meet patron needs. Staff members should be sufficiently familiar with library collections, programs, and resources to serve patrons well. If a staff member is unable to provide the information or materials required, the patron should be referred to the library staff member who is in charge. It is important to provide the best information possible. Every patron who comes into the Library should be served as quickly as possible - no patron should be kept waiting longer than is necessary to complete a transaction with the patron who is there before him/her. Patrons on the telephone deserve the same merit of service as the patron in the Library. Factor a telephone request into our first come/first served mode of service. DEMEANOR: Demeanor is defined as: the way a person looks, speaks and acts; one’s manner of behavior towards others; a personal mode of expressing attitude. Non-verbal demeanor conveys attitude via facial expression and posture - just as tone of voice and choice of word affect a verbal message. The patron’s perception of a staff member or a transaction can be very different from the staff member’s intent. In public service agencies such as the Library, it is imperative that every staff/patron interaction is a positive one for the patron. A friendly, helpful demeanor can often ensure a positive experience even when the message conveyed is not a pleasant one. Staff members are expected to act in a friendly, helpful manner which will ensure that the patron will walk away feeling his/her experience with the Library has been a positive one. Unless there is a specific discipline problem, a staff member should never scold or reprimand a patron. While a staff member is at work, he or she acts as a representative of the Flagler County Public Library to each person or group with whom he or she comes in contact. The impression made on the patron profoundly affects the Library’s image. ETHICS: The needs and requests of the library patrons must always be taken seriously and be treated with respect. Equal considerations and treatment will be given to all users within established guidelines and in a nonjudgmental environment. All interactions and transactions between a library patron or group of patrons and the Library will be considered confidential and will be discussed only in a professional context (such matters include, but are not limited to, registration information, materials selection, loan transaction records, reference questions, etc.).
Adopted by the Library Board of Trustees June 25, 2002
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