To continue to build on the training Ryan Dowd training, we will be sending weekly tips on using Empathy-Based Tools to provide customer service and manage behavior in the library. Please remember that Ryan Dowd focuses on those experiencing homelessness, but these tips are applicable for most challenging patron interactions. If you or a co-worker have an Empathy-Based Tools success story (or challenge) you would like to share, please email Molly.
Recently a library patron asked Denise if she could take food from the Free Little Pantry near the entrance. The next week, that same patron brought in food for the Little Pantry. She told Denise that the few food items she had taken had fed her all weekend because she had run out of money. She wanted to give back that week since she had something to share. Then she gave Denise a hug.
This patron can be challenging, but Denise and others have worked hard to build our relationships with her. I’m fairly certain there will be difficult interactions in the future, but I’ll bet things will be smoother for us than they have been in the past. I would like to thank Denise for the work she has done to build a relationship and put “pennies in the cup.”
It will be easier for all of us not to judge behavior when we try to remember the circumstances that some library users face. We aren’t expected to allow people to break the rules. When we work to suspend judgment, we will be better able to accommodate all library users and encourage voluntary compliance with our conduct policy.
https://my.nicheacademy.com/johnstonlibrarystaff/course/1558/lesson/7381