VIRTUAL VALOR

Handling Problem Behavior Online

Rose M. ChenowethSeptember 14, 2010

VIRTUAL REFERENCE

Email Library’s instant messaging Online Reference Service Texting

POLICIES

Who will you help Who won’t you help What will you do What won’t you do How long will you search When will you stop or refer

HELLO, ….

Your name The library’s name (or the service

name) How may I help you?

GOODBYE . . .

Did that answer your question? Is there anything else I can do for you

today? Thank you for using …. Come back again…

IN GENERAL

Don’t use jargon (OCLC, collections, stacks, databases, journal, …)

Know your policies Understand your role Know your resources Understand basic customer service skills

REFERENCE INTERVIEW

Probing questions Clarify Paraphrase

LOOK AT YOURSELF

Do you identify yourself? Are you friendly but professional? Are you wordy? Do you use large words when shorter,

plainer ones might work better? Do you tell them what you are doing

before you do it? Do you explain why you not responding?

WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM . .

FightHow dare youAttack$%#@

FlightDisappearNot my jobNot my fault

STEP BACK

1. It is not about you2. It is not about them3. Let us put some figurative distance

between you4. Remember, you represent the library5. So… let’s analyze and solve the

problem

TRY:

Active Listening Empathy

Acknowledge the question

Ask for more information by keying in certain words

Paraphrase what they said until you agree on meaning

I sense some confusion

You seem upset This does not

appear to be what you expected to find

ADVICEFrom Louise Green, Decatur, Illinois

Give the patron the benefit of the doubt It takes two. Echo and paraphrase the patron in a

positive way if possible. Give them three tries

SITUATION: JOKES OR SILLINESS

SITUATION: RUDENESS

SITUATION: IMPATIENCE

SITUATION: HIGH, DRUNK, OUT OF IT

SITUATION: NO ANSWER

CHECK YOUR TRANSCRIPT

Where did the conversation start to go wrong?

What could you have done differently? Would it help if someone else reviewed

this with you?

OTHER SITUATIONS?

RESOURCES Chenoweth, R.(Ed.). (2002) Safe harbor: Policies and

procedures for a safe library. Galesburg: Alliance Library System also available at http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/SafeHarbor/

Clearinghouse for QuestionPoint Scripts wiki http://wiki.questionpoint.org/Clearinghouse-for-QuestionPoint-Scripts

Lord, C. (2005). Defending access with confidence. Chicago: Public Library Association.