ST Alpha - "Library user poll: Do you consider it acceptable that the person at the reference desk is both helping in-house users and answering the phone? Does it" (Reading a Post)

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Library user poll: Do you consider it acceptable that the person at the reference desk is both helping in-house users and answering the phone? Does it

Posted by mara Jul 16 '09, 11:42

bother you to walk up to that desk for help and have to wait while the librarian helps someone on the phone?

Responses:

I'm pretty patient. I don't much care even about line jumpers. unless the "line jumper" makes it so that I am not served at all. - safari for windows *loves* mandy lane Jul 16, 12:00
I don't prefer to have to wait when someone is on a phone, or to be interrupted because a person has to answer a phone. However - ty97 Jul 16, 11:50
It's doesn't bother me unless the phone gets answered while I'm speaking with the person. If they put them on hold it's all good, if they proceed to - Krusty Jul 16, 11:49
No. I'm not paying for books or anything and I appreciate the service, so I'm not ever going to complain because they're helping someone else. -- nm - Callisto Jul 16, 11:47
In general that bothers me, regardless of the location. I'm *HERE.* - Cuzzin Todd Jul 16, 11:46 13
- At my office, this is the rule. Callers are told, "He is talking with someone here in the office, may I take a message." - Spawn Jul 16, 11:49
- No, this would a a call that began before you approached the desk. It's basically first come, first served. -- nm - mara Jul 16, 11:47 11
  - Same difference as far as I'm concerned really. -- nm - Cuzzin Todd Jul 16, 11:49 10
    - "Absolutely I can help you with... oh wait, scratch that, someone just walked up. Peace boitch." -- nm - TFox Jul 16, 11:50 3
      - My point is the person present should take priority of the person who couldn't be bothered to come in. - Cuzzin Todd Jul 16, 11:54 2
        
        It would be nice if I always knew it would be "a moment." A reference question can take a whole lot longer than that. -- nm - mara Jul 16, 11:55 1
        
        I understand that, and honestly I'm thinking of it more in terms of retail/store situations. -- nm - Cuzzin Todd Jul 16, 11:56
    - Wait, how? I can't tell the future. I don't have any way of knowing you're going to approach the desk. -- nm - mara Jul 16, 11:50 5
      - [deleted] 4
        
        You've just doubled payroll. Congratulations. -- nm - TWuG Jul 16, 11:53 3
        
        [deleted] 2
        
        No, not at all. I'm saying the person there should take priority over the person no there, who could easily be asked to hold. -- nm - Cuzzin Todd Jul 16, 11:56 1
        
        [deleted]
Such a division of labor is silly, IMO. -- nm - con_carne Jul 16, 11:46 1
- Well, the person answering the phone has to stay sitting at a phone. Sitting at a phone while I'm *off* the desk means I can't do any other actual - mara Jul 16, 11:53
This is pretty much the norm for retail, though in-person clients should get priority. - TWuG Jul 16, 11:46 1
- Yeah, that was a huge annoyance to me when I worked retail. - Callisto Jul 16, 11:48
in principle no, but maybe if I waited a long time in line only to get to the front and be derailed by a phone call. -- nm - link hogthrob Jul 16, 11:45
If I have to wait more than 60 seconds anywhere I call it a staffing problem. -- nm - Max Jul 16, 11:45 11
- Says the guy who loves Redbox -- nm - con_carne Jul 16, 11:52 1
  - never had a wait there. -- nm - Max Jul 16, 11:55
- I call that a Max problem. -- nm - b. Jul 16, 11:47 6
  - post offices and banks. if you've got 3 people sitting idle at 10am and then 30 people in line at 1pm, maybe you should shuffle your man hours a bit. -- nm - Max Jul 16, 11:52 5
    - ah, i get that - er, not the 60 seconds timeframe, but the situation. - b. Jul 16, 11:57
    - The time of day is a factor, but often it's just random. -- nm - mara Jul 16, 11:54 3
      - (or, employees shouldn't get testy when I step in a long line five minutes before the posted closing time) -- nm - Max Jul 16, 12:00
      - then I say calculate your peak requirements and man at that level all day. raise my taxes, I'll pay for it. -- nm - Max Jul 16, 11:56 1
        
        simple as that. - b. Jul 16, 12:00
- [deleted]
- I can sit at the desk for an hour with no questions of any kind (phone, in person, IM), and then have 3 at once. -- nm - mara Jul 16, 11:46
As long as it is not a personnal call, I have no problem with it. -- nm - Spawn Jul 16, 11:45
Sure. No. -- nm - Loyola Jul 16, 11:44
totally acceptable. as long as i don't get neglected in favor of the caller (a new call should be put on hold).-- nm - b. Jul 16, 11:44
[deleted] 6
- yes -- nm - Don Homer Jul 16, 11:46
- i hate how fast food places put priority on drive-thru customers -- nm - zork Jul 16, 11:45 1
  - yes -- nm - Don Homer Jul 16, 11:46
- True, except for a "hold please" answering, that is. (nm) - musubi Jul 16, 11:45 2
  - We used to do that, now we just let it ring (4 times, I believe) and go to voice mail or to a "please hold and we'll be with you as soon as possible" - mara Jul 16, 11:49
  - yeah, I don't want to be on hold when I just want to ask for an extension. -- nm - zork Jul 16, 11:46
Yes and no. - musubi Jul 16, 11:43 1
- *head explodes again* -- nm - steve114 si Jul 16, 11:45
I find it acceptable and does not bother me in the least. -- nm - Beaker Jul 16, 11:43
so long as she's quiet. Shhh! -- nm - Roger More Jul 16, 11:43
perfectly reasonable. -- nm - TFox Jul 16, 11:42

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Library user poll: Do you consider it acceptable that the person at the reference desk is both helping in-house users and answering the phone? Does it

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