The Customer Always *Thinks* They're Right
Last night during my 7:00p-10:30p shift, an older woman who I've seen and helped a few times came up to the desk. She began talking about how she forgot her card here that morning, and then told me (she specifically said you several times) that I should have called out to her as she was walking away. Apparently, we were slow to e-mail her about having her Student ID card. She said she didn't want to fill anything out, she wasn't going to submit any forms, she just wants us to know.
The whole time she was talking to me, I was trying my best not to say, "Ma'am, I understand your frustration, but I was not working this morning." I wanted to defend myself in that way, but I knew that it might set her off if I tried.
She went on and on, and apparently she was just stressed out and wanted to rag on me (for something I didn't do) because it would make her feel better. x.x;;
Now, the only incidents I can think of where not having your Student ID would be a problem is if 1) you had a meal plan and were buying food and had no cash/cards on you; or 2) you were printing your paper last minute.
Also, I don't know where she left her card, or if it was even left at the desk. She may have left it at the printer or something. 90% of the time, that's where it's left. 5% of the time they drop it, and they other 4% of the time we forget to give it back, and 1% of the time they leave it at the desk.
Still. I'm not a fucking therapist. I'm not getting paid a shit amount for you to use me as a means to vent your frustrations. I'd be getting paid a lot more otherwise. (I think there was a movie where a guy went around letting people beat him up for a fee...but I can't remember what movie it was. It was either Japanese or Korean though.)
I know who was working that morning and why he wasn't able to e-mail her as quickly as she would have liked. For at least an hour after opening, there is only one student assistant working at the circulation desk. Why? I don't know. People don't like getting up at an early-ass time in the morning. But having just one person there makes it hard to get things done. Between having to do deal with incoming returns and helping with patrons, we don't have time to sit and write an e-mail informing someone that they forgot something. Something that is usually not high on our priority list, and I'm guilty of sticking a post-it on something and leaving it at the e-mail computer for someone else to do when they have time.
But of course I can't say this to the patron, she might get mad.
Also, when people request DVDs or Videos, and they don't give me a piece of paper with the info on it, I usually repeat the call number that they've given me.
This Faculty member came in and requested, "Q33 part 3." I repeated after her, "Q33 part 3?" She said yes.
I looked on the shelf. No Q33. It stopped at Q6 or Q7.
I came out to the front and checked the DVDs. Sometimes they say "Video" but it's actually a DVD. (The stupid catalog lists DVDs as "Videorecording.") She was watching me and said, "No~.... No! It's not a DVD. It's a video."
"Okay, but it wasn't on the shelf back there, so let me just check on it..."
"I know you guys have it. I borrowed it once before. It was called Blahblahblah...."
It didn't come up when I searched by call number. So I searched by title.
It showed up as QH34 part 3. I went and got it for her.
"That's what I said. I said QH34."
"Oh...I heard Q33."
x.x;; Just ... amg. Plz2b paying attention to me.
The whole time she was talking to me, I was trying my best not to say, "Ma'am, I understand your frustration, but I was not working this morning." I wanted to defend myself in that way, but I knew that it might set her off if I tried.
She went on and on, and apparently she was just stressed out and wanted to rag on me (for something I didn't do) because it would make her feel better. x.x;;
Now, the only incidents I can think of where not having your Student ID would be a problem is if 1) you had a meal plan and were buying food and had no cash/cards on you; or 2) you were printing your paper last minute.
Also, I don't know where she left her card, or if it was even left at the desk. She may have left it at the printer or something. 90% of the time, that's where it's left. 5% of the time they drop it, and they other 4% of the time we forget to give it back, and 1% of the time they leave it at the desk.
Still. I'm not a fucking therapist. I'm not getting paid a shit amount for you to use me as a means to vent your frustrations. I'd be getting paid a lot more otherwise. (I think there was a movie where a guy went around letting people beat him up for a fee...but I can't remember what movie it was. It was either Japanese or Korean though.)
I know who was working that morning and why he wasn't able to e-mail her as quickly as she would have liked. For at least an hour after opening, there is only one student assistant working at the circulation desk. Why? I don't know. People don't like getting up at an early-ass time in the morning. But having just one person there makes it hard to get things done. Between having to do deal with incoming returns and helping with patrons, we don't have time to sit and write an e-mail informing someone that they forgot something. Something that is usually not high on our priority list, and I'm guilty of sticking a post-it on something and leaving it at the e-mail computer for someone else to do when they have time.
But of course I can't say this to the patron, she might get mad.
Also, when people request DVDs or Videos, and they don't give me a piece of paper with the info on it, I usually repeat the call number that they've given me.
This Faculty member came in and requested, "Q33 part 3." I repeated after her, "Q33 part 3?" She said yes.
I looked on the shelf. No Q33. It stopped at Q6 or Q7.
I came out to the front and checked the DVDs. Sometimes they say "Video" but it's actually a DVD. (The stupid catalog lists DVDs as "Videorecording.") She was watching me and said, "No~.... No! It's not a DVD. It's a video."
"Okay, but it wasn't on the shelf back there, so let me just check on it..."
"I know you guys have it. I borrowed it once before. It was called Blahblahblah...."
It didn't come up when I searched by call number. So I searched by title.
It showed up as QH34 part 3. I went and got it for her.
"That's what I said. I said QH34."
"Oh...I heard Q33."
x.x;; Just ... amg. Plz2b paying attention to me.