Phone & Email
From SLNSW
Model behaviors and approachability on the telephone or by email.
The Telephone Environment
Many users find it convenient, even imperative, to contact us by phone rather than in person. Phone reference requires special skills and presents special problems:
- You can't see your patron's facial expressions, and they can't see yours.
- The telephone distorts words, so it's easier to make mistakes in hearing.
- You can't see who your patron is, so don't assume the kind or level of information wanted. You need to ask.
- You may feel under more time pressure if patrons become restless waiting for a reply because they can't see what you're doing.
Answering the Phone
- As soon as you pick up the receiver, talk to the caller. Don't pick up to stop the ringing while continuing a conversation with someone else.
- Identify your library or branch clearly. Follow library policies on how to identify yourself and the library.
- Your initial greeting sets the tone for the rest of the interview. Let your voice show that you are confident and willing to help.
- Put warmth and friendliness in your voice. Callers can't see you smile, but they can hear it reflected in your voice.
- Speak clearly and not too fast. Rapid speech may sound like a curt reply to the listener.
- Use simple, straightforward language. Avoid library jargon the patron won't understand.
- If the patron gives you a name any time during the call, write it down (phonetically)and try to use it later in the conversation.
- Asking for the borrower number can be helpful too.
- If you can help them with whatever their query is, then do so. Only refer on when you can't help (they may have through several referrals already).
Reference Interview Techniques Are Critical
- Use the Model Reference Behaviors Checklist.
- Use open questions and clarify when necessary.
- Verify or repeat the question back to the patron before attempting to answer.
When You Leave the Phone
- If you have to leave the phone to look up an answer, put the phone on hold if you can. This respects the privacy of other patrons' conversations in the library. Tell the caller what you are doing so they won't think they have been cut off.
- Warn the patron if you plan to leave the phone for more than a few minutes. Three minutes seems like a very long time when you are listening to dead phone silence.
Giving the Answer
- The answer may come by phone, but the answer may need to be provided in another format, by a reservation, or an e-mail.
- Make sure the patron understands the answer. It helps to begin by making sure the patron is ready to take down the answer. "Are you ready for me to read this now?" You can offer to spell difficult words or names and check to make sure the patron heard."Did you get that?" and "Would you like me to repeat that?"
- In giving information, always identify the source of the information first, before giving it. For example, "I'm reading from the 2011 edition of ____, and it says..."; or "I have the 2012 ___ encyclopedia website on my screen, and it says...". Both the title and the date of the source are important, so the patron can evaluate the currency and accuracy of the information.
- Use a standard follow-up question to end the interview, such as, "Does that completely answer your question?".
If You Don't Have the Answer
- If you can't find an answer, always offer to refer the question.
- Never let a question drop because you can't find an answer right away. If the patron has time to wait, offer to call back after working on it.
Reference by Email
Email is used in libraries for information about patron accounts, overdue notices, books being held, and for reference. When you can't see the user, can't use your voice to convey meaning, and are putting answers in writing, special care is required.
People are also texting or tweeting libraries with questions, or posting questions on facebook, use similar methods to providing a reference service by email.
Recommended Policies and Procedures
A well-defined online reference policy is helpful. Pertinent parts of the policy (e.g. what is and what isn't available) should be made clear to patrons, in the library and on the Web site, so that they will know what to expect. When establishing library policies for email, consider the following tips:
- Make sure your emails have a generic address that patrons can send information and responses back to in the email. No one person should be the "email librarian" unless you are really the only staff person who manages this service.
- Create an effective email reference form that prompts the patron to give you the 6 pieces of evidence needed for a complete reference interview.
- It is helpful if the form requests email address, telephone, and mail address in case you need to contact the patron for more information or send information that will not fit on one email response.
- Give your patrons clear directions and expectations for turnaround time and the type of answer and materials that are available.
- State whether you will you send documents electronically, or does the patron need to come in to get copies?
- Create a frequently asked questions or FAQ for patrons so they can get information on what to expect from the service and how to use the service effectively.
Tips for Email Responses
Many suggestions for email also work with Chat reference, as both are written communication. For additional suggestions, go to the Remote Reference page.
- Check email responses for consistency as multiple librarians work on different emails to insure patrons are being served equally.
- Use clear and descriptive subject line entries.
- Begin with a greeting to the user, and identify the sender.
- Library jargon and abbreviations should be avoided (e.g. ILL or ADA).
- Spell out dates and commonly used words, avoiding Web acronyms such as BTW or IMHO.
- Provide complete citations for both print and Internet resources.
- Set off titles, URL's, etc. on lines by themselves to make them stand out.
- Avoid using capital letters unnecessarily. (It is actually more difficult to read all caps, as we learn to read with both upper and lower case, and tend to read by shapes of words.) In most online forms capital letters indicate shouting.
- Keep instructions simple and easy to follow.
- Check your responses carefully for spelling and other errors, and make sure they are complete and understandable.
Setting the Tone for Emails
In email communication the patron cannot hear your tone of voice or see your facial expressions.
- The tone of emails should be more business than personal, depending on the patron.
- Remarks that may be witty or appropriate in person or even over the telephone can easily be mistaken in email.
- Don't write anything that you would not want forwarded to a third party.
- Your reply to a question from a patron is formal communication from the library and should be treated as such.
Email material on this page was adapted from MORE Minnesota Opportunities for Reference Excellence) 2003, and from [http://www.nmrls.org/ce/Tips_and_Strategies.doc Tips and Strategies for Good Customer Service, Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System.]
SMS, chat and IM
Does your library use SMS, chat or IM (instant messaging) for reference and/or as follow-up for other forms of reference? What are the guidelines? Are privacy and confidentiality covered in the guidelines?
When you are using these methods keep in mind your libray's polices for providing reference and information services.
Major Point: For telephone and email reference, use your voice or words to smile, emphasize the reference interview behaviors, and speak or write clearly.
Exercise
- What is your library's policy/procedure for telephone reference, call backs, priority of in-person versus phone patrons, or other telephone situations?
- Does your library use email, twitter, facebook for reference and/or as follow-up for other forms of reference?
- What are the guidelines? Are privacy and confidentiality covered in the guidelines?
