Librarians staffing the 24/7 Reference Cooperative have the opportunity to chat with patrons from London to Los Angeles – and the questions can range from complex research questions to questions about the library’s open hours. The range of questions and patrons is far beyond what would typically cross your library’s reference desk, and this variety offers wonderful opportunities to explore new topics with online users. However, some chatting librarians hesitate in picking up patrons.
QuestionPoint provides librarians with the ability to scan the patron’s question before picking up. It is fine to glance at this information, as this allows you to start thinking about possible suggestions for the patron even as you are selecting them from the waiting queue. But don’t hesitate too long: it is a disservice to our patrons (who have to wait longer) and the other librarians (who may have to pick up too many simultaneous sessions) if any staffing librarians hesitate too long before picking up or – worse -- don’t pick up at all.
Why not just pick up the patron? Many librarians hesitate if they feel they can’t completely answer the question. But, "answering" a chat question does not mean knowing the answer to a question before picking up the call. When you "answer" a telephone, you pick it up and engage in a conversation. The same should occur in a chat session. In this context, the librarian's job is not so much to answer questions, but to ASK questions. Even "answering" a question involves a question: "Is this information useful to you?"
Next time you staff the service, pick up the patron who has been waiting the longest, regardless of the question. Once you pick up, just follow these steps:
- Send hello message.
- Read what the patron wrote.
- Scroll through the "Patron Info" tab. This lets you know if the patron left an email address (important for Follow Up) and sometimes provides information on what library the patron is using. [Hint: the information provided in the Patron Info tab depends on the questions asked in the library’s question form.]
- Click "Policies" link to open the Policy Page. The policy page link is matched to the queue that the patron used to enter the service and will contain links to policies and resources available to the patron from their library.
- Ask the patron a question: usually to clarify the patron’s request, or to find out more information. For example, if it is a local question, you may need to verify the patron’s local library if it is not clear from the patron info tab or the policy page. The librarian should have a clear idea of what the patron really wants before starting to answer the question.
- Send a resource (or paste specific information from Policy Page). This resource does not need to completely answer the question – it can merely help the patron get started. If the patron has asked a complex research question, the link you send may be a link to a database or research guide.
- Ask the patron if the information is useful. It is important to get feedback from the patron, and a negative response from the patron may be an indication that more query clarification is needed.
- Repeat steps 5-7 until the patron is satisfied, or choose a follow up option. If follow up is needed, be sure to verify the patron’s email address.
- Send a goodbye message.
- Close session using the appropriate resolution code.
By following these steps, you will be able to confidently pick up any patron, regardless of where the patron is from or the type of question. It is ok if you need to code the session for Follow Up – the important thing is to pick up the patrons in a timely manner and clarify their questions. This will help you provide the best information to fulfill the patron’s information need or, if follow up is needed, provide sufficient information for the patron’s local librarian to take it from there.
In the next Quality Tip, we will explore things to try when the patron asks a complex research question and you don’t have access to the patron’s databases.
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