My Secret Shopper Experience!
I visited a smaller library to see what would happen. I was greeted by two ladies who were seated behind the counter at their computers. One approached the desk and the other stayed behind. The lady who approached became known in my head as Goodreads lady and the other was Google lady. After asking what I needed help with, we narrowed down that I was looking for a series with serial killers that had a movie or TV tie-in.
We went through the ones I had already read like Dexter. Goodreads lady asked if I had read The Bone Collector/ Lincoln Rhymes series. I told her I had watched the movie but I did not realize it had been based on a book series!
They did not have the book in the library but it was available through Overdrive. I had to let them know that I was not actually a patron at this point. We determined that my library does have Overdrive so I could look it up and download it myself.
Both ladies were very helpful and utilized the conversational interview approach. They did not seem to have access to a database such as NoveList but instead used resources they were used to. One used Google and the other used her personal Goodreads account to help me.
I was pleasantly surprised at how helpful and friendly they were. I found a new series that matched the criteria I was looking for. I wondered to myself if it had been busy in the library (I was the only patron in there) how I would have been handled. I really enjoyed this assignment and it really made me take a hard look at myself and how I interact with patrons! It was fun being on the other side of things for a change!
I am looking forward to poking around on others' summaries to see what their experiences we like!
Hi Shannon, it sounds like you had a great experience. It is so strange to be on the patron side of the desk, isn't it! I like that these staff members used what they had at their disposal to find good suggestions for you. We really do adapt to the tools we are given. (On another note, I see that you have two stubborn beagles and I tip my hat to you. I have one stubborn, adorable beagle and I cannot imagine having two!)
ReplyDeleteHey Shannon! I like that you referred to these ladies as GoodReads lady and Google lady lol. Even though those aren't always the ideal tools it is nice that they used what they had at their disposal to get you the best results they could. I also like the personal touch of smaller libraries so I am glad you had a positive experience!
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