Customer Service Policy

Mission statement :

The Duxbury Free Library provides a welcoming environment where people of all ages can pursue individual and shared interests. It provides a wide variety of resources to meet the needs of a diverse community and it supports lifelong learning.

Policy :

This policy is written to ensure equal and quality service to the library's external customers—its patrons—and to its internal customers—its staff members. To provide this service, the library seeks to maintain a friendly, positive atmosphere for its patrons and staff. Efficient, accurate assistance is our goal. Each patron and staff member will be given courtesy, respect and consideration regardless of age, race, sex, nationality, educational background, physical limitations, information requested, or any other criteria.

Patrons and staff can expect a safe, welcoming environment where their library needs are met. Please note that the Patron Records Policy (1/03), Rules of Behavior Policy (9/01), Unsupervised Children Policy (2/01), Meeting Room Use Policy (5/02), and the Display/Exhibit Policy (5/02) were approved to provide a safe and secure environment in the library.

This Policy serves as the foundation for all staff interactions with the public and with each other. All other library policies should be interpreted in light of these guidelines.

The Board of Library Trustees endorses these procedures:

Service Guidelines

• Staff will greet patrons with an invitation to service.

• Staff will be familiar with all established policies and procedures, and implement them kindly and consistently.

• Staff will fill all reasonable patron requests or offer alternatives.

• Staff members who are unable to assist a patron will call upon a supervisor anywhere in the building.

• Staff will always remain courteous with patrons and refer problems to a supervisor.

• Staff will answer the phone according to baseline etiquette established by the departments. (i.e., greeting, identify department, provide name, ask “how can I help you?”).

• Staff will honor patron and staff privacy and discuss persons or problems away from public areas.

Adopted 2/12/04, revised & approved 5/17/06