Ohio Reference
Excellence
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Telephone and Email Reference
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
- Always have reference forms and a pencil ready, or be prepared to keyboard.
- 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.
Reference Interview Techniques Are Critical!
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
- 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?" "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 2008 edition of ____, and it
says..."; or "I have the 2007 ___ 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
The largest use of the Internet is for email and other communications. Email is used in
libraries for information about patron accounts, overdue notices, books being held, and
increasingly 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!
Recommended Policies and Procedures
A well-defined email reference policy is critical. 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 six 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.)
- Keep instructions simple and easy to follow.
- Check your responses carefully for spelling and other errors, and make sure they are
complete and understandable.
- Identify the librarian who worked on a specific request with initials or another coding
system, but do not use full names.
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.
Major Point: For telephone and email reference, use your voice or words to smile,
emphasize the reference interview behaviors, and speak or write clearly.
- 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 for reference and/or as follow-up for other forms of
reference? What are the guidelines? Are privacy and confidentiality covered in the
guidelines?
Answer Key
Tricky situations
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Does the library have an automated phone system? The Gethuman website is a consumer project to improve customer telephone support by US companies. The core principles expand on these 6 premises of automated customer service:
-Humans first when possible.
-Make it easy!
-Provide efficient prompts.
-Systems are not humans, avoid irritating personas.
-Listen to your customers, get feedback.
-Organize in a logical flow.
Remote reference by telephone or email presents special problems and
requires special skills.
Listen carefully during a telephone reference interview.
Verify spellings on the telephone using a phonetic key.
The following letters are often misheard:
 B as in Boy
C as in Charles
D as in David
F as in Frank
G as in George
M as in Mary
N as in Nancy
P as in Peter
S as in Sam
T as in Thomas
V as in Victor
Z as in Zebra
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