When Good Customer Service Goes Bad
I did not participate in the following conversation, but I was given permission to share with those who enjoy reading stories about the library. I have not altered any of the conversation itself:
Setting: A library, late afternoon. It is a bit quiet… a few people browsing in Fiction, a couple of sleepers in the 900’s, several children drawing in books with crayons. Library Worker is checking in magazines at the circulation desk. Enter The Patron…
Patron: Oh hi. How are you?
LW: Good. How are you doing?
Patron: I’m good now. I just had my yearly physical down at the Clinic and I had the last pap smear I’m going to have to have in my life.
LW: Oh.
Patron: You know they’re so uncomfortable because I’m so tight down there. And you know the reason is because I haven’t had sex for so long.
LW: (Blank stare. First signs of nausea become apparent)
Patron: My doctor said ‘Patron, you’re so tight down there. You need to start having more sex then it wouldn’t hurt so much.’ I mean don’t we all need to have more sex… ya know.
LW: (Blank stare. A little vomit happens in LW’s throat)
Patron: Oh, I’m just so glad it’s over.
LW: Did you want to check out some stuff?
THE END
Hey! You updated!
Did you ever see the Linklater movie, “Slacker?” It also featured a pap smear. And some probable lies related to that pap smear. This is by way of saying I don’t believe an actual doctor actually said any of that to Patron. Nope.
Actually, the only way that conversation makes any sense is if Patron was trying to hit on Library Worker. And Patron thought this would be a uniquely appealing approach. It definitely succeeded on the uniqueness front.
Does the library have any official policies related to unwanted personal sharing on the part of Patrons? It might be an amusing social experiment to try and “one up” Patrons by blurting out something even more inappropriate in response, see where the conversation goes from there. I suppose the library would frown on that, though . . .