Feature Articles

Problem Situations, Not Problem Patrons

If you’ve worked in libraries long enough––particularly if you’ve spent your time in an urban setting— you’ve dealt with upset patrons and wondered at one time or another whether one of them might resort to physical abuse. After all, no matter how hard you try, you cannot control how any individual might act in any given situation. They might curse, shout, spit, throw objects, or strike you. In my twenty- year career, I’ve encountered each of these responses, and I’ve discovered that the best way to avoid such treatment is to manage your own thoughts, feelings, and actions. Only after you’ve mastered your emotions can you rely on the policies and procedures that your organization has created to best deal with the unpredictable scenarios your patrons might present.

Every library, regardless of the type or locale, has contended with angry patrons. But calling these individuals problematic is too simplistic and often just plain wrong. Whether the patrons are homeless; suffering from substance abuse; or inflicted with mental, emotional, or physical illness, these circumstances do not by their nature equate to disturbing behavior. There must be some trigger, or some specific issue that irritates these patrons (as well as many of our otherwise calm patrons) from reacting in ways that disturb others from working in peace. Very few patrons walk into the library looking to start trouble. Therefore, we shouldn’t brand them with the “problem” tag, but instead call these problem situations.

Many factors can influence a patron from lashing out. In some instances, without our realizing it, we contribute to their exasperation. How? By refusing to give our patrons the respect they deserve. In a dispute over a fine or a damaged return, some patrons may pull the “I pay your salary” card, both to inject fear and to influence your behavior in their favor. But many of us fail to realize that this is a true statement. We serve our communities, which means that we are not only answerable to our supervisors, but also to our patrons. Without our patrons, we would not have jobs. They deserve our respect and our best customer service skills. But sometimes they criticize library staff and expect too much leniency.

When a patron stomps up to the circulation desk to argue about a book that should have been returned months ago, he may accuse the library of instituting heavy fines similar to that of a mafia loan shark, or he may criticize you to persuade you to waive the fine. Without a valid excuse, we know they know they are at fault. Therefore, they own the problem.1 Regardless, most of us will feel our blood pressure rising, our attention span shortening, and our patience dwindling.

Do not take patrons’ criticism personally. And do not argue with the patron. Library staff didn’t stand on the patron’s property with flaming torches and signs proclaiming him evil for not returning his book on time;we sent him e-mail, snail mail reminders, text messages, or placed polite telephone calls to remind him of the overdue material. Besides, any number of possibilities could have triggered their annoyance: they could have just lost their job, been served with divorce papers, or been involved in a car accident earlier in the day. The fine may have sparked their irritation, and they needed to blow off some steam. No one likes having someone shouting at him or her, but you won’t get a patron to settle down by talking over him or by allowing your strained nerves to get the best of you.

In these instances, the best way to handle the situation is by active listening.2 Use a sincere tone when acknowledging how difficult it is to work all day then return home to pick up a child from band practice before returning home to make dinner for the family. Compassion often goes a long way to soothe one’s annoyance. If you recognize their frustration, you help stabilize their behavior. After all, how many people will be angry at you for agreeing with them? What follows are four problem situations and recommendations to avoid full-blown confrontations, as well as the most important topics managers should consider when training their employees to handle disputes.

The Blame Game

A patron approached the reference desk with tears in her eyes. I listened to her story and said, “So if I understand you right, your computer won’t let you access your e-mail account. Well, that’s got to be annoying. Let’s go take a look and find out what’s wrong.” As far as I knew there were no gremlins in our computer hard drives, preventing our patrons from accessing their e-mail, but it’s always best to restate the problem, so you can place the emphasis on the problem while not blaming the patron’s computer efficiency.

After I stopped by her computer terminal and we logged into her account, I immediately recognized the problem. “I know from experience that with free e-mail accounts, you only get a certain amount of storage space. It might be a good idea to free up some space by deleting spam and e-mails that you might not need.”

“It’s never been a problem before,” she said, straining to keep her voice from quivering. “I don’t know why you’re doing this to me.” The situation has gone from the patron blaming the computer to blaming me. I didn’t take it personally. How could I? She had almost thirty-two thousand e-mails in her inbox. It wouldn’t help matters to blame the patron for her unfamiliarity with computers. I focused on the problem at hand. “I’m sorry this happened, but I really think it might help to delete all the e-mails you don’t need. I have a feeling that will free up the problem.” When dealing with problem situations, apologizing to patrons is not an admission of guilt—if you target what is frustrating your patron. In this instance, you’re only acknowledging that the problem has upset the patron. Once you’ve grown accustomed to depersonalizing interactions with upset patrons, while at the same time empathizing with them, you can set about resolving the problem.

You’re Not the Boss of Me

No one likes approaching a patron or a group of patrons to ask them to lower their voices or reduce the volume of their iPods. But most library policies include a no-tolerance clause for those who disrupt others from working in a peaceful environment. Regardless of the scenario, when one or more patrons prevent others in the library from uninterrupted research, they are breaking policy and must be asked to abide by the rules.

In this type of situation, one cannot be sure if the patron has a hearing impairment or if they don’t realize how loud the music might be to others in the library. Use a gentle smile and open with something like, “Excuse me, guys. Could you please lower the volume?” Try not to draw attention to the “offenders.” It’s always best to start out friendly and polite. “If you come on too strong you can easily embarrass them into a confrontation.”3 You are trying to convince them to follow policy, so frowning at them or handing them the library code of conduct at this juncture may antagonize them.

In most cases, the patrons will lower their volume without complaint. In others, they may ignore you. Give them a couple of minutes to respond. If others nearby noticed the interaction, they may want some time to save face and pretend that they are lowering their volume of their own accord. If after a few minutes the patrons haven’t settled down but have become defiant, visit them once more. Adopt a neutral expression, present the library code of conduct, and say, “I’m afraid I can still hear your music from across the room, and it’s preventing others from working. Please lower the volume, or I’ll have to ask you to leave.” By stating that you’ll “have to” ask them to leave, you are only following the library policy and not making this a personal mission to kick them out of the library. Before you leave, offer a genuine smile and thank them for following the rules.

If they argue by saying that another group is making noise, or eating, or a multitude of other possible policy violations, do not let their argument sidestep the issue. Stay on task. State the facts (the policy) and the consequences for refusing to follow them. If they once more ignore the warning, they have disrespected the library’s mission, the library staff, and the other patrons in the library. If you feel uncomfortable confronting the group again, ask a colleague or a security guard to join you while you ask them to leave. Doing so does not put all the pressure solely on you to enforce the rules. The offenders will most likely look at each other and laugh, collect their belongings while arguing about the library or the staff and within a minute or two they will leave. If they once more disregard you, the best bet is stating the following: “Either you can leave, or I can call the police and have them escort you out of the building.

It’s your choice.” Leave it short, formal, and impersonal. Talking too much will invite an argument. If they call your bluff, turn around, pick up the phone, and call the police.

But what happens if this group returns and continues to become a disruptive presence? Treat the situation as you had before, but be sure to follow a set of predetermined guidelines that increase in severity. For instance, after informing the group that they must leave the library for the second time, you should convey that they would be banned for one week. If their behavior continues to be an issue each time they visit, extend the ban to one month, six months, one year, and so on.

Decision Time

Many problem situations revolve around disagreements with library policy. A woman stops by the circulation desk with three young children buzzing around her while she drops down a couple of books. She hands the clerk her library card only to discover that she owes $20 in fines. After being told that she needs to pay down her fines to a certain amount before being allowed to check out her materials, she shouts at her children to stop flitting around her, making an even more disruptive situation than her children had already created. “I returned those books on time,” she says. “And even if I didn’t, I don’t have that much cash on me, and I don’t have my checkbook. I have an essay due in two days. I haven’t even started it, and I don’t have time to come back here.” Only a hardened heart couldn’t empathize with a mother who presumably takes night classes while caring for three hyperactive children. Show some of that compassion in your expression and in your voice and say, “I’m really sorry, I wish I could help, but our policy states that—”

“Wait a minute, your policy? What policy? Do I look like a criminal? I’m not trying to steal your books.”

All public service desks should have copies of the library’s code of conduct (preferably a clear and concise one-page document) available. Hand the mother a copy, but do not point out or read the infraction to her, which may seem condescending.

“That’s ridiculous.” The woman’s five-year-old slams his rubber dinosaurs together and growls, giving sound effects to the rumble between a Brontosaurus and a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The mother smacks his arm. “What did I just tell you? You better knock it off or . . .”

The circulation clerks are now facing a more dangerous situation than simply a patron who can’t afford to pay down her fines. While perhaps unlikely, the predicament may lead to child abuse. The library’s code of conduct surely has no tolerance for the mistreatment of others in the library. Is swatting a child in the arm commensurate with slapping him in the face or worse? Only the clerks on duty can determine the level of danger, but no one is capable of predicting how someone may react under a stressful situation.

In this instance, the clerk should say, “It’s probably best for my supervisor to speak with you. Please allow me a minute or two, and I’m sure she’ll try to help out.” Do not hand her off to another staff member without the authority or the experience to handle the dispute. Leaving serves two purposes. First, it allows the mother to cool off, regain her composure, and speak to her children to ensure that they do not disturb others. Second, it allows the clerk to update her supervisor about the situation and the level of the mother’s frustration.

If the supervisor assesses the situation and finds that the patron hasn’t calmed down but has only grown more upset, she has a decision to make: uphold one policy (not allowing checkout to someone who owes large fines on her account) or acknowledge that the patron may soon break another (abusing her child). If the mother admonishes the child again, this will give other patrons in the vicinity the impression that the library is greedy and more concerned about a few dollars than ensuring a peaceful environment for the community.

However, if the mother harms the child again, depending on the severity of the blow, the supervisor should tell the parent that striking the child again will force her to phone the police to ensure the child’s safety. If it is a more forceful blow, one that gives the supervisor the impression that the abuse will continue to a greater degree, she should call the police immediately.

I heard a woman swearing at the circulation clerks and demanding to use the telephone. I hurried up to the circulation desk to find a drunken woman jabbing a finger toward a clerk.

Better Safe than Sorry

At the reference desk at the back of the library, I heard a woman swearing at the circulation clerks and demanding to use the telephone so she could call her husband. As the librarian in charge that evening, I hurried up to the circulation desk to find a drunken woman jabbing a finger toward a clerk at the desk who was calling for the security guard.

“I want that phone. I got to make a phone call and get my husband here to pick me up.”

“Miss,” I said, walking up to her. “Please lower your voice.” I kept my distance, but I could smell the fumes of alcohol drifting off her. “We have a public phone in the lobby. You might try—”

“I’m not going out there. I’m using the phone you got right there.”

After this woman cursed at me for not allowing her to use the phone, I said, “If you don’t lower your voice, I’ll be forced to call the police.” Stating this made it known that nothing but her behavior would prompt me to make the call.

“Did you hear me,” she said, closing the distance between us. “I’m going to use that phone.”

Because of her inebriated state, the patron would not listen to reason and continued to disrupt others from using the library’s resources without interruption.

But once you mention calling the police, especially when the patron is loud and either unwilling or unable to follow the rules, you should follow through and call the police.

The security guard reached the desk and walked over to the lady, but remained far enough away not to intrude upon her personal space. I went behind the circulation desk, picked up the phone, and dialed the police. After I finished up with the police operator, I turned back to the patron only to discover her standing directly in front of me. I had no time to avoid getting slapped in the face.

My mistake. I’d turned my back on the patron. Having dealt with dozens of drunk patrons over the years, I’d never had to call the police while one berated me, and I’d forgotten one simple but very important rule: always keep an eye on the patron. In this case, she’d moved too quickly for the security guard to prevent her from hurrying behind the circulation desk. Besides, the guard wouldn’t lay a hand on the patron. Feeling threatened, she may attack him or press charges against him for “assaulting” her.

I heard more than saw the group of patrons at the computer terminals ten feet away sucking in their breath with shock. If a patron strikes you, you have every right to protect yourself. As a manager, however, I recognized that acting rash would become a public relations nightmare. That, coupled with the realization that this woman would not lash out again, convinced me to lead the woman out of the library by guiding her toward the exit and asking her to leave in a firm voice.

Staff Training

To help staff members who deal with problem situations on an ongoing basis, library managers should meet with their staff at monthly meetings to discuss these matters. Sometimes only ten minutes is needed to allow staff to vent or trade stories, but, just as important, it allows them to learn how to approach these situations and what strategies to avoid. A byproduct of this type of exchange is that it helps to create a stronger team atmosphere. Also discuss policies and the procedures needed to enforce them. Depending on the environment, it might be helpful to use code words to call for security guards or further assistance, but make sure all staff members in the department are familiar with that name or term. Nothing is worse than having one person secretly call for help when his or her colleagues aren’t aware of the code word.

When you give employees training and guidance, “trust them to make the right decision. Employees who are trusted respond to that trust. They are more committed to their work and are happier employees with higher morale.”4 But even if you work in an affluent community that rarely sees confrontations, managers should still speak with their staff about problem situations at least once per quarter. Staff who don’t know how to handle these situations may not know what signs to look for in order to prevent one from occurring. Above all, hold each person in the library accountable for his or her actions, and do not allow favoritism to take place. Doing so only increases the potential for misinterpretation and miscommunication, which in turn enhances the likelihood of problem situations.

Conclusion

The key to diffusing problem situations is to use a combination of active listening, empathizing with the patron in question, staying on topic, and maintaining an impersonal but flexible approach. By using each of these techniques in tandem, library employees will decrease the likelihood of facing arguments or physical confrontation.

References

1. Nathan M. Smith, “Active Listening: Alienating Patron Problems through Communication,” in Patron Behavior in Libraries: A Handbook of Positive Approaches to Negative Situations, ed. Beth McNeil and Denise J. Johnson (Chicago: ALA, 1996): 128.

2. Ibid., 130.

3. Warren Graham, Black Belt Librarians: Every Librarian’s Real World Guide to a Safer Workplace (Charlotte, N.C.: Pure Heart Pr., 2006): 24.

4. Sharon W. Bullard, “Gypsies, Tramps, and Rage: Coping with Difficult Patrons,” in Helping the Difficult Library Patron: New Approaches to Examining and Resolving a Long-Standing and Ongoing Problem, ed. Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah (Binghamton, N.Y.: The Haworth Information Pr., 2002): 250.