Customer Care Call Reflection

During this internship period, I had the opportunity to return a customer care call, which gave me hands on experience with patron communication and problem solving. I volunteered after a request was posted in our branch channel in Microsoft Teams, asking if anyone was available to assist with a call.

A Customer Care Call is a system used for more complex or sensitive patron issues. Branch staff typically provide the Customer Care number to patrons, which directs them to a voicemail where they leave their question or concern. These calls are usually handled by regional supervisors or managers, and library support staff rarely have the opportunity to return these calls. The team aims to respond within 24 business hours. In this case, the regional supervisor shared the call with library support staff because it was believed to be a circulation related question about ebooks.

To prepare for the call, I listened carefully to the voicemail to gather the patron’s information and understand their request. I also had a branch iPad ready so I could walk the patron through any steps if needed, and I pulled up the circulation manual in case questions came up during the call. Although I prepared for a circulation related issue, the situation turned out to be different than expected.

I was able to reach the patron and speak with them directly. They were calling to ask what they needed to do to restore their ability to check out physical materials. After reviewing their account, I saw that there was no standard block, but there was a staff note indicating that materials should not be checked out due to an issue involving returned items with unidentified bugs.

I explained the situation clearly and let the patron know that I would follow up with a supervisor for next steps. The patron was appreciative that their call was returned and that I took the time to look into their account.

After the call, I followed up with my supervisor, who confirmed that I handled the situation correctly and proceeded to escalate the matter to the Security team for further review. This feedback gave me confidence in my ability to follow procedures and provide professional customer service.

Overall, this experience helped me build confidence in handling patron interactions over the phone and reinforced the importance of preparation, clear communication, professionalism, and knowing when to escalate an issue.