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Re: policy for complaints?



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-----Original Message-----
From: Anne Foster [mailto:foster_a@FORTLEWIS.EDU]
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 10:54 AM
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: policy for complaints?


=A0I think having a pre-determined policy has a number of advantages:=20

1.=A0 It gives your front-line staff (often volunteers or students) a
clear procedure to follow and a specific name to direct the complainant
to.
[Michelle Mumaw]=A0I can't tell you how important it is to front-line
staff (having been=A0one for four=A0years=A0in a public library going =
through
many procedural changes - including hiring a collection agency) to not
only have a clear policy to fall back on, but to know that the
higher-ups are going to follow that policy.=A0 It does not boost the
public services staff morale when their supervisors turn around=A0and =
make
exceptions to policies for complaining customers, and=A0it encourages =
such
complaints.=A0 The policy and procedure=A0must be followed by all the =
staff;
otherwise you've already cut the legs out from=A0under your front line
staffers.=A0

2.=A0 It gives you a chance to educate the public about your =
collections
and access policies.=A0 Many times this ends the challenge.
[Michelle Mumaw]=A0Yes.=A0 Either they understand the reasoning behind
adding the item or they conclude that it's too much bother to pursue
their complaint.=A0

3.=A0 It immediately calms a potentially disruptive confrontation by
demonstrating how seriously you're taking the complaint and that you
will really listen.=A0 It also moves a yelling match to a nice, written
interchange.
[Michelle Mumaw]=A0Not necessarily, but it can help.=A0 Some people =
just
want to yell, no matter what you do.=A0 It can help keep your front =
line
staffers calm by giving them something to rely on in the face of
bullying.=A0

=A0

I have not seen such a policy for archives, but my recommendation would
be to borrow liberally from the ALA; they have been dealing with these
situations for a long time and bring a great deal of collective
experience to the drafting of their policies.=A0=A0 The ALA has also =
devoted
more time and thought to public services (a newish subject in archival
literature).=A0 Are there any good guides on donor relations anyone can
recommend?=A0 Perhaps a combination of wisdom gleaned from one of those
along with that in ALA guidelines would be the best result for an
archival policy on complaints regarding materials.

Good luck, Anne!

Michelle Mumaw=20
Archivist=20
Minnetrista Cultural Center=20
Muncie, Indiana=20
mmumaw@mcc.mccoak.org=20
765-213-3540 ext. 168=20


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<BLOCKQUOTE style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV align=3Dleft class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr><FONT =
face=3DTahoma=20
  size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Anne Foster=20
  [mailto:foster_a@FORTLEWIS.EDU]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, May 18, =
2000 10:54=20
  AM<BR><B>To:</B> ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU<BR><B>Subject:</B> =
policy for=20
  complaints?<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2>&nbsp;I think having a pre-determined policy has =
a number of=20
  advantages:</FONT>
  <P class=3DMsoNormal><FONT size=3D2>1.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">&nbsp;=20
  </SPAN>It gives your front-line staff (often volunteers or students) =
a clear=20
  procedure to follow and a specific name to direct the complainant =
to.<BR><FONT=20
  color=3D#ff0000 face=3D"Bookman Old Style"><SPAN=20
  class=3D033232016-18052000>[Michelle Mumaw]&nbsp;I can't tell you how =
important=20
  it is to front-line staff (having been&nbsp;one for =
four&nbsp;years&nbsp;in a=20
  public library going through many procedural changes - including =
hiring a=20
  collection agency) to not only have a clear policy to fall back on, =
but to=20
  know that the higher-ups are going to follow that policy.&nbsp; It =
does not=20
  boost the public services staff morale when their supervisors turn=20
  around&nbsp;and make exceptions to policies for complaining =
customers,=20
  and&nbsp;it encourages such complaints.&nbsp; The policy and=20
  procedure&nbsp;must be followed by all the staff; otherwise you've =
already cut=20
  the legs out from&nbsp;under your front line=20
  staffers.&nbsp;</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
  <P class=3DMsoNormal><FONT size=3D2>2.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">&nbsp;=20
  </SPAN>It gives you a chance to educate the public about your =
collections and=20
  access policies.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>Many =
times this=20
  ends the challenge.<BR><FONT color=3D#ff0000 face=3D"Bookman Old =
Style"><SPAN=20
  class=3D033232016-18052000>[Michelle Mumaw]&nbsp;Yes.&nbsp; Either =
they=20
  understand the reasoning behind adding the item or they conclude that =
it's too=20
  much bother to pursue their complaint.&nbsp;</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
  <P class=3DMsoNormal><FONT size=3D2>3.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">&nbsp;=20
  </SPAN>It immediately calms a potentially disruptive confrontation by =

  demonstrating how seriously you&#8217;re taking the complaint and =
that you will=20
  really listen.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>It also =
moves a=20
  yelling match to a nice, written interchange.<BR><FONT =
color=3D#ff0000=20
  face=3D"Bookman Old Style"><SPAN class=3D033232016-18052000>[Michelle =

  Mumaw]&nbsp;Not necessarily, but it can help.&nbsp; Some people just =
want to=20
  yell, no matter what you do.&nbsp; It can help keep your front line =
staffers=20
  calm by giving them something to rely on in the face of=20
  bullying.&nbsp;</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
  <P class=3DMsoNormal><FONT size=3D2><FONT color=3D#ff0000=20
  face=3D"Bookman Old Style"><SPAN=20
  class=3D033232016-18052000></SPAN></FONT></FONT>&nbsp;</P>
  <P class=3DMsoNormal><FONT size=3D2><FONT color=3D#ff0000=20
  face=3D"Bookman Old Style"><SPAN class=3D033232016-18052000>I have =
not seen such a=20
  policy for archives, but my recommendation would be to borrow =
liberally from=20
  the ALA; they have been dealing with these situations for a long time =
and=20
  bring a great deal of collective experience to the drafting of their=20
  policies.&nbsp;&nbsp; The ALA has also devoted more time and thought =
to public=20
  services (a newish subject in archival literature).&nbsp; Are there =
any good=20
  guides on donor relations anyone can recommend?&nbsp; Perhaps a =
combination of=20
  wisdom gleaned from one of those along with that in ALA guidelines =
would be=20
  the best result for an archival policy on complaints regarding=20
  materials.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
  <P class=3DMsoNormal><FONT size=3D2><FONT color=3D#ff0000=20
  face=3D"Bookman Old Style"><SPAN class=3D033232016-18052000>Good =
luck,=20
  Anne!</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P><FONT size=3D2><FONT color=3D#ff0000=20
  face=3D"Bookman Old Style"><SPAN class=3D033232016-18052000>
  <P><I><FONT color=3D#008080 face=3D"Bookman Old Style" =
size=3D2>Michelle=20
  Mumaw</FONT></I> <BR><I><FONT color=3D#008080 face=3D"Bookman Old =
Style"=20
  size=3D2>Archivist</FONT></I> <BR><I><FONT color=3D#008080=20
  face=3D"Bookman Old Style" size=3D2>Minnetrista Cultural =
Center</FONT></I>=20
  <BR><I><FONT color=3D#008080 face=3D"Bookman Old Style" =
size=3D2>Muncie,=20
  Indiana</FONT></I> <BR><I><FONT color=3D#008080 face=3D"Bookman Old =
Style"=20
  size=3D2>mmumaw@mcc.mccoak.org</FONT></I> <BR><I><FONT =
color=3D#008080=20
  face=3D"Bookman Old Style" size=3D2>765-213-3540 ext. 168</FONT></I>=20
  </P></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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