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Re: Post script and small apology



To put it mildly, I am troubled by the automatic reply that
told users that it would be three weeks before their answer.
Juggling annual reports and other end-of-the-year and begin-
ning of the year paperwork here, and "immediate" requests
from users...I'm almost in agreement with the "three week"
backlog note.

I can understand it, but I wonder from the users' point of
view whether it does more harm than good.    Certainly if I
sent an institution a note about "are you going to be open on
August 15th?"  then I wouldn't want such a response.   On the
other hand, there are time differences between requests---
some requests you simply cannot answer like "do you have an
index to the local newspaper for the last fifty years" and the
quick answer is no, none exists.   On the other hand, someone
sent me a list of 20 names that they'd like to see if I have bap-
tismal records on--and I have to weigh whether I tell the user
(far away) that they'll have to come here, or whether I say we
only do "3" at a time, which will yield at least six more e-mails
probably one hour apart!

I have increasingly finding from donors and users that "customer
service" means a lot more than automatic responses.  Good service
yields in ways you can never comprehend but always to your good.
I've also found that I can answer fifty reference questions this month
quickly and make the users happy, but it is that ONE that complains
to the Director that gets the administration's attention.

It is a difficult situation juggling reference requests and time, but I
don't think the automatic response is a way to do it.   I understand it
and agree with it (to some limit) but it is not how I would respond to
user requests.

Dean

Dean DeBolt
University Librarian
Special Collections and West Florida Archives
John C. Pace Library
University of West Florida
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL  32514-5750
Tele:  850-474-2213;   Fax:  850-474-3338

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