Tips for Excellent Customer Service to Teens

Smile and say hello to every teen that enters your department – even if they’re listening to headphones or walking with their heads down. Noticing teens in a positive way makes them feel more comfortable, and it also makes them more aware of their surroundings.

Ask repeat teen customers their names and remember them. Teens spend much of their time feeling alienated. If you call them by name they will feel like they belong. This will make them more comfortable approaching you with questions and will positively affect their behavior.

Be sure you understand the question. Teens often mumble and may use hip slang that you might not get. Instead of guessing, always apologize for not understanding them and ask them to restate their question more slowly and clearly.

Learn at least the basics of whichever social networking site is the most popular at your library. If you can’t answer a simple question about MySpace, some teens will lose faith in your ability to answer questions about anything at all. The best way to learn is to create your own profile. You can make a fake one if you aren’t actually interested in social networking. Don’t know where to begin? Ask a coworker or a teen with whom you have good rapport. Most sites also include tutorials.

Read outside your favorite genres. Teens will appreciate it when you’re able to recommend and discuss the kinds of books that appeal to them. A good goal is to read at least the first book in most of the popular teen series that your library owns.

Be respectful at all times. When asking teens to follow rules approach them with the same level of professionalism that you would an adult. Teens can be naturally aggravating, but if you let them know that they get to you they will often become intentionally annoying.

The best approach to improving the behavior of a teen breaking the rules:

• Walk over to where the offender is located. NEVER scold a patron from behind the desk.
  
  
• Calmly and politely ask him to alter his behavior.
  
  
• If the behavior persists, explain to her that this has been her first warning. She will receive one more warning. The third time she breaks the rules she will be asked to leave. Wait for an acknowledgement that she has understood this information.
  
  
• Thank him for calming down.
  
  
• If a teen persists in misbehaving stick to your own policy. Don’t let her sweet talk you into letting it go one more time. You want to be kind and professional, but not a pushover.
  
  
• If you do need to ask a teen to leave or if you call a security guard, continue to act in a calm and professional manner.
  
  
• Don’t hold grudges. Teens can be moody and unpredictable. A teen that gets kicked out one day may stay and help you push in chairs the next – especially if you smile and greet him like yesterday didn’t happen.