Unique call agents: calm under pressure

If you have answered calls at a library, odds are that while a vast majority are positive experiences, there are some outliers. When an upset patron calls, it can be a little challenging, but the good news is that Unique is trained for prepared for all call scenarios. Gathering details and working through the issue is standard practice for Unique call center agents, who are trained for both the routine and the unusual.

When someone calls with threats though, a routine call can become an important moment.

Such an event happened when an irate patron called Natrona County Public Library . The complaint turned into a rant, and then devolved into threats, all while the professionally trained Unique call agent remained calm. Kate Mutch, the Assistant Director explains:

“The agent was calm, cool, and professional. He listened to the rant, gave non-committal answers, and when the patron’s suggestions crossed the line of appropriateness and became ruder than rude, Unique’s representative ended the call, wishing the patron a good rest of the day.

Realizing that this was an unusual and potentially dangerous call, he reported it to his supervisors who in turn reported it to us. The recording provided allowed us to prepare staff in the event the patron followed through with this veiled threat. “

Mutch also added,

“Many on our staff were amazed and impressed with the handling of the call. Several commented that they would not have done nearly as well. Based on our history with Unique, I have no doubt that any agent would have handled the call in nearly the same manner.  “

By using call services from Unique, Natrona County Public Library not only freed up their librarians’ time, but also leveraged the professional nature of Unique’s call agents, for the ‘normal’ calls and for the exceptional calls, too.

About Unique Patron Services

The phone is vital for patrons to connect with their library. However, it can be an anchor for staff working to help visitors. This is one of the many reasons why libraries centralize phone handling if possible. Yet, management, cost, and turnover can make centralized calling a real challenge. Get all the advantages of a centralized calling with none of the headache. By handling up to 80% of the call volume,  Unique will handle the day to day calls so the library expert staff can handle the high-level work.