David Foster, Library Associate in Mandarin Branch’s children’s department, is well known for his ability to “break the ice” with strangers and make them feel right at home, all the while finding out what customers’ real needs are so he can best help them. David is respected by his present and past supervisors, peers, and customers for his exceptional skills. One thing he said that might best describe his take on customer service was what he learned on his first job out of high school, “It taught me the value of proactive anticipation of what will best help a customer.” He makes each customer feel like their need is his top priority--and for him it is.
Q: What is your professional history with City/JPL?
A: I began working for JPL in late fall of 2004, just as the last of the new branches were being completed under The Better Jacksonville Plan. Although my mother and I visited UPK on its grand opening day months before, I was not actually part of the start-up team. Michael Sullivan, Kathleen Krizek, Mary Calcagni, and Kim Hamilton saw my potential as an assistant in the Y department, and I worked between the circulation and Y departments. Although I knew that I would move to South Mandarin, ironically, I also was not part of the start-up crew there. I arrived over a week after its grand opening and again was fortunate in that Ed Murray, Lynne Baldwin, Anne Clement, Marsha Collins, and Linda Ehnert saw my potential as an LA in the Y department. I worked for Ms. Clement for 4 1/2 years before my transfer to Mandarin Branch, where I am Margo Crafton's assistant.
Q: Are your people skills and good customer service derived more from a personal affinity for people, professionally acquired, or both?
A: My family has a history of serving our community; my mother and sister-in-law are teachers, my sister is a nurse, one of my brothers works in law enforcement, one of my nieces works in a seniors home, and one of my nephews served eight years in the military.
My rapport with customers stems from two people, in particular--my father, who had the ability to speak with ease with virtually anyone about virtually any topic, and a family friend, for whom I worked after graduating from high school. That job involved sales, and my friend taught me how he maintained a client base, in no small part due to his jovial, outgoing nature. I apply that lesson on a daily basis, welcoming families as they step into our department, and proactively providing assistance.
My love of reading comes from my mother, who cannot sit at the breakfast table without reading the cereal box ingredients! At home, we were surrounded by encyclopedias,
Reader's Digest, National Geographic, and any number of bookcases that were filled to the brim.
My approach to customer service is that--at that particular moment, during that particular transaction--to the customer, I am the face of JPL.
Q: Why is it important to connect with parents as well as children?
A: Building a strong rapport with the entire family allows me to better determine the family's needs, whether specific, such as resources for a school project, or whether broad in scope, such as encouraging a life-long love of the library, and, by extension, building a life-long love of reading.
I am fortunate that--at both SOM and KR--I have hosted the Mother Goose and Toddler Time programs, allowing me to focus on our future readers from the very beginning!
I also host a kids graphic novel book club, which Shivon Rockward started for KR, in which I am able to work with school-age students who are at a stage where many students face distractions, such as video games and television. I stress critical thinking, specifically comparison and contrast and the concept of irony, as well as the pure joy of leisure reading. I provide an atmosphere that is conducive to each student's expressing his or her point-of-view.
Q: How is customer service changing in the children’s department?
A: More and more, we are a hub for families with parents who—in addition to helping their kids get books—are here to search for a job. Something as simple as letting a parent know that, in addition to finding books that pertain to their child's interests, we can provide coloring pages, puzzles, and pop-up books to keep their attention so a parent can focus on that important task. I am also able to tell parents about our website links, specifically Careers and Jobs, under the Recommended Websites on our home page. My taking a moment to research the next WorkSource visit could change a family's life!
The summer months, which are our peak season because our school-age kids are on break, have also changed in the last few years of our nation's economic downturn. I've heard again and again that our programming has offered families a free, healthy alternative to costly entertainment.
Q: Tell us something about yourself that most of us would not know.
A: My family has a new generation! My brother and I were raised as a “second” family, so we've been uncles since we were in elementary school. In the last few years, my oldest nephew and his wife have started their own family. Children have always been part of my life!
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