Customers are everywhere

Today I attended a leadership seminar with a man who was until recently (he's been promoted) the manager of one of the other libraries in our system. He related a hilarious story to which I'm sure I won't do justice, but I just HAD to share it here.

A couple of months ago he had just finished his workout at the gym and went in to take a shower. As he was coming out of the shower (completely naked, as men tend to be in locker room situations, or so I assume), a man (also completely naked) recognized him as a library person and started haranguing him about a circulation issue. Apparently the man had instructed his wife to go to the library to pick up a book that was on hold for him but unfortunately did not empower her by giving her his library card first. So of course the staff person would not allow her to check out her husband's item (we take confidentiality of circulation information VERY seriously at my library - how do WE know if she's actually his wife? What if she's a vindictive EX-wife - imagine how much trouble THAT could cause!), and she had to go home without it. He was extremely upset and went on and on about it for quite some time.

Imagine yourself stepping out of the shower, naked and dripping wet, and having to respond to something like this. He laughs about it now but I'm sure at the time it was all quite unsettling.

I feel grateful that I live in a different area of town from where I work.