Good Example

I complain a lot, it's true. I do it in real life almost as much as I do it here on this blog, and so I feel like it's time I told a story with a happy ending.

There is a service we provide at the desk where I work called Course Reserve. A teacher gives us a book, or requests that a book we have be put on Reserve, and then students are able to check it out for two hours at a time, thus allowing one or two copies of a book do service for an entire class. We have about four secretaries who deal directly with Reserve issues, and in the interest of my avowed purpose to only tell a good story, I will only say this: I wouldn't take their job for the world. There is only so much stupidity and stubbornness I can take, and I reach my limit enough as it is with this job.

One day a professor came to the desk with the complaint that his students were unable to check out the Reserve book he had placed. I got a cold feeling in my gut as I imagined the fury he would then release on me. But instead, in atypical behavior for a professor, he simply asked me to walk him through the steps I would expect from a regular student trying to check out the book. Could it be? Someone trying to understand how the system works before demanding that we change it? He meekly followed my instructions, and it turned out that the trouble had been nothing more than miscommunication and a few unfortunate coincidences. He left, satisfied, and I rejoiced knowing that there was someone out there who didn't yell first and fail to ask questions later.

These moments are more rare than they should be, but perhaps not as rare as I sometimes think they are. I will try to post more good examples in the future.