Nice or Sucker?

[jonxarn]

I was chatting with Lisa about doing nice things and she expressed some incredulity that I would find people being nice a good thing. Sure, she was joking, but the example she used is one in which I find we really differ. I make a distinction between being nice, or doing nice things and being a sucker

Comments

[soaringdragon42]

I think your reaction is fine. You're a library, not a store (specially one that doesn't have to work for the customer), you aren't obligated to stay open beyond your posted hours just cause someone's too lazy to pay attention to the time. You're polite about it, and you do warn them. *shrugs*

My ex worked in Radio Shack and he would stay late to help the customers who came in 5 min before closing, but in some cases he was required to. (If they bought a cell phone, his major commissioning point, he had to call up to set it up. Its a bit rude to be all "Sorry, closing, can't sell you shit now. Even if it'd make me money...") So, I think there's a bit of a difference.

I don't understand why people wait till closing time to run out to someplace to buy something, but some place like a library...well, they ain't making money by staying open later, more likely losing it. *shrugs*

This got long, and very disjointed. Sorry!

[scandiamaxie]

I agree with you, and Soaring also has good points.

If you were working in a location to make money for you and the business, its usually a good idea to help out the last minute customers.

Libraries dont make much money, and you have been fair and nice enough with the closing warnings beforehand. A friend of mine who works for a library usually makes this announcement:

"Folks with uncheckable books, closing time is within 30 minutes. Please either copy the pages now or come to the front desk to have it bookmarked and reserved for tomorrow. Folks with checkable books, you have 30 minutes to find the books you need for business and pleasure use. Contact a librarian for quick assistence."

The library he works at is pretty strict about closing time, and the librarians are to get the people out of the library 5 minutes before the closing time, so they can begin the closing process quickly.

[dragon_nataku]

Personally, I think your three warnings thing is nice enough. I'm pretty sure you don't get paid extra if you stay after closing hours because of the slow-pokes.

I theorize that your director isn't actually staying later to be "nice" but because he (she?) has nothing better to do with their time. *shrugs*

I guess "nice" is subjective anyway. I personally don't equate being a doormat with "being nice," but that might explain why I have very few friends. :op

[lisamaesie]

Well, of course people agree with you if yours is the only side presented. ; )

I know I'm overly nice sometimes, and I don't like being rude to people. It does seem rude to me to have to say to someone, "Closing time, drop everything and leave this instant." They are not paying customers, true, but that doesn't mean they aren't important to the library either. Many people donate to their local library, so in my opinion they should be treated like customers just like anywhere else.

I don't know, maybe I just emphasize too much. I personally would leave during the warnings, but if for some reason I couldn't, being told "leave now" at 5 on the nose would piss me off. I wouldn't be likely to return to a store or library that treated people like that, much less want to contribute.

[caesarsalad77]

Both.

Keeping the library open is being nice, and also being a sucker. Because people will always take advantage of nice people.