Patron Claims Returned
We created a form out of the need to resolve issues that arose from patrons questioning fines for books they had thought returned.
If this occurs, he will need to come into the library and fill out a 'Patron Claims Returned' form:
- All 'Claimed Returned' issues must be dealt with by the owning library. Therefore, we only process claims for SMU items.
If this occurs, he will need to come into the library and fill out a 'Patron Claims Returned' form:
We prefer the patron fills out the form in person to give us a chance to discuss the lost item. However, we will fill out the form over the phone or via email, as long as all information needed to proceed is provided.
A full-time or part-time staff member (but not the Assistant Manager of Access Services, for reasons discussed later on) should be called on to deal with these issues because:
Ask the patron to provide all the information requested on the form. Please ensure that both the front and the back of the form gets filled out. This information is necessary to conduct a thorough search for the item.
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A full-time or part-time staff member (but not the Assistant Manager of Access Services, for reasons discussed later on) should be called on to deal with these issues because:
- we want the tone of the conversation to be neutral
- we want to explain to the patron what we do to avoid this from happening (double-discharging and careful shelving), and to ask the patron all the relevant questions to help us pursue the matter
- we want the patron to have a contact person for future dealings
Ask the patron to provide all the information requested on the form. Please ensure that both the front and the back of the form gets filled out. This information is necessary to conduct a thorough search for the item.
- The staff member should offer a business card, as well, so the patron has a person to contact, if need be.Once the form is complete, give it to the Searches staff member for further action.
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