The Personal Touch Not a Lost Art at JCPL

Running to answer the telephone, tripping over toys, cats, and dogs along the way, I hurriedly pressed the "talk" button before the answering machine kicked in, only to hear, on the other line, an automated voice ask me if I could please hang on for the next available representative. Not only did I get roped into answering a telemarketer's call, but I was placed on HOLD for someone who had called ME! Everyone who tries to make a simple telephone call these days knows the drill; the automated recording that gives the inevitable message, "Please listen carefully, as our menu has changed." Several minutes later, if you're like me, you're so confused about which number choice pertains to your particular situation and how to go about finding someone who can answer your question that you have to dial again, just to hear the menu a second time to figure out what you have to do to get results. Is it just me, or is customer service a thing of the past?

"Your Call is (Not That) Important to Us: Customer Service and What it Reveals About Our World and Our Lives" by Emily Yellin is an eye-opening account of the role that customer service plays in today's companies, chronicling the author's meetings with sales reps from around the country, the corporate decision makers, and the distress of customers as they relate their infuriating experiences with her during her travels. This is just one of the new nonfiction titles on the shelves of the Jasper County Public Library. Read on for more great titles!

There are design flaws in everything if you look hard enough, and that goes for the human race as well. With our busy days and multi-tasking ways, mistakes are part and parcel of everyday life. "Why We Make Mistakes: How We Look Without Seeing, Forget Things in Seconds, and Are All Pretty Sure We Are Way Above Average" by Joseph T. Hallinan is the complete synopsis of the author's quest to understand the imperfections that we all have, and the science of human error that allows us to err in judgment, thereby making mistakes. Real life stories make this a valuable resource of the way our minds work, and the reasons behind the mistakes that make us vow to "do better next time."

Is there life beyond our five senses? "Unbelievable: Investigations Into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other Unseen Phenomena" by Stacy Horn delves into the paranormal, as a group of scientists from Duke University investigate bizarre occurences, such as reports of clairvoyance, ghosts, poltergeists, and other strange happenings, bridging the gap between science and the mysteries of the paranormal.

The solar system of the 21st Century is explored in "Where Did Pluto Go?" by Paul Sutherland. This guide to the solar system will take you on a journey through the planets, detailing every aspect of the universe and giving full descriptions of the "bright planets," Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, as well as offering information about asteroids, meteors, shooting stars, and more with this easy to understand guide.

"Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide" by Caroline Adams Miller offers science based advice for setting goals, making lists, and sticking to them. Complete with exercises and quizzes that help to identify your own individual needs, this book will open your eyes to a self-discovery that you never knew existed, inspiring you to set the goals that you must to live a more productive and happy life.

Is customer service a thing of the past? British writer and journalist, Nelson Boswell states, "Here is a simple rule: Always give to people more than what they expect to get." The personal touch; a human voice on the other end of the phone line; no menu choices; just GREAT choices when it comes to books, magazines, and audio-visual materials; that's what you'll find when you call or visit any branch of JCPL, because your call IS important to us!