Lesson 5: Answering Questions

Model Reference Behaviors Checklist: Steps 1 - 3

The model reference behavior checklist outlines steps for providing high quality information services.

The first three items on the checklist are about appearance and attitude.

• Be approachable: smile; make eye contact; give a friendly greeting; identify yourself.
• Make the client feel comfortable: speak in a relaxed tone; get up and walk toward the person.
• Express interest in what the client says: maintain eye contact; give the person your full attention; make attentive comments.

These steps all seem quite obvious. However, it is surprising how easy it is to get distracted by other tasks or thoughts and to forget to focus totally on the client in front of you. Keep reminding yourself of these simple steps to providing high quality service. Work to make them part of every client interaction.

Answering Questions
Next section: Steps 4 -5