OVERVIEW:
One of the toughest challenges when dealing with angry, entitled, or frustrated patrons in the library is having both the ability and skill to apologize when things have not gone right. Most times, it’s not our fault, or it’s not anyone’s fault, or it may even be the patron’s fault, which makes the apology process something most staff members just don’t want to do.
But it’s always important to remember that a sincere, well-timed, and well-worded apology from an empathic library employee is not about who’s right and who’s wrong. It’s about recognizing the power that apology has to fix the situation and send the patron away feeling better about what happened.
The L.A.S.T. model reminds staff to Listen – Apologize – Solve – and Thank. This short and simple tool can defuse even the angriest patron when it’s done in a way that values the power an apology has to clear up misunderstandings, on behalf the both the staffer and the patron.
LEARNING AGENDA:
- Break down each of the LA.S.T. steps in detail and see practical, realistic examples of how to apply them.
- View a segment on the L.A.S.T. concept from the award-winning training video “The Difficult Guest.”
- Discuss how this tool can be used for staff development, new-employee orientation, and role-played in staff meetings to fine-tune it.
About the Speaker
DR. STEVE ALBRECHT. Since 2000, Dr. Steve Albrecht has trained thousands of library employees in 28+ states, live and online, in service, safety, and security. His programs are fast, entertaining, and provide tools that can be put to use immediately in the library workspace with all types of patrons. He has written 27 books, including: Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities (ALA, 2015); The Safe Library: Keeping Users, Staff, and Collections Secure (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023); The Library Leader’s Guide to Human Resources: Keeping it Real, Legal, and Ethical (Rowman & Littlefield, May 2025); and The Library Leader’s Guide to Employee Coaching: Building a Performance Culture One Meeting at a Time (Rowman & Littlefield, June 2026). Steve holds a doctoral degree in Business Administration (D.B.A.), an M.A. in Security Management, a B.A. in English, and a B.S. in Psychology. He is board-certified in HR, security management, employee coaching, and threat assessment.
He lives in Springfield, Missouri, with seven dogs and two cats. More on The Safe Library at thesafelibrary.com. Follow on X (Twitter) at @thesafelibrary and on YouTube @thesafelibrary. Dr. Albrecht’s professional website is drstevealbrecht.com.
