In the service industry a "concierge" greets guests and helps them navigate the challenges of visiting an unfamiliar location. In the same way, when patrons come to the library, they may not know who to approach to answer their question. The concierge serves to:

• provide a friendly first point of contact with the library
• find out their needs
• answer any questions they can
• refer the patron to the appropriate person.

The underlying attitude of a concierge should always to provide the best service possible, so

• the default attitude should be – "How can I help this person have a successful experience at the library?"
• don't say "no" to a request until you understand exactly what they're asking for. 
• don't be afraid to refer them someone else when you're not sure of an answer. An incomplete or partially correct answer is not good service.

• For suggestions in how to provide good concierge service, see the Concierge Decision Tree.