Hi Natalie. Great reflection!
I used to work in retail selling music and movies and I remember accidentally offending a customer by referring to the type of movie he was looking for as a ‘slasher flick’. That was exactly what he was after but it must have been a little awkward for him to acknowledge that he enjoys watching violence and gore. I imagine the same thing happens sometimes for librarians when they recommend a book that has a dubious reputation, even if it is a good choice for the customer. However, as the ‘I Need a Book!” video demonstrated, even a book suggestion that the reader doesn’t like is a kind of feedback for the librarian in future.
I think having confidence in your suggestion is a step towards positive reader feedback. If they see that you’re unsure or that you don’t know much about the book then it may put doubt into their minds. Of course, building confidence in RA services would involve research into various books and the task of keeping up with new releases, and those activities would mean better suggestions from the librarian anyway!