Jay Heuman wrote:

                I am more concerned with protecting the museum and staff
from
                accusations that we don't provide or do enough for our
visitors.  I
                believe we do plenty.  So, think of visitor services as the
equivalent
                of customer service in stores.  When someone has a
complaint, it would
                be helpful to have prepared text indicating what is and is
not within a
                museum's standards of service.  (It would be wonderful to
have this
                available for distribution to angry visitors, to include it
in
                brochures, to post it on web sites, etc.)  After all, it's
funny that
                visitors expect the world, and yet front-line staff hear
only the
                criticisms.


Bravo Jay!!  Being front line is not all sweetness and light.  I still think
that charters and standards are great for training - but the idea of a
"contract" between the Museum and its visitors is one worthy of
consideration.  I have certainly done this with teachers, but I admit I
hadn't thought of a similar method being used for casual or drop in
visitors.

As for front line staff being subjected to angry visitors - I always tell my
staff and volunteers that they should send the angry visitors to me - that's
why I get the "big bucks."  Often upset people just want to be able to yell
at someone  - and I have pretty broad shoulders and thick skin.

P. Hill
Royal Sask Museum




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