Dear Emma:

I could not agree with Herr Waidacher more.  The General Public
(visitors) is the main reason these cultural institutions exist or how
else could the government of a nation justify spending vast sums of the
public's money on them.

Here in the U.S. and elsewhere, we have begun using a management concept
of "Customer Service" in regards to museum visitors.  It might help you,
if you ask yourself and get those other "naysayers" to do so as well -
just who are the customers of your (or their) institutions?

If the answer to that question is the visiting general public, (and I am
certain that will be the answer) it behoves you (and them) to treat
visitors "as an honored Customer in your institution" and provide those
visitors with as much artifact interpretation and service as you
possibly can.  After all, the public provides the support (directly and
indirectly) for the continued operation of the institution.

Kind Regards

Roger Wulff
Museum Services International
_________________________________________________________

Friedrich Waidacher wrote:
>
> Emma,
>
> >'visitors have come to Museums for years regardless of whether or not we
> operate >Service Standards or similar'.
>
> What an incredible and cynical statement!
>
> It's really hard to believe that there are still people of this kind working
> in museums and misusing them at the cost of society. They should better find
> other ways of earning a living.
>
> What do they think society has created museums for and why it is willing to
> maintain them?
> (Did those people ever ask themselves how they would appreciate hospitals,
> schools, fire brigades and other public services being run based on the same
> attitude?)
>
> Your question 'How important is the visitor?' can be simply answered:
> She/he are the museums' raison d'etre.
>
> Good luck to you,
> Fritz
>
> *******************************************             #
> Friedrich WAIDACHER
> -------------------
> Klosterwiesgasse 44, A-8010 Graz
> Austria                                                                     &
> Tel/Fax 43-316-826264
> -------------------
> Moenchegg 34, A-8742 St. Wolfgang-Kienberg
> Austria                                                     * * *
> Tel/Fax 43-3578-8216                                        ;
> --------------------                                       o
> email: [log in to unmask]                               ''
> http://www.webmuseen.de/Waidacher/
> *******************************************
>                                                &
>
>                                                                    #