In a message dated 02-02-18 07:25:46 EST, Deb Fuller wrote:

<< Again, if you are late to a doctor's anointment, you can't demand to
 be seen immediately, you get the time that is available. >>

I think this is true for any kind of doctor appointment, not just for
anointing. :-)

But seriously, I just wanted to say that I'm opposed to billing schools for
missed tour appointments, regardless of the inconvenience to the museum.  If
there is a charge for the tour, I think best practice would be to charge a
non-refundable deposit.  If the tours are free, however, I don't see much
recourse except the firm but tactful, definitely not bitchy, letter that
others have described (with a tickler in your files for reference if the
school tries to book a subsequent visit).  Billing expenses for a missed
tour, IMHO, should be done only if such a policy is stated up front when the
tour is booked.

Having said that, I want to pose the reverse situation.  What do you think of
a museum that cancels a special event which a school group has arranged to
attend (having notified the museum, after calling for details, that they're
coming)?  This happened to a teacher friend of mine a few years ago.
Admittedly, this was not a "tour" arranged exclusively for the school, so
it's not directly comparable to the kinds of tours people have been
discussing.  Anyway, the school bus arrived at the museum, teachers and kids
got to the program site on time--but no program.  I believe there was a sign
announcing the cancellation with no reason given.  As best she was able to
determine, the staff member who was scheduled to present the program (which
had been publicly announced) just decided to go to a meeting instead.  I
suggested she write a letter of complaint to the director, but she opted just
to fume and not bother.  (To make matters worse, her principal blamed her for
the miscue, and she had trouble lining up subsequent field trips.)  I'm sure
other visitors were similarly inconvenienced, but not at the cost the school
had to incur.  Perhaps the school should have billed the museum to recover
its costs, although that would have required a principal who supports her
teachers rather than blaming them for everything that goes wrong--but I
digress, and it's beside the point.

David Haberstich

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