As I have been a "secret shopper" for years, I thought I needed to weigh in
the discussion.  Every time I do a "shop", the evaluation procedures are
different.  It is up to the individual store or restaurant (or museum) what
they want the shopper to look for.  I have been asked to evaluate the food,
the service, the wait in line, the attitude of the staff, the telephone
manners of the staff, or how clean and stocked are the restrooms.  In the
evaluation form I fill out after the visit (designed by the parameters of
the individual store), it always asks for both positive and negative aspects
of the visit.  I am never allowed to be overly critical without justifying
the comment.
I am usually only reimbursed the cost of what I buy or eat, plus a few
dollars.  I do it for the fun and interesting places they ask you to shop or
eat.  Plus, I spent years working in retail (supplementing my museum income
or working through school), and know what to look for.  I think it would be
a useful way to evaluate your museum, especially if you get a person who
might not normally visit your museum.

Wendy Wiener
Curatorial Assistant
The Octagon, the museum of the American Architectural Foundation
1799 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006-5291
(202) 626-7369
(202) 879-7764 fax
www.theoctagon.org

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).