At 10:03 AM 10/9/96 GMT+1000, Heather May wrote:

<snip>
>I would be interested to know how many of you consider your visitors
>'customers' and whether you think the perceived ability to deliver 'quality
>customer service' should take priority over qualifications and experience in a
>museum environment?

Depends on the position.  For jobs with a lot of public contact (security
guards, admission cashiers, store clerks, education programmers, docents,
etc. etc.) it is of paramnount importance.  For behind-the-scenes folks
(designers, curators, conservators, and so forth), "customer service" is
probably equally as important as academic qualifications and museum
experience.  For what good does it do our institution to have the world's
greatest reseaercher on staff, if he/she openly despises the visitors -- our
raison d'etre and source of funding?

-- gene

Eugene W. Dillenburg
Coordinator, Special Projects
Exhibits Department
The Field Museum of Natural History
Chicago, Illinois  60605-2496
V: (312) 922-9410 x636
F: (312) 922-6973
E: [log in to unmask]

"Never pay more than minimum wage for a shirt."

                                -- Bruce Elliott