Open Forum

I am the Visitor Experience Manager at the CMA and originally had charge over the front desk and group desk entrances.   In January of this year, we split our Security team and moved the 'gallery guards' off of Security and added them to Visitor Experience.   As a visitor centered museum, we wanted anyone the visitor interfaced with to be more customer service centered. The guards and not called Gallery Associates.   They are going through a lot of customer service training, how to deal with people with disabilities, sensitivity training, extensive collection training.   Security of the art and the visitor is still a part of their job, but enhancing the visitors experience in the museum is number one.   We have turned from a reactionary approach to a more proactive/learning approach.   I have also started cross training the gallery associates in other areas.   We have some cross trained on phones, front desk, and box office.   I have recently hired several art students from our neighbour school, Columbus College of Art and Design and have given 2 of them the opportunity to cross train with the preparators for exhibit installations.   The cross training serves several purposes. 1. Increases productivity, worth and pride in the job. 2. Utilizes the abilities of employees already at the museum in other departments cutting down on costs. 3. Adding to the skill set and resume of our employees making them more marketable.

This transition is taking some time for some to get used to, but I believe it is the most productive, and creative approach to staff development and staff retention.

I am happy to discuss more details off line or in this forum.

Thank you so much,

Kim

Kim M Hopcraft, CTA

Visitor Experience Manager

Columbus Museum of Art

480 East Broad Street

Columbus, Ohio 43215

614.629.0364

I am the Visitor Experience Manager at the CMA and originally had charge over the front desk and group desk entrances.   In January of this year, we split our Security team and moved the 'gallery guards' off of Security and added them to Visitor Experience.   As a visitor centered museum, we wanted anyone the visitor interfaced with to be more customer service centered. The guards and not called Gallery Associates.   They are going through a lot of customer service training, how to deal with people with disabilities, sensitivity training, extensive collection training.   Security of the art and the visitor is still a part of their job, but enhancing the visitors experience in the museum is number one.   We have turned from a reactionary approach to a more proactive/learning approach.   I have also started cross training the gallery associates in other areas.   We have some cross trained on phones, front desk, and box office.   I have recently hired several art students from our neighbour school, Columbus College of Art and Design and have given 2 of them the opportunity to cross train with the preparators for exhibit installations.   The cross training serves several purposes. 1. Increases productivity, worth and pride in the job. 2. Utilizes the abilities of employees already at the museum in other departments cutting down on costs. 3. Adding to the skill set and resume of our employees making them more marketable.

This transition is taking some time for some to get used to, but I believe it is the most productive, and creative approach to staff development and staff retention.

I am happy to discuss more details off line or in this forum.

Thank you so much,

Kim

Kim M Hopcraft, CTA

Visitor Experience Manager

Columbus Museum of Art

480 East Broad Street

Columbus, Ohio 43215

614.629.0364