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  • 1.  Simple Museum Visitor Survey

    Posted 01-23-2018 11:26 AM

    I would appreciate people's input on what five simple questions you would ask visitors to a museum (children's museum, history museum or natural history/science museum). These would not relate to a specific program but questions that anyone coming to the museums could respond to. I would like to end up with a general idea of satisfaction level but also engagement/interest in the general content. If we are an informal education institution, did the person learn something?

     

    Some ideas I had (with responses provided on a Likert-type scale: Strongly Agree – Agree – Neither Agree Nor Disagree – Disagree – Strongly Disagree) are:

     

    1.       I had fun exploring the different exhibits.

    2.       I tried to do or experience something new to me today.

    3.       I learned or experienced something I want to share with a friend or family member.

    4.       I will encourage others to come to [Museum Name].

    5.       I want to come to [Museum Name] again within the next 12 months.

     

    Suggestions for improvement most welcome!

     

    Robyn Gibboney, PhD, GPC

    Director of Grants

    Cincinnati Museum Center

    rgibboney@cincymuseum.org

     

    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 2.  RE: Simple Museum Visitor Survey

    Posted 01-24-2018 11:19 AM
      |   view attached

    Hi Robyn,

     

    After trying a few different onsite surveys at our Museum, we settled on this very simple format. We have been using this one for nearly three years, with an incentive to participate which is a random drawing once per month.

     

    To date we have had a very high results (consistent scores of 9-10), but there are still visitors who are resistant to filling out a survey. We track the metrics and review regularly both the ratings and the written responses to evaluate what we are doing right and what we can improve.

     

    We also consider ourselves to be an educational institution and community oriented so whenever we engage a group we have an online survey that we send out to gather feedback as well. Those questions are more specific to the type of group that came...school groups or corporate groups that rent our facility for a special event.

     

    In the ten years that I have been with the USGA Golf Museum, I have found that most visitors want to share feedback and at the same time many just want to go about their visit without intrusion or providing any personal information on paper. I also discovered that it's a good idea to switch up the questions to see if visitors respond differently.

     

    Hope this is helpful!

     

    Kim Gianetti

    Manager, Education and Outreach

    Golf Museum

     

    image001.png@01D20393.D2960A90

    United States Golf Association

    77 Liberty Corner Road

    Far Hills, NJ 07931

    908.326.1948

    www.usga.org
    kgianetti@usga.org

     

     

    This email may contain confidential or privileged information.  If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it without disclosing it to anyone and notify us immediately.

     




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  • 3.  RE: Simple Museum Visitor Survey

    Posted 01-24-2018 11:33 AM
    Hello Robyn,

    If you were to turn number 4 into a recommend question with the 0-10 scaling, then you would be able to tie into the NPS (Net Promoter Score) for comparison with other like institutions. 

    Question one's use of the word "had fun" seems that it is highly subjective and may not be well operationalized.  Many seniors here do not do a lot of the hands-on or technological things because "that's for the kids."  It also depends on how people define fun; seniors are not generally going around yelling "wheeeee."    I would suggest word "enjoyed" because then that would include people who watched others doing things and derived positive contributions to their experience.

    Questions 2 and 3 are double-barreled.  I would focus on "experience."  Adult learning is difficult to self-report because it is not immediate.  Adults tend to ruminate information and process it and fit it into existing frameworks.  When we ask "what did you learn?" It generally boils down to "life was hard," which does not yield actionable results. 

    Just some thoughts,

    - Dale Hall



    ------------------------------
    Dale Hall, Ph.D.
    Customer Research Specialist
    Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
    Williamsburg VA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message
    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 4.  RE: Simple Museum Visitor Survey

    Posted 01-24-2018 05:36 PM
    we've been surveying for quite a long time (though more than 5 questions).  I would suggest:
    1.  ask the Net Promoter question (you can google it).  
    2.  "Did anything interfere with your visit"?
    3.  "How long did you spend at the Museum"?
    4.  "Have you visited the Museum before"? If so, "how long from your last visit"?
    5.  "who did you come with"?

    Good luck!
    Rich

    ------------------------------
    Rich Rime
    Director of Sales
    Museum of Flight
    Seattle WA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message
    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 5.  RE: Simple Museum Visitor Survey

    Posted 01-25-2018 05:25 PM
    ​I have done a few visitor surveys as I always want to know:

    Why did you visit?
    How did you hear about us?
    What did you like best?
    What did you not like?
    What exhibits would you like us to present?

    Steve


    ------------------------------
    Steven Miller
    Executive Director Retired
    Boscobel Restoration, Inc.
    Garrison NY
    ------------------------------

    Original Message
    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 6.  RE: Simple Museum Visitor Survey

    Posted 01-26-2018 04:01 PM
    Hello All,

    We have a visitor satisfaction survey on Google Forms that we've been improving over time, but it's in Spanish. Please email me if you're interested, and we'll send it. Feedback is welcome!

    Cheers.

    ------------------------------
    Farah Ajami
    Executive Director
    Barranquilla Zoo
    ------------------------------

    Original Message
    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 7.  RE: Simple Museum Visitor Survey

    Posted 01-26-2018 01:27 PM
    Hi Robyn,

    i agree reed with what was recommended regarding "fun", "learning ", and "doing." I would also suggest varying the type of questions so visitors don't get bored and check agree agree agree down the list. Remember, visitors want to be polite and respectful of their host. You should pilot your survey before it is set in stone to see if you get useful answers. 

    Some multiple choice questions:

    what brought you to museum today
    a. Interested in history (science, art etc)
    b. Wanted something to do with children 
    c. Bringing out of town visitors
    d. In the neighborhood 
    e. Other (please specify)

    How many times have you been here in the past year?
    a. This is my first time
    b. Once before
    c. 2 or 3 times

    how many people with you?
    no. of adults:     Children:

    How long did you spend in the museum 
    a. Less than half an hour
    b. Between half and 1 hour
    etc

    what was was most memorable about you visit?
    you can leave open-ended

    i would recommend this museum to family and friends. Strongly agree, agree, etc

    What could we do to improve your experience?

    Maybe you are interested in local vs visitors from farther away, using zip codes. 

    It's really important to ask only questions that yield responses you can use. And avoid yes/no questions. It really helps to try your questions out with real visitors, not just coworkers. Good luck.

    ------------------------------
    Ellen Giusti
    Independent Consultant
    New York NY
    ------------------------------

    Original Message
    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


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