Open Forum

 View Only

 Making the Floor More FUN!

Amy Whipple's profile image
Amy Whipple posted 09-09-2024 03:46 PM

We have an awesome guest experience team, and their jobs range from greeting guests to box office to lonely hall positions checking wristbands to ensure proper ticketing procedures.

While there are certain positions that lend themselves to comradery (the ticketing desks, our outside team greeting groups in the morning, etc), the majority are solo acts and can feel isolated and quite frankly - boring on slower days.  

We've been looking for way to encourage guests to engage with our staff (buttons encouraging them to ask for a science fact of the day, scavenger hunts, etc) but I'd love to hear what other museums have tried or if you've had success using another strategy!  Thank you in advance!

Amy Whipple

The Frankling Institute

Philadelphia, Pa

Vivian Zoe's profile image
Vivian Zoe posted 09-10-2024 08:24 AM

Hi, Amy - this is a great topic.  The Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT, a few years ago switched to having all of its "guards" (I now hesitate to call them that) walking around with tablets, headsets and dressed in T-shirts that say, "Ask Me!"  They can show you the map on the tablet if you're looking for specific objects or exhibitions, (nearest lavatory?) and (as I recall) even link to the museum's online catalogue... When I first visited after this switch, they were all smiling and inviting.  I thought it was brilliant.  Whoever thought of it should be celebrated.  Vivian

John Wharton's profile image
John Wharton posted 09-11-2024 07:53 AM

Engagement with visitors is a two-way street. Appearing approachable is certainly important, and here visual cues are useful. Not just benign uniforms and overt appeals to “ask me”, but also subtle cues — such as not chit-chatting with other staff, looking at one’s phone, or just sitting. The other side of the coin in successfully dealing with visitors is appropriate active engagement. Here it’s useful to employ awareness of Faulk’s visitor types and their motivations to know who, when, and how to engage.

Related Content