Phone calls I, and a public facing team member in a heritage venue, have both had this past four days: "I can't find the option I want on the website drop down menu, so phoned to arrange it in person" "The option isn't on the website because we don't offer it any longer." "You don't offer it online?" "At all, it's not an option we provide at all. You can - " "Who do I need to talk to to get that option?" "..." "My son was playing on the balance beams yesterday and fell off them, so I wanted to raise it as a concern." "I'm very sorry to hear that, was he hurt?" "Not so much, but his trousers have been washed twice and are still stained, I think you need different wood chips or something dryer in that area." "Can you tell me what the soup of the day is in the cafe?" "Of course I can find that out for you if-" "Why do you need to find it out? Why don't you know?" "I'm not based in the kitchen, but can ask them." "Well, I suppose that'll do." "It says on your website that some of your collection is in storage, I explained to my wife that it means it isn't on show, and that we won't be able to get in there, but she insisted I call to make sure. We did a tour of the stores at a museum in Birmingham a few years ago, and now she pretty much forces me to check 'can we see in the stores' every time we visit somewhere with an archive. So I'm sorry, but I have to ask or I won't hear the end of it."
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This came form a fan: Phone call query (bear in mind we're a transport museum): 'Hello, could you tell me where your nearest dog show is?' What now?
Heard in our main exhibition room - and scathingly delivered to indicate the sheer stupidity of daddy for even thinking to ask that question.
When a customer gushes at length about how much her husband loves your visitor center, and how she wants to plan an amazing Christmas gift for him. So she's really hoping we can help her with planning a special trip to surprise him in 2014... "...anywhere other than the UK. Can you recommend a venue like yours elsewhere in Europe? Anywhere is ok, France, Denmark, we won't mind" Ouch. Those times when you feel like suggesting that the tourists go and take the costumed guided tour and banquet, rather than visiting the historical venue and ignoring the staff there.
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February 2023
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