Customer Service in Museums

An accomplished executive, Joel A. Bartsch graduated with an MA in history of science from Rice University in Houston. As the president and CEO of Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS), Joel Bartsch develops a positive interaction between staff and customers in the museum.

Even if managers devote significant creative energy, time, and money to make their museums attractive and sufficiently educational, the efforts won't amount to much if visitors leave the museums unsatisfied by poor customer service interaction. In any industry, good customer service remains a critical necessity for businesses' success and growth and is just as important as the quality of product or service businesses offer. In museums, guests spend several hours in confined spaces, and their comfort throughout the time of stay is very important. If customer service is bad, guests may not appreciate other efforts of museums, including exhibit contents.

Customer service remains a critical area of focus for museum administrators and managers. Essentially, they seek to achieve this by promoting a positive work environment and developing a succinct set of crucial service standards all employees must follow. These service standards can be distributed to staff regularly through emails, staff rooms, and meetings. Also, managers drive positive customer relations by recognizing staff for their hard work in that aspect, listening to their contributions, and providing clear communication channels.