Attendant's View Blog and Cartoons

Genuine Reproduction

27/8/2013

This is from a few years back, and is a reduced version of a much, much longer conversion, where I discovered how many ways there are to phrase "They are real" and also found that pointing out the labels is no help "Of course it says they're that old, but perhaps it's just explaining the era of the style?"

Some sites do make use of replica items, so they can show a full object alongside a fragment, something in it's original colours, showcase an item from the area but currently displayed elsewhere etc. But showing a full room of reproductions would be a little cheeky perhaps!

What's in a name? Part 2

23/8/2013

After the post about my job description, I remembered that I had forgotten a final conversation on the subject during which we discussed two more suggestions.

My husband’s contribution was “Grand Pooh-Bah” which had my manager first on Google, and then in laughter. He approved broadly, as that meant he could give me EVERYthing that needed doing, and if in doubt bribe me handsomely to do more.

My offering was “so I do many of the bits that no one else is sort of able or willing to, with a fairly free hand in how it is done, and you don’t want to be bothered with the details. Can I be Black Ops?”

So for a laugh, if you could switch your name tag, email signature or otherwise and get away with it - which would you rather?

Sorry, but, a poo what?

What's in a name?

22/8/2013

My boss and I have had some fun recently. My workplace decided that the term Manager should only apply to people who manage people, which left a bit of an odd gap for people who manage an area, resource or process – like me. Also I am now officially responsible for creating and editing copy for our visitor centre (adverts, event packs, web articles). As a final cherry, we want to officially recognise my wider ‘display’ work outside of the main exhibition room.

As Exhibitions Manager is no longer viable, nor wholly representative of my role, we need to craft a new job title and job description; which has been complex and amusing.

The howling northern wilderness where tourists dare not tread

19/8/2013

A customer phones up:
Customer: How do we get to you?
Staff: Where are you to start with? In the city centre?
Customer: Pretty much, we're still at the hotel and we're staying at Liverpool Street Travelodge.
Staff: Uhm, bear with me while I work out where... ah, is that actually in Nottingham?
Customer: No, London.
Staff: Ok, so you'll need the train to get to us then, and your best route will be to talk to the hotel concierge about times and prices, they may be able to book it for you. It usually takes about two hours on the train, it's not a bad journey.
Customer: TWO HOURS? Where are you?
Staff: Nottingham, north of London, in the midlands area.
Customer: What?! Why aren't you in London? Why wouldn't your visitor centre be where the visitors are?

Boy vs. Tank

15/8/2013

One from The Tank Museum (thanks Rob) where after a lapse of concentration, a parent was showing perhaps over-reactionary care and attention regarding their child's attitude towards the exhibits. In terms of who would damage what, the tank would probably win.

We're not alone...

14/8/2013

I have spent my lunch on the amazing and terrifying "Not Always Right" website, where customer facing staff share the things that their customers do and say which amuse, delight or disturb them. I can't recommend their museum section enough. The vast majority of museum visitors are polite, open minded, intelligent and fun. That small section who are rude, ignorant and just plain dumb generate some great stories though. And then there's the children...

A tale that made me laugh is below, and you can (and should) read more here:
http://notalwaysright.com/tag/museum

(I work in a museum in Scotland, where I do activity sessions for young children. I am showing them some artifacts that were originally brought to Scotland by the Romans.)
Me: “These were brought to Scotland around 2000 years ago by an invading army. Who do you think this could’ve been?”
Child: “Hitler!”
Me: “Well, it was a bit early for Hitler.”
Child: “Robert Burns!”

A Good Day

12/8/2013

We have lots of kids in now, and I had a group in our main display area for a mini guided tour. When I said that I had the keys and could open some of the displays, they got a bit excitable, but not for the reasons I expected.

"You get to come in here whenever you want?"
"Yes"
"And you get to decide what's on show?"
"Yes"
"And you get to decide how to show it?"
"Yes"
"You've got the best job ever!"

Bless 'em, that made me not mind having to issue repeated requests to "stop running, you don't want a cabinet to fall on you".

Points of Comparison.

7/8/2013

Well, if you ever wanted a handy point of comparison for the Lindisfarne Gospels, then now you know. How many other points of weight comparison did they have, and discard, before they settled on this one? A large baby, a possum?

I've not yet made it to the rather excellent sounding exhibition in Durham yet, but hope that the rest of the signage is as amusing and informative.

As a side note, a link from looking at this informed me about Badgerland, something which will make any fan of the Museum of Everything laugh, and then feel very worried.

Budding Artists (mildly NSFW, depending on your tastes)

2/8/2013

School holidays are in full swing, the venue is buzzing with kids and families in various states of excitement and tiredness, and I am once again extra alert on my morning floorwalks, to make sure all is spic and span, and that I've destroyed the evidence before the next day.

What evidence?

Click the read more below to see what the little loves keep leaving us...

Averagely Helpful Advice

1/8/2013

"I've rated this attraction as average, as I have no interest in the subject matter"

erm, thanks? Do you have any interest in if the staff were helpful, toilets clean, venue well presented?

I'm interested if anyone else keeps an eye on their venue on Trip Advisor, Foursquare and other review sites. Trip Advisor seem to have made quite the effort recently to up awareness of their site, offering stickers to show off how highly rated you are. Do you find online review sites useful in gathering feedback and spotting areas for improvement or highlights to pass to specific departments?