We can all remember a museum visit where we were unable to find the information we needed or a suitable place to sit and rest our feet when we tired; where we encountered a grouchy salesclerk or endured a dreadful tour; or where we found ourselves in a filthy bathroom or sticky café.

Everything in life is about the first impression.

When something bad happens it is easy to start pointing fingers. Even worse, we are likely to want to warn our friends and loved ones when we have bad experiences at museums!

Those in charge of insuring quality experiences at museums by training staff, providing a safe, comfortable and friendly atmosphere, and overseeing the maintenance of sites know that there are numerous areas in museums that affect the visitor experience--either positively or negatively.

In Creating Great Visitor Experiences, Stephanie Weaver refers to the entire visitor experience as "Experienceology" and describes perfecting it as being part art, part science and part common sense.

Weaver draws from visitor study research, customer service training, and business and event management to create an easy-to-read practical handbook, appropriate for managers of any place the general public gathers.

Like Thriving in the Knowledge Age, she describes different types of visitors and their needs and expectations and offers various ways to please them. The result is a book less about tips for guide training than it is about crafting the whole experience from beginning to end.

Weaver's book covers all the basics in eight steps: invitation, welcome, orientation, comfort, communication, sensation, common sense, and finale. Short case studies illuminate common trouble spots and explore how to solve problems.

The book concludes with a section on "How to Use this Book," offering practical steps, exercises and assignments; books and articles for further reading suggestions; and even a calendar for change for you and your staff to try.

Borrowing Terms & Conditions