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10 Ways
To Make Your Museum
More Group Friendly
by Katherine Khalife
Excerpt from Group Tourism: Is Your Site Missing the Bus?
History News (American Association for State and Local History), Spring 2000
1. Make provisions for the unexpectedBuses will run into traffic jams and be late. Escorts will forget to bring their wallets or admission checks. Tour members will need to make an emergency phone call. Life happens. Are your policies flexible enough to deal with it when it does? And more importantly, have you empowered your staff to put customer service above fear of violating policy?
2. Develop special group tour packages
Groups are always looking for something new and different. They're particularly impressed when offered options not usually available to the general public. Behind-the-scenes tours, musical entertainment, period refreshments and craft or dance demonstrations are several suggestions to consider. In today's entertainment-oriented culture, the more authentic activity you can offer, the better.
3. Give complimentary admissions to drivers and escorts
4. Set reasonable group minimums
While a lot of attractions don't offer group discounts or perks to groups of less than twenty or thirty people, museums and historic sites are wise to consider setting group minimums as low as ten or twelve. Even if you offer a smaller discount to groups of that size, you're acknowledging the fact that not all groups interested in history travel in large numbers.
5. Don't lose business by default
Tour planners usually call when they're actually writing up an itinerary. If no one is available to provide the answers they need within a reasonable time, they may be forced to book at another attraction instead. Make sure there are at least two people in your organization who can answer the three most important questions:
- What's the price?
- Is the date I want available?
- How long will the tour take?
6. Check your "Thou Shalt Nots"The way your tour confirmations are worded speaks volumes about your organization's attitude toward groups. Review yours to be sure that rules are stated in as pleasant and positive a way as possible.
7. Put yourself in the driver's seat
If you were a bus driver unfamiliar with your site or with the area in which you're located, would you have trouble finding you? Would you know where to drop off passengers? Where to park? Whether a cup of coffee might be available in the visitors center? Providing detailed information for drivers in your confirmation packet is not only thoughtful, it's important.
8. Listen to your visitors
If one person makes a request or a comment, you can be sure that a few other people have the same thought but just aren't voicing it. If dozens of people make the same request or comment, you've either got a major problem or a golden marketing opportunity on your hands. As the old sales adage says, "If you have to put up a sign that screams, 'NO!! We don't sell bananas,' it's a pretty good bet that you ought to be selling bananas."
9. Give them something to remember you "buy"
Part of the group tour experience is shopping for souvenirs. Limited luggage space, however, often prevents group travelers from buying bulky or fragile items. And limited funds may prevent them from buying expensive ones. Does your museum store offer a variety of inexpensive things that can easily fit into a suitcase?
Tip! If you get a lot of senior groups, consider stocking small, inexpensive packages of locally made breads, crackers or cookies. Since many seniors are past the souvenir stage, practical items like food and greeting cards are what they're most likely to buy.10. If you're a guide, remember that you're also a celebrity
To you, group visitors represent just a small part of a single day. To them, meeting you might be the highlight of an entire trip. If they're far from home, you may be one of the only local people they get to spend any time with. They're fascinated with you. They think you have a glamorous job. Some of them even wish they could be you. How you treat them will largely determine how they remember your site. Make it a good memory!
Copyright © 2000 Katherine Khalife All rights reserved.
For reprint permission, please e-mail info@museummarketingtips.com
Katherine Khalife is a writer and consultant specializing in museum marketing, customer service and heritage cultural tourism. See the Services section for information about her workshops and other services.
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