Newark Air Museum – zero for customer experience today

Thanks Jeepman, and Howard – I will close it there. 🙂

Excellent! (see the link below)
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?132575-Newark-Air-Museum-zero-for-customer-experience-today&p=2180238#post2180238 :applause:

This whole issue can be put to bed now I think. 🙂
Not much more to add anymore, at least not regarding Newark.

Twenty odd years ago a guy I know was contracted to restore a fairly rare helicopter for a museum. All was done properly, bills were paid on time, etc.. Fast forward about fifteen years or so and the restorer happened to be driving near that particular museum and thought he’d stop by and see the helicopter since he’d not laid eyes on it since it left his shop. While looking at the helicopter he noticed that the wooden rotor blades were starting to delaminate due to the environment the museum had kept them in. He mentioned this to a museum volunteer and told him who he was. The volunteer took him across the rope line to get a better look and to see if anything else had gone missing or bad over the years. All this was done from the ground, never entering or climbing on the helicopter. The director of the museum happened by and saw them behind the rope line. My friend was thoroughly cussed out by the director and the volunteer was immediately dismissed. My friend explained who he was, the connection to the helicopter and made an appeal for the volunteer. This all culminated with my friend being escorted out of the museum by the director with a warning to never come back. My friend went right out to the parking lot, got into his truck and left, never to return.

It just so happened that loaded on the trailer behind my friend’s truck that very day, were several sets of new wooden rotor blades for this particular model of helicopter. After seeing the condition of the blades on the museum ship, my friend had decided to donate a brand new set to the museum that very afternoon. The quick run in with the director put a stop to all of that. Over the years the museum has called him two or three times to see about replacement blades. He won’t sell them to them at any price.

Thank you for post #74 jeepman! 🙂

I don’t think a forum witch hunt helps anyone, particularly someone who volunteers their time. I’d like to leaves it there please. Howard has responded to the OP and to the forum in general. I can’t see that he can do any more.

Bruce

I have had an apology from the gentleman concerned and I have thanked him for that (via Howard)

As the OP, as far as I am concerned there is nothing more that needs to be said – either by me or anybody else.

I don’t think a forum witch hunt helps anyone, particularly someone who volunteers their time. I’d like to leaves it there please. Howard has responded to the OP and to the forum in general. I can’t see that he can do any more.

Bruce

Well I think it has been handled well by Twinotter23, obviously not his fault but dealt with well within a short period of time. Never has so much emotion been stirred since the Burmese sarga!

Is it not a bit overkill, 3 pages because it was too late to go into a shop, a tiny blip on what is an excellent museum

Any word yet on feedback/explanation from said volunteer ?

Museum website now updated….

Re the website, this is still a work in progress situation; and if I may quote from one of several PMs to jeepman.

“As part of my look at how the museum advises potential customers (visitors and shoppers) of its trading times I have noted several areas which can be improved; this includes on the leaflets, website and site signage. I will be recommending to my fellow trustees that we improve this situation.

That having been said if the recommendations are accepted some items will happen quicker than others e.g. we have just started to update the museum website and I would envisage that the main website information will be changed when that new site comes online.

Hopefully a news item about the recommended changes will be implemented much quicker.”

Museum website now updated, last entry into site 1 hour prior to closure and last admission into shop 20 mins before closure. Hopefully this should stop any further misunderstandings and the museum can get back to its excellent work.

Unless it has changed from my last visit the shop and café are entirely separate, the shop (in line with sound museum policy) is the way in and out of the site; I can sympathise with Jeepman, but I also know what it’s like to be the last man on site, and not only responsible for the security of the whole museum site, but mindful that you are on your own if anything untoward were to happen. (clearly not suggesting that in this case)

Common sense (remember that) dictates that it is pointless allowing entry to a museum site as a whole so close to closing, (obviously it takes hours to walk around) but a shop is a shop and even a last minute purchase can be of real value to a small museum; our own policy was to never have just one person alone on site at closing time, especially at this time of year.

found the museum well organised, and staff very helpful. Keep u the good work!

Indeed, visited a while back, made the time to go from Cornwall to Wales, stayed at Pagen01’s gaff, then early start for us to drive from there to the Museum to have a full day there, wouldn’t dream of showing up at a museum anywhere near the end of play, they’re just not that kind of place.

….and any kitchen cleaning or whatever is done after that .Staff hours should take this into account ( everyone gets paid to closing time plus whatever cleanup takes.)

All well and good if staff are PAID and subject to an agreed post-closure “clearing up” time as part of their contracted, paid, working hours, but as volunteers, staff may not be being paid to run the shop/museum.

If the attendant involved was unpaid, knew the site was empty, and perhaps had a pressing engagement elsewhere after leaving ‘work’, then I am sure many of us may also have been tempted to wind things up a little early – unless the NAM shop has a history of “last minute shoppers” pitching up.

However, even if shop had been closed (i.e. till cashed-up and credit-card machine logged off), there was perhaps the opportunity for the volunteer to explain the situation, and may potentially(?) have been the opportunity of agreeing to consider a ‘last minute’ purchase as a ‘cash-only’ transaction, which the attendant could have handled, and then left the payment in a safe place with a note left for following morning’s staff that the sale be processed through the till the following day to keep books and stocks square etc…

If the volunteer was as brusque as stated, and offerred no expanation as to why the shop was not accessible, then he has done little to help the museum’s image, in that he hasn’t tried to offer a fairly obvious solution that while being less then ideal for both parties, might have resulted in a better outcome for both too.

I’d agree that ‘professional’ shops/businesses should operate to their displayed opening hours, but that if soemthing runs as part of a voluntary organisation, with unpaid staff, then perhaps last minute customers might be a little more understanding if the enterprise wind up a little earlier, especially in “low season”.

I’d agree that if NAM website now shows shop closes earlier than the site as a whole, then thas fine, but it should be stressed to staff (paid staff, or unpaid volunteers) that they must not start “cashing-up” before the (new) stated closure time…

Just to say, I/we visited NAM in the summer, and found the museum well organised, and staff very helpful. Keep u the good work!

I always have had a great time when visiting Newark, I would highly recommend it to anyone, and anyone can have a bad experience when visiting any place be it a shop or museum. Its Worth another chance. Plenty to see an enjoy.

I tend to give places with volnuteer help the benefit of the doubt, especially in the off season. If they have been there since opening and want to close at 3:50, I’m not going to go off on them, I’ll just plan better next time. I do not expect a smallish museum with volunteer help to be run like a bank. Life is too short to get worked up over hobby stuff.

[QUOTE=~Alan~;2180141
As far as closing cafes early, I don’t see the problem with that. Many places do it.[/QUOTE]

It’s only a problem if you don’t say you are closing early.

Experiences are always personal, Jeepman obviously had a bad one.

I had the opposite experience once – had a meeting in Newark, and it finished earlier than expected so as I had some time I thought I’d nip along to the shop. This was late afternoon, and as I got there the chap at the gate said, sorry sir but we are just closing. I asked if it was ok just to go to the shop, and he said yes – result was I spent money in the shop (more than I intended to).

Nice to get some balance to the situation.

I can imagine it must be tempting to close any attraction early, especially on a cold and wet winters afternoon.
When there is just “one man and and his dog” on the premises.

As far as closing cafes early, I don’t see the problem with that. Many places do it.

Ross -unless you address the failings the public find you cannot hope to survive in the long term. So whether your have the most extraordinary collection of aircraft or not -they won’t bring in repeat customers and the word of mouth network will be unfavourable for potential visitors

There are plenty of examples in the U.K where museums have acquired more and more aircraft and as a result the maintainance burden has increased resulting in poorly kept exhibits . Unless a museum has a limitless budget not derived from public attendance -its a falacy to believe that the aircraft exhibits are the sole reason for a collection – the shops and toilets and cafes are a much needed income and in a few museums I can think of bring people on site for the shop alone.

So in essence whilst people might shun the commercial aspects of museums – they are the only way many museums can survive.

Experiences are always personal, Jeepman obviously had a bad one.

I had the opposite experience once – had a meeting in Newark, and it finished earlier than expected so as I had some time I thought I’d nip along to the shop. This was late afternoon, and as I got there the chap at the gate said, sorry sir but we are just closing. I asked if it was ok just to go to the shop, and he said yes – result was I spent money in the shop (more than I intended to).