Fall Workshop for MAM on Difficult Visitors

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, I'll be leading a 2 hour virtual workshop for Maine Archives and Museums on "Dealing with Difficult Visitors." Spread the word to your museum colleagues and register today!

As museum professionals, we generally interact with visitors who are eager to experience our spaces or programs, visitors who range from pleasant and memorable at best to nondescript at worst. But what about those sticky situations we find ourselves in with more difficult visitors? How do we handle the people who are disappointed, challenging, or just downright rude? This virtual workshop covers the nitty gritty of an ever-present issue facing frontline staff. We’ll identify the types of difficult visitors, develop strategies for dealing with each type, role play, and discuss the parallels between a good facilitator and a good customer service rep. You’ll come away feeling more confident in your ability to command scenarios with unhappy guests graciously and professionally.

This workshop serves any museum professional who interacts with the public regularly, and is specifically geared toward educators, docents, volunteers, and visitor and retail services, or those who train them.