Mystery shoppers visited the museum at the end of October as well as making a number of anonymous telephone calls and emails to assess the museum for its customer service.
In particular the museum was praised for:
- The friendly way in which staff and volunteers welcomed visitors to the museum and dealt with them over the phone
- The proactive way in which the museum uses Facebook and Twitter to reach new audiences and widen participation
- The numerous opportunities for children and adults to interact with exhibits and computerised activities
The final report stated: “The Gloucester Waterways Museum continues to provide a very good visitor experience for visitors of all ages.”
Despite the poor British summer and current economic downturn Gloucester Waterways Museum is on track to exceed its visitor target for 2012. Trip Advisor currently ranks the museum the second most popular visitor attraction in Gloucester, second only to the city's cathedral. Recent reviewers praised the museum for its seasonal Santa Cruises and ability to keep families entertained with different things around every corner, whatever the time of the year.
Doreen Davies, museum manager says: “We are thrilled that Visit England's quality assurance assessor recognised the efforts we make to provide an unforgettable experience for people who visit our museum. It was particularly pleasing to read that she had singled out the first class customer service skills of our hard-working volunteers, who help to make the museum what it is today.”
