Contents

The World's Largest Railway Museum.........................................................................................3

About the Museum................................................................................................................................4

Mission Statement............................................................................................................................4

Museum’s Primary Objectives........................................................................................................4

History......................................................................................................................................................4

Legal and Charitable Status...........................................................................................................4

Management........................................................................................................................................4

Background to the NRM..................................................................................................................5

Britain and the Railway....................................................................................................................6

A Developing Museum.......................................................................................................................6

Visitors.....................................................................................................................................................7

Admissions...........................................................................................................................................7

Visitor Surveys...................................................................................................................................8

A Working Museum...............................................................................................................................9

Museum Departments.......................................................................................................................9

MANAGEMENT SERVICES........................................................................................................9

Administration Office..................................................................................................................9

Estates.............................................................................................................................................9

Security...........................................................................................................................................9

KNOWLEDGE AND COLLECTIONS........................................................................................9

3D Collection.................................................................................................................................10

Library............................................................................................................................................10

Photographic Studio....................................................................................................................10

INTERPRETATION, EDUCATION AND LEARNING.......................................................10

Audio-visual Development and Maintenance.........................................................................10

Creative Development.................................................................................................................10

Education........................................................................................................................................11
 Public Programmes.......................................................................................................................11

THE INSTITUTE OF RAILWAY STUDIES........................................................................11

FUNDRAISING............................................................................................................................11

NMSI Trading Ltd...........................................................................................................................11

Role...................................................................................................................................................11

Aim...................................................................................................................................................12

Friends of the NRM (FNRM)........................................................................................................12

Internal Communication.................................................................................................................12

Sustainable Development...................................................................................................................13

Finances..................................................................................................................................................13

Sources of Funding..........................................................................................................................13

Collections Related Income...........................................................................................................13

Commerical Activities.....................................................................................................................14

Marketing at the NRM.......................................................................................................................15

Marketing Flying Scotsman...........................................................................................................15

The Railfest Marketing Campaign...............................................................................................16

Customer Service at the NRM.........................................................................................................16

Message from the Head of Museum, Andrew Scott..............................................................16

Visitor Services...............................................................................................................................16

Promises to External Customers.................................................................................................17

Customer Feedback.........................................................................................................................17

Access.................................................................................................................................................17

Visitor Profile...................................................................................................................................17

Visitor Profile
The World's Largest Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum in York is the largest railway museum in the world
and is responsible for the conservation and interpretation of the British
national collection of historically significant railway vehicles and other
artefacts. From iconic locomotives like Mallard and Flying Scotsman to a lock of
Robert Stephenson's hair, the collection tells the railway story from Rocket to
Eurostar.
Last year, the National Railway Museum (NRM) and Locomotion: NRM at Shildon
in County Durham, welcomed 997,966 visitors, making it the most visited
museum outside London. In 2001 it was awarded the highly prestigious European
Museum of the Year Award and it won the coveted White Rose Award for 2003
Yorkshire Visitor Attraction of the Year (10,000 visitors and over) - the third
time in five years.
This resource has been developed to support students and teachers of Leisure
and Tourism and other related courses, with a particular focus on Customer
Service and Marketing at the NRM. It is recommended that in order to fully
complete the tasks and gain an in-depth understanding of how the NRM
operates, students should visit the museum for a presentation with a member of
the education team.
The NRM is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI), a
family of museums including the Science Museum in London, the National Media
Museum in Bradford and the National Collection Centre in Wroughton near
Swindon.
About the Museum
Mission Statement
The National Railway Museum’s role is to promote the public’s understanding of
the railways and to be Trustee of the nation’s railway collection.

Museum’s Primary Objectives

• To run a leading international museum which attracts more visitors each year
• To continuously improve the quality of service
• To communicate with the widest public in inspiring, enlightening and enjoyable
ways
• To build, research and care for our collections so that more people can benefit
from them
• To stimulate research and scholarship at all levels
• To maximise our resources and income in support of these activities

History
The National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI) incorporates the Science
Museum at South Kensington; the National Railway Museum at York; Locomotion
- the National Railway Museum at Shildon in County Durham; the National Media
Museum at Bradford; the National Collections Centre at Wroughton. There are
collection stores at Blythe House, Olympia; Foundry Lane, York; and Thornbury,
Bradford.
The Science Museum had its origins in the South Kensington Museum set up
soon after the Great Exhibition of 1851. The National Railway Museum, which
opened in 1975, was established as a result of the transfer of the British
Transport Commission’s railway collection to the Trustees of the Science
Museum. The National Media Museum at Bradford was established in 1983.
Wroughton Airfield, a former World War II airfield was made available to the
Museum by the Ministry of Defence in 1979.

Legal and Charitable Status

The NMSI was run directly by the Government until 1984 when the Board of
Trustees of the Science Museum was established under the National Heritage
Act (1983). The National Heritage Act takes the place of a Deed of Trust.
Thereafter the Museum ceased to operate as part of a Government
department. The NMSI now has the status of a non-departmental public body,
operating within the public sector but at arm’s length from its sponsor
department, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Documents (including
contracts) are executed in the name of the Board of Trustees of the Science
Museum (even if related to the National Railway Museum or the National Media
Museum).

Management
The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum is responsible for the whole of
the NMSI. Advisory Committees which comprise Trustees and specialists in the
relevant subjects have particular responsibility for the NRM and National
Museum of Photography, Film and Television. The Trustees, who may number
between 12 and 20, are appointed by the Prime Minister and are responsible to
him or her through the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The Director
as Chief Executive Officer is responsible to the Board of Trustees and is
Accounting Officer for the Grant-in-Aid. This is the annual government funding
provided to run the Museum.

Background to the NRM

The NRM exists to mark one of Britain’s most important contributions to the
modern world.
When British engineers and entrepreneurs created the first commercial
railways in the 1820s, their inspiration facilitated Britain’s future as an
industrial nation and went on to change the entire world. For the first time,
people could move themselves and their wares cheaply and quickly. For the first
time, the towns, cities and countryside of Britain and other countries came
together as a single economic unit. The achievements of the early 19th century
were the culmination of more more than 200 years of evolution focussed on
North East England. For the last 200 years, railways have been part of the
fabric of British life.
The Museum opened in 1975 to tell this story. Its success over the years as one
of the busiest museums outside London is testimony to the high level of interest
that the British have in the world of railways.
The Trustees of the NMSI have defined the purpose of the NRM as follows:
“to encourage the understanding of railways and to be trustee of the nation’s railway
collection”.

When it opened in York in 1975, the NRM was the first ‘out station’ of a national
museum to be established away from London. Much of the collection came from
material previously held by the British Transport Commission. Other material
includes items first set aside as early as the 1850s. Britain’s first railway
museum was that established in York by the London and North Eastern Railway
following the 1925 centenary celebrations of the opening of the Stockton and
Darlington Railway. The Science Museum had developed its own railway
collections including some of the earliest relics of steam railway locomotion.
These collections are now merged to form the world’s largest and most
significant accumulation of railway material.
The collection comprises a remarkably wide range of material that helps to tell
the story of rail transport. It includes architectural fragments, uniforms, a
wide collection of artwork, models and memorabilia. Archives, engineering
drawings and photographs are held in large number. However, it is the collection
of more than 100 locomotives and more than 150 passenger, freight and service
vehicles which, by virtue of their size, currently make the greatest impact on
most visitors. The collection contains some of the very earliest locomotives and
mileposts of subsequent stages of development including City of Truro, the first
vehicle ever to exceed 100 miles per hour and Britain’s first mass-produced
main line diesel locomotive. In March 2004 Flying Scotsman joined the National
Collection following a high profile fundraising campaign. Passenger vehicles
range from Queen Victoria’s saloon to commuter coaches from several
generations.

Britain and the Railway

Although the concept of rail guided transport originated in continental Europe,
perhaps in the 15th century, it was Britain in the 17th century that railways as
understood today began to develop.
The railway matured in Britain with the emergence of steam locomotion in the
first 30 years of the 19th century. From being a purely local phenomenon,
serving the needs of the extractive industries, the railway became the strand
which knitted together a rapidly industrialising Britain and, later, much of the
world.
Britain invented the modern railway and Britons took that invention out into the
world. By providing speedy and reliable overland communication for the first
time, the railway facilitated the burgeoning of economic activity which has
marked the last 200 years.
It is right that Britain should mark perhaps its greatest single contribution to
the industrial revolution through its commitment to the NRM. Located at York,
close to the site of some of the key developments in the evolution of railways,
the Museum acts as trustee of the material evidence of the railway revolution,
as a focus for research into railway history and as a centre for the
interpretation of Britain’s railways.
A Developing Museum
In the years since its opening the NRM has seen considerable expansion. The
collection has grown to reflect the massive changes that have affected the
railway industry in Britain during that period. The Museum’s estate has also
grown and developed.
A major step forward was made in 1994 with the launch of the Institute of
Railway Studies as a joint venture between the Museum and the University of
York. The role of the Institute is to develop the academic and scholarly basis
of the Museum through a series of initiatives, including courses, publications
and directly undertaken research.
In 1999 a new development The Works opened expanding the Museum to three
times the size it was when it opened in 1975. The success of The Works led, in
part, to the Museum gaining the European Museum of the Year award in 2001.
In June 2004 the Yorkshire Rail Academy was opened – a joint development
between York College and the NRM. It is a purpose built rail training centre and
the base for the NRM’s education team.
A new museum, Locomotion: the NRM at Shildon, County Durham, opened its
doors to the public in September 2004 – the first national museum to be built in
the North East. Grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European
Regional Development Fund helped to create the newest addition to the NMSI
family.
Visitors
Visitor numbers have been climbing steadily at the NRM for some time, with
rises in eight of the last ten years. By the end of the 2004/05 financial year,
numbers were up on the previous year in 37 out of the 52 weeks and the NRM
welcomed 885,366 visitors. This means that the NRM is the most visited railway
museum in the world and England’s most visited museum outside London.
Visitor numbers are collated in a variety of ways. The staff on each of our two
entrances record the visitors on a computer touch screen as they walk in. Ticket
sales for special events are also counted, as are the numbers of under-16
learners that work with the Museum’s education team.
Since the opening of Locomotion: the NRM at Shildon in September 2004, both
sites combined welcomed 997,966 visitors in 2004/05 - frustratingly just below
1 million visitors.

Admissions
From April 1987 until December 2001 the Museum made a significant income by
charging for admission.
The Museum’s Annual Review quoted the following figures for income from
admission:
Admission charges 1998 to 2001

Financial Year End Income

March 1998 £1.032m

March 1999 £1.137m

March 2000 £1.219m

March 2001 £1.009m

During its first term of office the 'new Labour' government announced its
intention to remove admission charges from national museums. This was done
progressively in three stages with admission charges for children under 16 being
removed in April 1999, for over 60s in April 2000 and all charges removed on
1st December 2001.
On 30th November 2001 the remaining admission charges were:
Admission charges On 30th November 2001

Admission Type Admission

Charge

Adults £7.50

Concessions (students, registered £5.00

disabled, unwaged)

Group rate (for parties of 15 and over) £6.50

An example of a full range of admission charges for January 1998 is given

below.
Admission Charges Beginning 1 January 1998 General
Rates

Admission Type Admission

Charge

Adult 17+ £4.95

Children 4-16 inclusive £3.15

Senior Citizens £3.95

Students, Unemployed, Registered £3.60

Disabled (essential carer admitted free)

Family Rate, 2 adults and up to 3 £14.50

children

General Party Rate (15 or more persons) £3.70

Adult £2.50
Child
*Payable on arrival, pre-booking
necessary

Children under 4 No charge

It was anticipated that the shortfall in funds represented by the lack of income
from admissions would be compensated for by an increase in the annual grant
from the government to the Museum. However, this has not been the case and
this has presented some funding problems.

Visitor Surveys
Visitor surveys are carried out twice a year. The Association of Leading Visitor
Attractions conducts a survey at Easter and Robertson Bell Associates conduct
a survey over the August Bank Holiday.
The results enable the NRM to better identify their visitor profile and target
audience. This in turn enables the Museum to improve customer service and its
marketing campaigns.
A Working Museum
The NRM staff is divided into three groups: the Museum, the Trading Company
and the volunteers known as the Friends of the NRM. There are about 150 paid
staff and nearly 200 volunteers.

Museum Departments

MANAGEMENT SERVICES

This Department is led by the Head of Management Services and deals with
human resources, finance, safety and security, general office services, projects
and estates management.

Administration Office

This office deals with human resources, finance and general office services. It
provides a full range of financial services - orders, purchase invoices, sales
invoices, income and petty cash. It also provides information to budget holders,
senior management, Science Museum and regulatory bodies. General office
services include the franking of outgoing mail, circulation of information, typing
services and the issue of stationery. In addition, they are responsible for the
Museum’s telephone switchboard. Equipment for general use includes a heavy-
duty photocopier, shredder, a binding machine, heavy-duty stapler and central
fax machine.

Estates

The Estates Department is responsible for the provision of all contract services
connected with the maintenance and the repair of the buildings and services. It
provides specifications and contract management for new works and minor
improvements. It is also responsible for all fuel usage as well as ensuring that
the Museum’s activities and services follow statutory regulations. It also
manages all work which has a building, electrical or mechanical element.
The Museum has a comprehensive computerised Building Management System
(BMS). This controls and monitors environmental conditions, heating, water
systems, ventilation and air conditioning systems, as well as lighting from a
central terminal located in the Estates Office. Estates is actively involved in
improving the Museum’s climate for display and storage of its collection. It also
manages the Museum’s energy savings policy by encouraging the economic use of
utilities and recommending savings whenever possible.
Security

Security staff provide 24-hour protection of the Museum’s collection, staff and
visitors. The hub of the security operation is based in the main Control Office
where staff mange the various CCTV, intruder alarm and fire alarm systems.

KNOWLEDGE AND COLLECTIONS

The NRM is Britain’s largest single body of historic railway material. Knowledge
and Collections is split into two main areas – Collections Care and Collections
Access.
This department is responsible for acquiring, documenting, conserving, storing,
exhibiting and managing access to the engineering, library and archive
collections.

3D Collection

The 3D collection includes approximately 25,000 objects from 190-ton

locomotives to uniform buttons and pen nibs used in railway offices. A team of
on-site engineers provide technical input for conservation, restoration, repair,
maintenance and overhaul of locomotives and other objects such as railway signs
and carriages.

Library

The Library is the principal means of public access to the collection. Staff
provide information to answer enquiries about the collection and general railway
historical matters.

Photographic Studio

The Photographic Studio provides photographic services that support the

Museum in its display, interpretation, curatorial and public relations work. It
produces copies from the Museum’s photographic archive collections for
displays and external customers ranging from private researchers to national
newspapers.
The NRM Photographer also records the changing face of the railway to build
the contemporary archive for future study and use. They also undertake
commercial projects or can provide contemporary shots for clients from their
extensive library of images.

INTERPRETATION, EDUCATION AND LEARNING

Everything that the Museum does can be seen as ‘educational’. The NRM is here
to help people gain knowledge and a greater understanding of the world we live
in. This informal educational role affects everything the Museum does because
of its mission to enhance the public’s understanding of railways. Its role is to
tell people about the collections and its aim is to develop high quality relevant
and innovative exhibitions and programmes that will help the Museum to meet
visitor targets.

Audio-visual Development and Maintenance

The Museum is able through in-house staff expertise and studio equipment to
develop its own audio-visual material. This service is used for both exhibitions
and events.

Creative Development

One of the Museum’s primary objectives is to continuously improve the quality

of the service offered. Good design is an important element in providing high
quality. This is true for exhibitions, the setting and materials for events, as well
as printed material.
The NRM’s Designers provides advice for all staff on design and is consulted on
the development of all material produced for the public. If designers are
needed for specific jobs, they find companies who can do the work, brief them,
commission the work and make sure the result meets the Museum’s standards
for design.
Exhibitions are one of the ways in which the Museum shares the collections in
its care, and what it knows about these things, with the public. A team of
creative content and exhibition/display developers research, write and design
the Museum’s displays and exhibitions. They also liaise with external companies
who are commissioned to assist with their work.

Education

The Museum provides a range of services for visiting school groups. These
include an Interactive Learning Centre, gallery tours, workshops, events and
resource material. The Education Learning Facilitators and the Education
Officer deliver presentations and workshops such as Track Safety, Bridge
Building and Stephenson’s Rocket. This team also organise education events such
as Big Draw, Family Learning Week and Science Week.
The Explainers provide much of the direct contact between the Museum (its
objects and what we know) and the visitors. Each Explainer has a timed route
for their day. The route has a mix of duties and includes such things as checking
that exhibits are ready for visitors at opening time, giving talks and
demonstrations, generally being on hand to answer questions and explaining the
exhibits as well as running the Interactive Learning Centre.
Public Programmes

These events are planned railway-based activities that take place on publicised
dates. Events to date include Railways in War & Peace, Edwardian Christmas,
Please Touch - an annual special event that focuses on activities for visitors
with disabilities.

THE INSTITUTE OF RAILWAY STUDIES

The Museum and the University of York run the Institute of Railway Studies
(IRS) jointly. The main role of the IRS is to provide teaching and research at
university level and to an international standard in order to advance learning and
knowledge of the history of railways and other forms of transport. This role is
responsible for the long-term studies needed to help the NRM develop
authoritative exhibitions and displays.

FUNDRAISING

The Fundraising Team works with corporate partners and sponsors to generate
revenue and forge relationships to support the Museum’s work. Recent
initiatives include the Keep Scotsman Steaming campaign to raise funds to pay
for Flying Scotsman’s overhaul.

NMSI Trading Ltd

Role

NMSI Trading Ltd was established in 1988 to enable the Museum to fully
realise its commercial potential. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Museum
employing approximately 200 staff that work at all three Museums. The
company is responsible for most aspects of visitor services and commercial
activities. These include marketing, press and public relations, corporate
events, fundraising and sponsorship, business development, licensing the Science
and Society Picture Library, the provision of information and reception services,
ticket selling, retailing, catering and cleaning. Accountable to the Chief
Executive for the performance of these business areas, staff also report to the
heads of the NRM and NMPFT and other senior museum managers.

Aim

The company is committed to delivering the highest standards of customer

service in all its activities and to generating the maximum profit for the
Museum.
Friends of the NRM (FNRM)

The Friends of The National Railway Museum was formed in 1977. They
comprise a body of supporters of the NRM and its activities who help to
forward the aims and objectives of the Museum.
Friends also enjoy the benefit of discounts which are usually offered at the
Museum shop, restaurant and car park; the NRM Review, published quarterly,
which keeps Friends in touch with events in the Museum, carries information
about the National Collection, features articles of general railway interest and
includes authoritative reviews of books and videos; invitations to members'
meetings in York and London; special arrangements which may be offered by
some of the hotels in York; exclusive Friends' events.
The Friends contribute financially where possible and provide volunteers who
assist with the restoration of exhibits; operate the miniature railway; provide
members of the support team for the operation of locomotives on the main line;
staff the information points and assist the Collections team.

Internal Communication
There are a number of methods of formal communication available to members
of Museum staff - in addition to just talking to each other!
These include:
• An internal telephone system with some locations numbered as well as most
individual members of staff
• E-mail and an NMSI-wide Intranet facility
• Some members of staff carry two-way pagers. These are supplemented by
radios for appropriate members of staff at busy times, e.g. Thomas the Tank
Engine events
• An internal post system with two deliveries each day
An intricate web of meetings including a monthly briefing by the Head of
Museum; regular departmental meetings; ‘project team’ meetings for items such
as exhibitions or publications; ‘official’ meetings such as Health and Safety or
Trades Union matters; ‘ad hoc’ meetings to discuss specific matters as they
arise.
Sustainable Development

The NRM and the whole of NMSI are committed to

sustainable development. This means ensuring that it makes the best use of its
resources to keep a balance between its impact on people, the environment and
profit.
The Museum has a ‘Green Team’ to lead projects and initiatives in the work place
to help save resources.

Finances
Sources of Funding
As the Museum is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry its main
source of funding is still through the Government. The Department of Culture,
Media and Sport provides an annual sum called Grant-in-Aid. For the NRM this is
usually about £3M each year and this forms the main part of the Museum’s
regular income.
Since 1987 the NMSI Trading Company has developed sources of revenue based
on Museum admissions (pre-December 2001), retail and wholesale activities,
catering and corporate hire. In the financial year ending March 2004 over
£701,000 (less trading expenditure) came into the Museum from these
activities.
In recent years funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund has been available for
specific projects. The 1999 development of the award-winning project ‘The
Works’ was made possible by a £4M award from the HLF. The National Archive
of Railway Oral History (NAROH) is also lottery funded.
The Museum receives regular bequests and donations. The Friends of the NRM
provide funds on a regular basis for specific projects.
Fundraising remains an important activity. The Museum has a fundraising
department which works with business partners, patrons and potential sponsors
to initiate projects which can be of mutual benefit. The contribution made by
partners, patrons and sponsors is acknowledged by a range of benefits and a
wall plaque in the public area of the Museum.
Collections Related Income
The Museum is able to make a modest income from the direct sales of copies of
railway photographs and engineering drawings from the collections.

Commerical Activities
The Museum’s shop provides a direct service to visitors and a wholesale service
to other retail outlets. In the financial year ending March 2004 this activity
provided £896,000 for the Museum.
A catering franchise, Milburn's Restaurants Ltd, provides all types of food and
drink for general visitors, corporate and conference hire and evening dinners.
The Museum has a suite of rooms which may be hired for meetings and
conferences. This facility links closely with the catering activities.
The Museum also has a programme of special events such as Thomas the Tank
Engine and the Ride the Legend tours on Flying Scotsman that customers buy
tickets for.

The Museum's Corporate Events Department organise conferences, formal

dinners, meetings and weddings for external customers.
Marketing at the NRM
The NRM Marketing Department deals with the marketing and promotion of the
Museum. They are responsible for producing the What’s On leaflet and for
carrying out the marketing of the Museum’s activities. This department also
deals with all the press enquiries through the Press Office.

Marketing Flying Scotsman

In early 2004 the famous locomotive Flying Scotsman came up for sale - an
event that no amount of planning could have foreseen. Public fears that it would
be sold to an overseas buyer kick-started a fundraising campaign, led by the
NRM’s Fundraising Department, to save the Flying Scotsman and add it to the
national railway collection.
The public response was unprecedented. Young children sent their pocket money
and even Virgin boss and entrepreneur Richard Branson made a significant
contribution.
The campaign captured the hearts of a nation and nearly every form of news
media wanted the story. It is estimated that this high profile acquisition gave
the Museum over £10m worth of free media coverage.

This presented many challenges for the Marketing and Press teams. However,
their efforts were rewarded when in April 2005, the NRM won the award for
Best Marketing Campaign at the Museums and Heritage Awards for the
successful programme which led to the acquisition of Flying Scotsman.
One such marketing challenge was met head on when a publicity stunt led to the
appointment of a local milliner to create a spectacular Flying Scotsman hat to be
paraded at Royal Ascot at York in 2005.

The Railfest Marketing Campaign

In June 2004 the NRM held Railfest - a nine-day festival to celebrate the
bicentenary of the railways. It had been 200 years since the first steam
locomotive Penydarren ran.
This was followed by another accolade for the marketing team when they won
the York Tourism Award for Best Marketing Campaign for the Railfest event.

Customer Service at the NRM

Message from the Head of Museum, Andrew Scott
“At the National Railway Museum we have always been committed to serving our
customers, be they students or scholars, educational groups or corporate partners,
tourists or enthusiasts, sponsors or general visitors."

"Our aim is not short-term change but sustained long-term improvements in standards
to help us achieve our mission of caring for the national collection and of helping people
understand the impact of the railway in a manner that is inspiring, enlightening and
enjoyable. The standards are deliberately challenging - as befits a national museum of
international standing.”

(Source: the NRM Customer Service Handbook)

Visitor Services
The NRM is committed to delivering the highest standards of customer service
in all its activities. The Museum always has a Duty Manager on site and this
person is part of the Visitor Services team. The Duty Manager ensures that the
Museum is at a standard that conforms to the Customer Services Initiative
outlined in the Customer Service Handbook. However, it is the responsibility of
every member of staff to deliver high standards of customer service. All staff
wear name badges and have a responsibility to assist customers.
The Museum is also subjected to visits by mystery shoppers who submit reports
to the Head of Visitor Services. This offers a valuable insight into the ‘visitor
experience’.

Promises to External Customers

The promises the Museum makes to its customers are displayed on wallboards in
the main entrances of the Museum.
The NRM wallboard states the following promises:
• Excellent care for the National Collections
• Displays and events that are accurate, stimulating and enjoyable
• High quality educational and research facilities
• Up-to-date information about the Museum
• A prompt and helpful response to enquiries
• A warm and courteous welcome
• A safe, clean and comfortable Museum
• Service to all parts of the community
• Opening hours which reflect your needs
• Admission charges which offer value for money

Customer Feedback
Customers are encouraged to submit their comments, suggestions and enquiries.
They may choose to do this in a variety of ways - in person, by telephone, in
writing or on-line via the website. When visiting the Museum, if visitors want to
submit a comment or suggestion or their enquiry cannot be dealt with straight
away they are encouraged to complete a feedback form. These are available at
each entrance and at both information points. A Visitor Services Assistant logs
each form and produces a quarterly report. This enables Visitor Services to
identify areas that need to be improved and also gives them feedback on what
they are doing well. The procedure for dealing with such enquiries is outlined in
the Customer Service Handbook.
Access
The Museum is always striving to improve access for people with disabilities.
Facilities include: lifts with audible floor indicators; sound guides for visually
impaired visitors; automatic doors; ramps; free wheelchairs including two
battery powered chairs; tactile graphics; loop systems at the receptions, shop
and information points; and interpretative labels are produced following the
RNIB’s guidelines.

Visitor Profile
Visitor surveys are carried out twice a year. The Association of Leading Visitor
Attractions conducts a survey at Easter and Robertson Bell Associates conduct
a survey over the August Bank Holiday.
The results enable the NRM to better identify their visitor profile and target
audience. This in turn enables the Museum to improve customer service and its
marketing campaigns.