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I volunteer at a small museum. We have a bunch of very popular programs for school groups. We charge enough to cover the costs, plus a tiny profit that supports the museum. The programs are all done by volunteers. Each class that books a program gets a packet, carefully written in words of one syllable, that tells what we expect. Naturally, the teachers read the packets carefully, make sure the parents and chaperones get their handouts, and go over the rules with the kids. Right?
Most schools like to study the subjects all year, then bring the kids to us for a field trip toward the end of the school year, so April & May are insanely busy. We can have over a dozen programs a day, starting every half hour, and simultaneously going on all over the building & even outside. They are timed so that there are few hitches, with a bit of slop time built in, just in case. That is, when the schools do their part.
The last two weeks have been a nightmare, thanks to a whole series of schools that seem to have forgotten everything they read so thoroughly in those packets. We get the occasional problem class, but this was schools from several different cities.
You did not book a one-hour program to be held whenever you arrive. You booked a program that goes from 10 AM to 11 AM. A 10 o'clock booking means that the program starts at 10 o'clock. It does not mean that the bus pulls into the parking lot at 10. It does not mean that we wait until you send all thirty students to the toilet first. It does not mean that the program starts as soon as you find that chaperone who took her group to the candy store 4 blocks away. It means 10 o'clock. You read the part about "arrive 15 minutes early," right? Sorry, you are not entitled to a full one-hour program if you arrive a half hour late. Not even if you yell and scream at the museum staff that you paid for an hour. We explicitly told you that if you are late, "we reserve the right to substitute a shorter or different program or to cancel."
Yes, I gave all four schools a half hour program. Too bad that Really Fun Thing had to be cut out; bitching at me won't help.
Yes, we understand that stuff happens. If you've got an unforeseen problem, like a flat tire or the memorable day when the cops closed off all the streets while they hunted for a nutcase with a gun, we'll try to work with you. Especially if you call to let us know you are running a late. When you show up a half hour late, without calling, and say "ha, ha, ha, guess we just got a late start," we aren't inclined to be very accommodating. It doesn't help when one of the parents tells us that everyone was ready to go on time, except the teacher.
Ah, you have several coolers with all the kids lunches in them? No problem, we're used to that and we know you don't want to leave them out in the sun. Put them over there & pick them up when the program is over. "Pick them up" means that a couple of adults collect the coolers and take them outside to the students. It does not mean you send all thirty students into the museum to scream at each other while make a mess trying to find their own lunches. At least they didn't throw a fit when they found out that we do not arrange for a place where they can have lunch, which has happened.
No, those extra chaperones you didn't pay for can't go on the tour with the paid people (we've had to resort to making all the paid parents wear badges to keep out the freeloaders.) So, you brought an extra 10 kids and 4 chaperones and you want to add them? If you had called first, we would have told you that the fire marshall is rather strict about maximum number of people, and it ain't happening. Not even if you yell and scream at the museum staff.
Speaking of chaperones, have yours looked up the definition lately? Chaperones make sure the kids are safe & accounted for, and that the kids aren't doing things like running around screaming, climbing into exhibits, or stealing stuff from the gift shop. Chaperoning does not mean you pay attention only to your own kid and ignore all the others. It does not include ignoring the kids while you play with your cell phone. No, you can't disappear to Starbucks once the program starts. It also doesn't include participating in the program. This is for students. They don't learn as much when you crowd to the front of the group, shout out all the answers, or do an activity for them. The fee includes supplies only for students, so whining about not being able to join the fun hands-on stuff gets you nowhere.
As for the group that arrived at 9:30 for the 10 o'clock program, took all the kids to the public restroom instead of demanding to use ours, let the kids run off steam on the lawn, had attentive chaperones who knew what they were doing, made the kids give the chaperones their cell phones before the program, and had an organized teacher who knew how to keep order--what were you smoking and where can I get some for the other schools?
Most schools like to study the subjects all year, then bring the kids to us for a field trip toward the end of the school year, so April & May are insanely busy. We can have over a dozen programs a day, starting every half hour, and simultaneously going on all over the building & even outside. They are timed so that there are few hitches, with a bit of slop time built in, just in case. That is, when the schools do their part.
The last two weeks have been a nightmare, thanks to a whole series of schools that seem to have forgotten everything they read so thoroughly in those packets. We get the occasional problem class, but this was schools from several different cities.
You did not book a one-hour program to be held whenever you arrive. You booked a program that goes from 10 AM to 11 AM. A 10 o'clock booking means that the program starts at 10 o'clock. It does not mean that the bus pulls into the parking lot at 10. It does not mean that we wait until you send all thirty students to the toilet first. It does not mean that the program starts as soon as you find that chaperone who took her group to the candy store 4 blocks away. It means 10 o'clock. You read the part about "arrive 15 minutes early," right? Sorry, you are not entitled to a full one-hour program if you arrive a half hour late. Not even if you yell and scream at the museum staff that you paid for an hour. We explicitly told you that if you are late, "we reserve the right to substitute a shorter or different program or to cancel."
Yes, I gave all four schools a half hour program. Too bad that Really Fun Thing had to be cut out; bitching at me won't help.
Yes, we understand that stuff happens. If you've got an unforeseen problem, like a flat tire or the memorable day when the cops closed off all the streets while they hunted for a nutcase with a gun, we'll try to work with you. Especially if you call to let us know you are running a late. When you show up a half hour late, without calling, and say "ha, ha, ha, guess we just got a late start," we aren't inclined to be very accommodating. It doesn't help when one of the parents tells us that everyone was ready to go on time, except the teacher.
Ah, you have several coolers with all the kids lunches in them? No problem, we're used to that and we know you don't want to leave them out in the sun. Put them over there & pick them up when the program is over. "Pick them up" means that a couple of adults collect the coolers and take them outside to the students. It does not mean you send all thirty students into the museum to scream at each other while make a mess trying to find their own lunches. At least they didn't throw a fit when they found out that we do not arrange for a place where they can have lunch, which has happened.
No, those extra chaperones you didn't pay for can't go on the tour with the paid people (we've had to resort to making all the paid parents wear badges to keep out the freeloaders.) So, you brought an extra 10 kids and 4 chaperones and you want to add them? If you had called first, we would have told you that the fire marshall is rather strict about maximum number of people, and it ain't happening. Not even if you yell and scream at the museum staff.
Speaking of chaperones, have yours looked up the definition lately? Chaperones make sure the kids are safe & accounted for, and that the kids aren't doing things like running around screaming, climbing into exhibits, or stealing stuff from the gift shop. Chaperoning does not mean you pay attention only to your own kid and ignore all the others. It does not include ignoring the kids while you play with your cell phone. No, you can't disappear to Starbucks once the program starts. It also doesn't include participating in the program. This is for students. They don't learn as much when you crowd to the front of the group, shout out all the answers, or do an activity for them. The fee includes supplies only for students, so whining about not being able to join the fun hands-on stuff gets you nowhere.
As for the group that arrived at 9:30 for the 10 o'clock program, took all the kids to the public restroom instead of demanding to use ours, let the kids run off steam on the lawn, had attentive chaperones who knew what they were doing, made the kids give the chaperones their cell phones before the program, and had an organized teacher who knew how to keep order--what were you smoking and where can I get some for the other schools?
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