UniSA and Arts SA join forces to explore the culture of customer service
The University of South Australia and Arts SA have signed an agreement to
conduct annual surveys of service quality in some of South Australia's
flagship arts and cultural organisations.
To be conducted by researchers from UniSA's Centre for Tourism and Leisure
Management (CT&LM) and Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, the
surveys will record the experiences of adult visitors to the SA Museum, the
Art Gallery of SA, Carrick Hill, State Library of SA, and the History Trust
of SA's National Motor Museum, South Australian Maritime Museum and
Migration Museum.
CT&LM Senior lecturer, Dr Gary Crilley said the survey model will be based
on the Centre's successful ongoing survey program being conducted on behalf
of botanic gardens in Australia and New Zealand, but with questions
specifically attuned to arts organisations.
"The survey will look at many different aspects of service quality, from
opportunities to learn and presentation, to amenities such as parking," Dr
Crilley said.
"It will also aim to discover some of the reasons why people visit a
cultural institution, and whether they'd be likely to recommend it to a
friend or relative."
Acting Executive Director of Arts SA, Alex Reid said she hoped the survey
jointly developed by UniSA and Arts SA will give insights into new ways the
institutions can improve service to the public.
"While collecting and conserving are their core business, cultural
institutions understand they play an important role as a rewarding family
leisure time activity," she said.
"But visitors to the institutions are not the same, and so there are
possibly opportunities for cross-promotion and closer relationships between
institutions."
Kym Cheek, marketing manager of the History Trust of SA and a UniSA
graduate, said it was rare to have cultural institutions working together in
this research.
"The surveys will allow us to build on our customer insights and previous
research to help us tailor services to visitor needs, and in developing new
experiences," he said.
"And the collaboration will allow us to benchmark service standards across
the different institutions."