Okay #FrontofHouse/Customer Service industry people.... There's something we need to be talking about as we reopen our businesses and museums: BIGOTRY

Here me out. This is a thread. Please read.

#FOHmuseums

1/10

This came up in a check-in I had today w/ some of my colleagues, and someone I manage expressed this anxiety bc of something that happened to their sister. Their sister was racially harassed in her retail job, and this racism related to her being Asian, presumed Chinese.

2/10

Those of us from minority communities already have a level of anxiety about being harassed while doing our public facing jobs. This is just a fact of life when you're visibly 'other' in a public facing role.

But it might be about to get a lot worse.

3/10

The people we are serving are going to be on edge. They won't like the restrictions they're made to comply with, or they aren't going to like being challenged when they don't comply, or they are just generally anxious, bc honestly everyone on the planet is anxious rn.

4/10

And when they are challenged or made to comply w/ new restrictions, however gently we do it, or how much we bend over backwards for them, no matter how much we apologize for their inconvenience, if they get upset/lash out at us, the lowest hanging fruit is always BIGORTY.

5/10

Because it seems like we are all way more emotionally sensitive than we were 10 weeks ago, those on the receiving end will have less mental/emotional resilience to withstand this kind of bullying, and those dishing it out will be quicker to stoop to it.

6/10

With things the way they are, it's just going to happen. It did before lockdown. It will after. Anyone who manages a public facing team should be preparing for this & should consider how we, as managers, will respond. But please do NOT undercut your staff for a visitor.

7/10

With all that in mind, if you do have a public facing job at a museum, and you have the option to take your time coming back to work when reopening eventually happens, maybe consider talking to your line manager about doing so for the sake of your mental health.

8/10

We're so eager for things to go back to normal, but if you don't feel able to do whole day talking to visitors, then don't. If a couple hours is all you think you could handle without being overwhelmed, that's fine!

Honestly, I feel the same rn. I'm a mess.

9/10

That's it, that's my rant. I hope the people I manage from BME or minority communities will only have 100% lovely experiences with visitors when we reopen. I hope the same for your museums too.

10

END