Guest Services & The Special Interactions with Guests

a Port Discovery employee standing next to a girl, a woman and a little boy in front of an artistic wall

Let’s dive into what makes Port Discovery such an awesome place to visit, our Guest Services department. Our Guest Services team is responsible for making the guest experience one that is filled with joy and laughter all around. Our Guest Services Managers, Kathryn Schmitt and Anne Fulwiler, along with our Guest Services Director, Kofi Jamal Simmons head the team. Kathryn believes that the Guest Services team’s ultimate goal is to “elevate the experience from mundane to special”. By having our Guest Services team, we add that one-on-one interaction with our staff to make your trip memorable. We always enjoy engaging with the guests and helping them with whatever they need. 

Port Discovery is a unique place where children and adults have a space to truly play, learn and build a sense of community. The team loves working here because this is where we get to help put a huge smile on children’s faces all day long. It brings positive energy that fills the whole atmosphere. The Guest Services team strives to be a very understanding team so that, no matter what is happening within our doors, all our guests feel welcomed, heard and safe. 

Anne’s role is to walk around the museum and make sure the museum is a fun place to be, help children with interacting with our exhibits and making sure that every moment is a cheerful one. Anne enjoys her job because she wants to make an impact in families’ lives. A prime example would be when one time she saw a small boy and his mother during a visit one day. The mother wasn’t able to get in because of issues with her bank, so while the mother was working on the issue, Anne stepped in and was playing with the little boy while he was waiting for his mother. Anne is a mother herself so she understands what it means to have others help. She believes that it takes a village to care for a child. She would like to pay for the wonderful help she received when she was raising her children forward to another mother. Anne was very happy to be able to assist the mother, even for a moment, and make a difference in the young boy’s day. 

In addition to our Guest Services team enhancing the guests experience, the team makes connections with our guests that the staff carry with them day to day. Kathryn is one that loves to interact with our guests on a daily basis. Her role is to make sure all guests are safe, cared for and are having the best day. What Kathryn loves about her job is being able to make fun memories with the children who interact with her throughout the museum. For instance, one day she wore a button down shirt with rubber ducks all over it. She thought it was fun because we carry rubber ducks in the museum. She decided to carry one of our ducks around for the day which made all the kids laugh. Later in the day when she went to the Kick It Up exhibit, there were children kicking balls around and she realized that she couldn’t hold the duck while also playing with the ball. She noticed a small girl sitting on the sidelines watching the other kids play. Kathryn checked in to make sure the child was alright and if she wanted to play. The child declined, but Kathryn still wanted the child to have some fun, so she gave the rubber duck to the girl and asked her to hold it for her. Eventually Kathryn left and forgot about the duck and continued the rest of her day without it. Later she bumped into the same girl and she was still holding the duck. The girl walked up to Kathryn and said, “I kept the duck and looked out for it for you”. Kathryn thought it was very sweet and added a positive spin to her day. 

For Kofi, he believes that It is the little things that can truly make or break a person’s day. Kofi had a moment where he was able to interact with a little boy that had a super cool shark hoodie. Kofi absolutely loves sharks and so he told the little kid that he loved it and asked him where he got it. The kid showed off his hoodie to Kofi, he even put the hood up so you can see the teeth and all. Kofi was very impressed and the kid told him that he could borrow the hoodie. Later in the day, Kofi ran into that kid again and the kid said, “not right now, a little later”. At first, Kofi didn’t understand what the child had meant but then he remembered the earlier conversation and laughed. He really enjoyed that moment and it was added to the lists of reasons why he enjoys his job, which he tells to his friends all the time. 

The relationship that our team has with the guests is something we hold dear to our hearts. We want them to have the best time while they are within our doors. As a museum, we want to be the place where families feel comfortable, excited, eager to learn and explore. Kathryn, Anne and Kofi would all agree that It is the most magical thing to watch kids learn how to play with others whom they have just met, make memories with their families and create connections with our staff. We appreciate our Guest Services team because they truly embody what Port Discovery is all about. We are so happy to have them and look forward to the future of this team.

To learn more about our Guest Services team, please visit Our Guest Services Page