Behind the scenes at M The reception staff

Lutt: "I have been working at M from the very beginning. The museum opened on 20 September 2009, and that was also my first day at the desk. I used to work two part-time jobs, but when I heard they were looking for people at M, I applied immediately. I'm a museum-goer anyway, and it also ties in with my studies at the time in functional graphics at Sint-Lucas - layout, illustrations, that sort of thing. I also love working in Leuven. I was born and raised here. Plus, I can walk to work!"

Fien: "Yes, that is known here at M: Lutt and her walks to work (laughs)."

"I come from a very different industry. I spent sixteen years as a a flight attendant. But Covid has hit the industry hard, and the content of the job has also changed dramatically over the past sixteen years. During the lockdown, I spent a year being sometimes partially, sometimes full-time technically unemployed. That's when I decided to go in a different direction."

"Right away, this vacancy seemed like something for me. At home we came into contact with music and art a lot. Whenever I was abroad for work, I would always visit the museums if I could. It's a world I'm familiar with. Also, the work is a bit like what a stewardess does: giving information, receiving people, making contact with them... I'm a translator/interpreter by training and that's also an advantage. M is visited by many English, French, German and Spanish speakers. I applied have been working here since 17 May."

Lutt: "I don't speak Spanish myself, but then I make do with French or English. We always try to make a connection with the visitor. If it's a Portuguese person, for example, say 'bom dia', or something. That's appreciated, even if it's the only Portuguese you know."

What exactly does a receptionist do? Are there aspects of your job that the public doesn't see?

Lutt: "It is certainly much more than selling a ticket. We not supposed to be able to explain the content of current exhibitions, but we do have to make sure that people can start their visit comfortably. We welcome them, sell them the ticket, tell them where cloakrooms are, that they should put their big bags away, where they can get an audio guide... Some visitors also ask about a specific exhibition, and then you explain to them where that is."

"When there are big exhibitions, we get hundreds of people here every day. Well, I think it's very important that the last visitor receives as warm a welcome and as clear an explanation as the first one. That you remain as enthusiastic." 

"For the statistics, we always ask visitors a few questions: age, nationality, postal code for Belgians and Dutch, gender, whether it is their first visit to M, for which exhibition they are coming... You always have some who then ask if they also have to give their shoe size, but I usually try to wrap it up in a chat. While I'm making their ticket, I say: 'Ha, is this your first visit? Is there a specific exhibition you want to see? You don't let on that you have to ask."

"Also, we try to get people excited about upcoming exhibitions, and about M's membership formulas - the M ambassadors, for example. We keep the bookshop open too!"

Fien: "I'm still discovering it all, but I have indeed noticed that selling memberships and museum passes is an important part of what we do. It turns out that I love doing that."

How do you approach people for an M-bassadorship, for example?

Fien: "You have to get a sense for it. You talk to your visitors, and if you notice that they have a warm heart for M and love art, then you mention the formula. A matter of listening, really. If it turns out that they're not very interested, you drop it right away."

How many desk clerks does M have?

Fien: "One full-time and two part-time - but they mainly work in the museum part of St Peter's Church. The people from the back office - who take care of the reservations and such - can also step in. Then we also have working students."

Lutt: "If the current exhibitions are very successful, there are two of you at the desk, sometimes even three - usually working students. At 'The Arenbergs' the queue reaches out on to the street. On the weekends, there are working students, because you need to be able to take your lunch break. It's usually a bit busier then too: families with kids and stuff."

What does a normal work week look like for you?

Fien: "I have taken over Lutt’s work arrangement. One week I have Wednesday off, the other week, Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Our days start around a quarter past ten and run until a quarter past six, unless there are meetings. From September onwards, we will regularly start at 9 o'clock, because there will be school visits again. Maybe a busy schedule, yes, but for me that set structure is a luxury. That is unheard of in the aviation sector. I never had any set hours."

Do you visit the exhibitions yourself?

Lutt: “Yeah, you must have seen it yourself. We pretty much always get a tour from the trustees. It's not that often that visitors ask us questions about content, but we do get a lot of responses. From 'Say, what was that!' to 'Oh, so beautiful!'" When we hear pertinent things, we pass it on. If anyone has spotted a mistake in the texts, for example."

What is the best part of your job?

Lutt: "Being of service. We make people happy! That's something that's in you, I guess. My daughters always say that about me too. If I see someone on the street who seems a bit lost, I immediately go and ask if I can help."

Fien: "I also really like working in a cultural environment. Alexis Gautier will soon have an exhibition here. He wants to involve the museum staff, so he often walks around here for a chat. He is interested in what we do, we ask questions about his work... There is interaction. Vincent Geyskens did the same. I love that. It makes the exhibition interesting for me, and I can then pass that enthusiasm on to the visitors."

Lutt, you're about to retire. How do you look back on all those years at M?

Lutt: "I'm definitely going to miss that. In some of the other jobs I have had, I maybe had more to do, but I have really enjoyed doing this."

"I think I'll quickly find other things to keep me busy, because I'm not the sedentary type. Volunteer work in the care sector, maybe. Somewhere I can make a difference. But I'll definitely keep coming to M. For the colleagues and for the exhibitions."