GDG- Battlefield Tour Guides

[AWard61890 at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/24/2012 2:25:59 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
jlawrence at kc.rr.com writes:

I  understand the system at Gettysburg 
consists of a written test and, even  if you pass the test, you have to be 
interviewed by the guides, who can  turn you down if they just d not like 
your style.
 
There is in fact a very comprehensive written test. If you make the cut  
there the so called "interview" mentioned above is actually an oral exam. The  
perspective guide puts together his or her own 2 hour car tour which is 
given to  an existing guide AND an NPS Ranger. After the first tour the 
candidate is asked  to make any necessary adjustments and gets a second chance. 
BOTH the ranger and  the guide grade the candidate. It all comes down to if you 
can give a factual,  good tour of the battlefield. That is over simplified, 
but you are not  "interviewed" by guides.
 
Both the park and the guide force are just trying to make sure the visitor  
gets a quality tour. 
 
Peter previously stated that:
 
 Sure, the tourists love it. But tourists don't know a cowpie from a  
horsepie.
 
The tour is for the visitors or tourists not a tour director on the bus,  
and one thing that can cause a candidate to fail would be if you don't treat 
the  customer with respect or have the attitude that your paying customer is 
 "stupid"
 
Andy Ward