End Of The Line?

Ending a line seems to be a big problem with face painters and balloon modellers and caricature artists and other entertainers who work with a queue (line) formation. The gig is busy but it's come to an end ... 20 minutes before you are due to stop work and there's eneough people queuing for the next 40 minutes! Keeping a watch on this during the gig helps but there does come a point wyhere you have to guage matters and announce, "that's it, you are the last one".

This of course creates disappointment with those already after that point and a problem with those who arive from then on. It needs a continual explanation ... and you are not there to do that. In the many minutes you spend explaining the math to late arrivals you could have painted their face!!!!!

It's self perpetuating: if you are good then a line will form. When you are finished (based on a clock timing / booked period) there will still be some waiting. It stands to reason. Why? Because somebody didn't get the math right? Because you were too slow? Because more numbers than expected turned up?

They are all probably true, it's the nature of the business. That's why it's a poser that is raised every few months and also why there is never a perfect solution. Many ideas are pretty good and I've used most of them. For me, here are the important factors:

• If you don't think you will cover them all ... 100% covered ... then this fact must be made clear at the time of taking the booking. Then, once confirmed, you are not obligated to do so.
  
• Your finishing time must be made clear to those who queue. A large sign, frequent announcements as time draws near etc. Also, how long each face is taking so they are able to make a calculation at the end and work out if it's worth waiting or not.

As long as you do the above, there should be no problem! OK, famous last words. Of course there will be some at the finish who will complain, plead to do "just one more" etc etc. Your job is to please people, not upset them. So, some additional tactics are required! There are many many ideas ranging from ticket systems, rubber stamping wrists, curving the line to join both ends and rejecting the rest........ you'll be familiar with these. But here's a different mind-set that may make a difference for you.

You see, I don't feel it's the face painter's problem. It's easy to end the day, you just STOP! That's it! Well, OK, you could just stop and leave ... but we don't. But it IS a problem for the organisers and I think the best solution is that they should appear, some minutes before the end and personally inform those who you cannot paint and those who arrive last that you have to stop and leave the premises / area. This does three important things:

• They see how popular you are!
  
• It removes you from that negative action and passes the responsibility to where it belongs: to the organiser. Then you can simply smile and shrug
  your shoulders as if to say "I'd have stayed all night, but s/he's the boss!"
  
• They also see that next time perhaps two painter may be more comfortable.

So, that's my solution ... one that works in conjunction with any other numbering elimination tactics and keeps you looking great. So next time, ensure your booker or an appointed 'marshall' moves in and ends the day for you.

John Gordon
The Infotainer
www.WatchThisFace.com