The number system

[Sherry]

Do you use the number system?  I had my first crack at it Tuesday.  They were having a special kids night at a Chick Fil A.  They had me there face painting, a caricature artist and a petting zoo outside. 

There were plenty of people there when I showed up, but no one was noticing me or coming over for face painting.  Most were outside with the animals.  I'd say the first 1/2 hour was pretty slow.  I started doing a few balloons to get some attention.  When I finally started face painting, I was SWAMPED!  One of the first customers that had to wait asked for a number.  I think it's because the caricature artist uses a number system.

So the manager brought me over a bunch of Chick Fil A stickers and started numbering them off.  So here I was being thrown into the number system whether I liked it or not!  I'm not sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.  I had to constantly and I mean constantly stop and either give out numbers, or tell people what number I was on.  I think it may have taken up more time than it saved.  And people were still bargaining or seeming upset about not getting a chance to get painted or they didn't know they needed a number and on and on.  It was a madhouse that night, but a lot of fun nonetheless!   

One little girl so wanted to get painted, but she had number 27.  I know that I can normally paint 10 faces per hour, I was there for 2 hours and I got a late half hour start with no customers.  So I told her and her father that I didn't think I would get to them.  I told them that several times, because I kept hearing her begging her father and I didn't want her overly disappointed if I couldn't get to her.

Turns out she was my last customer of the night and boy was she a happy camper.  I think the last 5 before her got tired of waiting and left.

Here she is. 

[jubob]

I haven't used it personally but I know some that have tried the system and it doesn't seem to work. You didn't have much choice in the matter though did you, glad you got to paint the little girl, she looks brilliant and very pleased.

[Alison]

Aghk - It's practically always a problem when other people take charge of how we're going to handle the crowds.  Because there's No Way we can stop and communicate All the Nuances to each person, which, by the way, opens up a whole conversation with each one too..........

I hope that the next time someone comes over to tell me how to manage the event, I'll remember to tell him/her that I'd be glad to do that Provided s/he has someone to stay there to constantly explain to each person how it works.

[LillyW]

It never works well for me. It takes all my time yelling for the next number, instead of painting.

I do write into my contract that if there are over 30 to be painted, they will either need to supply an assistant to manage the line, or hire one from me for an additional $20 per hour.

However, if I become swamed, I do what Marcela taught me:  I grab my brush, load it with white paint and tell them to hold our their hands.  I tell them, "If you are not here when it is your turn, you will lose your turn." Then I number them quickly on their hands. 

As I am painting one person, I always say, "Who is next?"  They all know.  If that person is not there, I ask them to call for that next person.

- Lilly Walters, 909-398-1228
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[Sherry]

Thanks Julie.  Yep, not much choice and I really don't like it when things like that happen, but I also want to be pleasant.  This is a new client for me and I think the caricature artist has worked for them for a while and since he always uses the number system, they were used to that.

I've found that the "Who's next?" line works like a charm for me too, because they all seem to already know this and since I'm in the zone while painting, I don't know. 

I have wondered about the number system, but now after trying it first hand, I was really surprised at how many times I had to stop and explain to everyone.  My husband suggested a sign might help with that.

[Wildcatfin]

It rarely works and only in a contained area with a limited number.
I had a supermarket insisted on it one Christmas, against my wishes. It was fine the 1st (quiet) hours but after that despite store wide announcements for 'missing' numbers, chaos. People continually turned up wo missed 'their' call and were pushing in, disrupting the line; a bunch returend during the last few hours, upsetting the queue AND my final estimate of how many I could paint in the time left.... and several MORE turned up as i was loading my car.

Queuing up is the best and only way unfortunately.

Cat x

[fancy]

I used the number system at a restaurant where I worked.  It did work well but the way I did it was to have a large set of numbers on a stand by my table and then a smaller set that those who wanted to be painted took with them.  They could always see what number I was on because of the large set that I kept, so they knew when to come.  It does work better if you have someone that can go ahead of time and look for the next number (the smaller ones were big enough to see well if the number was laying on the table.  Probably about 2X4 inches.  I laminated all of them so that they would last as I used them every week.

[Alison]

Wow - That's a great idea Fancy.  Like at a deli-counter.

I was just about to ask Cat (Hello Cat) what a queue is,
when I also read your excellent idea Fancy. 

Thank you all for sharing, as always.  Experienced, I felt like, yeah - I know This experience - when they think it's such a great idea to hand out numbers......  And now surprised that there are things I hadn't thought of.