HELP...RE: line control. Parents arguing today!

At this venue, I tell the parents they need to pay @ the concession stand & hand me the receipt when their child site down in the chair. Some children stand in line while parents pay, some come back & wait their turn. Usually there's no more than 5 or 6 in line @ once but it's pretty steady. It's a bounce house/bday party, so if they go off to play, either someone holds their place & gets them when their next or they go to the end. If it's suddenly time for the cake n candles, I urge them not to miss it & it usually works out. NOT TODAY! A Dad paid for his little girl (about 4) & went away from the FP table, sitting @ a nearby table but out of my line of vision. He must have been talking or his child was occupied because as I was finishing a child he suddenly started an argument w/the next Mom in line."Where did all these people come from, I'm next...no one told me I had to stand in line!" He upset the little 5 yr old bday girl who was next in line. It escalated for a few minutes & I sent the nearby staff for the owner. After comforting the teary bday girl I painted her, then his child. I did apologize to him for any misscommunication. Later I got hugs, a few kisses & extra tips from parents who appreciated my calm way of dealing w/him. I later gave the little girl's mom a business card w/ promises of a "DEEP" discount if she ever needed me. The place is a few months old & I started just after they opened. Although this hasn't happened before, we are getting busier. I feel I need to devise a plan, post a sign & follow thru to prevent further problems. I'm thinking of cards w/numbers that can't leave the line. If you want to keep your place get a stand-in & come back in time. Any experienced Forum contributers want to weigh in?

Yikes, what a thing to teach your child.

When I paint, I always have a "hostess" of the booth. I learned at my very first event that my eyes are always on the kid in my chair. hahaha, I remember that I yelled behind me to the moms "look, I'm painting as fast as I can, I expect you guys to work it out back there" hahaha, I'm probably too bossy but geeeeeez.

I'm curious to see what others have for solutions.

I use numbers. If they go away and I've passed their number when they come back, they are automatically next. The people in line all know the system. And that people may be in front of them, even if they are not in line.

I don't use this system in festival events. Private events only.

This once happened to me at at child's party. I had only enough time to paint two last faces. I announced to the mother of the bday party that I had had time for two last faces due to another event scheduled. Out of now where 5 or 6 kids appeared in line. Two mothers got into an a huge argument of who's child was waiting longer. The little kids were embarrassed by the way their mom reacted. As like most of us, our eyes are focused on the person being painted. I apologized deeply to the mothers but After that experience I learned to paint a number on kids hand. Like Diane, if the kids get out line, I simply do theirs next. This helps when there's A LOT of kids and the kids can still participate with games and other ongoing activities.

I keep thinking numbered poker chips passed out? Painting numbers takes time!

I have a lot of corporate picnics, and the lines get nuts! One last year that I've already rebooked, invited extended family too(a local UAW) and many of the kids were unsupervised and horribly rude. Kept allowing all their cousins to cut in line and intimidated other kids. All the while we were totally engrossed in painting. I refuse to let that happen again. Def will be watching this thread.

So how do you guys work Festivals and such do you just have a long line of people, and each kid waits their turn?

Last time I worked with numbers, it was so relaxed!
There were a lot of activities the children could do and they didn't have to wait for an hour or so.
They just got their number, went of to play and checked every now and then if it was their turn!

For birthday parties that have a lot of activities and confusion I have found that just having a list of the kids wanting to be painted next to me and crossing them off works fine. I call out the next child's name before I am finished with the child in the chair.

For most festivals and bday parties, it's just whoever is next in line, is next... but in the particular situation that you have, maybe instead of a ticket, the children could be given a numbered bracelet when they pay? You know, those flourescent sticky ones like they have for the beer tent at festivals and stuff? When they pay, they get a bracelet with a number on it and they are told that their number will be called when you are available to paint them and maybe have a dry erase board next to you with the next number posted on it?

I can't police a line while I'm painting... I just don't do it and if there is a line, I let them know that I can't watch for who was next, they need to work that out.

When I did a festival, I used simple round color coded stickers (like the ones used at yard sales but plain - purchased at Walmart) I used three colors (yellow, pink, lime green) each color represented price paid $4, 6, 8. My assistant who was in charge of collecting the money & organizing the line, she put the coded sticker on the person's hand in which I collected. I knew by looking at the color sticker what was paid; cheek art, half face, or full face.
As, for parties...only paint numbers when there's a long line. It takes less than a minute to paint # numbers 1 thru 30. I explain the little ones get numbered first.

We did a large, month-long event last year, and when the lines started getting long, we did this: one person is line manager, and has a clipboard. Each guest comes up, and gives how many in their party are to be painted, and a "group" name (like Smith family). They also leave their cell phone number. Every 15 mins or so, the line manager would text the numbers of people waiting equal to about 30 people (there were 5 of us painting). That way, most people didn't stand in line more than 15 mins, if that. It was an event with 100's of people, and PPF, so it went great. We made great money, had LOTS of fun, and nobody was grouchy since they got to do all the other fun stuff as well, rather than stand in line.

For my daughter's birthday party, I had 15 kids to paint in 1.5 hours. I had one in front of me, and a "next". Whenever the kids came by (it was at a "fun center" with skating, bounce houses, etc.) my husband would have them stand in the "next" spot. This way, all the kids got painted (and two adults - had one dad ask for hello kitty...so funny!) and nobody waited more than about 5 mins.

Hope some of this helps!
Amy

ARG. Fighting adults? I think Perry has a good idea. I had a kid throw a shoe at another kid today. I wish the thrower were not already painted... I have printed stickers with my information on them out of the large mailing lables and it says I am _ in line. and "I was Painted by a Face Painting Mom" and it has my QR code on it, web site, etc. I have thought about using rocket rats (a very simple balloon) writing the number on it, and then they can play with the balloon until it is thier turn.

I had made a series of laminated cards with my fantasy art on one side and numbers on the other. I also had 3 different designs with a,b,c on the number side. Hubby and I had a system for festivals that they would pay him and receive a card to show me when it was their turn so that I would know what they paid for (cheek or eye design, half mask or full face) and what number they were in line.
Sadly I asked my daughter to clean out my car last week and I had the box of cards sitting on my seat and she tossed them. I need to make some more before I do a festival again.

Why in the name of paint would you offer a discount? You didn't do anything wrong and have nothing to apologize for!

Melody, Yah, I know but...
1st: Because that woman's 5 yr old had a tough few moments in my line...on her BIRTHDAY!!! Felt really bad for that child
2nd: Because I feel I can figure out a way to improve how I handle my line
3rd: Just wanted to spread a little "Good Will" & end on a positive note.
I don't reward bad behavior. That Mom had paid for 2 children & held her 2nd one back so I could paint the angry Dad's kid after "Bday girl". Note: his child, about 3 or 4 years old, was quiet as a mouse, poor kid!

rthling, I think writing the # on their receipt would work. I can also place a mat on the floor that says "NEXT" Thx Amy!
Perry: They get bracelets like that when they arrive & they do make announcements from the front desk (a distance from where I'm set up) but it's hard to hear with the air compressors on the bounce houses.

Other venues, I'm w/Perry...I'm painting & they stand in line. This place, I need a system, since the parents don't want to pay all this $$ to have the kids stand in line for me & miss a party. If I put up a sign on the column next to me re: Pay @ concession
Get a # from FP &...
Go play, checking back for your #...That could work!
Thanks SO much. I'll let you know how it works. Now to call the owner w/this idea.

Hooray! Had a pre-numbered sign-up sheet & told them all not to miss playing & partying. If they missed their #, they were next (in chronological order). My #7 came back @ the end & had all sorts of ? 'cause she watches FP'ing on Youtube. She's 10 yrs old. Here's her pic. Thanks everyone for all your suggestions!

I would've confiscated the shoe & stashed it until the culprit's parent's came to retrieve it personally with apologetic child in tow!!

I had actually seen a fellow airbrush tattoo artist that has oversized $100 bills laminated that he hands out to all of the people waiting in line when he is close to closing. only people with $100 bill gets painted, whether it be real or oversized

Ha! Love it!

That is SO cool! Gentle humor can often (not always) defuse tense situations.

I know the guy that came up with the over-sized hundreds. DJ Ehlert in his marketing classes shows his it's a old magicians trick. The over-sized bill has your picture and business info on it and you give it to your onstage helpers. Then their walking away with your business info for the next party not just a prize. DJ is also a balloon twister and I've taken his marketing lectures at all 3 clown jams I've attended.

I have never had good luck with the numbering system... I find that it takes up too much of my time numbering and then there are always a few kids who missed their number and I don't always feel comfortable having them cut in front of the kid who has been standing there the whole time.
I usually just focus on the person in my chair and let the line settle itself out without me. Things usually work out okay without me... there have been a few times things got a little heated... usually with the adults but I like to stay out of it if I can.
At festivals where there are lots of people I do enjoy when my hubby can help me manage the line...

When the adults are fighting about who's kids are next and they look at me I tell them I'm too busy to know and it's not my fight but I can and will sell tickets to it! Usually that straightens out the adults.

Oh, I love that answer HillyBilly!