Anyone's help with tips for managing long lines for PPFs or any gig

Hi, Can anyone share their tips for handling people cutting in line, too long of lines, etc. We just had a nightmare yesterday, people wouldn't form a line, people were cutting, we couldn't leave at the time that we had to. Plus I think we charged too little, we charged $95.00 an hour, but there was 4 of us. Help!

1) Having stanchions provided

2) asking for a line volunteer from the event co-ordinator (or building your own in on your contract),

3.) Numbering hands with an odd color paint (from the END of the line with one...up to where you are, so you have a final count) well before you need to leave, so you can finish them all & no one will be able to cut in line. Give the last person a sign to hold/wear that says they are last to be painted.

I am not responsible for the line, only for accepting the next person.... the parents should be "grown up" enough to be able to get their kids into a line and keep them there.

Announce how much time is left as you get down to the last hour, half hour... at the last 15 minutes, I count out 5 kids (per painter) and say, "this is all we will have time for, sorry everyone but the line ends here." At that point, you CAN give the waiting kids a sticker or number their hands to indicate that they are in the last number of kids to be painted. If they don't have one, they don't get painted because they were not in the count at the end. You may end up 5 or 10 minutes over if they pick somethign that takes longer, but it's not the end of the world there.

I don't number, I don't count, I don't manage the line...

I post the times, and how long it takes to paint the designs on display, then I will start annoucing the time left at about an hour before end time.

I start estimating (and I mean that I say "I MAY be able to do another 5 depending on what people want") at about 15 minutes to go...

I really don't care how many are in line, or how long they've been waiting. When my time is up I am done. The only exception is if the client and I have arranged, in advance, conditions for overtime and they've agreed to pay me.

When the last person is in my chair and time is up I annouce that this is my last one and I am done. Most people will have left already, there are usually a couple who wait but I do NOT start anyone new after the time posted.

As for the line - I set-up in a corner, against a wall, under a canopy... I barricade myself so that the only opening is for the people coming in to be painted and leave again. I will stop painting if people crowd me and won't start again until they move. I will get extra table and chairs if possible to create a "path"... Most people here form a line (must be the British influence). If they don't... doesn't matter as I don't pay attention. I just call "Next!"... if there is dispute I am not involved.

If it is taking more than a couple seconds to sort out who is next I may suggest they step aside to figure it out and I'll paint the person behind them while they do so. They usually decide who is next.

You are the boss, you set the rules.

I occasionally glance over to see who the next person waiting is, but other than that I leave the line managing to the guests. The kids almost always have an adult standing nearby and the teens or odd adult are always good about waiting. Though I do get very young children who just run up to my chair while Im collecting money, and don't understand that the kid in front of them was waiting before them. But their parents handle them for me.

Putting a sign up (on the outside of the booth) stating your opening hours might help: 'facepainting from 1 PM - 4 PM'

As for the prices, the rates I give them are 'amount' per painter, per hour.

Oh, almost forgot... A friend of mine also states in her contracts (only for big events with free facepainting) that the organizers should have a linemanager, and if they can't have one, they can hire one at 15€ per hour (and then she would bring her son as a linemanager)

Thank you for your imput, I always appreciate it. I felt bad that we told a lady an hour before that she was the last one. It would have worked out, but we weren't counting on kids cutting. There's no way I could have not done the last people waiting in line in the hot sun for an hour for us. Next time I know to post our hours, and will give the kids numbers. Any more ideas are always welcome!