Long queue and I get stressed!!!!

Hi FP'ers

I'm very new to this and loving every second, but, I have a problem as soon as I get more than 2-3 kids in line, I get STRESSED !!!!!! I start banging them out and all my practice goes out the window and they look rushed and unfinished.
Please please give me some advise on how to keep my wits about me!
Thank you and you are all AMAZING!!!!!!!

Stacey

You only have one customer.... the one sitting in front ouf you. Make them feel special and you will feel special about what you do.

absolutely.... if you're good, there will always be a line. Don't look at the line, take your time and paint well, no one is impressed if you paint less than your best.

Are you talking about PPF or private events? I try to not take longer than 5 min at either type of events if there is a line. I have a watch that i peek at without looking obvious so that I make sure I am on track.

If there is only up to 3 people waiting at a ppf, I will take my time and make the best of the design they choose, adding more highlights, depth, dots, bling, etc...then I would normally do. I'm not in a rush, and their face is my walking advertisement. At a Birthday, I always ask when they book how many kids they expect. When I arrive I give a quick look around and estimate the # of kids. Then I divide the amount of time by the number of kids and that is my time goal give or take a min or two for each kid (butterflies/princess/etc... that take maybe 2 or 3 min tops to do helps keep the line moving)

What would you say your painting speed is? If it is average or above, try not to rush yourself! These kids expect to wait a little while if there are people in line in front of them. Don't look at the line. Just pay attention to the child in front of you. You are WORTH waiting for, or they wouldn't be there!

If you are taking longer than 5 minutes per face, you may need to narrow the choices down some so that you can get the hang of a few and get faster with them. I am a LOT faster (and quality is better) with designs that I've been doing for a while than with ones I've rarely done. After a while you will master those designs (won't need to look at a picture, will know automatically what to do next, etc) and then you can begin adding new designs to the menu.

Either way, you can "include" the other children in line by turning once in a while to smile at them, make comments or ask questions to the group in general. You want to focus mainly on the child in your chair, but drawing the others into what you are doing with that child is a nice way for everyone to feel like they are in on the process. When I am greeting the current child and getting them situated in my chair, I usually smile at the next child and say something encouraging like "You're next!" or "You've been so patient, you're almost there!" before turning to start painting. They usually gift me with a beautiful smile and their parents appreciate it too.

I only get stressed when there is NO LINE!

Just breath! There will always be a line. You only want to spend 5 min. per kid, so if you're taking longer than that, you need to practice at home. TV time on your arm is the best way to go(or leg, or on a kid or on the dog.... Practice tear drops, linework, quick bases, etc. Then when you're doing these on faces it'll come more naturally.
As far as the line goes, the only focus I have my attention on is the child in the chair. It's their special moment.

This will all come to you, so relax & have fun!

Linda Adams wrote:I only get stressed when there is NO LINE!

I totally agree!!

Honestly... I have no idea how many are waiting in line, I don't really care. I sit so the line is out of my line of vision, preferably several feet away, and concentrate on the person in my chair. When they are done I call "Next!"...

I don't look to see how many are waiting, I don't count them... It would be too scary! Once when I got up to announce that the line was closed 15 minutes before end time I saw it was a block long... I've never looked again.

I am paid to paint by the hour and have signs up saying what the time frame is and I finish at quitting time. The signs advise people that it is THEIR decision to wait.

Good idea not looking at the line, they stress me out so much as well.

Wow, thanks for the advice, loads of things to take on board for next time. I think the problem is I want to get to everyone and I need to just let that go and try to do a good job on the ones I do get to.

I had a friend who used to get stressed at the line when she first started too. All I can add is.. The child/person in front of you would love the best face you can do. That's all. Quality over quantity, eventually quantity comes... but worry about quality first

[quote="Shannon Fennell"]
I am paid to paint by the hour and have signs up saying what the time frame is and I finish at quitting time. The signs advise people that it is THEIR decision to wait.[/quote]

This is great!! I don't suppose you could share how you worded that sign? I want to be firm, but I don't want it to sound mean!!!

(On a completely unrelated rhetorical question…what am I doing wrong that my ‘quotes’ look so lame and not in the nice black box? Weird.)

I've got many of my signs on my resource pages (click on the link in my signature!)

Mehndi Masala wrote:(On a completely unrelated rhetorical question…what am I doing wrong that my ‘quotes’ look so lame and not in the nice black box? Weird.)

You might have the "Disable BBCode in this post" checked.