Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 23:42:06 -0500
From: Stacey <stacey@krulewich.com>
To: balloon@balloonhq.com
Subject: How to doeal with obnoxious twisters? - long

During the past two weeks I have had problems with two different
twisters.  The first is someone I have run into before.  He's a clown
(in more ways than one) who likes to come to the head of my line and
talk over the customers and in general make things difficult.  I have
tried asking him if he wants a balloon, telling him I will talk to him
when the line slows down, and asking him (nicely, cos there are kids
around) to go away.  Last week my husband just got him out of my way.

Today I ran into someone who was possibly more annoying.  I had planned
to work this event for tips, and didn't have to pay a booth fee.  A
couple of days before it started I was told that everyone okayed this,
until it reached the top of the committee.  That person decided that if
I was getting tips, then the park needed to get their money too and I
had to pay the fee.  I said what the heck, it was only $20 for a 3 day
event and it would give me a place to set up a canopy for when I wanted
to get out of the sun.  First two days things went without a problem.
Today some a guy comes by while I was setting up.  He was with his
daughter and looking very intently at my menu.  I asked if he wanted a
balloon for his Brownie (she was in uniform) He said he would make her
one later and left.  Ok, cool, he's a twister.  Maybe we can jam later.
Well this guy goes and sets up a bit away from me and starts giving
balloons away for free.  He says he won't ask for a tip, but he won't
turn one down either.  I should add that I was vending, as I usually do
when I have to pay a fee.  This is not the best area for tipping, but if
you're there without paying a fee, it works out ok.  Even if many of the
people thing that tips and free are the same 4 letter word.   I was
feeling a bit hostile about this twister.  Even though I didn't think
his work was that good, many parents thought a free balloon of any
quality was better than a balloon you paid for.  I asked the parks guy
to speak to him and the problem was solved.  EXCEPT that 4 hours later
he was at it again!!!  Since it's illegal to beat someone to death with
a balloon pump I asked the parks guy to get rid of him again.  And this
time he didn't start up again.

That's how I handled it, any suggestions for other things I could have
done?  I'm pretty new at this and value all input from people who have
been there and done that.   Sorry to be so long, I'm just not good at
short stories.  :-)  And I didn't even get to the part of the day where
a couple got mad when I wouldn't make their six month old baby a balloon
hat.

Stacey Krulewich
Oh Wow!! Parties & Balloons
Grandview, MO