time to kill

[drkside77]

So, I am the ticket taker at our haunt. I know its not supposed to be anything glorious, but I try to put on a show for the patrons. This is really hard to do on nights when we're slow and I find myself with the same group of people for a long time. Talking always kills the mood, and just standing there makes me look lazy. Does anyone else have this problem? If so, how do you deal with it?

[BruiseMuse]

Would it be possible to create a character out of it? For example, dress like a retro mvie theater usher/ticket taker and have subtle strange character (think mildly insane and "off" more than a brutal violent creature). With a bit of insanity, you can talk to the customers in an entertaining way (think strange non-sensical stories, maybe even play off the theme of the haunt) without it killing the mood. This way you are also entertained, which makes the night move faster with less lag time.

[Allen H]

I dont see how talking kills the mood, your outside of your haunt arent you? What kind of character are you?
Allen H

[drkside77]

I was the butler, but the character wasnt working too well for me. Im younger looking so I might try something more like a son of the master kind of thing. Our ticket taking area is in the first building of the house, picture an old manor parlor.

have subtle strange character (think mildly insane and "off" more than a brutal violent creature). With a bit of insanity, you can talk to the customers in an entertaining way (think strange non-sensical stories, maybe even play off the theme of the haunt) without it killing the mood. This way you are also entertained, which makes the night move faster with less lag time.

Thanks allot! this really helped

[BruiseMuse]

No problem! You can really have fun with the role too, since you don't have to worry about being the scariest creature, just weird and creepy.

[Dr. Giggles]

Get different colored contact lenses. i.e. red and black. Wear a suit, since you could be the son of the master, pretend your talking to him. Who isnt there. Then yell at one of the patrons for not answering you. Mutter, or act very pretentious and look down your nose at people. You dont have to scare them, just have fun. If your having fun, odds are, they are too.

[Jim Warfield]

It gives me the first pre-look at who is coming in the door. I appreciate this info, sometimes it helps me alot.
My Wife, Jessica sells most of the tickets in-season, she likes to stand outside most of that time because people have a million questions about the house for her.
My Ex sold the tickets. Sometimes she was OK with that, sometimes she got very upset doing it.
Sometimes I could easily see why she got this way as some drunken- customer-wanna -bees are extremely rude and demanding and vulgar and let me add, just" insulting".
That first fall my ex was my ex she offered to return and sell the tickets! hahaahahah!
She and her boyfriend stood in the crowded parking lot one night waiting for me to ask her to do this!?
I had so much fun that fall!
The customer's show began at the ticket booth!
(The really scary thing was how before October that year I had numerous local people, some of which I barely knew, ask me to sell my tickets for me!? Nobody asks to come here and do the grunt-work though!??)
I love scaring the Macho-He-man at the ticket window infront of his friends after he says:"The First thing that you have to figure out is how to scare ME!" Followed by him jumping back from the ticket window, screaming, almost falling down.
"Well, now that we have gotten that out of the way..."