Is the virtual Q a thing of the past?

[sebastian haff]

After a great weekend at the show i feel i must make just one little query to the event organisers and crew about the virtual queing system.

 

On three seperate occasions over Saturday and Sunday i was turned away from guest Q's even though my VT ticket was well within the number displayed on the boards at the end of the Q's.

 

OK, i can understand that no one wants a long unruly 'Q' that snakes into the dealer's area, but to be told to "come back in 20 minutes" makes a mockery of the virtual Queing system in my opinion. I mean what is the point?

 

Now dont get me wrong, i am not one to criticise for the sake of it and when the virtual Q works it works well. It just seems to me that there was some kind of breakdown in the queing system over last weekend

[Zagreus]

I just put a post here -

http://showmastersonline.com/forums/index....p;#entry1564117

 

For Lis Sladen at least, it seemed like they increased the maximum number way too quickly. Meaning that if you have ticket number 20, but they've called up to 80, tough. Come back when the queue is a bit shorter. I think they need to give people enough time to get in to the queue before calling out a higher no.

Edited July 19, 2010 by Zagreus

[sebastian haff]

I just put a post here -

http://showmastersonline.com/forums/index....p;#entry1564117

 

For Lis Sladen at least, it seemed like they increased the maximum number way too quickly. Meaning that if you have ticket number 20, but they've called up to 80, tough. Come back when the queue is a bit shorter. I think they need to give people enough time to get in to the queue before calling out a higher no.

 

I agree completely as Liz's Queue was one of the Queues i had a problem with!! I think she may have surprised Showmasters with her popularity as a virtual queing system was NOT in place early on Sunday morning! When the VT's were later handed out some of the people who got there especially early to meet her found themselves hanging around until lunch time to see her

[MinkyKnights]

For Lis Sladen at least, it seemed like they increased the maximum number way too quickly.

There was a problem with Lis's VTs from the very beginning. The crew member handing them out didn't seem to know how the system worked. She was giving people tickets and telling them to "come back in 10 minutes". People were asking her what number VTs had been called, and she was telling them that they weren't calling numbers - if they had a ticket, they just had to return in 10 minutes. Those that managed to enter the queue properly only did so because they happened to have a ticket and be in the right place at the right time - ie, when the queue had gone down a bit. Basically, the numbers weren't being used, and the tickets weren't being collected.

 

Thankfully, at about 10am, a pit boss realised what was happening and sorted it all out. If there were problems with VTs after this, it was, I'm guessing, a side effect of that initial confusion.

[MinkyKnights]

As far as I'm aware, VTs were being handed out for Lis at the very beginning. I went and got mine as soon as I entered the venue at 9am on Sunday (the tickets weren't printed with Lis's name - they just had a letter H on). The problem seems to stem from the crew member initially not knowing how the system worked.

 

Perhaps they stopped VTs for a while later, in an effort to try to sort the problem out, and then restarted them? I don't know - I'm just guessing. Whoever was running the area on Sunday needs to clarify what happened.

[Queen_Sindel]

On three seperate occasions over Saturday and Sunday i was turned away from guest Q's even though my VT ticket was well within the number displayed on the boards at the end of the Q's.

 

OK, i can understand that no one wants a long unruly 'Q' that snakes into the dealer's area, but to be told to "come back in 20 minutes" makes a mockery of the virtual Queing system in my opinion. I mean what is the point?

 

As you know the ticket numbers are being called in groups.

 

When no one's coming in for a while you have to increase the numbers because not everyone sees the smallish queue and approaches the crew member "can I go in now?"

 

Then sometimes those people who didn't show up earlier descent on the area all at once, of course they all have numbers who are allowed to queue too and bam... there's the problem you encountered.

 

The crew isn't supposed to have the actual signing lines get too long, and unfortunately that's why you were sent away.

 

It really doesn't happen often, and I am extremely sorry to hear that it happened to you three times over one weekend.

[DavidB]

Having worked on a number of 'virtual queues' in the past, it does take a certain understanding from the crew member themselves to 'manage' the queue. Unfortunately, if this is not done correctly, then it can lead to problems.

 

It can be tricky, as you think 'oh it's quiet, and not many people are coming up so I'll increase it' and then suddenly everyone decides to turn up at once. This means you get far too many people there, and you can't let them all in. So even though you might qualify to enter the queue based on the number management, the crew member will have to take the decision to manage the queue and send some people away.

 

While the 'virtual queue' system does work 99% of the time, and a crew member will manage it well, there's always room for slight problems .. which should of course be rectified and managed, but this can mean some people unfortunately suffer as a consequence.

[Avengers7]

Liz was brilliant I have to say but considering how popular she was, she should have been in the middle with the other popular guest. - don't remember her having VT tickets straight away.

[sebastian haff]

On three seperate occasions over Saturday and Sunday i was turned away from guest Q's even though my VT ticket was well within the number displayed on the boards at the end of the Q's.

 

OK, i can understand that no one wants a long unruly 'Q' that snakes into the dealer's area, but to be told to "come back in 20 minutes" makes a mockery of the virtual Queing system in my opinion. I mean what is the point?

 

As you know the ticket numbers are being called in groups.

 

When no one's coming in for a while you have to increase the numbers because not everyone sees the smallish queue and approaches the crew member "can I go in now?"

 

Then sometimes those people who didn't show up earlier descent on the area all at once, of course they all have numbers who are allowed to queue too and bam... there's the problem you encountered.

 

The crew isn't supposed to have the actual signing lines get too long, and unfortunately that's why you were sent away.

 

It really doesn't happen often, and I am extremely sorry to hear that it happened to you three times over one weekend.

 

Like i said, the experience did not detract from an over-all belting weekend at the show. I know the crew have a difficult job and i can appreciate that some of the general public can be a bit 'demading' at times.

 

Having said all that, it can be a tad frustrating when the virtual queue is not being managed correctly. Nevermind, cant wait for my next jaunt to Olympia in November. Stroll on

[Avengers7]

On three seperate occasions over Saturday and Sunday i was turned away from guest Q's even though my VT ticket was well within the number displayed on the boards at the end of the Q's.

 

OK, i can understand that no one wants a long unruly 'Q' that snakes into the dealer's area, but to be told to "come back in 20 minutes" makes a mockery of the virtual Queing system in my opinion. I mean what is the point?

 

As you know the ticket numbers are being called in groups.

 

When no one's coming in for a while you have to increase the numbers because not everyone sees the smallish queue and approaches the crew member "can I go in now?"

 

Then sometimes those people who didn't show up earlier descent on the area all at once, of course they all have numbers who are allowed to queue too and bam... there's the problem you encountered.

 

The crew isn't supposed to have the actual signing lines get too long, and unfortunately that's why you were sent away.

 

It really doesn't happen often, and I am extremely sorry to hear that it happened to you three times over one weekend.

 

Like i said, the experience did not detract from an over-all belting weekend at the show. I know the crew have a difficult job and i can appreciate that some of the general public can be a bit 'demading' at times.

 

Having said all that, it can be a tad frustrating when the virtual queue is not being managed correctly. Nevermind, cant wait for my next jaunt to Olympia in November. Stroll on

 

 

Lets see what Olympia brings.

[sebastian haff]

Having worked on a number of 'virtual queues' in the past, it does take a certain understanding from the crew member themselves to 'manage' the queue. Unfortunately, if this is not done correctly, then it can lead to problems.

 

It can be tricky, as you think 'oh it's quiet, and not many people are coming up so I'll increase it' and then suddenly everyone decides to turn up at once. This means you get far too many people there, and you can't let them all in. So even though you might qualify to enter the queue based on the number management, the crew member will have to take the decision to manage the queue and send some people away.

 

While the 'virtual queue' system does work 99% of the time, and a crew member will manage it well, there's always room for slight problems .. which should of course be rectified and managed, but this can mean some people unfortunately suffer as a consequence.

 

Ta very much for the insight

[DavidB]

No problem

 

It's not a perfect system - I doubt one even exists - but I do genuinely believe that it works far better than any other one out there.