Troll Procedures
Having your trolling process planned out ahead of time will save you a lot of headaches both
during and after the event. Below are some hints to making life easier for both your exchequer and yourself.
- Have a head troll - Have one person responsible for running troll. This person will make sure
that the troll is staffed at all times and that those staffing troll are trained. At a small event
this may actually be the autocrat. The reservationist or the local exchequer also make good head trolls.
- Train the troll staff - It may sound simple but I rarely see the troll staff trained. Have instructions
for the trolls typed out ahead of time. Make copies of the intstructions and tape them to the troll table where
the trolls can read them as they check people in.
- Have a starting cash drawer - Almost every event I go to there is a mad rush at opening troll to find change.
For a small event a $50 drawer is fine. For a large event you may go as high as $200.
- Drawer counts - Have the money counted at shift change and have both troll shifts sign the count. This is
actually policy in Aethelmearc.
- Have a lockable cash drawer - A small cash box is a minor expense for a group. Don't throw the money in a bag.
When troll closes put the box in a safe place (car trunks are great) and lock it. Yes, a serious criminal could steal the whole box
but most thefts are thefts of oppurtunity. Simply locking the box will alleviate a lot of threats.
- Have trolls sign in - This is policy in Aethelmearc. It also lets you know who to go to if there are questions later.
- Use separate lists for reservations and walk-ins. - There should be no money received at troll for reservations. If
people add stuff at troll write it up as a walk-in. The walk-in list should balance with the cash drawer at all times.
If someone removes stuff from a reservation at troll, boldly mark it on the reservation sheet. Depending on policy
a check will be written from the group account either at or after the event. Do NOT give people refunds from the cash
drawer.
- Have pricing structure clearly written out. - It is embarassing when the troll staff doesn't know how much to
charge people. Write or type the pricing out, including breaks for children, babes, and royalty.
- Checks - Make sure the staff know how checks need to be written out. I taped a deposit slip in the lid of our
cash box so the staff could just look if they weren't sure.
- Have a sign in sheet. - Everyone attending the event should sign in. Even if the fee is waived you need to know
who is on-site. Mark on the sheet what they are paying for and how much money was received.
- Waivers - Waivers are required for all events. Troll may run easier if you have a separate spot for checking
cards and signing waivers. The latest trend is to use blanket waivers which allow 20 or more people to sign
a single sheet.
- Set up Troll early - It seems that SCAdians love to show up early. Have troll set up an hour before your posted
opening time and you should just be in your seat when the first attendee arrives. Given the lack of preperation
of most trolls early arrivals just makes things worse.
|
