Crowd Control Rope Barriers: The Best Types for Your Business

All day-to-day businesses are in need of some form of crowd control. Whether you are a retail store or a fancy hotel, crowd control efforts are necessary to maintain order and a sense of calm and peace. 

A large part of customer satisfaction is based on the efficiency and organization of your business; if your place of business is haphazard and chaotic, it is safe to assume that customers will not be eager to return. If customers are not happy, your business will barely stay afloat. Hence, as a business in the retail or service industry, it should be your goal to make customers happy and keep them that way. 

More than anything, customers hate crowds; too much ruckus and chaos can off-put your customers and keep them from coming back. With a lack of customer inflow, your business will lose out on the revenue that helps it grow and develop. This reduces your customer base over the years. Hence, it is a smart choice to invest in the right things from the start. One thing to invest in is crowd control rope barriers – they help to control foot traffic in your business and build and develop customer loyalty over time.

When you implement strategies to control crowds, customers are serviced faster; they associate efficiency with your business. Customers know they won’t have to wait long to receive a service; hence, they will come more often. Making your store organized is a part of good customer service – an essential part of the service industry.

What Type of Rope Barrier Is Best For Your Business?

There are many options to choose from, including velvet, Naugahyde (a type of synthetic letter), a retractable polyester belt, and plastic chains. Each type has a particular purpose – meaning each type cannot be used for every business or event. For example, it would be foolish to use velvet ropes at a construction site; they would become dirty quite easily and are sensitive to weather. A plastic chain would be more useful; it can be easily cleaned and are weather-resistant.

Hanging Rope Barriers

This type includes velvet and Naugahyde ropes, as well as woven and hemp ropes.

Velvet ropes have a fancy, classic look to them; they are typically used in glamorous events such as movie premieres and red carpets. Due to their fabric, they can only be used indoors as velvet is sensitive to the weather. 

Naugahyde ropes are also good for events and social gatherings. Since Naugahyde is a type of synthetic leather, it can be used for outside events as it is weather resistant – they are made with a protective coating that prevents them from being water damaged.

Woven ropes are typically made of cloth, jute, or yarn. They have a casual look to them and are not typically used for fancy events – this is useful in events such as themed weddings or birthday parties or parties at the beach where you are looking to give a more casual look. The weather resistance of these ropes will depend on the fabric they are made out of – cloth ropes tend to get ruined with water and are worn down easily with harsh use. Hemp or polypropylene ropes tend to be more durable and last a longer amount of time. Woven ropes have a twisted effect to them which adds to their aesthetic look.

When looking at a hanging rope for everyday use, hemp and polypropylene tend to be the best options, although they might not be the best looking.

Plastic Chains

Out of the three categories, plastic chains are the most durable. They are mainly used in construction or industrial sites, warehouses, and manufacturing plants to mark off dangerous areas and limit access to them. 

Plastic chains vary in their quality – cheaper quality is cheaper in price, while a higher quality will have a higher price. For use in schools and parks, you could easily get away with a lower quality plastic chain, provided that students and others do not tamper with it. For construction areas, a more hefty plastic chain is needed.

For visibility, these chains come in black and bright colors (such as neon yellow, neon orange, green, etc.). However, they completely lack the sophisticated look that comes with hanging barriers. Plastic chains are more used in informal environments or where the most wear and tear barriers are needed. In order to get the best out of your money, buy plastic chains that are UV-protected and are discolor-resistant.

Retractable Belt Barriers

Retractable belt barriers are made of either a polyester or nylon belt. They make use of an internal spring mechanism that lets the belt be pulled out and retract back in. The entire belt is stored in a canister that is attached on top of the post/stanchion.

Retractable belt barriers are commonly used at airports, banks, offices, and public spaces. Their main purpose is for crowd control and to help people form queues. More than the other two, this option provides convenience and versatility. The length of the retractable belt can be easily changed without having to move posts/stanchions. 

This type of rope barrier is available in a multitude of colors and styles but can also be customized according to your needs (for example, printing your brand name on the rope).

A disadvantage of such ropes is that they are easily tampered with. With complete ease, children can go ahead and play with the belts – this could end up ruining your organizational efforts as belts fly open. A solution to this is to buy the retractable belt barriers with an auto-lock in place. 

Bottom Line 

In the end, each type of rope barrier is different and is used for different purposes and events. It is important to look into the needs of your business and decide the crowd control method based on that.

For example, if you were the owner of a fancy cinema where many movie premieres are held, you would more likely opt for hanging velvet of Naugahyde ropes. But if you are a school teacher, you would much rather prefer something that can be easily cleaned and durable i.e., a plastic chain.