The checkout queue, arguably the area of greatest anguish for both retailers and customers, represents one of the most significant areas in the retail process. According to industry experts, retail success in the brick and mortar environment is achieved or lost at the checkout counter. Yet it is often overlooked.

The checkout counter is where a sale is completed or lost, and can significantly impact how a customer views a business. Increasing the efficiency of the checkout queue, decreasing service times, and creating a more pleasant queuing experience will have a dramatic effect on your business – reducing customer walk-aways, stimulating impulse sales, enhancing the shopping experience, and ultimately increasing the bottom line.

Electronic Queuing Systems
One of the biggest hurdles faced by a checkout queue solution is the ability to keep customers moving efficiently to available service points. Too many solutions rely on store personnel having to wave or shout to hail a waiting customer.

Electronic Queuing systems, such as QtracCF from Lavi Industries, eliminate this efficiency bottleneck by using overhead LCD monitors to visually and audibly direct customers to the next available position. Responding to state-of-the-art wireless remote controls mounted at each register, QtracCF instantly displays open checkout positions, displaying an arrow and audibly announcing the open position. Field-proven to increase service efficiency by as much as 35%, QtracCF decreases wait times and dramatically improves customer and employee satisfaction.

Additionally, between queuing messages QtracCF can display advertising, promotional, or informational media. Targeting a captive queue audience has been shown to increase impulse sales when used in conjunction with in-line merchandising solutions such as NeXtrac. Furthermore, entertaining customers while they wait decreases perceived wait times by as much as 40%, adding to increased customer satisfaction, and improved customer loyalty and repeat business.

Measurable Success
Electronic queuing systems help to optimize customer flow. The result is efficient customer service and optimized queuing, especially during peak traffic periods.  These results are immediately measurable in terms of decreased wait times, fewer abandoned transactions, enhanced customer satisfaction, greater referrals and, at the end of the day, increased revenues.