When called upon to offer words of encouragement or sage advice, many people will make comments such as: “Keep your head up” or “It wasn’t meant to be” or, especially, “Patience is a virtue.” But no matter how patient you are, standing in line – anywhere – can be a trying experience. However, a good waiting line isn’t always necessarily about speed, at least not according to a recent article in The New York Times: “Maybe Heaven Can Wait, but a Customer Can’t.” The premise of the article is simple: If people have to wait, they’re likely to place more value on what they’re waiting for. After all, if you’re standing in a line, considering whether or not your potential purchase is really worth it, you’re giving that item value whether you realize it or not. According to Ayelet Fishbach, a professor of behavioral science and marketing at the University of Chicago quoted in the article, “If you give people exactly what they want at the moment they want it, they might want it less.” To prove this point, Fishbach conducted a study where two groups of people were given a choice between waiting six days to get a box of Godiva chocolate and waiting 48 days for a bigger box. The people primed to be more conscious of waiting were more likely to delay gratification and choose the bigger box. What can companies take from this bit of intelligence? Perhaps, as the article suggests, it’s smart to look for ways to build excitement into the waiting process without giving the impression of bad service. Perfecting this strategy can lead to customers spending more. Consider Apple, a master of this technique, which provides model details before actually releasing a new product for purchase. The frenzy on release day of a new Apple product – regardless of the atrocious (and potentially violent) waiting lines – is incomparable (so perhaps Apple has a few things they still need to perfect, like queue management). The sad fact is that many companies unintentionally antagonize customers who are looking for assistance by forcing them to wait – this can be in physical lines, on the phone, or even online. The results: serious dissatisfaction and, in many industries, lost sales. One place where this phenomenon has been studied – and truly can mean the difference between life and death – is in hospital emergency rooms. Hospitals keep track of patients “left without being seen.” A high number indicates that an ER is performing poorly. Patients all try to monitor one another, looking for visual clues as to who’s going to get treated next – but they are also unaware of the severity of another person’s medical need, which means these clues are misleading. Even though someone may be waiting longer, a newer arrival may warrant attention first. This upsets the feeling of fairness and some people may even leave the ER before being treated – not an ideal situation either. In order to minimize the perceived unfairness that is rampant in an emergency room waiting area, a Wharton school professor recommends improving the admissions process by creating multiple waiting rooms so patients can’t keep an eye on others. He also suggests that more hospital share waiting-time estimates with patients in order to reduce uncertainty, anxiety, and line abandonment. Much of our life is spent waiting – and that waiting becomes an experience in itself. And when it comes to a waiting line, the feelings accompanying it can be everything from boredom and annoyance to anticipation and happiness.
