Businesses can grow leaps and bounds above direct competitors and boast better prices or more diverse services, but if these offerings aren’t accompanied by efficient, high-quality customer service, their impact is negligible. In order to compete, retailers and service providers are seeking ways to connect with customers on more than just a superficial level in order to provide a better service experience. As with so many other business needs, technology can provide the answer. When it comes to the waiting line, improving service is often as “simple” as making the line more efficient, and decreasing the real and perceived amount of time a customer is left to wait. This can be done in a number of ways, but there are two particular checkout technologies that are known to help streamline and cut wait times:
1. Call-Forward Electronic Queuing
A more efficient and pleasant waiting experience can be created by equipping a waiting line with a call forward electronic queuing system that keeps people informed, entertained, and distracted from the reality that they are indeed waiting. Electronic queuing increases service efficiency by streamlining the way that service agents hail the next customer. Wireless remotes allow agents to alert customers that their turn has come, while audio cues and visual LCD displays offer additional information to keep people moving and aware of where they’re supposed to be. This sophisticated technology also allows service agents to redirect customers from one line or station to another for a more efficient service experience. Not only does the call forward method decrease perceived wait times by as much as 40 percent, impulse sales can be boosted to as much as 400 percent when this electronic queuing is combined with in-line merchandising solutions.
2. Virtual Queuing
For customers whose dissatisfaction is strongly influenced by the appearance of a long line, the best line can often be no line at all. Technology is allowing businesses to enhance the customer experience through virtual queuing. These systems allow customers to register for their “spot” in line via an in-store kiosk, or even to pre-schedule their place in line via the internet or their mobile device. They then receive an estimated wait time, and can go about their business as they spend their time “not waiting” in a physical line. Service agents can also notify customers via text message when their turn is near. A virtual queue disperses waiting crowds, maximizes customer flow, increases service agent efficiency, eliminates that pesky waiting line, and ultimately makes customers happier by focusing on creating a pleasant waiting environment. The perception is that the queue is shorter, and the reality is that the queue can actually be shortened through this virtual line.
The Ultimate Prize: Customer Satisfaction
Catering to the happiness of customers is the key to retaining customers and earning new ones. Through queue management technologies, including call forward electronic queuing and virtual queuing, the waiting line experience can be made more efficient and satisfying. Learn more about the best possible queuing solutions for your business – speak with a Lavi queue management expert.
