People generally wish to avoid waiting in line and while waiting in line is a fact of life, it is nonetheless uncomfortable, stressful, and generally dissatisfying. Because of this, many experts believe that the way you manage your queue can make or break the long-term success of your business. When it comes to building, improving, and controlling queues, every good manager needs a good set of tools and solutions. You’ll find many possible answers out there to help you reduce wait times, boost efficiency, build customer satisfaction, enhance safety, measure queue productivity, guide customer flow, and more. So if your organization relies on queuing to serve its customers, the question isn’t will you need a queue management solution; it’s which solutions will benefit you most?
Start with the End in Mind
Start by identifying the queuing-related needs or issues you wish to address. Is your goal to turn idle time into something more profitable? Are you seeking to reduce the amount of time people spend waiting? Is your issue related to service agent productivity? Is the safety of your queue in question? Are people frustrated by the lack of fairness in your waiting line? Getting to the heart of the matter isn’t easy, but it is an important first step. By defining and prioritizing your needs you’ll be better able to wade through the sea of available solutions. Let’s look at a few examples of how you can match your needs with the right solutions:
Need
|
Solutions
|
| Reduce perceived wait time |
Electronic queuing systems can provide digital entertainment to reduce perceived wait times by up to 40%. |
| Increase the efficiency of the line |
A single-line queue is proven to boost service efficiency and increase customer flow by as much as 30%. Add electronic queuing for an added boost. |
| Increase profitability |
In-line merchandising turns your checkout line into a virtual store, helping you capture a greater share of the more than 65% of purchases made on impulse. |
| Increase the “fairness” of the waiting line |
Incorporate electronic queuing and/or single-line queuing to automatically enforce the universally fair concept of first-come, first-served. |
| Maintain a more orderly waiting line |
Make good use of belted stanchions or even rigid rail barricades to control customer flow. |
| Clearly mark the entrance to the queue |
Use belted stanchions, post-top signage, and banners to enhance the visibility and definition of a line. |
| Make better use of available space |
Consider a single-line, serpentine queue configuration enhanced with belts and stanchions. |
BONUS TIP: Remember, a single-line queue almost always outperforms a multiple-line queue in terms of customer satisfaction, wait times, and productivity. If the logistics of your business allow you to move from a multiple-line to a single-line you can gain immediate benefits. Learn more about single line queuing here. Let a Lavi public guidance expert help you determine what tools will best suit your queue management needs. Click here to request a queue management consultation.
