Why it’s not just about the Queue length but also about the experience

Why it’s not just about the Queue length, but also about the experience

Have you ever been stuck in a long queue for something you really wanted to purchase or obtain? What did it feel like being stuck in a long queue? Unhappy? Bored? Angry? Studies have shown that it is a mix of many negative emotions, these three included, that come to people’s minds when they are stuck in a long queue.

Of course, there are also factors that can mitigate how a crowd feels while queueing. Between queues under a scorching sun or a queue in an air-conditioned mall, which would you rather queue in?

If you are looking for a queue solutions vendor, you should check out ATT Systems. They are one of the most established in Singapore and you would consider them if you want effective solutions. Check them out here: http://www.attsystemsgroup.com/queue-management-system

In this article by Customer Faithful, they write about how the event organizer needs to make the crowd feel like what they queue for is valuable:

Add ‘value’ to the wait– I remember helping a Theatre client deal with the queues that form during the interval of a West End show. Lines for the toilet, lines for the bar, another queue for ice-creams. Then we found that 1 in 7 people at the bar just bought bottles of water. So, we created mobile water-sellers, who sold to those waiting in line to spend a penny. Suddenly queuing for the loo had a multi-tasking benefit! The bar queues got shorter too, everyone was less stressed, and drinks revenue went up 9%”. Read more here!

It is very important to make remove or alleviate the negative emotions felt by the crowd – be it discomfort, purpose, or regret. These feelings need to go if you want to make people wait and be patient for their turn to arrive. Because if those feelings override whatever purpose people have for queueing – they will just drop out from the queue. Even the most ardent fans won’t queue under heavy rain for their favorite idol if they are too displaced from comfort.

So how much damage exactly does negative queueing experiences bring? Here, Tellermate tells us more:

A 2018 European Retail Report carried out by Adyen suggests that often long queues in stores can lead to potential customers abandoning purchases, with an estimated £14.3 billion being lost in sales last year for this reason alone.” Read more here!

How well you retain your customers is how well you can manage the queuing experience. What some retailers or event organisers have done is to give out refreshments to those waiting in the crowd. If it is an event launch, you can hire an emcee and engage the crowd, with promises of giveaways from mini-contests. This not only turns the attention of the crowd away from the discomfort, but also gives them a monetary reward just by staying in the queue.

Next, we explain how to actually solve your queue problems. Some organisers have turned to queue management systems, and Blog Nexa explains more:

Research has shown that when customers get the ability to pre-book appointments via your web site, call centre or other mediums, they feel a direct connection with the organisation. In fact, a customer surveys show that when customers directly engage with business and have the ability to book appointments directly, companies achieve as much as 10%-15% higher rating in customer satisfactory surveys.” Read more here!

If there is a technological solution around queueing, as a responsible organizer you should do the utmost you can to get people to avoid physical queueing. You can even turn it into online queueing, which is popular with concert tickets being sold online nowadays. Whichever the online method, customer satisfaction is bound to increase without physical queueing and having to endure the elements of weather, taking time out to be physically present queueing, or sharing a tight space with noisy strangers.

In conclusion, queueing is a behavior that is not likely to go away anytime soon. Whenever demand exceeds supply and a physical presence is needed to buy something, a queue will inevitably form. If you want your product sales to be as high as possible or your event to be well received, you need to take the queuing experience seriously.