Regardless of the industry, if your business requires people to wait their turn in line, you need a solid queuing strategy. The right queuing approach will enable a smooth flow of customers, reduce actual and perceived wait times, boost sales, and create an overall more enjoyable process for workers and customers alike.
Here are four quick tips for a well-devised queuing strategy:
1. Provide enough space for your queue.
The approach, entrance, waiting line, checkout area, and exit of your queue require consideration in part and as a whole. Probably the biggest mistake we see in planning a queue is underestimating the amount of total space required. For example, you may need enough aisle space to allow people to walk past or get thru the cashier area where there may be two or three people standing finishing their transaction.
You’ll also need a proper distance between the head of the queue and the registers -- usually between 5 and 10 feet, depending on shopping carts and groups of people coming to the register. When it comes to the width of the queuing lane, we typically recommend a minimum of about 3 feet per lane, and if your customers have shopping carts you need lanes around 4 to 5 feet wide, especially to navigate any switch-backs in the line. Allocating space for your queue requires foresight and planning that should take place right alongside the design and planning of your entire area.
2. Guide your customers to and through the queue.
When left to their own devices, people will come up with all sorts of ways to line up or establish their “rightful” place in line. We’ve all experienced the willy-nilly lines that form in front of a busy register or service desk when proper guidance is lacking. Lines may end up long and winding in front of doors, blocking busy aisles, and breaking into more than one line with random ordering, leading to frustration, abandonment, reneging, and overall dissatisfaction.
A well-devised queuing strategy with wayfinding signage systems will keep the chaos at bay by clearly guiding customers to the entrance of the queue, confirming their choice of the appropriate line, establishing a clear wait point, and defining a quick and easy exit, creating a sense of fairness and calm in the queuing and waiting process. The trick to wayfinding signage, such as popular stanchion post-top signs or sign banners, is using the right amount – be careful not to overdo it. Too much signage can overwhelm your customer and create a crowded, unpleasant environment as well as negatively impacting your budget.
3. Captivate your captive queue audience.
Notice how fast the grocery store checkout line goes when you’re engrossed in the latest People Magazine? Or how slow it feels when you’re standing in line to board an airplane? Occupied time feels shorter than unoccupied time, especially when you’re waiting in line. So it clearly pays to keep your customers happily occupied in the queue.
But how? In-line merchandising to feature new or unusual products and entertaining or informative digital signage can keep people entertained while boosting your ROI. Providing insightful reading material or the opportunity to complete service-related paperwork can also keep your customers engaged. The opportunities are endless – so get creative and plan ahead!
4. Consider your options.
Do your customers really need to be standing in line? Or can you make the process altogether more enjoyable by removing the line and employing a virtual queuing system? Today’s virtual queuing systems enhance your customer’s experience by reducing perceived and actual wait times through increased service efficiency and effective digital signage.
What’s more, virtual queuing can dramatically impact your business by reducing customer walk-aways and stimulating impulse sales. If a line is a must, linear electronic queuing systems can save tremendous time and money, and offer the same opportunities for increased service efficiency and effective digital signage. Look into both options and see what works for you! With these tips we hope you’ll find inspiration to improve the strategy behind your queuing approach.
Let’s plan your approach.
Let the public guidance experts at Lavi help plan your queue, recommend solutions to fit your space, and help you create a positive queuing experience. Request a Sales Call
