The checkout line represents a critical turning point in any retail experience. It is the make-it-or-break-it point where sales are completed, or completely lost.
The Backlash of an Unmanaged Queue
It’s easy to assume that the tough part of retail is getting people in the door, offering a diverse selection of merchandise, and setting the right prices. But a transaction needs to go full circle—from intent to purchase—for both the retailer and the customer to benefit. And that means queue management must take precedence. According to a recent retail study, 49 percent of customers will leave a store because of the mere presence of a waiting line, 81 percent will tell others about their bad experience, and 38 percent would consider never returning and shopping elsewhere because of lengthy or poorly managed lines. Balking and reneging can also lead to significant financial implications for a retailer. Just a 5 percent loss of total in-store sales during a heavy shopping period, like Black Friday weekend or the weekend before Christmas, would convert to over $1 billion in lost sales.
Making the Checkout Line a Priority
One of the most influential pieces in shaping a customer’s opinion about the service they’ve received is the length of their checkout time. Retailers who closely monitor their checkout queues and make customer wait time a key performance indicator have an advantage which is realized through optimized labor costs and higher customer satisfaction.
Queue management technology enables retailers to monitor and study the changing variables of a checkout line in real time, from hour to hour, day to day, customer to customer. Getting straight facts about the ebbs and flows of a line, rather than making guesses about its progress and patterns, enables retailers to create a consistent checkout experience with shorter waits and transaction times. And, ultimately, this creates happier, satisfied customers. Your queue impacts customer satisfaction, which impacts profitability and long-term business success. Find out how you can improve your checkout lines and the customer experience with queue management technologies, including call forward electronic queuing, cloud-based virtual queuing, centralized media management, and real time video analytics. Discuss your queue management strategy with a Lavi expert. Request a sales call today.
