In the quest to improve the customer experience and increase the number of transactions a business can handle, many have embraced the notion of “queue busting.” Queue busting consists of operational strategies intended to reduce the amount of time customers must wait for service. These can range from getting transactions started before customers arrive at the point of sale to removing the waiting line all together and going with a virtual queue. NCR, a consumer transaction technologies company, published a whitepaper examining drivers of queue busting and the related operational considerations. Let’s take a brief look at three types of queue busting strategies addressed in the whitepaper.
1. Non-technological queue busting
When it comes to non-tech queue busting strategies, NCR points to ideas such as store associates manually preparing items for the transaction before the point of sale. Time consuming activities such as taking merchandise off hangers, removing security tags, and creating an organized system for the cashier enhances productivity during the actual checkout process. Even customer service-oriented waiting lines can benefit from non-technological queue busting. An easy idea is to include in-line tables for customers to begin filling out any necessary paperwork in preparation for their time with the service representative or sales associate.
2. Traditional queue busting technology
A traditional application for queue busting technology involves the use of small handheld devices to scan a customer’s purchases while they wait in line. The transaction is completed once the customer reaches the cashier. In this application, technology serves to decrease the front-end throughput of the line. We would add to this category, call-forward electronic queuing systems that direct waiting customers to the next available cashier or service agent. Call forward queuing systems ensure a first-come first-served process and cut down on idle time between transactions as cashiers spend less time waiting for the next customer to arrive.
3. Advanced queue busting technology
Today, more sophisticated mobile point of sale devices have been developed to provide complete POS functionality. These devices not only scan purchases, but allow sales associates to complete credit card transactions on the spot potentially eliminating the physical checkout station. Adding to this idea, we would contend that perhaps the ultimate queue busting strategy is to eliminate the line all together and go with a virtual queuing system. Systems that integrate mobile app technology take it further by alerting customers of their turn to checkout and allowing customers to pre-schedule their place “in line.”
Each of these queue busting strategies can reduce average transaction times and therefore overall wait times for customers. “Saving time,” literally and perceptually, improves the customer experience and your bottom line. That’s what queue busting is all about.
