Technology has transformed the world and done things that were previously never imagined to be possible. We've invented the mobile phone, connecting ourselves to other people a world away instantly. We've created rocket ships that transport humans to outer space, yet there are still problematic aspects of everyday life that we accept without realizing the revolutionary potential technology has for change. One of these aspects is the physical line. Physical lines are accepted as a necessary part of everyday life, whether you're at the doctor's office, the grocery store, the DMV, or even a university's academic advisement center, chances are you're in for a wait. According to Logistics at MGEPS, "The average person spends six months of their lives standing around waiting for a product or service."
Luckily for consumers and companies, innovation has opened the door to a world where this doesn't have to be the case. A virtual queue management system can eliminate the need for physical lines and transform how people wait to receive products or services. This digital solution can transform the customer experience and empower a service provider to be more flexible. A virtual queue is an online solution that lets customers check into a line remotely. They can enter a line using their cell phone simply by tapping check-in. From there, they can monitor wait times, communicate with staff, and wait for their appointment from wherever they want. A virtual queuing system creates a positive experience in place of the long, arduous lines customers have become all too familiar with. A virtual queue can become a game-changer for businesses. Software like QLess has been shown to reduce wait times by up to 97% and increase loyalty by up to 99%. Let's look at some of the unique benefits that virtual queue software provides.
One thing that technology has completely reshaped is consumers' expectations. People aren't just focused on receiving a product or service, they now expect to receive it quickly and in the most convenient way. If customers find that a business doesn't provide a convenient experience, there is an increased likelihood that they will move on and look elsewhere. The customer experience is king in business right now, and there are several different aspects of that experience that companies need to key in on. One of the biggest is customer convenience. According to PwC, "73% of customers point to experience as an essential factor in their purchasing decision. 43% of consumers would be willing to pay more for a more convenient experience."
If a customer enters your business, whether a restaurant, educational institution, or medical office, and is faced with a long, impersonal line, there's no guarantee they'll stick around to see it through. According to Retail Customer Experience, "86% of US consumers have left a store due to long wait times in the last 12 months." This has cost businesses across the country billions in lost revenue. What a virtual queue solution can do is make the waiting process drastically more convenient. Rather than make customers stand around in a physical queue, waiting line management software enables customers to enter lines from wherever they are. Customers can remotely check into a line, receive up-to-the-minute updates on the line's progress, and enter the store or office whenever it is time for their appointment. It is as if there is no actual line at all.
Software like QLess are customer service-oriented solutions that create a more convenient, customer-friendly waiting process. Customers wait from wherever they please, in an environment they choose, and don't have to spend time standing aimlessly in a crowd of strangers.
Many businesses are focused on customer acquisition. This is how a business grows and reaches new levels, but for that growth to actually mean something, customer retention is just as necessary. If a company is losing customers at the same rate they are acquiring, they are essentially just treading in place, employing strategies designed to improve customer retention is crucial. The data on the importance of customer retention makes it exceedingly clear just how seriously businesses need to take their retention strategies. According to HubSpot, "Acquiring a new customer is 6-7 times more expensive than retaining an existing one. Businesses that increase their retention rates by 5% can see revenue increase between 25-95%." A survey from Synqera revealed that "73% of customers state that waiting in line for check-out is their least favorite aspect of shopping." Removing something that is the least favorite aspect of shopping for nearly three-quarters of customers is a surefire way to improve your business's customer retention.
Virtual queue software programs have features designed to satisfy customers' demands. One of them is the call-back queuing feature which has queuing feature that allows customers to enter a line virtually and then do whatever they please. The line will be managed by smart queue technology, and when it is the customer's turn, they'll receive a call on their personal phone when it is time for their appointment.
Customer retention is one of the vital components of a successful business in today's world of increased competition. In every industry, you are not your customers' only option, they have a choice, if you aren't implementing products that make their lives easier, they'll look elsewhere. A virtual queue app is a high-value solution with a long list of features designed to make the entire appointment process smooth and efficient.
There was a time when every appointment would require a face-to-face meeting. This is no longer the case. We live in a world where a significant number of scheduled appointments will not require physical contact. However, even in these situations, a queue may be needed. Obviously, for a virtual appointment, a virtual queue is the answer. Finding a software solution that offers both queue management and video conferencing integration is a must. Take, for example, the medical industry. According to the Toronto Star, doctor's virtual visits jumped by 5,600% during the pandemic. Even as we adjust to a world where pandemic restrictions have eased up, many doctor appointments remain online. Walk-in clinics, primary care facilities, and specialists all have to juggle a virtual calendar now, which can include quick changes and walk-ins. Virtual waiting room management software is a prime solution.
With software like QLess, people waiting for appointments can check into a virtual queue, receive updates on their wait time, and get sent a link to a video conference through Zoom or Microsoft Teams when their appointment is ready. This has multiple benefits. Customers can have increased clarity on their appointment waits, and businesses can know when customers are in-line and on time for appointments.
This isn't just useful in the medical industry. QLess' video conferencing virtual queue is a solution that will help business owners in a significant variety of industries. Video conferencing is also crucial in the education sector. A virtual queue system is one of the solutions that is improving the student experience for academic meetings at education institutions, where many campuses remain highly COVID-cautious. This can help with advisory meetings or office hours and simplifies student communications to faculty.
Video meetings are not going away in the post-pandemic world. The convenience and simplicity are too valuable to all parties involved. With QLess, there is a solution integrated with the two primary video conferencing platforms that simplifies and organizes a virtual queue.
Improvement is a long-term project for most businesses and is never a straightforward, simple path. It is never easy to identify flaws in an operation that needs addressing because, most of the time, these are hidden and difficult to spot. One of the biggest assets businesses have to address their issues is data. Data allows enterprises to spot flaws in their processes and implement changes that solve them. However, many businesses struggle to collect straightforward and insightful data.
According to Dataprot, companies with CEOs that make data-driven decisions are 77% more likely to succeed than ones that don't. Yet despite this, only 26.5% of enterprises state they've created a data-driven organization. The biggest reason for this is likely that tools that provide useful business intelligence are hard to find. That is where a virtual queue app can be of assistance.
A virtual queue system can offer insights into your business in various areas where collecting data would've been incredibly difficult. QLess has business intelligence features that show businesses data on things like their median wait time, no-show percentage, and transaction time. This data is presented in visual formats like charts and graphs, so it is easy to spot micro-trends. It can also be segmented according to time of day, day of the week, appointment type, and the employee working the appointment.
QLess automatically collects this data and presents it in an easily digestible way. There is a lot of value in this for businesses of every kind. It allows them to spot bottlenecks they may have been unable to see before and implement necessary changes to address them. Many enterprises have built their entire business cultures leveraging data to address key issues. With virtual queue software, you can spot the issues causing long lines or an abundance of appointment no-shows and implement the necessary changes to correct them.
Focusing on the customer experience is critical. That's why enterprises worldwide invest so much into initiatives that drive growth in this area. But one thing that also can't be ignored is the value of the employee experience. Employees are incredibly important, and every business invests in their success through training and development. Providing a suboptimal employee experience increases the likelihood of employees leaving and businesses having to invest again. Engaged and satisfied employees are significantly better assets to the businesses they represent. According to Gallup's research, companies with a highly engaged workforce outperform their peers by 147%. The happier employees are, the likelier they are to stay, and the less businesses will have to spend on training. According to Tech Target, 60% of employees say well-being enhances their retention, and 61% say it improves their productivity.
Implementing tools that will lighten the workload for your employees is critical. A queue management software does this. Virtual lines are organized, can be adjusted, and help employees streamline their workflows. With easy-to-use tools, employees can structure the line into different categories, organizing it according to the appointment type or employee they are meeting with. This saves a lot of work. Employees can also collect information before the start of the appointment to move things along faster.
Another upside of virtual queue management solutions is that it improves the mood of the customers employees are interacting with. After a long line, people tend to be irritated, curt, and moody. Front-line employees are often the ones that have to deal with this. The general mood of customers will significantly improve if they are waiting in a virtual queue rather than a real one.
With a more structured workflow and positive customer interactions, your employees' lives will be much easier. This will increase their job satisfaction and lead to enhanced productivity.
For most businesses, customer communications are quite limited. That is because it is incredibly hard to maintain open communication with a large number of individuals. However, the importance of transparency and communication can't be ignored. Part of what is so dissatisfying about being in a line is that it is inherently not a communicative or transparent experience. Customers stand around, waiting their turn, with no clear end in sight. Communication is one of the most significant parts of good customer service. Whether through phone calls, chat messages, or emails, customers want to have their questions answered and their needs addressed. Providing the channels for them to communicate is crucial. Transparency is similarly vital. Being left in the dark leaves customers feeling disengaged and unwanted. That has a defined impact on retention.
Implementing a virtual queue is a way for businesses to enhance transparency and communication. The transparency aspect is simple. A virtual line provides customers with a defined wait time rather than some unknown wait. There is added clarity on what is going on, as customers can view the line, monitor the wait times, and track how quickly appointments are going. This makes it a much more transparent and open process.
For communication, bi-directional communication features enable businesses to message back and forth via a chat feature on a customer's mobile device. Customers can simply message through the chat feature if they need to add context to their appointment and provide updates. If a customer isn't present at the time of their appointment, employees can check in, learn the ETA of the customer, and adjust the line accordingly. The smooth communication benefits all parties involved.
Every customer wants an easier communication process and more transparency from the businesses they frequent. It adds to the feeling of a personalized experience, which is what the average consumer desires. According to Startup Bonsai, 71% of customers are frustrated by impersonal shopping experiences. A virtual queue solution allows businesses to easily message back and forth with their customers while providing a transparent waiting experience. This creates a more personalized, communicative relationship between enterprise and customer.
Long physical queues are agitating and always have been. But in the age of social distancing and airborne contagions, they take on a slightly more ominous feel. While many of the restrictions from the pandemic have been dropped and the world has returned to normal, implementing changes that can cut back on physical congestion is never a bad idea. Not only does removing physical congestion improve the accessibility of your store or office, but it also makes it a safer place to be.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, 8.1% of US adults reported anxiety symptoms in 2019, before the pandemic. That number has skyrocketed ever since. According to Statista, as of July 2022, that number is at 28.9%. This is down substantially from the pandemic's peak when rates hit 37%, but it is still an incredibly high rate. Many people are still dealing with the mental toll the pandemic took.
A large crowd in a store or office can be daunting for people with residual pandemic anxiety. Physical congestion is looked at as a cost of doing business by most companies, but virtual queuing is a way to limit the congestion in indoor environments. Businesses will find that by doing this, their customers are more at ease. Reducing congestion will also help businesses appeal to more consumers.
A virtual queue makes it so customers don't need to enter your establishment to wait for a product or service. Rather than standing around in a tightly bunched group of fellow customers, they can simply enter the line from their cell phone, monitor the wait in real time, and enter the building when it is their turn for an appointment. The physical component of the line is eliminated.
Anxiety is still rampant following a period unlike anything the modern world has seen before. Physical congestion in your store can add to this anxiety. Adding a feature that eliminates the congestion will lead to happier customers and better business outcomes.
Every business that relies on appointments is familiar with the nuisance that is a missed appointment. Staff block off parts of their days, wait for customers to show up, and they never do. This is a wasted opportunity that results in lost earnings for a business. It also will throw a lineup into flux as staff waits for a customer to arrive that never does. Missed appointments are a serious issue that appointment-based businesses need to combat.
The medical industry is one example of an industry where no-shows aren't just a minor concern but an endemic problem. According to Intrado, missed appointments are costing the healthcare industry in the United States $150 billion, with each no-show costing physicians, on average, a loss of $200. This is a genuine crisis, but most operations feel there is not much they can do about it.
Queue management software is a way to directly impact this issue because it empowers businesses with both communication and line management features. The communication features are a significant aspect in stopping no-shows, while the line management features help businesses bounce back faster.
Communicating with your customer on the day of their appointment will help businesses know whether they intend to show up or not. With QLess, businesses can send their customers an appointment reminder message early in the day and a customized chat directly to their personal device if they are running late. Enterprises can communicate with their customers back and forth in a more seamless way than email and in a less invasive way than a phone call.
The flexible line management allows staff to move the line around if customers are late or not showing up. These easy-to-use features don't require specific digital skills but are highly effective ways of mitigating the impact of a late customer or a no-show. Staff can simply move the customer out of the virtual queue and move up other customers or implement walk-ins with a hybrid queue to replace the customer no-show.
Physical queues are a nuisance. Nobody enjoys standing in a long, crowded line with an unknown wait time. It is a feeling that leaves people disenfranchised with the business and threatens customer retention. Luckily, technology has created a world where physical queues aren't necessary. An enterprise virtual queue management system can help businesses eliminate the need for an in-person wait.
There are a lot of upsides to a virtual queue. It is convenient for customers, improves the employee experience, makes collecting high-quality data on key processes easy, and cuts back on physical congestion. Every business is looking for a way to differentiate itself from the competition and gain the trust and loyalty of customers. A virtual queue management system is a customer-friendly solution that has the potential to significantly improve how a business performs.
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University students attend higher education institutions with the hopes of expanding their minds and preparing for their future. Unfortunately, all too often they got lost in a system that doesn't cater to individual student experience. Instead of feeling that the administration exists for the students, attendees quickly realize that they must conform to the needs of administrators in order to be successful. Scheduling appointments, registering for classes, even asking advisors for help all become nightmarish experiences filled with long lines, tired and impatient staff, and inadequate information.
Oftentimes, students will enter university fresh-faced, excited, and ready for success. Over time, however, ineffective university resources begin to take their toll. When simple tasks like registering for classes or dealing with financial aid eat up so much of their time, their desire to continue with their education slowly decreases. Students struggle to gain support from on-campus systems, which explains why consistently negative experiences with campus resources are one of the main sources of attrition; unfortunately, universities struggle to increase student satisfaction with limited resources. While student experience often ranks as a top priority for administrators, improving on-campus systems seems like an insurmountable task. A large student population means long lines--there doesn't seem to be a way around the problem. Fortunately, online appointment booking tools and an effective scheduling application both provide a modern solution to a large problem in higher education.
By using an electronic scheduling application like the one from QLess, academic institutions solve the problem of impatient students before it starts. Instead of expecting students to show up, wait in a line, and hope for the best, scheduling applications allow students to book an appointment ahead of time, eliminating the need for physical queues. In an age of ever-evolving technology, an electronic solution like a scheduling application can simultaneously push academic institutions into the modern age and improve the student experience.
Perhaps the most instantaneous result of an effective scheduling application is the elimination of physical lines, without an electronic tool, students often run into long lines at every on-campus location. While long queues are frustrating at any juncture, they're particularly irritating during key points in the year. When students struggle to register for class, change programs, or ask advice about their courses due to long lines, attrition begins to develop. Instead of forcing long queues that lead to general frustration and discontent, a scheduling application assigns students a specific time with which they can complete their necessary necessary business. When each student knows the time and date they can sign up for new courses, registering for classes becomes a breeze. Even signing up to see an advisor becomes a stress-free task--each person is assigned an appointment time, eliminating the pressure on both the student and the administrator. By bypassing lines and allowing individuals to address their issues at a specified time, students no longer waste their time waiting for help. They gain more time to study, hang out with friends, or even just relax, all of which will contribute to higher student satisfaction.
While a scheduling application gives students more free time, it also tailors the university experience to a new generation. Current and incoming university students have grown up with technology. They're well-versed in mobile applications, and they actually prefer to handle most of their business electronically. Academic institutions, like any business, attract the most customers when they know their audience and tailor their services accordingly, for a mobile generation, mobile scheduling applications should be the norm.
The QLess scheduling application not only provides a mobile platform for students to access information from anywhere, it also sends text alerts to inform students of their appointment times. By creating a smartphone-friendly design, this scheduling application speaks to a main tenet of a new generation--consistent and reliable mobile communication. It ensures that students have simplified access to important academic information, and it lessens the possibility that they'll forget their appointment time and fail to show up.
While human error always stands as a distinct possibility, electronic scheduling applications allow students to feel comfortable an at-ease in their academic environments. By using technology they are already experts in, academic institutions create easy communication and connections between administrators and students. Students who feel comfortable in their academic environment are more likely to complete their university education, rather than cave to the pressures of campus life.
When students are constantly filtered into long lines and told to wait their turn, the personal element of higher education disappears. Students want to feel like their individual needs have significance, especially in an institution with the social weight of a college or university, many students accrue heavy debt in order to gain their degree. For instance, the desire to feel like their individual experience matters isn't misplaced. Difficulty gaining access to basic information and meeting essential needs for the future of their education is understandably frustrating.
Although electronic scheduling applications simply increase the organization and staff productivity on college campuses, they also allow each student to feel like they're receiving personalized attention. A specific appointment time communicates that each individual is important enough to receive focused attention, in which only their specific questions and needs matter. Simple as it may sound, a scheduling application can make all the difference in creating what feels like an individualized learning environment, despite the fact that each student receives the same time and attention to discuss their needs.
If students have a problem with campus systems, they want to make their opinions known; unfortunately, when it's difficult to even get a meeting in the first place, students don't feel that their concerns are being heard. Even if every individual problem can't be addressed immediately, allowing students to provide feedback on their experience can greatly improve student satisfaction with on-campus life. University processes may not change immediately, but allowing students to feel heard and appreciated subtly communicates that their opinion matters.
A scheduling application allows students the opportunity to address their concerns, without eating up the essential time of administrators. Instead of sitting in an office and listing off every complaint, students can fill out electronic surveys, effectively and quickly communicating the elements of the campus system that don't work for them. Feedback provides a two-fold opportunity for growth within the university. First, administrators hear student concerns quickly and easily, allowing them to adjust future processes to fix the most common problems. Second, students get their frustrations off their chest, lessening their irritation and providing hope that things will change in the future. A scheduling application allows universities to listen and react to the needs of their students, without decreasing the productivity of their staff. Students have a hand in the improvement of their education, and it doesn't come at a cost to either students or administrators.
Academic institutions are designed to push students towards graduation; unfortunately, the decision to leave university altogether is a common one. While each individual leaves their academic institution for their own reasons, dissatisfaction with campus resources often appears as one of the major sources behind drop-outs. Although it sounds like a no-brainer, it's worth stating that students who are satisfied with their college experience are far more likely to stay in school and eventually graduate.
An effective scheduling application increases student satisfaction with on-campus services. Students express their concerns, gain personalized attention, and generally improve their ability to function within a university setting. With a scheduling application, graduation seems like an achievable goal, rather than a faraway possibility. When students believe that they can graduate, they're much more likely to work towards that goal. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the work in front of them, students see a clear path towards reaching their degree. Sometimes a little hope and a plan is all it takes. Happy students who believe they can graduate are more likely to graduate. A scheduling application brings that goal to the forefront of their minds, encouraging students to stay in school and earn their degrees.
Using a QLess scheduling application can change the life of university students everywhere. By eliminating physical lines and cutting down waiting times, scheduling applications allow students to feel like they're experiencing the personalized education they deserve; in addition, the mobile platform results in easy use for a tech-savvy generation and an opportunity for instantaneous feedback on campus services. Happy students are much more likely to stay in school, and to spread positivity about their academic institution, both online and in their personal life. If you want to increase your graduation rates, you need to learn more about QLess systems today. If you think our system might be the right fit for you, contact us now. We'll answer all your questions about QLess solutions. For more on improving campus operations and retention rates, read about how we've created college campuses without lines.
A well-developed workflow management system simplifies business processes at colleges and universities tremendously. As a business, these institutions provide education and degrees to their customers, also known as their students. Although colleges and universities stand as one of the most essential business organizations in young adult life, technological systems on-campus are often not on par with the fast-paced, technology-driven environment of the day. As incoming students reflect more expertise in current technology, so should their places of education. A workflow management system can change life at your university, both for your students and for your administrators.
In a school environment, multiple departments and individuals work together to contribute to the larger education machine. While some units identify prospective students, review applications, and send out offers of admissions, other divisions focus on registering current students for classes, organizing appointments with advisors, and assisting students with on-campus problems. Each of these individual systems work together to contribute to the overall goal of the organization--educating students and pushing them towards graduation, hence the need for workflow management.
A workflow management system simplifies all these processes. It's a software that automates some elements of your workflow management, taking the pressure off of your staff members and increasing the happiness of your students. By creating a streamlined network for all your most essential campus processes, a workflow management system allows each student to feel valued and supported, and each staff member to increase their productivity and efficiency.
A workflow management system creates an at-ease campus environment; not only that, it also brings your institution into the future. Easy-to-navigate education processes attract students, allowing your campus to continue running like the well-oiled machine that it is. Keeping your campus in the dark ages of technology not only hurts your students, it hurts your entire business. A high-tech workflow management system is a necessity your school can no longer do without.
Whether fair or unfair, students expect a lot of of their colleges and universities. An individualized learning experience is the standard, but most students would settle for consistent help from their on-campus systems. Unfortunately, high enrollment rates, a limited amount of resources, an overworked staff, and a surplus of tasks to complete often leave students feeling confused and overlooked. The more difficulty students experience navigating their education process, the more impatient they become. If enough time passes, the decision to leave school altogether becomes an easy one.
They're not getting the help they need to prepare for their future, why would they stay?
Consistently negative experiences with student services are one of the primary sources of attrition among college students. When students don't get the help or services they need, they drop out of classes, refrain from attending courses, or even leave the school altogether. As an organization that seeks to prepare young adults for their future, the current attrition rates are unacceptable.
Thankfully, a workflow management system presents a wonderful solution. By simplifying student access to on-campus services, a workflow management system decreases frustration and confusion among the student body. With a system like the one from QLess, you can decrease attrition rates by as much as 50%. A workflow management system improves student satisfaction and increases retention rates by allowing each student to feel like their needs are being met.
While a workflow management system improves the lives of your students, it also leads to increased productivity of your staff. A higher education environment already deals with a lack of resources, but a larger problem presents itself in an ineffective use of the resources that do exist. Oftentimes, staff stretch themselves far too thin trying to meet the needs of all students, despite the lack of time or effective organization systems to do so. Advisors overbook themselves attempting to sort out class schedules, and the Registrar and Admissions offices are overrun with impatient students. While it's undeniably unfair to the students, it's equally as frustrating for the staff.
Workflow management systems streamline campus processes and effectively allocate your staff resources. By eliminating the need for physical lines and relying on technology-based systems for organization, workflow management systems allow your administrators to gain a clear view of the tasks they need to be completed. Instead of surprise assignments and a frustrating amount of work for staff members, each administrator focuses on their assigned tasks, increasing their overall productivity. Not only does it result in increased happiness for your employees, it also ensures that all your resources are used effectively, lowering operational costs and saving money in the long run.
In our technologically advanced world, physical lines and in-person wait times just aren't practical anymore. Many of the problems that develop in university settings stem from a general lack of organization. Without a workflow management system, students are forced to go to an office, wait in line, and generally waste their time in an attempt to progress in their college experience. At the same time, administrators have little control over the time and attention needed to help each individual student. With a finite amount of resources and an infinite amount of potential questions, administrators are unable to prioritize and organize accordingly. With that lack of organization, both staff and students waste their time, and neither leaves feeling happy.
A workflow management system sorts through the chaos in your offices and eliminates the inconveniences of poor organization. Instead of arriving at an unspecified time in a physical office, students are assigned an appointment time with which they can ask all their questions. Interactive virtual queuing simplifies the process if your student does need unexpected help, and mobile reminders ensure that each student arrives at their specified appointment time. Most importantly, all these processes are completed inside the system, without assistance from your staff, allowing them to save their abilities to actually help students and bypass the errors that often accompany in-person scheduling.
An effective workflow management system changes your on-campus life immediately. Improved allocation of resources, clear processes for students, and increased organization all lead to instantaneous changes in your business systems. However, workflow management systems also provide information on what needs to change in the future. As a completely automated process, workflow management systems collect valuable information on your student and staff patterns. Student wait times, staff efficiency, student needs--all these and more can be found within your workflow management system.
With QLess systems specifically, we provide a real-time dashboard that consolidates data from multiple offices. At a glance, you have a general idea of what's happening in all areas of your campus. In addition, surveys within the system provide even more information about student satisfaction and necessary changes. Improving your business is a constantly evolving process, workflow management systems provide valuable insights to ensure that you can provide the best resources to your students for years to come.
We don't need to tell you that colleges and universities need students to stay afloat. Enrollment and retention present a major challenge for higher education institutions. That explains why many student administrators list student retention and student experience as their top priorities. While students may drop out when dissatisfied with their education, the ripple effect extends much farther than a single loss. Unhappy students spread information online and within their communities about the ineffectiveness of the school, giving other individuals the message that your institution isn't worth attending. While an individual drop-out can already present a hefty loss, consistent dropouts can negatively affect your application and enrollment rates over time.
An effective workflow management system leads to increased student happiness and higher retention rates over time, but it also allows your students to talk positively about your institution. Not only are you saving money on attrition, you're also building a strong reputation that will draw more students to your school over time. Reputation matters, both for the present and for the future. Workflow management systems support your ability to meet your student's needs, building a strong reputation as an institution that cares. With a reputation like that, who wouldn't want to apply?
Workflow management systems are a necessity in the modern age. It increases the happiness of your students and staff, leading to higher productivity and increased retention rates. In addition, it organizes your office with little effort from your staff and provides valuable insights into how you can improve your processes in the future. If you're ready to build a strong reputation, meet your students' needs, and save money for your business, you need to take the QLess approach. Learn more about how our electronic queuing system can enhance your education systems today. Please contact us for more information about our system.
Waiting rooms have been an essential aspect of hospitals, doctor's offices, and other healthcare facilities. But it doesn’t take much thought to realize the idea is counterintuitive. Crowding individuals with ailments in congested areas while they wait for assistance is not ideal. This was only further emphasized as a person-to-person airborne pandemic struck the world. Patient queue management software can be the solution to remedy this.This experience caused many healthcare professionals to have to re-evaluate their waiting procedures. There were concerns about pandemic transmission in waiting rooms and the overall healthcare experience. Amid virus anxiety, would patients sit with others even with a mask on?For a while, there were no true means of eliminating the waiting room. But in recent years, to address these concerns, many healthcare providers have been implementing patient queue software like QLess. This software aims to help reduce patients’ anxiety and create a waiting room experience that meets customers' expectations. The healthcare industry is crowded, and consumers abandon providers that can't meet their needs. According to Medical Economics, 69% of patients would switch providers for better services. Patient queue management software is an impactful solution that can de-congest waiting rooms and provide a safer, more patient-friendly experience. In a time where consumers easily switch businesses, the patient experience is vital. Below, we will break down what patient queue management is, how a virtual queue management system creates safer spaces, and why this is so important for patients and healthcare organizations.
Before we go any further, it is important to fully understand what patient queue management software is. The idea is relatively straightforward, and it has changed the healthcare sector. Why not have a virtual waiting room to manage customer flow instead of a physical one? Patients can access this virtual waiting room from their phones, computers, or on-site kiosks.With key features that enable customers to track the actual wait times for appointments, monitor the progress of the line they’re in, and communicate with staff, patients have a drastically changed experience when using healthcare services. Some organizations still hesitate to embrace and implement digital technology into the patient experience. But data indicates that customers already rely on digital technology and expect organizations to accommodate that reliance. According to a poll from Healthfully, 80% of consumers want the ability to use technology to manage their healthcare experience. Furthermore, the average consumer uses tech constantly throughout their daily lives. The average U.S. adult spends more than seven hours a day on screens, according to Exploding Topics. Healthcare organizations should prioritize implementing helpful tech solutions like patient queue management to avoid customer alienation. Patient queue management software has substantial benefits that enterprises should not overlook. With features that allow customers to enter virtual queues from their phones, patients can remotely wait in the virtual waiting room and monitor their queue times. Implementing virtual queues doesn't mean healthcare organizations need to eliminate waiting rooms. It simply gives patients the ability to choose.
The million-dollar question that healthcare organizations might have is whether or not waiting rooms are such a bad thing. Waiting rooms were the only option for healthcare services before technology advanced enough to make them less necessary. So how bad could it be? By implementing software to eliminate waiting rooms, might healthcare organizations solve a problem that doesn’t exist? The answer to this question is a firm no. Waiting rooms pose a genuine risk to older patients' well-being. A 2012 study of elderly residents of long-term care facilities published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed that a visit to an emergency department is associated with more than a threefold increased risk of acute infection. While this vindicates the need for patient queue software, it is also common sense. Requiring sick and injured people to share a room for extended periods increases patient risk. The pandemic highlighted that the prior waiting room model is untenable during an airborne virus outbreak among those visiting emergency rooms and doctors' offices. Healthcare providers adapted by spacing chairs, having customers wait outside, and mandating masks. While they may have curbed the virus from spreading, they reduced operational efficiency and didn't enhance patient satisfaction. It is not insignificant that waiting rooms also have extremely long patient wait times. The longer customers are cramped in a waiting area, even if socially distanced, the more at-risk they are. Similarly, the more unhappy they will be. This is why it is incredibly important for enterprises to be very conscious of the state of their waiting rooms.
We’ve established that waiting rooms might inadvertently put customers at risk, but what do your patients think of them? Customer satisfaction is vital in healthcare, as it's still a business, and unhappy customers can easily switch providers. The waiting room is a defining step in the patient's journey before receiving service. So it is worth asking if increasing patient satisfaction in the waiting room experience is necessary or if customers are okay with the current status quo. Data shows that consumers distrust crowded waiting rooms and dislike the experience they provide. A QLess survey of 250 U.S. adults showed that 59.4% of consumers associate congested waiting areas with unsafe conditions. If customers feel unsafe in the waiting room, chances are they will not enjoy their overall experience. A contributing factor in this situation is that the average waiting room is just not a pleasant place to be. Typical healthcare waiting rooms present sterile environments with white walls, fluorescent lighting, outdated magazines, and a T.V. This is hardly a positive environment, and according to Fierce Healthcare, unpleasant waiting rooms are a bigger issue for customers than long wait times. Rather than investing in more comfortable chairs or a higher-definition television, enterprises should focus on the real problem. Customers just don’t like waiting rooms either way. Patients prefer waiting from home or nearby cafes to congested waiting areas. Giving the consumer the option to skip the waiting room altogether is the best solution to a longstanding problem.
The healthcare industry is about more than just improving patients’ well-being, although that is the primary objective. The modern consumer isn’t satisfied with just receiving excellent quality of care. The experience for patients along the way is not nearly as important. Healthcare organizations that want to survive in this new age of experience-centric care will do well to improve their waiting room. According to Forbes, 60% of Americans have had a negative healthcare experience in the past year, and 52% of those people will tell others about their negative experiences. Curating a positive waiting experience without risk and discomfort is important in building a patient-friendly healthcare organization. This will help create loyal customers and position healthcare companies to succeed.
It is clear that there is a need for change in the waiting room experience. Customers don’t feel safe, and there is an established correlation between emergency waiting room visits and further infections. The problem has only gotten worse in recent years. A 2022 study by Yale showed that emergency room crowds had reached crisis levels and posed significant patient safety risks. The same is true across Canada. The crowding is due to an overstressed system, not necessarily management failure. De-congesting the waiting room is incredibly important for both safety and satisfaction. Let’s explore how patient queue management software can lead to less crowded waiting rooms while providing efficient patient flow.
The primary feature that QLess offers that is designed to help de-crowd the waiting room is its remote check-in software. In a typical waiting room without a patient queue management solution, individuals have to check-in in person. They arrive at the front desk, inform staff they’ve arrived, fill in a form, and take a seat, waiting to hear their name called. This requires physical presence throughout the waiting process. Remote check-in software lets customers wait for their appointment without physically arriving until it begins. How this works is that customers will receive a link when they register for an appointment. They can access this link via mobile devices, computers, or an on-site kiosk. When their appointment is scheduled, they can tap the link and check in. Once they’ve checked into their appointment, the patient is automatically placed in a virtual queue. The queue displays the number of customers ahead and the projected wait time based on data tracking and machine learning, accounting for the line's size and wait times at different parts of the day. Customers can be queued based on appointment type or healthcare professional they're meeting. They can track their progress through an app or website and know when to be there. This means lines can move smoothly without customers needing to be in the waiting room until the end. This also lines up with what customers prefer. In a QLess survey of 250 consumers, 57.2% of respondents indicated they are likelier to patronize a business if they have early insights into wait times. QLess virtual queuing system's remote check-in feature eliminates the need for customers to enter waiting rooms until their appointment begins. They can choose whether they are comfortable in that environment and wait on their own terms.
Long wait times in healthcare have been a persistent issue and seem unavoidable due to the nature of the industry. Demand often exceeds the ability of facilities to provide efficient service due to the need for proper care and attention for each patient. This is why patients wait an average of over 18 minutes at physicians’ offices, according to PartnerMD, and 145 minutes at the average emergency room, according to Autoinsurance.org. Patient queue management software can’t entirely solve the issue of long waits that are endemic to the healthcare industry. However, it can provide organizations with a tool to increase staff productivity, manage customer flow, and improve overall efficiency, positively impacting wait times.
There are two key ways this software helps with this. Firstly, the patient queue management system completely automates the queue process, so enterprises don’t need to oversee it themselves. The software has configurable policies, like no walk-ins or a maximum 5-minute late policy for appointments. Then, the lineup can be completely automated, with the artificial intelligence-based system drastically more efficient and organized than a standard physical queue. QLess’s patient queue management software also has smart calendar features that give staff a better sense of their day. The entire appointment calendar is displayed for them, showing the customer, appointment type, and more. The calendar is color-coded and organized and can be segmented, so employees have a heightened understanding of their daily workflow, increasing overall efficiency. By reducing wait times, healthcare organizations can reduce the time people need to spend waiting for appointments. The remote check-in features allow customers to wait from wherever they please, but inevitably there will still be some customers that prefer to wait for appointments in waiting rooms. With automated queue management and smart calendar features, the QLess patient queue management system ensures waiting times are trimmed, resulting in less crowded waiting areas.
Communication in the healthcare process is incredibly important. Customers strongly desire communication from end-to-end in the healthcare process, and having better communication can lead to safer waiting rooms. With better communication, enterprises can create safer waiting rooms in several ways. Having customers that indicate they might be contagious wait remotely will reduce infection risk, and enabling customers to message staff if they are running slightly behind but still keep their appointment will lead to fewer delays. While this type of communication could lead to a safer, less crowded waiting area, many enterprises are ill-equipped to offer this level of communication. Customers expect communication, particularly through digital methods. According to Forbes, 80% of consumers surveyed said they prefer to use digital communications with their healthcare providers, and 43% said they want to engage digitally with their healthcare providers before, after, and during their visits. But many enterprises lack the digital infrastructure to provide this level of communication that customers are hoping for, even if it can make customers happier and lead to safer waiting rooms. The QLess patient queue management system empowers healthcare organizations with bi-directional communication features that improve the connection between customers and staff. With the QLess features, organizations can drive a more communicative approach to healthcare. They can individually message customers and receive responses, schedule messages to entire groups of customers, and create automated messages triggered at different parts of the patient journey. Better communication means less confusion, as late customers or no-shows often trigger chain reactions that lead to extended delays. With better communication, there are fewer bottlenecks, which means lines move faster and waiting rooms are less crowded. This also improves the patient experience, as enterprises can answer patients' questions digitally during busy times when they might not have the time to respond face-to-face.
One of the most significant ways healthcare organizations have pivoted away from the standard waiting room model is by leaning into virtual healthcare. The pandemic made face-to-face appointments a near-impossibility at many practices, and to combat this, many organizations pivoted to virtual healthcare options like telehealth. Providing medical care virtually remains important even after the peak days of the pandemic. According to McKinsey, virtual healthcare remains hugely impactful, with 46% of consumers using telehealth now compared to 11% in 2019.Telehealth leads to less congested, safer waiting rooms for obvious reasons. With the option to schedule remote healthcare appointments, customers don’t need to visit healthcare offices at all. If customers have a mild but contagious illness, healthcare organizations can schedule virtual appointments to ensure they don’t spread their illness. Ultimately, the fewer in-person visits, the less crowded waiting rooms will be. But many organizations might buckle under the weight of managing an entire virtual calendar without the proper digital solution.
QLess has virtual service features that enable healthcare organizations to provide a positive patient experience remotely. QLess is integrated with Zoom and Microsoft Teams, two popular video meeting platforms, and enables organizations to put customers in mixed queues that accommodate in-person and remote patients. How this works for remote patients is they would schedule an appointment online and select a virtual appointment. They will then receive a QLess link and be placed into a virtual queue when they check in for their appointment. They will then be able to monitor their wait time, see who is in front of them, and receive a Zoom or Teams link when their appointment is ready to begin. Virtual appointments are a crucial part of the post-pandemic world. The QLess patient queue management platform enables enterprises to integrate remote patients into their virtual queues and digital calendar, creating a smooth appointment process and easier virtual appointment management.
The waiting room is a longstanding problem in the healthcare industry that most organizations have neglected to address. The concept of making ill or injured patients wait for long periods in a congested room is one that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, although there haven’t been other options for organizations until recently. Now that QLess for healthcare and other patient queue management systems exist, the need for waiting rooms has been drastically reduced. These digital solutions enable enterprises to create a virtual queue where customers don’t have to be physically present to wait in line or in the waiting room. The customer can check in, monitor their status in line, and communicate updates with staff, all from their phones or computers. This means they can wait outside the office, from their home, at a nearby park, or wherever else they’d prefer. Customers can still wait in waiting rooms if they want to, but QLess allows them to wait remotely, helping to drastically reduce congestion in healthcare offices. Reducing risk in the waiting experience should be an important objective for all healthcare organizations, and it resonates with customers. Consumers strongly dislike the typical waiting room process that has been the norm in healthcare for ages. With QLess’s queue software, healthcare businesses can meet the needs of the experience-oriented patient while creating a safer, more positive waiting process.
