Technology has innovated human beings out of so many of our longest-standing problems. We have cured diseases through innovative vaccines, connected people worldwide through communication devices, and made purchasing groceries for the week from your couch a possibility. Technology has solved so many problems and innovated around so many issues. Yet, many enterprises are unaware that one of the biggest consumer problems in history has been solved through technology: long physical queues. A virtual queue system is now the technological solution to solving that common roadblock. Waiting in lineups has been something customers have hated for millennia. From the first popular market stall that caused long lineups in ancient cities all the way to modern healthcare, retail, and education lineups, queues have been driving customers crazy for ages. Lineups disrupt customer flow, cause frustration and stress, and are often a source of bitterness for many consumers.
After thousands of years where long lineups seemed unavoidable for enterprises where demand exceeds the ability to provide supply, technology has arrived that gives businesses a tool for solving this problem. This technology is known as virtual queue software. A virtual queue is a customer journey management solution that lets businesses digitally alter their lineups. This technology also allows them to control the whole process from end to end. It also allows customers to wait to receive products and services on their phones rather than in long, arduous lineups. Like all major innovations, there is a lot to know about virtual queue technology. Virtual queuing systems open up many exciting possibilities for businesses that can improve queuing processes while providing more transparent, personalized experiences. It is a game-changing solution to a long-standing problem, and industry leaders like QLess have managed to offer a scalable virtual queue solution that is impactful across industries. Let’s do a deep dive into virtual queue technology and how exactly this impactful solution works.
Consumers do everything on their devices. Cell phones are ubiquitous now, with Oberlo indicating that there are 6.8 billion global smartphone users, with the number climbing yearly. Your customers do everything from their devices. They work, communicate, watch entertainment, and shop online from their phones, tablets, laptops, and computers, so if your customers have the tech-savviness and interest to do so many different things through digital mediums, why shouldn’t they be able to wait in line? This is the concept behind a virtual queue. Simply put, a virtual queue is a lineup moved to a phone, laptop, desktop, tablet, or on-site kiosk.
Virtual queuing solutions allow customers to enter lineups digitally. They are moved through the lineup according to when they entered, the appointment they booked, and staff availability. It functions very similarly to a real line but with the added benefits that virtual technology provides. That means there is increased visibility for staff. They can see who is in line and for what, and increased speed and enjoyment for customers, as they only have to enter the line virtually, not physically. Virtual queue technology can be used almost everywhere physical lines are. These solutions have become incredibly popular in retail businesses, restaurants, doctors’ offices, higher education institutions, theme park attractions, and more. Consumers love using technology in their shopping experience, with Harvard Business Review indicating that "Just under 73% of consumers prefer shopping through multiple channels, meaning both physical and virtual channels."
Queue management software is moving lines to mobile devices, which has several key benefits for businesses and their customers.
If you ask the typical customer what their ideal waiting experience looks like, most will describe it as short and easy. The happiest your customers could be would be if there were no waits at all required from them. While this may be quite impossible, given that some waiting is inevitable for any business with significant customer traffic, virtual queues help transform the wait, so it feels like no time at all. With remote check-in technology and precise, real-time wait time projections, the waiting experience for customers is radically improved.
The virtual queue system of software like QLess makes it so customers don’t have to spend time standing in line. When they schedule an appointment, they leave contact information or are sent a link. Then, when it is time for their appointment to begin, customers are either sent the link or click on it and can access the virtual queue. Once customers are ready for their appointment, they can check in to the virtual line. They will then see how long the line will take, with highly accurate forecasted waiting times. When they turn at the front of the virtual queue, customers can enter the lineup and receive service immediately. This technology offers something customers will love, they have no patience for physical queues and waiting rooms. Customers appreciate knowing exactly how long the wait is supposed to take.
For customers, the ability to check into a line without the need for their physical presence will transform the waiting experience. Standing in a long line is a frustrating and agitating experience. This is largely due to the uncertainty that comes with a wait. With QLess, the need to stand in line or sit in the waiting room is eliminated. Wait times have a clear end, and customers can spend their wait anywhere they choose.
Physical lineups are difficult to control. Getting a large group of strangers to act in a manner enterprises want is hard, human error is a big reason long lineups are so common. When there are disruptions in physical queues, recovering is not easy. Customers get flustered, staff have difficulty controlling the situation, and things spiral, but as we’ve mentioned, virtual queue management systems have moved the lineup to consumers' and staff’s mobile devices. This gives staff elevated lineup control and makes recovering from key bottlenecks much easier. And with flexible queue management features, controlling customer flow is drastically simplified.
With QLess software, when customers create their appointments, it is uploaded to the smart calendar. Unlike legacy queuing systems, these appointments are not rigid, both staff and customers can control them. Staff can edit the appointment, add required information, and be moved around, if a customer sends a message to staff that they are likely to be late, staff can move them out of the line until they arrive. Customers can easily cancel or reschedule appointments through the system. Smart queue calendar management helps reduce wait times, which will lead to more loyal customers for businesses.
Unlike physical lineups, when a customer is late for an appointment or doesn’t show up, virtual queue software makes it simple for enterprises to move on without delay. Staff can see every customer in line and have a calendar showing the entire day's appointment schedule. Moving customers around is as easy as sending a digital message. This system ensures that there are no bottlenecks caused by easily solvable issues. Virtual queue software like QLess empowers employees to have a higher level of control over the lineup process. QLess has been found to elevate staff productivity by up to 90%, providing easy-to-use tools for managing the flow of customers.
One of the most significant problems many businesses deal with is a lack of customer engagement. If customers are disengaged, customer loyalty rates will decrease, cutting into the bottom line, but maintaining customer engagement requires significant communication outreach, which can be difficult to provide at scale. When the entirety of your customer journey is physical, meeting customers’ communication needs is made incredibly hard. It's also very demanding and stressful for customer service staff; however, virtual queue software like QLess offers communication features that make connecting to customers and maintaining engagement much easier.
QLess’s communication features allow enterprises to meet the personalization needs of their customer base without a substantial time or resource investment. Great customer service depends on offering personalized, communicative experiences to consumers. Virtual queue software allows enterprises to provide this at a significant scale. The QLess communication features have several different solutions designed to help enterprises engage with customers. There is a straightforward bi-directional chat option where customers and companies can message each other back and forth. Organizations can ask for details before an appointment begins or update customers on why the line is delayed. Customers can update staff if they are running late or seek additional information from the organization. Enterprises can automate these messages, sending them to an entire lineup or day’s-worth of customers at a specific time, so they also serve as valuable appointment reminders. No one wants to feel like a number when they enter a business, but, it can also be difficult to offer customers that personal feeling without the right solutions in place. Virtual queue system technology opens the doors to a better, more communicative customer experience. The more companies engage with their consumers, the happier they are.
We’ve briefly discussed how virtual queue software can improve a business’s customer flow. With smoother, friction-free access to a company’s services, customers are significantly more likely to leave their experience happy, and ultimately, that is what an online queue management system is intended to do. These software solutions are designed for the customer experience. It enables consumers to have a more enjoyable wait with faster service times and more communication and transparency every step of the way. This improvement will yield a significant positive impact on an enterprise’s bottom line. The customer experience is a defining part of business success, and consumer expectations are only growing. According to data from Insider Intelligence, "In 2020, 80% of consumers stated that the experience a company provides is just as important as the product or service they offer. By 2022, that number had reached 88%."
There is a significant focus the average customer has on a positive experience. Meeting their needs is just as essential as offering high-quality products or services. If you can offer improved experiences to your customers, you will be rewarded. According to Forbes, "Customer-centric companies are more profitable than companies that are not as focused on the needs of their consumers." If you build your business model around offering excellent customer experiences, they will likely continue frequenting your business. Customer retention is a core part of business growth. Establishing those loyal customers is done by offering smooth service and fostering a connection. Virtual queue software makes this something any appointment-based business can do. Virtual queues take away one of the biggest customer complaints there is.
With virtual queue systems, long physical waits are a thing of the past. Enterprises can empower customers to wait from wherever they choose while offering better communication and speed. It all translates to a better customer waiting process and an improved overall experience.
Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise is a pivotal part of the growth process for businesses. That is why companies worldwide invest billions into data collection every year.
Business intelligence helps companies with objective insights into what they are doing well and what they need to change. With virtual queuing technology, enterprises can collect data on one of the things they wouldn’t have been able to before: their queuing process. A virtual queue management solution moves the waiting process to digital, which means it can be virtually tracked and measured. QLess has business intelligence features that allow companies to glean data on their waiting process, providing helpful data on customer flow and the customer journey. QLess collects data on useful metrics like the median wait time, the number of customers served in a day, appointment no-show percentage, employee utilization, and more. These insights paint a clear picture for enterprises that want to better understand the efficiency of their appointment calendar.
With data from a virtual queue, enterprises can make necessary tweaks to their operation. The QLess data can be segmented and filtered according to different criteria and is displayed in charts and graphs. This makes spotting trends simple for enterprises and offers an easy showcase of where things might go wrong. If businesses see that customer wait times are reaching unacceptable levels during certain hours of the day, they know they need to improve staff efficiency at that time. They can add extra staff during peak hours or move employee shifts around. Accessing that data is an important step in making changes to improve previously unknown issues. Knowing why you might have frustrated customers is made easy with data from virtual queue software. Data helps provide a better understanding of customers. With business intelligence from QLess, enterprises have more substantial knowledge of what might be causing bottlenecks in the customer journey.
Enterprises considering implementing queue management tools into their customer journey will likely have concerns. It can seem like a major transition to overhaul your lineup process and insert digital technology into the equation, but the reality of a queue line management system is that it doesn’t make things harder for customers; it makes them easier. Virtual queue software is easy-to-use and accessible, with features designed to ensure it meets the needs of all customers. "There are 61 million adults in the US living with a disability," according to data from the CDC. This includes a huge number of people dealing with visibility and hearing disabilities that enterprises might worry would inhibit them from using virtual queue technology; however, this is not the case for the most part.
QLess includes accessibility features that will make it easy for customers of all kinds to use. These features include text-to-speech readers, dyslexia-friendly font options, text size adjustments, helpful user tooltips that offer information to users, and more. These features are designed to ensure that all customers benefit from the technology. For enterprises worried that customers will struggle to adopt this new technology, that belief has not been borne out by the market. Virtual queues have been adopted in places ranging from Disney World and UCLA Health Centers to Texas A&M and retailers worldwide. Customers don’t have the technical issues that some enterprises presume they will because the average customer spends substantial amounts of time using mobile apps and other virtual technologies similar to virtual queues. The average American spends more than 7 hours every day on screens; it shouldn’t come as a shock to organizations that they can handle virtual queue technology. And with QLess’s easy-to-use features, it is a straightforward tool that connects with the needs of many different users.
The impact of virtual queue technology is not limited to one industry or company. Long physical queues are a problem in many different sectors, and these solutions can impact anywhere where lines are an issue. Many virtual queue software like QLess has additional industry-specific features designed to make transitioning to a virtual queue easier for different sectors. For example, QLess has .gov integration that makes embedding the QLess technology into a government website possible. That means when customers want to join a virtual queue for the DMV office or passport renewals, they can do so directly from the website. QLess also has API integration, which allows companies with substantial tech stacks to implement QLess without needing to trim their tech stack. QLess can integrate with Zoom and Microsoft Teams, so organizations can run virtual appointments, and it has industry-specific features for education, retail, logistics, and more. Virtual queue technology is a game changer with limitless potential in several key industries. A virtual queue management system is a viable solution wherever lineups are a problem.
Long lineups have been causing customer frustration dating back millennia. It is a problem that has been embedded in commerce since the earliest days of civilization, one centuries of changes and cultural shifts haven’t been able to solve. However, we have finally arrived at a time when technology has evolved to the point that it can eliminate the issue of extended physical queues. With the invention of virtual queue solutions, the future of waiting in lines will look very different from the past.
Queue management software allows for the creation of digital queues that customers enter remotely, through their mobile phones, on-site kiosks, or computers. These virtual queues move along as customers receive the service they are in line for, and customers get real-time updates on their status in the line. They don’t have to be physically present in the line until the very end and can message back and forth with staff for a more personalized process. Staff can control the lines digitally, allowing them to manage the line and improve customer flow. Virtual queues are a modern solution to a long-standing issue, a technological innovation freeing consumers from one of their most common complaints. With companies like QLess offering innovative virtual queue solutions, enterprises can implement software that transforms their queue process forever.
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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.
