FISH Technologies Helps Sports Fans Enjoy Events Instead of Waiting in Line

Long lines and wait times are not only inconvenient for fans, but also detract from these otherwise exciting sporting events. FISH Technologies, which provides data systems that powers large events, wanted a way to cut the long queues for fans at professional hockey and football league events.

"Tens of thousands of people take part in fan days for professional hockey and football leagues, and many of them want to get their photo taken with the athletes and trophies,” says Rick Weldon, President of FISH Technologies. “To make thousands of people spend hours in line isn’t only bad for the fan experience, but it also detracts from the overall events. We needed a way to allow fans to enjoy the events without spending all of their time in a queue. We did a web search and discovered QLess – and the results have been amazing. Thousands of people attended our professional hockey and football league events, and nobody had to wait more than a few minutes. QLess transformed our ability to provide a tremendous experience.”

BUSINESS CHALLENGE

Fan events can be challenging to navigate because there is so much going on all the time. From sponsored side events and vendors to autograph sessions, it’s almost impossible for fans to do and see everything. It’s even more difficult for passionate fans to participate in all the fun activities when they have to spend hours waiting for a special presentation or event.

This is not only frustrating for fans, but vendors lose the opportunity to interact with them because people are stuck in interminable lines.FISH Technologies needed a way to integrate its mobile fan experience tools with a solution to end long lines once and for all.

These long lines would cause tremendous frustration and anxiety for our customers with concerns about neglecting professional duties as well as personal responsibilities, like picking up children from daycare or school. Equally frustrating, Staffing Services staff would spend considerable time managing traffic in the crowded office space and smoothing stressed-out customers waiting for services.

SOLUTION

“Lines are a massive problem at any large event, and we just needed a way to get rid of them,” Weldon says. “QLess enables fans to use their mobile phone to get into a virtual line, freeing them up to go off and enjoy other event activities. When it’s their time to get their photo taken with a trophy, for example, they receive a notification and five minutes later they’re walking around with an amazing piece of memorabilia. It really is that simple, and it worked beautifully from the first time we used it."

When QLess was rolled in June 2014, customers began registering for appointments via kiosks at the Staffing Services Center. They were then free to leave and the system would prompt them via text messages on delays and changes in scheduling, allowing them to reschedule an appointment if needed without losing their place in line. An hour before their scheduled appointments, they would be prompted to return to the center.

The improvements were immediately visible with far fewer customers in the waiting areas at any given time. In addition, since the Staffing Services staff no longer had to manually manage the queue because it was automated, they were now able to focus solely on providing professional services to the customer.

The CPSD Talent Office is now considering adding more functionality to the solution, including a feature that will send feedback surveys on how to further improve services. The add-on would also allow the Talent Office to share service information with district employees, such as announcements, upcoming programs, and important deadlines.

RESULTS

Anyone who attends large-scale sports events knows that sponsors and vendors play a huge role in the fan experience. From beer tents to 3D simulators, companies pay top dollar to showcase their brand and engage with fans. While many are able to enjoy these promotional experiences, making thousands of fans waiting in a line reduces the effectiveness of their investment. The QLess platform allows FISH Technologies to maximize vendor ROI by ensuring that more fans are able to circulate rather than spend hours in queues. “It’s a win-win for everyone,” Weldon says. “The experience has transformed our events.”

In addition to providing a great technical solution to the line problem, FISH also cited QLess’ commitment to customer service as a key reason why the relationship works so well. “The QLess launch team was incredible, providing top notch customer service, which is rare in our industry and keeps us tied to a partner like QLess," Weldon said. “They have been there for us every step of the way to help us refine the system so it works perfectly. They are really part of our team.”