Long lines are something the average consumer positively despises, and many simply walk away if they encounter them. They disrupt customer flow, and the queuing experience ends up negatively impacting businesses and their customers, according to the Retail Times, "Long queues cost retailers up to $12 billion annually due to customers walking away." Online queuing systems can help alleviate these long wait times and improve the customer experience. Customers despise these waits and have little to no patience for them. According to a QLESS survey, "79.7% of customers have abandoned a purchase or an appointment due to a long wait." But how can enterprises combat this problem, as it is shared across industries? The answer might just be a queuing system.
The QLESS queuing system has an array of impactful features that allow enterprises to end the issue of long lines negatively impacting the customer experience and customer satisfaction. Let’s explore how a queuing system can improve the customer journey and solve the problem of arduous waits.
There are few things more frustrating to customers than standing in a long line; in fact, for many customers, there is no part of the shopping experience worse. According to a survey from Synqera, "73% of consumers say waiting in line is the worst part of their experience." But some businesses are learning that it isn’t just the wait times that bother customers, it's also the experience of standing in physical queues.
One of the most significant upsides of a queuing system is that virtual queues don’t require customers’ physical presence, customers can use the queueing system to remotely check into a line. The queue management technology places them in the line and shows how many people are in front of them. The customer receives real-time updates about their status in line, and eventually, they reach the front of the virtual lineup. Only then do they have to physically enter the building, customers can wait in parks, coffee shops, other stores, or wherever else they please. Physical lines are replaced with a laid-back remote wait.
One of the main aspects of waiting that leads to negative customer feedback is the confusion. Standing in a long lineup or sitting in a crowded waiting room is an isolating, confusing feeling, for numerous clients, the primary source of frustration stems from the absence of clear communication. With no clear end in sight, it can feel extremely frustrating, but one of the ways QLESS’ queueing technology works for businesses is by offering them the ability to address this issue.
With the QLESS queuing system, customers have a clear sense of how long they will be waiting in line, when they check into the virtual lineup, they are given a highly accurate projected wait time that updates as the line moves along. This makes for happier customers because queue psychology tells us that uncertainty is one of the biggest reasons wait times feel so anxiety-inducing. According to David Maister, a renowned queue psychologist, uncertain waits have been found to feel longer than known, finite waits. By removing the uncertainty and giving customers more transparency, waits will feel shorter and less stressful.
Customers crave something from the businesses they interact with that goes beyond just the exchange of money for a product or a service. Today’s consumer wants and expects personalized services powered by strong communication, offering personalized experiences is one way to keep customers happy, and research from McKinsey shows it is essential. According to McKinsey, "71% of customers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions, and 76% feel frustrated when this doesn’t happen." The typical lineup experience isn’t very personalized or communicative, but this can change with the QLESS queuing system.
The QLESS queuing system has bi-directional communication features that let customers and staff send messages to one another. Staff can automate messages to customers at various stages of their customer journey, they can send greetings when they walk in the door or farewells when they leave. Customers can message staff questions if confused or stressed, and staff can send personalized responses back. It leads to a much more open and communicative customer experience, with personalization at the forefront.
One of the key ways that QLESS can improve the customer experience is by improving the staff experience. Did you know that, according to the University of Oxford, happier staff are 13% more productive? The more productive staff are, the faster lineups will move, and the better the customer service experience will be for consumers. Running a line can be stressful and unhappy for staff, requiring a lot of oversight and dealing with stressed customers. With QLESS, this problem is solved, making staff happier and more efficient.
QLESS has calendar management features that increase staff’s workflow visibility and automatable queue management software that controls the line, so staff doesn’t have to. The queue can be set up, so staff configures the accompanies queue policies, such as customers 15 minutes or later have appointments canceled, or walk-ins can access appointments if scheduled customers show up late. The software will then implement these policies into the virtual queue and automate it so staff can take a more hands-off, customer-focused role. It makes their jobs easier and more pleasant, moving lines along faster.
Whether implementing a queuing system for retail, healthcare, hospitality, or any other industry, the goal remains to improve the customer experience. Long lines are one of the things that the average person despises most about shopping and attending appointments. If you want to increase customer loyalty and improve overall results, your best bet is to invest in a queuing system that combats the customer flow disruptions caused by long lines.
With the QLESS queuing system, customers can benefit from remote waiting features, accurate forecasts of actual wait times, improved personalization, and increased staff satisfaction stemming from simplified workflows. This will all lead to a waiting process that is more customer-friendly and less hamstrung by the neverending problems long lines cause. Implementing QLESS’ queuing system technology, enterprises can boost the customer experience while relegating long physical queues to the trash heap of history.
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