5 Easy Ways to Manage Extra-Long Queues

 You can afford a long waiting line at a grocery store but never can you bare such a long and inconvenient waiting line at an airport or an amusement park, however, weekends and vacations leave no stone unturned to create rush and impatient crowd at such places. Extra-long queues anyhow take patience test of everyone by making them wait a lot when they really can’t resist, hence turn the situation chaotic and messy. 

Q-Manager has brought some effective and easy to implement solutions to these problems:

1.       Keep a check on line expectations

Customers can patiently wait even in longer queues if they have an idea of expected wait time, therefore, try to give an estimated wait time to the customers to set up a patient and systematic line.

2.       Make the queue look pleasing

Mismanaged and long lines directly result into customer walkaway as they exhibit a more stressful and uneasy feel to people standing in the queue. Q-Manager’s Retractable Belt Posts, Classic Rope and Chain Posts, Double Retractable Belt Posts facilitate you form sturdy and pleasing queues with a clear entrance space and simple to follow path way right from the beginning till end. 

3.       Keep the customers in line updated

Long lines give an impression of extra-long waiting time which irate customers and lose their interest in your brand service. Things would work better if you keep them updated along the way they are standing in waiting queues. Start the waiting countdown and blink messages like ‘20 minutes remaining’ or ‘Just 10 minutes away’ on signage to reassure crowd that they are genuinely making progress.  

4.       Make the queue engaging

 A long line no longer seems a monster if the customers waiting in line are kept engaged throughout. Display videos, infomercials, cartoons and demonstrational videos on digital signage or mount merchandising bowls filled with coupons, gift vouchers, feedback forms, pamphlet and other stuff on belt posts to keep the customers occupied. Be a little more creative and introduce new and interesting ways to engage the crowd at your venue. 

5.       Flexibility always works

Do not push people to stand and wait in the single long queue, rather break it into 2 – 3 short and multidirectional queues to keep the line moving and breathing. Moving queues reduces perceived waiting time and keep the situation in hand. 

You might be happy to see long and crowded queues as a symbol of business success, but if you fail to manage these long queues and rushing crowd then it may lead to disaster in no time. So it is important to strategize effective and easy to implement plans to save the reputation of your brand while delivering safety and customer delight.

Resource: 5 Easy Ways to Manage Extra-Long Queues