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Poor Queue Management: The Beginning Of The End Of A Sales Opportunity

Retailers spend numerous hours and resources perfecting every aspect of customer engagement. So why have so many overlooked one of the most important details to seal the deal? Consumers are not waiting around to find out why.

Scenarios like these unfold every day: Customers walk into a world-renowned coffee franchise, only to be confused about where to place their order and where to retrieve their drink. Or, customers belly up to a horizontal counter of a major office supply service counter and are forced to explain to the stressed out sales associate who was next in line. Then there’s the ever-jarring yell of “Next!” that utterly shatters the sleek and cool ambiance of the swanky boutique only to remind customers that they really aren’t special as they are “processed” along.

Poor queue management can signal the beginning of the end of a sales opportunity.  

With an increasingly competitive landscape retailers must understand there is no room for customers to second-guess the brand’s promise, equity and, perhaps most importantly, the brand experience. Effective queue management is mutually beneficial to both retailers and their customers. Not only can it reduce walkaways by up to 96%, it can help eliminate queue frustrations by serving clients in the order they arrive.

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Retailers must objectively assess the customer’s journey from point of entry to point of sale. Here are three tips that will help retailers determine whether or not they are failing to close the deal and build brand loyalty:

Simplify It: Take The Guesswork Out Of Where The Line Begins And Ends

Waiting in line is as much a psychological activity as a physical one. In situations where there is no visible order to the waiting line, customers become anxious about their priority in line. Does your current queue system guarantee fairness and eliminate potential for customers to skip ahead of others? From prominent signage to clear barriers indicating where the lines begin and end, queue management should not be left to chance. When customers are secure about the fairness of their wait, they tend to relax, which in turn makes the waiting experience more pleasant – an ideal example of this is at the high traffic UNIQLO New York 5th Avenue Global Flagship and at the UNIQLO New York 34th Street Flagship. Their use of custom designed sleek, stainless steel queue management Tensabarriers is specifically designed to echo the ultra-chic store interior while helping guide customers easily through the checkout process and increase efficiencies and ensure fairness in customer flow.

Move It: Manage Customers’ Expectations About The Wait Time

One of the benefits of effective queue management is that retailers can speed up queue flow and improve service times by 30%. For consumers, this increase in efficiency translates into shorter wait times. In addition, queuing theory suggests that consumers are more willing to wait if they can gauge the length of their wait. Can your customers estimate their wait time?  Do your wait times appear to be lengthy? The reality is that even if your wait times are not excessive, consumers are less likely to abandon the check out process if the wait is clear.

Electronic queuing systems like single line call-forwarding systems, which begin with a “first come, first served” single line configuration and alert to available service points. Ensuring faster queue times with an electronic queuing system is one way to eliminate the chance that consumers will abandon their purchases or leave the establishment with a negative experience due to long wait times. Marshalls, T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods are exemplary in this aspect as they have effectively deployed single-line queuing combining In-Queue Merchandising and electronic call forward to ensure a sophisticated customer first queuing experience while providing customers with an amazing selection of exciting, unique impulse purchasing options.  People actually look forward to getting on line at these stores to see the broad range of innovative and novel items.

Show It: Make The Most Of Wait Times With Effective Merchandising And Signage

Emotions also play a massive role in consumers’ ability to endure extended wait times. Queuing theory suggests that willingness to wait in line is as much about the consumer experience as the actual delay.

Are your customers bored during their wait? Retailers can overcome consumers’ limited attention spans by maximizing brand touch points via in queue merchandising. Effective merchandising can shift the consumer’s focus off the length of their wait by converting wait time into an extended shopping opportunity.

With nearly 1 in 6 brand purchases hinging on in-store displays, “dead” retail space should merge design with functionality to capitalize on customer wait times— from attractively displayed impulse items to highly visible signage at the checkout counter. 

Digital signage is another key consideration. Unlike traditional signage options, digital signage provides retailers with much-needed content flexibility and increases engagement opportunities. Retailers can “entertain” consumers with relevant messages that are as fresh and dynamic as the brand they represent. In addition to entertaining consumers during the wait, digital signage can become integral vehicles for promotions by integrating messages across multiple communication platforms.  Rookie USA just launched an amazing new kids high-end sports retail concept store leveraging the Tensator Virtual Assistant solution using NY Knicks ‘Virtual Carmelo Anthony’ who explains how to use the store’s interactive features, introduces the complete Melo line, offers in-store advice and guidance, describes the Rookie USA Loyalty Program and even shares basketball tips. Consistent online and in store content offers potential buyers a seamless path to purchase.  The ‘Virtual Carmelo Anthony’ even invites customers to scan QR codes using their smartphones to gain exclusive information and deals on Rookie USA brands.

Exceptional queue management has been proven to improve operational efficiencies by targeting resources to specific needs.  When retailers proactively address consumers’ needs, the potential to improve the bottom line results increases significantly.  What are you waiting for?


As Senior Business Development Manager for Tensator, Inc., Keith Carpentier is responsible for the Company’s North American Retail and Finance Business. Keith brings more than 14 years of store fixture, display, consumer behavior, and queuing expertise to deliver a strong competitive advantage to his clients, helping them gain incremental sales growth (Impulse Revenue), increase brand awareness and realize front end efficiencies.

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