Social Media Jumps Into The Queue Psyche

Consumers have revealed just what they think about when they are queuing to buy goods in the nation’s shops – and for many, it’s about updating their social media accounts such as Facebook or Twitter.

Leading queue management specialist Tensator commissioned a survey into the queuing habits of people across the UK, and the results make for interesting reading for retailers.

One of the key findings was that more than 65 per cent of respondents said that they accessed social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter as they waited to be served, and many often commented on the environment they were in.

And almost 98 per cent of people reported that they had left a queue because they had been frustrated at the length of time it had taken to be served.

Kevin Hickson, general manager at Tensator, commented: “We know that queuing environments are often under-used areas in outlets and that retailers can turn an empty space into revenue-generating area.

“But, we commissioned the survey to help find out what consumers are thinking about so that the investment retailers and operators make, whether in merchandising or staff training, is spent wisely.”

Respondents gave their thoughts about what they think about in queues, what frustrated them about queues and how long they were prepared to wait to be served in environments such as bars, banks and supermarkets.

Just under half of the respondents said that they would only be prepared to wait for up to five minutes to pay for their weekly shopping, while many were prepared to wait 15 minutes to be served in a bank.

In the question that asked what frustrated people most about queues, 52 per cent said slowness, and 22 per cent said that queue jumpers annoyed them.

Just over 43 per cent said that when they were queuing, they were thinking about their plans for the rest of the day, but many noted that they often thought about how better venues could improve the queuing experience.

When asked about impulse buys, the favourite items included sweets, confectionery and magazines.

For every survey response that has been received, Tensator is making a donation to its local charity, Willen Hospice, a registered charity that provides specialist care for people whose illness no longer responds to curative treatment (also known as specialist palliative care).

For more information about Tensator, visit www.tensator.com, or follow @Tensator on Twitter.