Why is effective queue management important?

No one likes waiting in line. A poorly managed queue could lose you business, make the visitor journey less efficient or create a health hazard. However, effective queue management has become quite a science, with increasingly high-tech methods of taking care of people, space and revenue simultaneously.

From stores to airports, find out why queue management is essential in customer-facing environments.

Safety

Queue management isn’t just about helping your customers to line up. It can stop them from passing into an area that isn’t safe, e.g. when a venue is at capacity. The same concepts can be used in dangerous work areas such as garages with pits, raising awareness of and blocking hazards to prevent falls and other accidents.

Access control management is the collective name for tools and systems designed to limit entry. It includes fixed and temporary barriers as well as ‘route guidance’ plans to direct visitors safely and efficiently.

Revenue generation

Queuing time could be productive time, both for your customers and for you. You want to give them the best experience, so it’s best not to hold them up, but you can still help them to spend their time queuing more productively.

As our Dunkin’ Donuts case study shows, queueing is a great time to tell guests about a service they might not have discovered or put impulse buys within easy reach. During a 12-week test of Tensator queue management improvements, Dunkin’ Donuts saw a 25% increase in sales of coffee by the pound and a 400% increase in premium mug sales; this hints at the potential revenues retailers and customer service environments could be missing out on. Well-placed products in the queueing area can also distract customers from unavoidable waiting times.

Communication

A Virtual Assistant is the next generation way to communicate with your queue. Customers find them engaging in a world where email and text are replacing the habit of reading from posters or labels. They can be used to deliver essential information or educate visitors – giving health information, for example. They can also be customised in terms of appearance and languages spoken. Find out how we developed a bilingual Virtual Assistant for Boston Logan Airport.

Access for all

There are many reasons to consider accessibility in your premises. Depending on where you’re based, you may have a legal requirement to do so. In some businesses, you could be losing potential revenue if you don’t make it easy for everyone to use your services. (The US Department of Justice reports that people with disabilities have $175 billion in discretionary spending, which is four times the spending power of the ‘tween’ market.)

It’s not just about disabilities (many of which are invisible); it’s about making your environment pleasant and easy to navigate for anyone who might use it. Creating a positive, welcoming experience makes customers want to return, as well as avoiding potentially damaging PR.

Well-planned routes through the customer area can help with accessibility, but physical adaptations are possible too; for instance, the low-profile base for our Tensabarriers won’t obstruct wheelchairs or less mobile visitors.