Managing your queuing experience properly is crucial to your business success. By now, you may already know that you need a Queuing Management System to reduce walkouts, but how do these systems actually work? Why are they so important to your brand KPIs?
In this article, we’ll explore everything from the history of queuing, to what queue management actually is and why Queue Management Software (QMS) is important for your brand.
What Is Queue Management?
A queue is any number of people waiting in a line for a service or item. By extension, queue management is a strategy businesses use either in-store or online to better control the flow of customers to specific services.
The more customers you have waiting in line, the greater the need for queue management. The last thing you want is your customers becoming agitated because they’ve been waiting in a line for too long.
A Brief History of Queue Management
The origin of queuing is hotly debated. Some historians think queuing goes right back to the Neolithic period. To prevent in-fighting over scraps of meat, hunters established a pecking order when feasting on their game.
However, the term “queue” wasn’t officially coined until much, much later in 1883. It originates from the Old French “cue”, which directly translates to “tail”.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of queuing and how to correctly spell it, visit our Language of Queuing article.
What Are the Types of Queue Management?
There are generally four different ways to manage queues, depending on the number of queues, servers, and steps in the service process:
- Single Queue, Single Step: There’s only one queue and one store associate handling customers. The server provides full service in one go. To use a fun example, ice cream vans typically use a single-queue, single-step approach.
- Single Queue, Multi Step: There’s still a single wait line, but service is more complex, requiring more than one step. For example, banking customers typically only stand in one waiting line but need to go to different bankers to make withdrawals, deposits or open a new account.
- Multi Queue, Single Step: If you want to deliver quicker service, allow more than one store associate to serve customers. Fashion retailers who offer different counters for returns, fitting rooms and purchases are a good example of this type of queue management.
- Multi Queue, Multi Step: There are several queues and multiple service parts to the customer journey. In sports stores, customers may queue for a gait analysis before a different sports store associate offers them styling support to complete service.
What Is a Queue Management System?
A Queue Management System (QMS) is any software or hardware solution that you can use to speed up service and potentially get rid of the need to queue altogether. It enables businesses to choreograph the entire customer journey from pre-service to post-service. They can also collect data to enhance the customer experience.
Reduce walkouts by as much as 62% using Qudini’s award-winning Queue Management System.
Other Names for Queue Management Systems
Queue. Wait line. Conga Line. The world can’t agree on the words we use to talk about queuing–let alone Queuing Management Apps.
Other common names for a QMS include:
- Queue Monitoring System
- Dynamic Queue Management System
- Customer Queuing System
- Customer Flow Management System
Types of Queue Management Systems
There are many different approaches to queue management. The most common systems include:
Physical Management
How it Works
Physical customer flow equipment like belt barriers create a path in-store to direct store traffic. This prevents queue jumping and keeps customers from spilling out across the store and causing obstruction.
Belt barriers are often used within movie theatres.
Issues
If customers feel penned in, belt barriers can do more harm than good. They may be an easy flow management option, but physical barriers don’t always leave the right impression.
Sign-In Sheet
How it Works
Visitors use a sign-in sheet to mark their arrival down and return this form to a receptionist.
This approach is most commonly seen in care homes and hospitals.
Issues
Unfortunately, sign-in sheets come with a wide array of issues. Illegible handwriting can cause a nuisance for your time, and it’s difficult to upload any handwritten data you do collect into a digital database.
If you’re asking customers to write down any sensitive information such as their address, you’re also at risk of breaching GDPR.
Ticket-Based Management
How it Works
The customer receives a ticket and waits for the number on their ticket to be called or displayed on a digital screen.
Ticket-Printing Queuing Systems are sometimes used in post offices or fast food restaurants.
Issues
Once the paper roll has run out, your store team needs to replace the roll. During peak times, this can be a real nuisance, slowing service down.
It’s also important to bear in mind that paper tickets can easily be lost or spoiled, creating disorder in your stores.
Digital Management
How it Works
Virtual Queue Management software is a digital solution that enables your customers to seamlessly join the queue. You can also customize your data collection to continually find ways to improve the waiting experience.
Recently, demand for virtual queuing technology has skyrocketed as brands see their walkout rate drop by as much as 62% using this software.
Issues
Digital queue management is slightly more expensive in the short-term, although the ROI in the long-term is impressive.
You also need to make sure to train your staff if they haven’t used a QMS before (although with the right software, this should only take a matter of minutes).
Human Management
How it Works
Human management involves having a designated meeter-greeter to welcome customers to the store, direct them to the right queue and call them when it’s their turn for service. This type of queue management works well in combinations with any of the previously mentioned approaches.
Issues
Human management requires a large budget–especially if you’re aiming for a luxury experience where every customer has a personal server.
That said, a store host with a tablet can help retailers to upgrade the customer experience and significantly boost ROI.
How Does a Queue Management System Work?
The essential aims of Customer Queue Systems are to eliminate physical queuing and create a better waiting experience. You can’t always offer service instantly, especially during peak times–and it’s often unrealistic to try to. However, you can still greatly improve your queue control to better manage the wait.
Check out the following video to learn how a Dynamic Queue Management System works:
What Are the Benefits of Using a Queue Management System?
There are many benefits of queuing systems for brands, store managers, administrators and customers.
Let’s take a look at each in turn.
Benefits of a Queue System for Brands
When brands deploy a simple Queue Management software, they’re usually able to:
- Eliminate long wait lines: After standing in line for up to three minutes, 20% of your customers will walk out of your store. By speeding up service with a Digital Queue Management System, you can dramatically reduce this figure and increase your margins.
- Increase staff efficiency: Enabling customers to join a virtual queue themselves by scanning a QR code in-store takes the pressure off your employees. They don’t have to manage long queues so they can focus on delivering better service.
- Minimize customer complaints: It stands to reason that the less enjoyable the waiting experience, the higher the number of complaints you’ll receive. By contrast, enhancing the waiting experience by taking the queue digital will directly reduce the amount of complaints your team have to deal with.
- Collect insightful data: With an automated Queue System software, you’re collecting data from the minute the customer enters your store. For example, you can track how long their wait is, what the outcome of their visit was and what products they bought.
- Create a better brand image: Investing in technology is a great way to show that your brand is forward-looking. You’re also signalling that you care about your customers by focusing on solutions to make their experience better.
Benefits of a Queue System for Your Customers
Generally, customers enjoy using Queue Line Apps because they:
- Have more freedom while they wait – they can explore the store or get a coffee
- Receive real-time updates about their position in the queue
- Wait for service for a shorter period of time
Benefits of a Queue System for Managers
Waiting line Management Systems help your store teams and managers to:
- More easily queue control
- Prevent customers joining the queue when you’re closing
- Optimize their workload
- See what products or services customers are interested in ahead of time
Benefits of a Queue System for Head Office
Your head office will benefit because they’re able to:
- Monitor store team performance
- Improve resource planning and stock management
- Measure how effective new implementations are
- Present the brand as technologically superior to competitors
When it comes to Virtual Queuing Systems, everyone stands to benefit.
How to Choose the Right Customer Queue System
With so many different systems on the market, it’s difficult to know if you’ve found a good SaaS provider.
Before you make a decision, compare providers based on the following criteria:
- Experience within your industry
- Reviews from other clients
- Integration support
- Understand your customer issues and other requirements
- Flexible roadmap which you can influence
- Offers key functionalities that your brand needs
- Full solution suite and option to combine Appointment and Queue Management Systems
For an in-depth breakdown of the key factors to consider, read our guide on how to choose the best Queue Management System.
How to Implement a Queue Management System
You wouldn’t be alone in thinking that implementing a Cloud Queue Management Software across dozens of stores is difficult and time-consuming. However, we’re pleased to say that it’s a lot simpler than you might think. Your provider can guide you through every step of the way to have your stores revolutionized in no time.
In fact, one of the main things you need to decide is where in your stores to implement the software. For instance, do you have specific services you want customers to virtually queue for? Or do you want all customers to queue in the same virtual line?
Things to Consider When Implementing Queue Management Software
To ensure you’re implementing your Customer Queue System properly, remember these four things:
- Welcome customers: Greeting customers is a crucial step in the queuing journey. You can register customers and collect insightful information (like their reason for visiting) to tailor service.
- Be transparent: When it comes to wait lines, customers don’t like surprises. Give visitors an accurate wait-time as soon as possible. You should also show their queue position in real-time on digital displays. The more transparent you are about the wait, the fewer customers will walk out.
- Personalize experience: Once the customer reaches the front of the queue, it’s time to deliver your part of the bargain. Your store representatives already have all the information they need to personalize service, which makes all the difference.
- Analyze data: Make sure your head office is continually using the queuing data your system collects to improve the waiting experience. Set-up weekly reports for every venue to make sure you’re seeing the results you deserve. If sales rise or fall, these reports can help you to understand why.
Three Queuing Metrics
It’s all well and good for us to tell you to analyze your data – but what do we actually mean?
There are generally three important metrics to track when it comes to the waiting experience: average number of customers in the queue, average wait, and average service length.
Average Number of Queuing Customers
Calculating how long your queues during opening hours can flag up any service issues. For instance, if your queues are unusually short, you may have too many servers. Equally, if they’re too long, you might be understaffing your stores.
Average Customer Wait Time
It’s also good to keep an eye on the typical customer wait time. If your wait time is too long, you’ll start to lose customers and receive more complaints.
Average Customer Service Time
Long service times are better than long wait times, but only if you’re delivering a high quality service.
Calculate how long service time is to find areas of operational inefficiency and continually improve and speed up service.
Which Industries Should Implement Queue Management?
There are very few industries that wouldn’t benefit from using virtual queuing. After all, delivering speedier service is a universal benefit for all service users.
That said, we know first-hand that the following industries benefit from deploying an Automated Queue Management Platform.
Queue Management in Retail
Retailers have some of the highest service flows, which is why Retail Queue Management systems are particularly important.
It’s best to set up multiple queues if you have different retail services such as returns, fitting rooms and main payment counters.
Queue Management in Banking
With the rise of digital banks, competition in retail banking has grown exponentially. Equally, so have customer expectations. To stay ahead, market-leading banks like NatWest are already using Virtual Queuing Apps to orchestrate the customer journey.
Typically, customers join one of several virtual queues depending on which type of service they require (i.e., deposit, financial advice, loan consultation).
Queue Management in Telecoms
Generally, telecoms organizations have less traffic than other retailers, although service length is noticeably longer.
Consequently, consider using a digital queue control to manage customers at service areas and your help desks.
Queue Management in Healthcare
Queues in hospitals and clinics are a tail as old as time – and as long. It’s not unheard of for patients to wait for over six hours or more to see a doctor.
Unfortunately, this damages your reputation as a healthcare provider. It also means some patients will walkout without notifying your reception team. Given how expensive appointments are, the last thing you want is to waste your healthcare teams’ time.
With a QMS, patients can wait remotely for service. They can even visit your canteen to make their wait more enjoyable. The right app should reduce the walkout rate and patient frustration.
Queue Management in Education
Educational institutions and colleges also need queue management to facilitate peak traffic to enrolment services at the start of semesters. They also need a way to manage traffic to events and student hub services.
Ultimately, a Queuing App can save students hours of time and simultaneously boost your college’s reputation.
Queue Management in Government
Budgets are often tighter in government organizations which is why long service times are a greater problem.
With a Queuing System, government organizations can reduce operational costs and get more done in less time.
FAQS
Does Your Business Need a Queue Management System?
Yes. Customers, managers and brand leaders all benefit from using an Automated Queuing System that collects data to continually improve the customer experience.
Will My Business Benefit From a Queuing System?
Your business will benefit from a QMS. Whether you’re looking to better manage long wait lines or simply to collect more data, the right software can help you to enhance and promote. your services.
How Much Does a Queue Management System cost?
The price of a QMS ultimately depends on the provider and how many stores you’re hoping to use the software in.
In this instance, it’s important to prioritize quality. There may be cheaper systems but with limited functionality, you risk wasting your time and money.
Is it Difficult to Implement a Queue System?
No, your software provider will usually guide you through the entire process and even support training your team. You don’t need much technical know-how to invest in a Queue Control System.
Do I Need to Do Anything After the Software is Up and Running?
Generally, it’s a good idea to continually update how you use your Queue Management Software. For example, keep an eye on new features to implement, make sure you’ve optimized all your queuing messaging and stay in contact with your provider.
Don’t See Your Question Above?
Reach out to our team using info@qudini.com and we’ll answer your question as soon as we can.
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