Managing Customers Waiting in Line
Most of us have to wait in line for something. Our expectation (a low one) is that we will wait in line for some period of time and then we arrive at the front of the line we will eventually receive service. What really chaps our hide is waiting in line, getting to the front of the line, and then being told we are in the wrong line! Let me share with you a few examples of how some organizations “manage the queue” of customers to improve the service:
- IN-N-OUT Burger: an employee visits each of the drivers in the drive-through and takes the order. The queue is being worked from an order standpoint at one end and a delivery standpoint at the other end. (Bailey, our Labrador Retriever appreciated the suggestion by the young lady managing the drive-through line that she would enjoy her own meat-only hamburger patty.)
- Some airlines: an employee walks the line and asks: “Is anyone here in line flying international?”
- Some security lines at airports: an airport or airline employee, noticing that there are 500 people in a security or baggage line walks the queue and says: “Is there anyone here leaving on the 6:00 PM flight to Chicago?”
- Some grocery stores: an employee notices that there are 15 people in two lines and announces: “We need another checker on register 3.”
- Some banks: a teller walks the queue and asks: “Is there anyone here that just needs to make a deposit?”
These are just a few examples of how we can:
- Make sure customers are in the right queue
- Bring more resources into play to serve customers while they are in the queue
- Shorten the amount of time customers are in the queue
- Take care of customers that are in a long line but have a simple task that can be processed independently.
What else can we do with “customer queues” to improve service?
