7 truths about waiting in line companies should be aware of

We've all done it. We order ahead or book an appointment from our favorite establishment and then swoop into the store, breezily passing by the people who are patiently waiting in line.

Is this considered “cutting the line” or a necessary convenience for busy customers who have neither the time nor patience to wait?

With the advent of mobile phones and technology, ordering ahead and booking appointments is increasingly easy. We can save our food orders on mobile apps and then in seconds, re-order our favorites in advance. We can book appointments in advance at the Apple Genius bar or at our local bank branch, skipping past all walk-in customers.

As ordering ahead and booking appointments in advance has become easier and more available, time-strapped consumers are taking advantage.

In the U.S., ordering ahead accounts for 10% of the estimated $225 billion in outside the home food spending and will grow to almost 50% within five years.

How should companies best implement an appointment scheduling solution while not alienating walk-in customers?

Here are 7 things to consider about waiting in line:

1. Understand “waiting in line” etiquette

As appointment scheduling grows, companies must be aware of any potential resentment from patrons that did not plan ahead.

Ironically, pre-scheduled customers might believe that they are actually cutting the line and don't want to be unceremoniously called out by others, so they may choose to stand in line to avoid any “cutting the line” controversy.

2. “Waiting in line” etiquette varies by country

If you're a global company, be aware of etiquette differences about waiting in line.

In the U.S., they call it “waiting in line,” and people who are waiting in line are more than willing to call people out who are cutting the line. The UK calls it “queuing” with plenty of personal space between the people in line and minimal conversation between patrons.

While the western world is fairly accommodating and generally follows local etiquette, Asia is a completely different story.

In China, the government had to post line monitors before the Beijing Olympics to ensure that people followed the queue rules. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, many residents credit McDonald’s with teaching the population how to queue in an orderly fashion. In India, people are so wary of people trying to cut the line, they get so close to the person in front of them that they are literally spooning that person.

3. Offering scheduling increases customer loyalty

A mobile app offering ordering ahead increases customer loyalty because it reduces ordering or appointment friction. The customer must choose between a quick online order or potentially waiting in a long line.

Companies should be cognizant that implementing an ordering ahead solution may decrease conversations between customers and your employees. It is important to implement feedback mechanisms with any online food ordering to ensure that your company is getting sufficient input from these loyal customers.

Meanwhile, implementing appointment scheduling actually increases the quality of conversations between customers and employees because meetings are now happening at a customer's chosen time. More quality conversation leads to increased customer loyalty.

4. Think about your store layout

Stores have a variety of location layouts to accommodate customers waiting in line. Most banks have a serpentine line, to ensure order and fairness.

Now that customers are able to book whatever they need in advance, there is a third type of line that needs to be provided. Usually this line doesn’t have anyone standing in it, so make sure you have big signage – clearly marking where customers should go to make if they have booked or ordered ahead – you don’t want anyone standing in more lines than they need to.

5. Don’t forget about training and staffing with advance booking

While ordering ahead can be a boon to your customers and your bottom line, ordering ahead changes the well-established process for addressing customer needs. This can put a strain on your staff. Your staff is crucial to the success of an ordering ahead solution.

Improperly implemented, it can lead to irate customers and a loss of customer goodwill. Starbucks’ online ordering has actually been too successful, leading to ordering bottlenecks and customers walking out of the store without ordering.

At JRNI (formerly BookingBug), we conduct proper training for employees during solution implementation to kickstart adoption and ensure launch goes smoothly.

6. Ordering ahead increases order sizes and productivity

Consumers ordering on a mobile app can take as much as time as they need to make their order as opposed to feeling rushed while in line at the store.

This along with familiarity with the menu results in larger orders than in-store orders. Taco Bell is already seeing 30% larger order sizes from their mobile app. There is a little bit of psychology going on here, too, as consumers might be more likely to order the decadent chocolate sundae via an app rather than via the fast food cashier.

By taking orders in advance, stores can batch and streamline preparation, increasing productivity.

7. Best to start small with ordering ahead

Before you launch your solution nationwide, start with a pilot store or 100 to make sure you work out any kinks.

McDonald’s, leery of the pitfalls that Starbucks encountered, launched a pilot “order ahead” program in 180 stores before launching it in all 14,000 U.S. stores.

Conclusion

Booking an appointment in advance or ordering ahead will continue to grow exponentially. Retailers need to follow the lessons learned from companies who have already launched so as not to repeat their mistakes.

While technology is a key part of a booking ahead solution, companies must consider the expectations of both types of customers (order ahead and order in store) as well as perceived etiquette rules as they roll out their ordering ahead solution.

For more information about waiting in line research, download our eBook, To Queue or Not to Queue.