Queuing for a checkout is a tedious experience everyone can relate to. Yet, as the journalist George Mikes phrased, โan Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of oneโ. It is in our nature, but how can your business reduce this perceived wait time to increase customer satisfaction? Digital signage for queue management provides a solution to this.
In David Maisterโs The Psychology of Waiting Lines, he points out that the actual time we are waiting may have little to do with how long the wait feels. +Instead, unoccupied time feels longer than occupied time.
This blog explores 5 ways digital signage can be used and optimised to reduce perceived wait time. From displaying estimated wait times to entertaining video content, digital signage for queue management directs and distracts customers, improving their experience.
What the Research Says About Long Service Times
There are plenty of studies regarding the effect of longer perceived wait durations and how participants feel about their overall experience. Many studies have focused on the duration of participantsโ wait instead of their expectations, but one intriguing piece of research considered the effect of the expectancy disconfirmation theory.
According to the data uncovered in the study, a shorter-than-expected queue time elicited positive sentiments about an experience. Conversely, spending longer waiting than expected would make participants feel negatively about the experience.
Most surprisingly, the study found that the majority of consumers didnโt mind waiting a bit longer to purchase products or receive services. Dissatisfaction only emerged when they spent far more time in line than they initially expected to. If they expected to wait quite a while and the retailer got them checked out quicker than anticipated, the experience was viewed more positively.
There are numerous ways that retailers can capitalise on that information to address consumer expectations. Offering self-checkout solutions or allowing people to purchase products online can result in shorter in-store wait times. The number of people open to using self-checkout solutions and virtual systems has grown tremendously in recent years, with 43% of shoppers saying they would prefer to handle their transactions on their own.
Benefits of Using Digital Signage to Reduced Perceived Wait Time Queues
The data about using self-checkout systems and digital signage queue management tools is overwhelmingly positive. Offering virtual, online, and self-managed transaction options will help your business serve a larger number of consumers while meeting or exceeding expectations.
Itโs also important to cater to the people who still prefer in-person experiences and traditional checkout methods. This is where digital signage comes in, offering benefits like:
Better Engagement
When people are waiting in a queue, displaying visually engaging content is a great way to keep them entertained. Using digital signage can make a traditionally boring experience fun and interesting, and itโs a great time to advertise promotions or inform customers.
Increased Access to Information
Digital signage provides a great medium for delivering information about products, services, or relevant updates. For instance, in a retail setting, you can showcase new arrivals, upcoming sales, or product demos.
Reduced Perceived Wait Times
Digital signage has a significant psychological impact on how customers perceive wait times. By keeping them engaged with dynamic content, it distracts them from the boredom of waiting, making the experience feel shorter and more pleasant.
Enhanced Customer Experience
Finally, a positive waiting experience can boost a customerโs overall satisfaction. Digital signage can provide useful information, such as estimated wait times, which helps manage expectations and create a better experience.
Digital Signage Queue Management Techniques
While businesses often focus on managing queues and speeding up service, many overlook ways to improve the waiting experience. Digital signage offers a powerful solution for enhancing this experience, while reducing perceived wait times. In fact, digital signage can reduce perceived wait time at checkouts by as much as 35 per cent.
1. Display Estimated Wait Time
In Maisterโs The Psychology of Waiting Lines, he emphasises that โuncertain waits are longer than known, finite waitsโ. This point accentuates the benefits of keeping customers aware of how long their wait will be. For example, in a dentist’s waiting room, if a patient knows their appointment will be in 30 minutes, they will no longer be constantly on edge, reducing their anxiety and the perceived wait time.
Use digital signage software to update content instantly, keeping customers informed of any appointment changes in real-time. In a public transport setting, train or bus timetables can be displayed by using RSS feeds. This will project live information on wait times, cancellations or changes onto the screens. Whilst delays are frustrating for customers, proactively knowing about them makes the wait easier to accept.
Displaying this information on waiting area digital signage helps customers manage their expectations and feel more at ease. This clarity replaces the uncertainty that often leads to growing frustration.
2. Alert Customers With Digital Signage For Queue Management
Effectively manage queues by alerting customers and calling them forward when itโs their turn. This approach creates the impression that both the business and those ahead in the queue are making efficient use of time. These alerts can include specific locations to avoid confusion or delays, such as directing a customer to an open checkout or directing a patient to the right room in a medical centre.
By integrating audio or visual call notifications with waiting area digital signage, customers are prompted to pay attention to their turn. This feature reassures them that the queue is moving and their wait is purposeful, making the experience feel more justified and organised.
3. Provide Directions With Digital Wayfinding
In large stores or buildings, providing clear directions to checkouts, check-ins, or help desks significantly improves the customer experience. When customers frequently get lost, their satisfaction with your business declines.
Digital wayfinding on electronic screens can guide people to the correct queuing areas, enhancing efficiency. Unlike static posters, digital screens can be updated instantly to reflect changes, such as closed checkouts or a temporary pathway. This dynamic solution not only helps manage queues but also streamlines business operations.
When customers know exactly where to go, they can navigate their surroundings with much more confidence. This inherently crafts a more pleasant experience for customers.
Digital Signage Queue Management Distraction Techniques
1. Video Content
When analysing the psychology of waiting lines, Maister pointed to philosopher William Jamesโ assertion, โBoredom results from being attentive to the passage of time itselfโ. Providing distractions that will turn heads is crucial. This is where the multimedia capabilities of digital signage for queue management shine.
Whether in a retail store queue or a hospital waiting area, you can display video marketing messages, โhow toโ and informative reels, live TV, a YouTube stream, or customer testimonials, amongst other content. Schedule this content to play at particular times or put it on a playlist to rotate what customers see.
By entertaining customers, you are occupying their time and, hence, minimising their attentiveness to wait times. Considering that 85% of people would like to see more videos from brands in 2021, using videos is a fantastic way to increase engagement and entertainment.
2. Point of Sale Advertisements
Highlighting point-of-sale advertisements on digital signage in queuing areas is a great way to capture and secure customer attention. Unlike static posters that fade into the background, digital signage turns heads with its visually engaging content. These digital signage queue management advertisements will give customers something to read, look at, or watch while they wait.
This content can also boost sales; research has found that one in five customers make impulse purchases after seeing digital signage advertising. As a result, digital signage content can motivate customers to make a purchase.
3. Social Media
4.14 billion people worldwide use social media. This highlights the appeal of social media platforms and the power of displaying social media content in queuing or waiting areas to keep customers engaged and distracted from their wait.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube offer diverse content, from product images and videos to customer testimonials. By showcasing live feeds of social media accounts on digital screens, you can bring this content directly to customers. This approach not only entertains but also creates a sense of community. This sentiment can create trust in your brand and enhance the overall customer experience, which can ultimately boost sales.
Incorporating social media content into your waiting area digital signage not only distracts customers with engaging posts but amplifies the reach of your social marketing campaigns.
Digital Kiosks
Decrease the perceived wait further with interactive digital signage hardware. Digital signage kiosks allow customers to take control of their experience in various ways. People can use it to check in to places, check out items, search FAQs, and acquire information.
The features of a digital kiosk reduce wait time in varying ways. As an informational hub, a digital kiosk allows customers to self-serve when picking up parcels, or access information directly from a database. This can improve the efficiency of the customer experience, by enabling them to have more autonomy at the point of purchase.
Furthermore, as society becomes increasingly technologically savvy, using self-service kiosks can be quicker than traditional cashiers, making for a smoother flow of customer traffic in busy stores.
If you have any questions related to reducing perceived wait time with digital signage, speak to an expert today. Call our friendly team on 02380 981110 or email info@troudigital.com for a no-obligation consultation. Alternatively, click the button below.
