Queue Busters - Effective solutions for long queues

3 min read
February 6, 2023 at 9:48 AM

Especially in busy retail environments or during peak times such as the vacation season, customers may experience long waiting times in stores. Queue Busting offers several ways to break up queues at the POS (Point of Sale) and save your customers time. 

What is Queue Busting?

Queue busting, also known as line busting, is a customer service strategy that uses technology or additional staff to reduce the amount of time customers spend waiting in line. It involves using a variety of solutions to make shopping more convenient and efficient for customers: mobilePOS devices, self-checkout terminals (SCO) , or additional staff.

Ways to break up checkout lines

MobilePOS

There are several ways for companies to eliminate queues and improve the customer experience. One solution is to use mobile point-of-sale (POS) systems, which allow employees to serve customers from anywhere in the store. This involves using mobile devices equipped with POS software to scan items and process contactless payments anywhere in the store. This can help reduce bottlenecks at traditional checkouts and improve the shopping experience.

 

Snabble-mPOS-AndroidSource: Snabble

 

Self-checkout terminals (SCO)

Another solution is the use of self-checkout terminals, which allow customers to scan and pay for their own items without the need for a cashier. These kiosks are especially useful for smaller transactions or for customers who are in a hurry. Self-checkouts offer merchants numerous benefits in addition to faster payment processing, such as increased throughput per checkout, increased floor space capacity, and improved customer experience.

 

pyramid-sco001

Source: Snabble

 

Additional staff during peak periods

Another effective strategy for avoiding queues is to deploy additional staff during peak periods. This can include hiring temporary staff or using staffing services to provide additional help when needed. However, among the above options, additional staff comes at a significant additional cost.

 

Why should long checkout lines be avoided?

  1. Dissatisfied customers: Long waiting times at the checkout can lead to dissatisfied customers who may not return or leave negative reviews. By using mobile POS devices or self-checkout terminals, customer satisfaction can be increased accordingly.

  2. Lost sales: When customers are frustrated at the POS due to long wait times, it can cause them to abandon their purchase and leave the store instead of waiting. This can lead to lost sales, which could have been prevented by a POS system designed for efficiency, customer satisfaction and flexibility.

  3. Poor image: Long wait times at the checkout can contribute to a company's image suffering, especially if they are frequent. Customers may feel that the company is inefficient or does not care about customer service. Self-checkout terminals or mobile devices for POS offer retailers the opportunity to increase their attractiveness to customers. 

  4. Time wasted: If customers have to wait a long time in the checkout line, this is wasted time for them. They may feel annoyed and stressed and may even lose patience.

In addition to improving the customer experience, overcoming queues techniques can also help businesses increase sales and revenue. By reducing wait times and improving the efficiency of checkout processes, merchants can encourage more customers to buy and reduce the risk of lost sales due to long lines.

Conclusion: Queue Busting

Overall, queue busting, or preventing long wait times at checkouts, offers different and important solutions for businesses looking to improve the customer experience and increase efficiency in their store. By using technologies such as mobile POS systems or self-checkout terminals, companies can effectively manage queues, process purchases and payments faster, and improve the overall shopping experience for their customers.

 

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