Virtual queues, or systems that allow you to hold your place without physically standing in line, have become commonplace in restaurants, call centers, and many other businesses — and how you build those systems can have a major impact on the customer’s experience. In this piece, the author shares key takeaways from over a decade’s worth of research on how companies can optimize their virtual queuing systems. Specifically, she suggests that providing wait time estimates can reduce customers’ average wait time, and that providing pessimistic estimates (i.e., telling customers they will have to wait longer than they actually will) can improve the customer experience. In addition, the research shows that providing more frequent progress updates also improves the customer experience, and that customers who wait for longer than expected will take longer when their turn finally arrives (suggesting that pessimistic estimates can also help businesses to increase throughput).
In 1999, Disneyland became a pioneer of the virtual queue. That’s the year the company introduced its FastPass system, which allowed customers to hold their place in line virtually while enjoying attractions elsewhere in the park. Virtual queues have since become common in restaurants, call centers, rideshare platforms, and other businesses — and the Covid-19 pandemic has only accelerated this trend. But not all virtual queues are created equal. What can businesses do to optimize the customer experience when implementing a virtual queuing system?
