It is obvious that how people perceive the brand impacts their shopping experience. Thus, affecting the overall consumer satisfaction. For example, no matter how reasonable the customer waiting time was, it will be all their perception that is gonna matter.
Even before they enter the store, the customer’s encounter with the brand begins. As a result, merchants must recognize the importance of reducing customer waiting time and optimizing their overall process.
According to statistics, a single satisfied customer generates 2.6 times the revenue of a partially satisfied customer.
A bad in-store experience leaves negative feelings behind, which has an impact on the entire company. Reduced wait times, especially for brick-and-mortar establishments, are the key to positive brand recognition. Satisfied customers are more likely to be loyal and retain their business. Thus, maximizing the favorable word of mouth and repeat purchases.
How to Reduce Impact of Actual and Perceived Wait Time for Customer Satisfaction
Pleasing Welcome Impacts Customer Experience
Upon entering the store, the customers would want to consult the right salesperson who can help them find the right counter to get served. Here, instead of making the consumers roam here and there, implement digital signage. In addition, you can integrate self-service kiosks to guide the customers in-store.
The relevant information builds the customer’s trust. Store navigation becomes easy with the digital signs. Furthermore, the kiosks help them to connect with the associates easily to meet their needs.
In simple terms, there is straightforward communication and a diverse selection of support alternatives. As a result, buyers have complete control over their buying experience.
Integrate Virtual Queuing Solution Over Physical Queues
Many retailers these days have been switching to online appointment booking solutions and queuing software. These save the customers from waiting in long lines for hours without having any update on actual wait times.
Retailers can make the visitors book their visits online and enable store pickups. Thus, enhancing the waiting scheduling shopping experiences.
Virtual queues eliminate the hassles like customer frustration and unknown wait times. Furthermore, the anxiety associated with the physical lines is also reduced. Overall, the customer journey is improved while keeping the customer satisfied, thanks to the waiting queue system.
It also improves customer flow, decreases wait times, promotes staff efficiency, and improves customer retention.
Engagement Influences the Wait Time Perception
In this digital world, every shopper expects digital assistance to get their all needs fulfilled. This has become possible with the emergence of technologies every day. However, not all the time the digital solution can help. Long lines with the perceived times seem to be unfair.
When lineups are necessary, it is also critical to keep customers engaged to divert their attention away from wait times.
Customer satisfaction is easy to achieve by employing media screens to display true wait times. In addition, queue status and other offering-related information can be useful for consumer interaction. Indeed, videos on impending product releases, promotions or safety precautions can be broadcast. Simply put, clients will pay less attention to the perceiving wait times if they are informed, engaged, and entertained. As a result, they will be satisfied and return to your store.
Checkout is the Key to Last Impression
Retailers must understand that seamless checkout is essential to improve consumer satisfaction. No matter how great you deliver the shopping experience, the long wait line or improper queue management can overrule it all.
Here, customer dissatisfaction can take place in many ways. Consumers can simply abandon their purchases by seeing a long line. Some may get frustrated and spread negative word of mouth. All in all, negative shopping experiences and unknown wait times can have unimaginable consequences.
Hence, keep the checkout process simple. Provide enormous payment gateways so customers can pick and pay their preferred medium. There would be several customers who expect a sophisticated solution for queues and long waits.
Many successful merchants understand the significance of customer experience. Thus, rely upon customer waiting time management solutions to handle queues and reduce the need for long waits.
Efficient software such as self-service kiosks, waiting queue systems, virtual queuing solutions, and so on can be integrated. These will help to reduce perceived wait times. All of these will aid in the management of customer experiences during the checkout process.
Summing Up
To conclude, great customer service means increased opportunities to acquire new clientele and retain the existing ones. Here, the waiting queue system can support all these efforts to improve customer retention rates. However, proper planning, monitoring, and wait time management throughout the entire consumer journey is vital. Thus, creating an enhanced customer experience.
Moreover, providing good service helps to achieve positive customer feedback and build a brand reputation that is the need of any business.
You can incorporate Qwaiting, a cloud-based queue management software that comes with a digital signage feature, self-service benefit, and overall management of customer journey.
Sign up for a 14-days free trial!!