- Queues involve customers waiting in a line with nothing much to do besides ‘waiting’.
- Digital signage is about attracting customers and engaging them with some interesting content.
Don’t these two concepts sound like a match made in heaven? LED signs can take queue management to a whole new level to provide incredible results.
How queues were previously managed
It has been many years since indoor LED signs have been used in queue management. Initially it began with the “take a number” concept. However, by simply digitizing the number system and informing customers of their position in the queue, the drawbacks of ‘waiting’ did not go away. This boring numbering of queue management did nothing to help frustrated customers. There was no opportunity to reduce perceived waiting times or to provide additional information to customers to enhance their experience.
Using LED screens in this manner means that businesses are not making the most of their investment.
How LED signs are doing a better queue management job today
- LED signs can use this unavoidable ‘waiting’ time of customers to provide them with useful and relevant information.
- Every queue in the facility becomes a very valuable target for marketing. The audience in the queue is doing nothing but watching your signs with over 90% attention. What better chance do you have to inform, influence and entertain your customers?
- Organizational efficiency is greatly improved with LED signs. Imagine what response you would get from a customer who has been standing in line for an hour and then finds out that he/she has filled out the wrong application form? Indoor LED signs can be used to display such important guidance information. When customers are less confused, your business is more efficient.
Options and Services available with LED signs
Creating awareness
LED signs used in queue management excel at creating awareness and providing waiting customers with relevant information. For example, customers waiting in queue at a grocery store could be shown special offers relating to a particular brand of bread. At an auto dealership, you could advertise special maintenance packages to those waiting for their cars to be serviced, and thereby leading them to make an unplanned purchase. By creating awareness of a product or service, you are increasing sales of that product.
Improving customer experience
In queue management systems, indoor LED signs can speed up a customer’s experience. Many elderly customers are not aware about the availability of forms and documents online. LED signs can keep customers informed about the available options, including those that do not require them to stand in a queue. Imagine the frustration a customer feels when he finds out he could have accomplished his goal from his home computer rather than making a trip to the office.
Bridge language gaps
Many businesses are faced with the challenge of language barriers, especially in areas where many languages are spoken. Digital signs come to the rescue once again.
We all know how one of the main benefits of LED screens is the possibility of displaying flexible information. Multi-linguals most definitely fall into this category. Imagine how much space would be wasted when traditional signage had to display the same information in several languages. With flexible messaging options of LED signage, a loop can be created allowing the same message to be displayed for a few second in many different languages.
Reduced waiting times
Nobody likes to wait. We want things done fast. And when this doesn’t happen, we are easily frustrated. Waiting in queue with a lot of frustrated people is definitely not going to create a positive environment in your business – be it a queue at a retail store, government office, healthcare facility, restaurant, or anywhere else.
In the retail industry, customers are willing to wait only about ten minutes before getting frustrated. With indoor LED signs, customers have something to look at and distract their attention with in order to reduce perceived waiting times. Of course LED signs cannot make the clock move faster but it can give the impression of time moving faster. To do this, the content on LED signs has to be engaging and entertaining.
Queue acceleration
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, digital signage and queue management are extremely compatible with each other. While digital tactics can speed up perceived waiting times on one hand, organizational efficiency can decrease their actual waiting times and result in overall happy customers. Businesses are also happy because they get to advertise new deals and products to perfectly targeted customers who have dedicated their attention towards these LED screens.
Incredible results indeed!
