Happy Queue = Happy Customer
While doing a research about queuing, I stumble upon a article regarding the psychology of waiting in line. It is an interesting article which look at different factors that contribute to agitated waiting and methods on how to translate them to an enjoyable waiting experience.
“Products are consumed, services are experienced.”
Steven Levitt
In a gist, it can be summarised to 3 areas that will help to make the long wait a much enjoyable one. Feedback, (Delightful) Distraction, Worthiness.
- Feedback
Explain to the customer why the wait is long and provide them a constant assurance if necessary . Examples: -- Assign a queue number to the customer
- Install a waiting time counter
- Verbal assurance such as “I’ll be with you as soon as I can, after I’ve looked after that table over there”
- (Delightful) Distraction
Time is relative. Thus, distractions are used to shorten the perception of time. Examples: -- Hand out menu/drinks for customer to peruse while waiting in line
- Turning waiting area to a bar. Through using poster or reading material
- Install a mirror where guests waited for elevators so that the user could check their appearance while waiting
- Clinic and Medical room: Install a weighting machine, magazine or self-testing equipment
- Promote the sense of group waiting rather than isolating each individual, will tend to increase the tolerance for waiting time
- People waiting in line for a comedy show at Walt Disney World are asked to text message jokes that may be used during the main event
- Worthiness
The more valuable the service, the longer the customer will wait. Waiting for something of little value can be intolerable. Examples: -- Supermarket express-checkout counter
- Airport Business Class Checkout counter
Via E.Lee
Standing out from the shelf
To get your product notice, one of the approach is to have a product’s name that stand out from the shelf.
Above Image : Not the jam for the bread. Rather, a condiment for the meat (Mutton and pork).
Above Image: It says nothing about the wine, but it certainly capture the attention of the consumers.
Why I blog this because it reminds me of the Purple Cow from Seth Godin.
“The essence of the Purple Cow — the reason it would shine among a crowd of perfectly competent, even undeniably excellent cows — is that it would beremarkable. Something remarkable is worth talking about, worth paying attention to. Boring stuff quickly becomes invisible.” – fast company
Relative or Absolute
Above image is a LCD panel that display the estimate time arrival for the next public bus. The second column from the left is displaying the time that the bus will arrive. The initial respond is to check the current time and do some mental calculation to derive the estimate time arrival.
Will the information be much clearer and comprehensive if the chart display the relative time rather than the absolute time? Design (just enough) what the user need to find out, and nothing more than that.
Creative use of CD
Happen to come across a stall owner who hang a old CD in front of the stall. After a few queries, it seem that the purpose is to keep the flies away.
Did a quick research and here is the answer that I have found from HowStuffWork.
“… (light) refraction can be just as confusing for some species of insect, especially the housefly. It boasts a highly sensitive array of eyes which allow it to see in multiple directions at once….
… Some entomologists believe that when these complex, sensitive eyes experience refracted light, the insect becomes confused and flies away.”
Apparently, the refracted light from the CD create some sense of disturbance to the flies which keep the insects away from the perimeter.
In the west, water bags are use for the same purpose and if you need something more visual appealing, there is a chic version as well.
Why I blog this because I am always intrigued by solutions that are not meant for the intended purpose and they are designed by the users.
Update 13th Jul 2011:
Saw this photo while browsing the fb album of Aljunied GRC in their Tangkak Durian and Yongpeng Tour. This photo seem to be taken in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Sale, in a subtle way
How will you do a shout out for ‘sale’, where it does not give the perception that the products are ‘out-of-season’ or ‘inferior’?
Muji has created a smart poster with the symbol $. It illustrate a message as Good Deal or Worthy. A much softer touch compare to having the word SALE spreading across.
Another example that I have came across are from Louis Vuitton, where they will use the symbol % as a replacement of the word. The word ‘SALE’ will put the product into a different market position which they will not like to uphold. I will try to upload the images if I manage to take a photo of it.