How Long Queuing Time Hurts Your Business and What to Do

From a retailer’s perspective, long queuing time can significantly hurt your business. From a customer’s perspective, it can lead to a loss in interest in a brand. Neither situation does well and that’s why understanding queue psychology is so important.

In short, queue psychology looks at long queuing times, whether at a brick-and-mortar location or in a virtual waiting room. In both cases, it’s the perception of the length of wait that can be stress, frustration, and anxiety inducing.

To alleviate these scenarios, business owners need to carefully consider their queue management strategies to enhance their customer experience and provide exceptional customer service. 

Read on to learn how to address this challenge.

The Business Cost of Long Queues in the UK

Several scholars and professionals have dedicated their research to queue waiting time and its impact on businesses and customers. The bottom line is that a long wait time can harm your business.

When customers are lined up and wait for longer than they are willing to, or without proper queue management strategies implemented, it leads to frustration, stress and even anxiety.

This can cause them to abandon the queue, abandon the items they’d like to buy and simply leave your business without a sale, impacting your bottom line and your business’ reputation.

Here are some findings worth noting about the business cost of long queues:

• The maximum number of shoppers in a queue should be seven as any number higher than that means a customer won’t even consider joining the queue.
• Shoppers are only willing to queue for as little as six to nine minutes before abandoning it.
• A significant 86% of customers will avoid a store altogether if they believe that the queue time there is too long.
• Also significant is that 70% of shoppers are less likely to return to a store if they’ve experienced a long waiting time just once.
• Long queues can generate sales reductions that are the equivalent of a 5% price increase.
• On average, a shopping trip includes 20 minutes of waiting time.

Overall, a long queue translates into frustrated customers who are unlikely to return to your business, a negative customer experience and loss of sales with negative impacts on your sales and revenue.

Why Customers Walk Away From Slow Service

Whether you sell physical products or offer a service, a slow-moving queue can result in customers walking away empty-handed before they’re about to make a purchase. The trouble isn’t in the waiting itself.

It’s in the perceived loss of time. Many customers feel that queueing is time wasted and, if not managed adequately, can result in a negative customer experience. 

Consider these reasons as you work on addressing long waiting times at your business:

• Perceived poor service: Long waits create the impression that a business is disorganised, understaffed or doesn’t value customer time.
• Time is valuable: Customers often have alternatives and won’t waste time standing in a long line if they can get the same product or service elsewhere faster.
• Frustration and stress: Waiting in line increases irritation, especially in busy environments (e.g., retail, food service, call centers). A negative emotional experience pushes people away.
• Fear of delays: Customers may worry that the service itself will also be slow if the queue is already long, so they leave before investing more time.
• Opportunity cost: People weigh what else they could be doing with that time. If waiting isn’t worth it, they’ll walk away.
• Competitor attraction: With easy access to competitors (both in-store and online), customers know they don’t have to stay, and they can go somewhere more convenient.

In short, customers often walk away from long queues because they value their time, perceive poor service, feel frustrated and know they can easily turn to faster competitors.

Impact on Sales, Loyalty, and Brand Perception

Waiting in a queue for a period of time that feels unnecessarily long can lead to a poor customer experience and lost sales. 

However, it can also lead to:

• An unnecessary waste of time and resources;
• Decreased sales volume;
• Negative brand and business reputation;
• Lowered employee engagement and employee productivity.

Long queue times don’t just frustrate customers. They can drain resources, hurt sales, damage brand reputation and even lower staff morale.

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Top Causes of Long Queuing Times

Long queues rarely happen by accident. They’re usually the result of operational inefficiencies that can be addressed with the right tools and processes. 

Some of the most common causes include:

• Inefficient payment processes: Slow or outdated checkout systems force both staff and customers to spend longer completing transactions.
• Insufficient staffing: Not having enough employees available during peak hours creates bottlenecks and longer waiting times.
• Poor queue management: Lack of structured queuing systems or unclear customer flow often leads to confusion and delays.
• Limited checkout options: With only one or two payment points, even a small influx of customers can result in long waits.
• Complex or manual tasks at checkout: Time-consuming actions such as manual price entry, loyalty point calculations or paperwork add unnecessary delays.
• Unpredictable demand spikes: Businesses that don’t anticipate busy periods or seasonal peaks often get caught off guard, leaving customers stuck in queues.

By identifying the root causes of long waiting times, you can take proactive steps to streamline your business operations, speed up payments and keep customers satisfied.

How Slow Payment Processing Contributes

Even when queues are well managed and adequately staffed, slow payment processing can bring the entire customer journey to a halt. A few extra seconds at the till may not seem significant, but multiplied across dozens or hundreds of transactions a day, it quickly adds up to long lines and frustrated customers.

Some of the key ways slow payment processing impacts queues include:

• Delays at checkout: Outdated card readers, unreliable internet connections or complicated payment steps extend the time needed to complete each transaction.
• Customer frustration: Shoppers expect quick, seamless payments. That’s why any hiccups or delays can sour their overall experience.
• Lost sales opportunities: If payments take too long, customers in a hurry may abandon their purchase altogether.
• Negative brand impression: Businesses with slow payment systems risk being seen as outdated or inefficient compared to competitors with faster technology.

Ultimately, the payment stage should be the smoothest part of the customer journey. However, when it isn’t, it becomes a major bottleneck that amplifies queuing problems and harms customer loyalty.

Queue Management Strategies for Improving Your Business’ Queue Time

Long queues don’t have to be the norm. With the right strategies, you can shorten waiting times at your business, improve customer satisfaction and even increase sales. Below are some of the most effective approaches.

Improving checkout speed with efficient POS systems

Modern point-of-sale (POS) systems streamline transactions by making payments faster, more reliable and easier to process. 

With features like quick card authorisation, integrated loyalty programmes and digital receipts, customers move through the queue more smoothly, which reduces bottlenecks at the checkout.

Using contactless and mobile payments to cut waits

Contactless cards, mobile wallets and QR code payments speed up transactions by eliminating the need for PIN entry or cash handling. 

Offering a variety of quick payment options ensures that every customer can choose the method that best suits them, leading to shorter queues and a more positive experience.

Staff training and peak-time planning

Even the best technology needs to be supported by well-trained staff. Employees who know how to use POS systems efficiently, handle multiple payment methods and resolve issues quickly are essential for smooth customer flow. Planning staff schedules around peak times also ensures enough team members are available when demand is highest. 

Here’s what else to consider:

• Set realistic waiting times: When waiting is unavoidable, managing expectations is key. Clear communication about approximate waiting times helps customers feel informed and more patient, reducing frustration.
• Ensure fairness of the queue: Nothing irritates customers more than feeling that others are being served before them. Fair and transparent queuing systems, such as ticket dispensers or clearly marked lines, reassure customers that they’ll be served in the correct order.
• Give reasons for delays: Customers are far more forgiving when they know why they’re waiting. Simple explanations, like a system update or a high volume of customers, show transparency and prevent frustration from escalating.
• Break queues up into smaller ones: Multiple smaller queues, for example, one for card payments and another for cash, can make waiting feel faster and more organised. This approach helps distribute customers more evenly and keeps traffic flowing.
• Use in-queue signage and entertainment: Signage that updates customers on waiting times or directs them to faster options (like self-checkout) reduces uncertainty. Adding light entertainment, digital displays or promotional content can also make queues feel shorter and keep customers engaged.

By combining efficient POS systems, contactless payments and smart queue management, businesses can keep lines moving and with myPOS retail point of sale options, you have all the tools you need to reduce waiting times and deliver a smoother customer experience.

Why Faster Queues Lead to Better Business Outcomes

Shorter queues aren’t just about keeping customers happy at a given moment. They have a direct and lasting impact on your bottom line. Faster queues create a smoother experience that encourages customers to stay, spend more and return in the future.

Just some of the key benefits of reducing queue times include:

• Increased sales;
• Higher customer loyalty;
• Improved brand perception;
• Happier employees;
• Stronger competitive edge.

Efficiency is a strong driver of both customer satisfaction and business growth and optimising your queue times is one of the simplest ways to achieve it.

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