The art of the virtual queue

The art of the virtual queue

The art of the virtual queue

29 Jul 2020
Ben Sillitoe (IMRG)
I had to book an appointment at the local tip the other week, which was a novel experience.

You stick your address and number plate in the online system and choose your slot. The local council is doing it to manage traffic and ensure social distancing measures are adhered to as waste and recycling centres reopen after coronavirus lockdown.

Once booked, I received an email and was told to show my reference number on arrival, which is what duly happened. All in all, apart from the overspill of lockdown household and garden waste I had to lug with me in the car, it was quite a smooth process.

It was effectively an eight-day virtual queue to use a local service. And this type of interaction is something consumers might get accustomed to over the coming months, as businesses continue their incremental reopening following lockdown.

Virtual queues are being implemented or considered in or outside shops, too, as retailers – from Asda to John Lewis – look to ensure they can exert some crowd control without turning away people approaching their doors showing a willingness to spend.

And most importantly, in the face of a deadly virus that continues to strike, albeit at a reduced rate in the UK, it’s a necessary safety measure for customers and retail staff alike.

As Alecxa Julia Cristobal from digital payment provider AsiaPay notes: “By bringing the virtual queuing management system into the business framework, it can contain the spread of the virus that is a pivotal factor in this new normal.”

 

New queue etiquette

Some brands – most notably service-led organisations such as mobile phone retailers – have used this in-store technology for some time. It’s not unusual for them to meet and greet a customer, take their details, and put them in a virtual queue before sending them a mobile alert when they’re ready for the interaction.

In this case, it provides customers with certainty. It gives them a chance to go and do something else, or peruse the rest of the shop – there’s no ambiguity in terms of waiting time that so often causes consumer/retailer friction.

But for many retailers and brands, the concept of an in-store virtual queue is completely new...

 

Read more with the original article at IMRG

News for You

Loading
View all Content Hub
Loading
  • "Technology for Marketing is superior because of the quality and vetted range of visitors. We're definitely coming next year, we have already signed..."
    Event Manager, Dot Digital
  • "We come to Technology for Marketing to grow our presence into the UK from Europe. We have had very good conversations - hope to join next year"
    Content Marketer, Deployteq
  • "We came to Technology for Marketing to expose our brand in front of UK retailers, and introduce new AI focused products and services. We are most likely to attend again based on the result."
    VP Marketing, Insider
  • "A good mix of job titles with senior marketing teams - will definitely join next year."
    Product Marketing Manager, Upland
  • "We have been sponsors for three years. It is one of our best forming tradeshows and a no brainer. I really love the way its runs. Sarah Tully is a joy to work with. It is the right type of people that we are trying to meet. Absolutely will join next year."
    Events Manager, Klaviyo

Sponsors

We couldn't run the event without the support of our fantastic sponsors

Partners

and our amazing media partners

 


 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Sign up for the Technology for Marketing newsletter to keep up to date with industry news featuring interviews and content by our industry-leading speakers.

Subscribe here