When I watch this video, I can only think how many times that I have done this! When you think of managing your queue, what causes a story, task or even a customer to get shuffled like this?
The frustration occurs of course because there is little if any management of the queue. In a typical airport scenario, they start the process by having a single line at the beginning of the queue. They also prioritize by having a separate line for their “Platinum” travelers. Do you get irritated by either of these scenarios? I don’t simply because I understand the process immediately without being told? It is visual and self explanatory.
Is your process that simple. does your customers understand how to do business with you? Do they understand your priorities like Platinum” customers and are willing to accept it?
I have to admit, I need a lot of work in this area. I started writing this post and it hit home. How difficult do we make it to do business with us? When you consider your Value Stream Marketing Process are there obvious clues along the way that identify the path for a customer to follow? Just count the different times in the video that a visual indicator may have allowed the bear to get in the right line. If the counter would have a sign posted such as people already with tickets, no bags or this lane will close after 3 more people, etc., this would have made a frustrating experience manageable.
In the Value Stream Marking process, one of the most important things we do is walk through a customers decision process (backwards) and create a Value Stream Map. It becomes obvious when we look at the client nutrition rate from one stage to the next that most customers are lost during the hand-offs of the process. It is when the customer is in the queue going from line to line!
