Waiting in line is the ultimate dread for any customer working with customer service.
The epitome of customer service excellence and what I consider customer service nirvana is the ability for an organization to achieve a level of customer service perfection where customers no longer have to wait in line.
When we started DigiCert, a provider of SSL Certificates and enterprise certificate management, we did so because of our own frustration with the process of buying an SSL Certificate.
Customer Service is Non-Negotiable
Customer service at DigiCert was built upon the promise that everyone deserved to get help when, where, and how they wanted. Phone support was at the core of what we considered a must for our customers and so from day one we eliminated IVRs and hold time and just hired more people to answer the phone.
Whenever we find ourselves not able to keep up with the needs of our customers, we simply hire more people.
There’s a non-negotiable standard that we’ve made a core commandment for our organization: No wait times, no lines, no queues, no complicated menus to navigate through. If customers call, email, or click to chat, we want someone there within seconds to help.
LA-based technology start-up, QLess has announced that it is also taking action to support businesses that have been criticized for long customer lines and lengthy wait times by offering a trial of its line-eliminating mobile wait technology.
Targeting the “worst line offenders” in customer service such as amusement parks, government offices, retail stores, emergency rooms and restaurants (among others), QLess wants to help these businesses liberate their patrons from waiting in line.
Eliminating Lines and Wait Time in Customer Service
Wait time and lines in customer service cost Americans more than $100 billion each year, according to recent findings from a ClickSoftware study.
Some of the worst customer service offenders are amusement parks, government offices—including DMVs and voting offices—retail stores, airports, restaurants and emergency rooms. The average wait time in national emergency rooms has been reported as high as four hours and seven minutes; and during peak crowd levels at amusement parks, lines average upwards of 90 minutes at each ride.
“The average person spends two years of his or her life waiting in line, which is unacceptable by any measure.
“Giving consumers hours of lost time back awards businesses a clear competitive advantage. Lines are archaic, and the simple implementation of a virtual waiting solution can enhance customer satisfaction, reduce walk-outs, increase throughput, build loyalty and increase profitability.”
-Alex Bäcker, founder and CEO of QLess
Never Wait In Line Again
100% of customers who go into a QLess location are able to avoid waiting in line by joining the virtual queue.
Cloud-based virtual line technology helps organizations dramatically improve customer experiences by replacing physical lines with a user-friendly mobile queue system.
Customers can simply add their name to a virtual line—from any phone, the Web, an in-store kiosk, a tablet and more—and continue about their day until notified that their turn in line is approaching.
By optimizing customer service processes, businesses can be more profitable and efficient as they see increases in productivity and better align resources with the needs of their customers and customer traffic patterns.
These revolutionary systems can dramatically improve customer experiences by eliminating lines and offering convenient ways for customers to make, manage, and keep their customer service appointments.
