• Language:

  • (Українська) Кнопка

    • Mon – Sat: 9:00 – 18:00
    • +380 63 523 26 29
    • Qmatic

      Managing Customers’ Queue Experience and waiting time is an essential part of delighting your customers. The purpose of this page is to give you a central understanding of what a Queue Management System is, why it’s important and how to choose a solution.”

      We are the QMATIC SOLUTION PARTNER

      Hansa Solutions is official partner of company Qmatic AB in Ukraine since 2009. We are proud to say Qmatic is a global leader in Customer Journey Management solutions (technical solution called also as Queue Management Systems) and we as an official partner are using some Qmatic original materials on our website for a better explanation of the queuing systems.

      40 years of innovation has given Qmatic the technical advantage to create valuable customer experiences by connecting people to services. All this time period Qmatic Group has been leading and innovating customer journeys. The company operates in over 120 countries, more than 65.000 systems implemented around the world, guiding more than 2 billion customers yearly, with global headquarters in Sweden.

      Qmatic provides software and hardware that help private and public organizations connect online and onsite engagements. The integrated enterprise platform and analytics also provides the insights to better orchestrate customer interactions, offers timely promotions, and optimizes staff and resource planning.

       

      Queue Management is the process of improving your business by managing customer’s waiting experience.

      As explained in the article How to manage customers’ waiting experience, there are two types of waiting time.

      • The actual timebetween the customer first decides to get something until they have it.
      • The perceivedtime between the customer first decides to get something until they have it.

      As a service provider, you need to consider both types of waiting time. If you want to improve the customer experience, you need to reduce the actual waiting time while enhancing the perceived waiting time.

      Queue Management vs. Customer Journey Manage

      The term Queue Management appeared in the mid of 20th century. At that time, the main focus was to improve the customer’s queue experience by decreasing the actual wait time inside, e.g., a restaurant. In recent years new technology has evolved into a more complex customer journey. Today, service providers need to manage the entire customer journey, from pre-arrival to post serving. Thus, Qmatic rather refer to Customer Journey Management than Queue Management. On the page Customer Journey Management, you can learn more about the difference between the terms.

      However, on this page, we will refer to a renewed definition of traditional Queue Management:

      Queue Management is the process of improving your business by managing customers’ waiting experience throughout their entire customer journey.”

      In the article, Queue management: How to manage customers’ waiting experience, you can learn more about Queue Management.

      A Queue Management System is primarily a system that makes sure that customers get served in the right order, but according to our renewed definition of Queue Management (above) a Queue Management System is then a system that manages the customer’s waiting experience throughout their entire journey, from pre-service to post-service.

      The solution can contain either or both – software and hardware that help businesses to facilitate the customer’s access to service, to plan and manage customer flow and staff, and to gather data to improve the customer experience.

      Types of a queue management system

      As mentioned above, a queue management system can contain both software and hardware. Below are examples of such pieces. Some of them can be used independently but the more sophisticated solutions combine the different modules into a seamless omnichannel solution.

      Examples of software in a queue management system:

      • Online appointment booking
      • Virtual queuing via smartphone
      • Staff apps to arrive and serve customers
      • Customer and staff notifications
      • Real-time monitoring of operations
      • Customer feedback surveys
      • Extensive statistics and analyses

      Examples of hardware in a queue management system:

      • Self-service kiosk
      • Ticket printers
      • Digital signage
      • Display
      • Media Player
      • Vision and Sound

      Benefits of a Queue Management System

      A Queue Management System enables you to practically manage customers throughout their interactions with your organization and make that journey as comfortable and smooth as possible. It also helps you understand how your customers and employees engage, providing you the insights you need to improve both the customer experience and the operational efficiency. Below are some benefits of a Queue Management System

      Improve access to services with appointment scheduling

      By offering customers to schedule appointments, you can estimate the expected number of customers. In the article, Appointment scheduling solution: What, how, and why, you can learn more about the benefits of appointment systems.

      Decrease actual waiting time by better time management

      The Queue Management System helps you identify how you can streamline the entire customer journey.

      Reduce customer uncertainty with notifications and messaging

      With a Queue Management System, customers can get SMS or email notifications with reminders of their appointments, information about how to prepare for their appointment and even self-check-in links. With messaging through for example digital signage, it is possible to share details such as the number of open counters, services offered, current waiting, and transaction times.

      Keep customers entertained with media solutions in the waiting area

      By integrating media displays with a Queue Management System you keep the waiting customer both entertained and informed, which in turn decreases their perceived waiting time.

      Allow customers to wait wherever they prefer with a mobile ticket

      Enable customers to get a mobile ticket instead of a physical one with your Queue Management System. This means that the customer can wait where they like and spend their time wisely which both decreases the risk of crowded lobbies and increases the customer’s waiting experience.

      Enable staff planning and increase staff mobility

      Gathering real-time data, the Queue Management System can facilitate the manager’s staff planning. It helps managers get a balanced and controlled waiting period and distribute staff where they are most needed.

      Match the right competence to each case

      A Queue Management System enables organizations to segment customers in different queues, rather than entering all customers in the same line.

      Improve personalization of service delivery

      A Queue Management System offers several opportunities for improved personalization.

      Identify bottlenecks and improve

      By gathering data throughout the customer journey, such as service times and waiting times, you can get a complete overview of your current service performance.

      All organizations benefit from satisfied customers. But some industries stand out more than others. Qmatic Customer Journey Management (CJM) simplify contacts, reduce friction, and save time and money, provides solutions and insights designed for unique industry environments, focusing on four main industry sectors: Healthcare, Public, Financial, and Retail.

      Queue Management Systems in the public sector

      There is an ongoing digital transformation in the public sector where more and more government offices implement a modern and digital Queue Management Solution. The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the speed of this transformation and many government offices have looked for a solution that also ensures a safe customer journey and staff work environment. A Queue Management System can enable a safe queueing experience while providing service providers with conditions to deliver high-quality services and improve customers’ satisfaction.

      Government offices face many challenges today. Skill shortage, efficiency targets, and limited budgets are a few examples. With a queue management system, you can get the most value from your resources without having too many employees on hand.

      On the page Queuing solutions for government offices, you can learn more about the benefits of Queue Management Systems in public services & government offices.

      Queue Management Systems in hospitals

      Everyday healthcare facilities get visited by generally worried patients, stressed, and sometimes even in pain. If you want to improve the patient experience, you need to create a comfortable environment.

      Most healthcare facilities are under pressure to provide high-quality service while coping with limited resources. These circumstances usually create a very stressful experience for both patients and staff alike.

      To create a comfortable environment for both patients and staff, you need to streamline your operation. In the article Queue Management Systems in hospitals, you can read more about how Queue Management Systems can help you improve your healthcare facility; in the end, you can find some results that previous hospitals have achieved.

      Queue Management Systems in retail

      Retail customers shop online, on mobile, and in-store. As customers’ expectations increase, you, as a retailer, need to create a seamless and flawless customer journey.

      By implementing a Queue Management System, you can get the insights to understand, anticipate, and meet the customer’s expectations.

       

       

      Within a Queue Management System, many features help retailers improve customer experience; here are some examples:

      Location-based mobile app

      Make it easy for customers to find your store with a location-based mobile app, and make it easy for them to purchase online and pick up their purchase at your store.

      Mobile queueing

      Let customers check-in via their mobile phone and make it easier for them to browse your store.

      SMS and digital signage

      Reduce actual and perceived waiting times by keeping the customer updated via SMS or digital signage.

      On the page Retail Industry Solutions, you can read more about managing customers’ wait time in retail.

      Queue Management Systems in banks

      The service quality and customer experience are crucial for banks today. If you do not live up to customer expectations, it’s easier than ever before for them to shift bank.

      You need to increase the perception of your bank. However, striving for an instant service experience often requires many employees and can lead to unsustainable costs in the long run.

      By implementing a Queue Management System, banks can improve the efficiency and quality of service without increasing the cost too much. In the article, Queue Management Systems in banks, you can read more about how banks can benefit from replacing traditional analogue queue systems, with new modern Queue Management Systems.

      It’s important to understand that a Queue Management System is not about eliminating waiting times. Striving for an instant service experience is very expensive as it requires too many employees on hand. Instead, a queue management system is about managing the Customers’ Waiting Experience.

      Watch the Video to see how a Queue Management System can work:

      As a service provider you can choose between less and more complex Queue Management Systems. In this chapter we have highlighted some main things to consider when choosing a supplier and a system. You can use these features to compare different options and discover the system that best suits your needs.

      What to consider when choosing a Queue Management System supplier

      The key criteria when selecting a Queue Management System supplier:

      • Proven track record
      • Experience of Queue Management in your industry
      • Understanding your specific visitors’ issues and experience
      • The ability to engage all stakeholders
      • Project management expertise
      • Flexible pricing or total cost of ownership to accommodate your budget and needs, now and in the future
      • Integration support

      What to consider when choosing a Queue Management System

      Below are some important factors to consider when choosing a Queue Management System:

      Security

      The solution should ensure that customer data is secured and protected and that there is functionality to assist with GDPR compliance.

      Scalability

      Should the solution be able to accommodate growing demands when your organization or service grows, or when customers’ demands expand?

      Offer omnichannel solutions

      A wide range of demography may require services in physical and/or digital environments, so consider an omnichannel solution that can cater to the requirements through various channels, without any gaps.

      Integrated, from pre-arrival through post-service

      To improve your customer journey, you need to consider all customer touch points. Ensure your system integrates physical and digital channels seamlessly.  

      Collection of data at all touch points

      Get the insights needed to improve and streamline your service performance by investing in a system that gather data from all customer touch points.

      Ability to match customer needs with employee skills

      A more streamlined process that connects customers to the right employee is the key to handle higher demands more efficiently.

      Allows third party integration

      In the need of customization, the system needs to allow additional third-party features to be built on top if required.

      Ability to handle changes without disrupting the flow

      A Queue Management System should be able to handle both appointment and walk-in visitors and adapt if someone cancels or comes late.

      Easy to configure and possible to personalize the user interface

      Organizations are not all the same, and neither are their customers, so the solution should be configurable to manage all the different requirements.

      “In the article, Important factors to consider when choosing a queue management system, you can learn more about important things to consider when investing in a Queue Management System. 

      Queue Management System price

      The price of a Queue Management System really depends on what the requirements are. It ranges from a simple manual ticketing dispenser all the way to a fully flexible customer journey management solution integrated with the rest of the business.

      The supplier installs and configures the system, but there are some steps you need to think about throughout the implementation phase. Below are a few examples of what we recommend organizations to consider when implementing a Queue Management System.

      Identify your business needs

      The required functions of a Queue Management System vary among organizations, industries, and countries. Therefore, you’ll need to thoroughly identify your needs together with the supplier as the first step.

      As stated in the article, How to reduce customer wait times with automation, Steve Jobs once said, “You start with the customer and work backwards with the technology.” When identifying your needs, start with creating a list of all the services you provide. Make sure you separate between the services you provide and the services you perform. It’s a big difference.

      Walk the customer journey yourself. By actually going through each customer touch point, you can easily detect gaps and breaks in your customer journey.

      Set clear objectives

      To ensure high quality, cost savings, and effective timings during the implementation phase, we recommend that organizations mutually agree on objectives and expectations and plan the implementation together with the Queue Management System supplier.

      In the article, How to reduce customer wait times with automation, the author define the service level as the maximum time that it is okay for the customer to wait in a queue. One important objective when implementing a Queue Management System is to define this acceptable wait time for each queue. Then you can configure the system to call the customer closest to the end of his/her service level.

      Test the system before launch

      After the supplier has configured the software and installed the hardware on your premise, you must get time to test and verify that the solution meets your objectives and expectations.

      Develop the right skill sets

      To maximize the value of the Queue Management System, your employees must develop the right skill sets. We recommend that you require proper training from your supplier.

      Evaluate and refine

      Make sure you continually evaluate your results from the Queue Management System. Does it solve your needs and meet your objectives? Have a close dialogue with your supplier to refine if needed.

      On the page, a world-class client success program, you can read more about how we help our customers design, develop, and implement Queue Management Systems.

      Queues & Queuing

      One of the signs of a successful business is that people flock to it. They queue to get in or to get served. Your challenge is to make sure that the ensuing poor customer experience does not affect your success. You need to think long and hard about how and why your customers are queuing, and whether there is a better way for them to do it.

      If queues are an everyday occurrence in your business, then the chances are you will have already introduced some form of Customer Journey Management, perhaps dictated by the number and layout of checkout systems or the presence or absence of ticketing and information systems. Depending on your objectives, however, the system you have in place may well not be the best one. If your priority is productivity you may want to maintain a particular queue length to ensure your staff is always working.

      If your priority is customer service, you may want to do away with queues altogether, as far as is possible. To achieve your objectives, then, it helps to have a basic understanding of the different types of Customer Journey configurations you can use.

      Queuing types: linear queuing virtual queuing and mobile queuing

       

      Linear Queuing

      Linear queuing is when your customers wait physically in a line. It is the oldest and most common way to manage queues and waiting, and encompasses several variations:

      • Single-Queue-Single-Service-Point (SQSSP), or ‘first-in-first-out’, where the goal is to serve the customers in the order in which they arrived. This is typically found in service centres with few customers, such as coffee shops and fast-food restaurants.
      • Multiple-Queue-Multiple-Service-Points (MQMSP), which offers the possibility to segment customers based on service needs. Customers who require services with longer expected service times can be separated from those with faster requirements.
      • Single-Queue-Multiple-Service-Points (SQMSP), where the supply of service is distributed logically to the customer who queued first. A slow customer may affect delivery overall, but customers will always be directed to the first available counter.

      Virtual Queuing

      A virtual queue is invisible in the sense that your customers are identified on arrival, say by their name or social security number, but not confined to any particular waiting spot, so they don’t know what position they have in the queue relative to others. It is also a solution suitable or mobile waiting, where a customer is in the queue, but at a different location. This requires your customers to be either greeted and queued by a member of staff or entered into the queue through a ticket-printer, self-serve kiosk or mobile application. You then give them an assurance that they will be served at an appropriate time. As with linear queuing, virtual queuing encompasses several variations:

      • Agents call the next customer when service to the current customer is finished. If there are several agents, customers could be called from the same queue (as in SQMSP) or from different queues based on some type of segmentation (as the MQMSP).
      • Staff can pre-call the next customer before service to the current customer has actually finished. The effect is that a buffer zone with a waiting customer is created behind the currently served customer.
      • The buffer zone is a common area where the next few customers to be served are pre-called, but each waiting customer is assigned to a member of staff in appropriate order only when the currently served customer at a service point is actually finished.

      These variations are illustrated below:

      Mobile Queuing

      Mobile applications and Mobility has transformed everything about how humans act – and interact. Additional to these pictures is also the “mobile queue management” where a customer is not waiting in the physical location at all, but instead keeps their place in the queue via a mobile app or an SMS solution.

      Customer Flow Management

      The Customer Flow Management process is central and only when this process has been fully understood is it possible to design solutions that maximize the benefits for the service provider.

      It is important to realize that there is not one single process that is “optimal” for all service providers (for all businesses) but, much depends on the KPIs of each individual service provider.

      The Customer Flow Management process consists of several phases including Pre-arrival, Arrival, Queuing/waiting, Serving, Post-serving and Managing (illustrated here). In fact, it is this view of the entirety of the customer service operation – and the resulting framework for making informed business decisions – that frames the boundaries of Customer Flow Management.

      Customer Journey Management

      Customer Journey Management is a methodology that supports the development of great customer experience. Based on Customer Flow Management frames, Customer Journey Management links the service points together, helping managers understand the dynamics of the customer’s visit.

      As here illustrated, understanding, and managing the customer journey is a key, it stresses the importance of planning and monitoring the customer’s entire visit, also capturing data and information at each point of contact with a member of staff or self-service point to manage operation and drive efficiency.

      In short, customer journey management can link the vast amount of customer information in CRM databases to the real-time activities targeting and influencing the customers present in the service provider’s premises, as shown here:

       

      Initially it involves mapping your current customer journey and defining an optimal one, taking into consideration how the process affects your business, customers and staff, and the direct and indirect impact it has on your key performance indicators.

      Despite the rise of the Internet, the point at which customers and products or services meet is usually a physical space, whether it is a high street store, a bank or a hospital waiting room. And that is where all of an organization’s costly investment and detailed understanding often falls flat. No amount of expenditure on BI, CRM or disconnected Customer Experience Management (CEM) system can make up for a poor experience when a customer walks through your door.

      When you have a customer on your premises, they are usually there for the express purpose of buying something or soliciting your services. This is often the most critical stage in your sales process and in these days of making sure that every customer receives a personalized and seamless journey it is even more important to look at the integration of the virtual and physical world.

      So if you are prepared to spend on BI, CRM and CEM, it makes sense to spend on something else which will allow you to analyse in-store customer behaviour in real time. This competitive methodology is called Customer Journey Management.

      Based on insights provided by using the methodology, it is possible to deliver solutions that addresses not only the customer experience, but also provides tangible means to increase sales and/or reduce operational cost.

      Customer Experience Management

      Designing a system that provides the means for a personalized and seamless journey is a challenge. If you can incorporate a holistic approach into a wide Customer Experience Management strategy that covers all areas of your store, branch or hospital design, from doorstep to service, then you can have a major impact on your bottom line (serving your clients).

      Managing queues, be it with traditional Queue Management System or mobile solution is an integral part of Customer Journey Management and compared to many other process-led business improvements, this is a measure with clear and tangible benefits. But perhaps its most important benefit is the impact it has on something which is invaluable, yet largely intangible: your customers’ experience of your brand.

      Customer Experience Management is about knowing the customers so completely that its is possible to create and deliver personalized experiences that will entice them to not only remain loyal, but also to evangelize to others – and that’s the most valuable form of advertising there is.

      Qmatic provides the following values in relation to Customer Experience Management

      • Ensure brand consistency in the branch as well as in the integration between the virtual and physical world.
      • Ensure a personalized experience in the physical space allowing for better service, marketing and sales.
      • Empower customers with self-service & mobile solutions that improve satisfaction and profit margins
      • Better understand customers and their in-branch experience through customer feedback features

      As methodology fits within Customer Experience Management space where it helps to maximize the face-to-face opportunities and bridge the gap between the virtual and physical world.

      Customer Experience Management + Customer Journey Management

      Customer Experience Management (CEM) is a strategy that focuses on the operations and processes of a business around the needs of the individual customer.

      It focuses on the “experience” part of the customer. CEM links together strategies, departments, business models and information technology to design, manage and optimize the end-to-end customer experience.

      Customer Journey Management is the methodology Qmatic invented to maximize moments of engagement opportunities in the customer journey with a focus on the “in branch” experience and the integration of the branch with the online world

      By linking the service points in a store, branch or clinic, Qmatic’s solutions help managers understand and optimize the dynamics of the customer’s visit – and ultimately their experience.

      Qmatic offers a broad range of products, in one location or over a wide network, from standalone queuing systems to large-scale enterprise solutions, with secure integration to your other systems and the flexibility of on-premises, off-premises, mobile or cloud-based options. All backed up by more than 40 years’ experience and knowledge of delivering seamless, rewarding customer journeys.

      Main benefits of the Qmatic solutions for service provider:

      • Plan and monitor the customer’s entire visit
      • Capture data and information at each point of contact
      • Deliver excellent customer experiences
      • Improve your service
      • Drive efficiency
      • Grow your business and revenue
      • Reach new customers
      • And sell more to current customers

       

      Customer Journey Management methodology at work

      The wrong solution can be worse than having no solution at all. When you apply our methodology, you know it is right. Below are just a few examples, based on real life cases, of what clients have achieved with Qmatic Customer Journey Management methodology. As we see it, it is all about bringing value to our clients’ businesses.

      • A leading financial institution reduces staffing needs by 32%.
      • A bank reports productivity gains in the face-to-face sales team of 21% and better use of staff during less busy periods.
      • Customer waiting times have been reduced by 19%.
      • 8% sales increase at a leading financial institution.

      If you want to know more about what your business can achieve with our methodology, just let us know.

      Qmatic Customer Journey Management

      Qmatic define Customer Journey Management as managing the customer journey and the customer’s experience from initial contact to final service delivery.

      It helps companies adopt a customer-centric perspective and begins when a customer makes an appointment for a visit or enters a shop, bank, hospital, or a public sector service centre.

      Beginning from Customer Flow Management process phases, including Pre-arrival, Arrival, Queuing/waiting, Serving, Post-serving and Managing, to reach better Customer Experience of your brand, Customer Journey Management system will connect clients to your services and support seamless journey through online and face-to-face interactions.

      Modern Customer Journey scheme by Qmatic

      Customer Journey Management Solutions

      When you need to simplify Queue Management, streamline your customer journey, and improve your customer experience, we are there to support you with Qmatic solutions:

      Virtual queuing solutions

      Self-service kiosks

      Appointment Scheduling

      Digital Signage

      Business Intelligence

      Mobile Applications

      Customer Journey Management solutions enables you to enhance the customer experience at every step of the Customer Journey, from pre-arrival to post-service. And generate valuable analytics and insights for optimized operations, while keeping people connected to your services and seamless journey through online and face-to-face interactions.

      Managing Customer Experience is about understanding situations. It is also about understanding and managing the various touch points a customer has with a service provider.

      Customer Flow Management is a methodology invented by Qmatic to provide the tools and process to better understand situations, to map out customer journeys and to derive at the best Customer Experience Management solution.

      Qmatic CJM Software solution

      Based on your customer journey needs, your future ambitions, the size of your budget and getting the fastest return on your investment, you can find a Qmatic software solution exactly right for you – adapts and grows with you over time:

      Qmatic Solo (single location)

      Getting the control and data you need to create a great, profitable customer experience doesn’t have to be complex. Solo is a simple, extendable and highly

      Queue Management & Service Control

      • Manage your queues and serve your customers
      • Standard queue engine rules
      • Notify your customers and staff
      • Make voice announcements
      • Create ticket design with a simple to use editor

      Digital Signage

      • Basic digital signage with integrated queue information

      Reports and Dashboards

      • Gather data and create reports
      • Local data from individual sites
      • Basic real-time management panel

      Qmatic Orchestra (enterprise CJM software platform)

      No matter how large or dispersed your organization, stay in command over every piece of the customer journey from a single point. Orchestra is built with tightly integrated, customized modules and total ecosystem connectivity. It is the most powerful way to optimize productivity and satisfy your customers and employees.

      Built for organizations with complex requirements, many and/or large premises and a need to manage queue management centrally.

        • Modular and scalable
        • Centralized control over multiple sites and user’s access
        • Business Intelligence
        • GDPR Ready
        • Distributed operations, installations, and upgrades
        • Built-in network break tolerance
        • Integrated functionality, web-based installation
        • Assimilation with leading business platforms

        Orchestra – centralized control of the customer journey, better queue management, and a consistently excellent customer experience at every location.

      Capacity, Unlimited users, services and kiosks | Central deployment

      Queue Management & Service Control

      • Manage your queues and serve your customers
      • Advanced queue engine rules
      • Notify your customers and staff via global SMS service
      • Make voice announcements
      • Create screen and ticket design with drag and drop

      Digital Signage

      • Advanced digital signage with integrated queue information

      Reports and Dashboards

      • Gather data and customize advanced reports.
      • Central consolidation of data from multiple sites

      Qmatic industry-leading customer journey management has also released in the cloud with the latest product offer – Qmatic Cloud Solutions

       

      Customer journeys and a great solution integrates the virtual and physical world to create a personalized experience with your clients in all touch points.

      How does a Customer Journey Management Solutions work?

      Create an outstanding customer experience from first touch point, booking appointment online/mobile 24/7, through the onsite journey across your entire organization. We have a range of solutions that allow your customers to schedule appointments online or their phone and smoothly move from check-in to service. This is a crucial functionality your customers today demand.

      Scheduling capabilities fully integrate with our queuing and self-service check-in solutions and other third-party systems to streamline each customer journey.

      From the moment someone books an appointment, you are informed to select the best employees and resources to handle customer volume and needs.

      Customer Flow Management can start before the customers physically visits the shop, bank, hospital or public service centre, by implementing a method to book appointments before arrival or use mobile solutions such as smartphone apps (mobile queue management). This reduces the time spent waiting by the customer and hence has a positive impact on the customer’s service experience.

      Qmatic’s mobile ticket solution enables customers to get in line before arriving at the branch. It also allows customer at the branch to select a mobile ticket, giving them the flexibility to wait where ever they desire while still being able to monitor their place in line. Anyone with a smartphone and a web browser can access the mobile ticket – there is no need to download yet another app.

      For the service provider it can be a tool to control and steer the flow of customers away from peak hours to less busy parts of the day. It can also be a powerful tool that delivers the pre-visit data required for the service provider to staff more appropriately and deliver better customer service.

      On arrival, customers need to be placed in an appropriate queue. Customer Flow Management stresses the possibility of segmenting the customers in different queues if appropriate, rather than entering all customers in the same queue. The most common segmentation is based on customer needs, e.g. separate queues for separate services.

      Customers with more complex service requirements can then be managed separately, which reduces the risk of “blocking” other customers with a negative impact on their service experience. It also allows the service provider to match customers with the staff who have the most suitable competence to respond to their needs. This is positive both for the customers who get the best support and for the service provider that maximises the likelihood for potential cross- and up-sells.

      Another possibility for segmentation is to base it on customer attractiveness. VIP customers that are considered important for the service provider could for example be positioned at the front of the queue. In a world where service roviders are struggling to build increased loyalty among their customers, this represents a very interesting opportunity.

      Depending on the degree of complexity of the segmentation the queue entry point can and should be designed differently. In the very simplest case no special arrangements or at most a few barriers might be appropriate. In more complex situations various self-service terminals or even staffed greeting stations can be used to ensure customers enter the queues correctly.

      From a customer perspective an important criteria to ensure a high service experience is to secure an “in process feeling”, e.g. the customers need to know and feel that they have entered the queue correctly and will be served in the appropriate time by the appropriate service person.

      For the service provider the arrival and queue entry is the first opportunity to start tracking the customer on site. This requires customer identification and the creation of an initial data point. If the customer is not identified and tracked at this point the next opportunity to start tracking the customer is at service delivery.

      After arrival and queue entry most customers will endure a period of waiting. A balanced and controlled waiting period is the desired optimum result of any manager.

      No one wants to have a completely empty waiting area, as it would most likely mean you are overstaffed. Besides, an empty shop or service area gives an impression of abandonment and will not attract customers.

      Equally, too many customers waiting is simply as off-putting.

      Customer Journey Management can help managers get the balance just right by improving staff planning and by adding more flexibility to the processes. From a journey perspective this step has the greatest risk of impacting customer service experience negatively if not managed appropriately. A customer who perceives waiting as long is usually not satisfied with the service. Customer Flow Management offers two approaches to manage this.

      The first is to minimize actual waiting. By choosing the most appropriate queuing principle and using available Customer Flow Management tools to plan staffing and monitor waiting in real-time the service provider can actively manage waiting time.

      Another approach, which does not exclude the first, is to minimize the perceived waiting time. This can be made by engaging the customer in active waiting, e.g. fill the waiting time with activities that reduce the perceived waiting time and hence enhance the customer experience.

      Imagine for example, being able to broadcast specific messages, targeted at the customers who are currently in your front office or in your shop. A service provider using Customer Flow Management in an advanced manner can identify who is currently visiting and the manager can, using targeted broadcasting, keep them informed and/or entertained while waiting, even using adverts reflecting their specific interests.

      Other opportunities that both reduce the perceived waiting time and create additional value for the service provider are to:

      • engage the customer in activities to prepare for the service and reduce workload for staff, e.g. by filling out forms etc.
      • create opportunities for further shopping while waiting, either through strategically placed goods where the customers are waiting or by allowing the customers to move freely around the service providers premises while waiting to be served
      • use media to stimulate further sales. If the service provider knows which individual customers are waiting, the media content can be adapted to target the specific needs of the customers waiting.

      The queuing/waiting period finishes when the customer is called forward to be served.

      The method for calling customers has a great effect on the efficiency. It is crucial that the waiting customers are made aware of both the fact that they have been called and where they should go. This can be handled with various types of visual and audio support tools.

      Correctly used, experience has shown that this can increase productivity and as a result, reduce waiting time by up to 30% in environments with short and standardized service requirements. If privacy is important for the customer, which is often the case in public and healthcare institutions, service providers should consider calling customers forward anonymously based on some other identification than name (typically a number).

      If the service provider chooses to identify and start tracking the customers as soon as they enter the queue, then the staff calling the customer forward can start preparations before the customer actually arrives at the service point.

      For example, staff could call up the customer’s history on their screen. They can see every visit the customer has made before, who they saw and what the enquiry was about.

      When the customer is being served, data on their visit can be captured and made available for real-time insight through management dashboards. It can also be stored for later use. For instance, management could use the information to view customer wait times or find out how long different transactions actually take to complete.

      The manager can also have an instant overview of the service situation at one or several locations in real time. Customer Journey Management provides the ability to see details such as number of open counters, services offered, current waiting times, and number of customers seen at each counter as well as transaction times.

      Alert mechanisms can give the manager the opportunity to take action if waiting times exceed pre-set limits.

      After a customer has been served, staff closes the transaction and relevant data – like wait-time and transaction time – are recorded. If required, a case handling function can continue to manage the case throughout its lifetime, from the time it is created, signed over to different advisors or different departments and until the case is closed. Each step is documented and processed.

      It is also possible to engage the customer in other value-adding activities like answering customer surveys. This could be done after the transaction is closed and as a result, will not affect the waiting time for other customers.

      The information gained could be highly valuable for the service provider as it could reveal the customer’s perception of the service they have just received and highlight areas with improvement potential.

      It could also improve the customer’s service experience if they feel that they have the opportunity to make their voice heard.

      Qmatic’s Customer Journey Analysis Software provides key data points to help organizations move quickly to stay ahead of customer expectations, staff efficiently, and put offers in front of customers at just the right time.

      If data from the journey process is gathered and stored then managers can, at any point in time, use that data to evaluate the current processes. Reports can be generated on employee/customer interactions, service times and customer wait times.

      Operational inefficiencies can be identified and addressed through process changes or training.

      Trend analysis provided by system reports help the user to manage staff rotas in line with peaks and quieter times in the service area.Customer segmentation, staff scheduling, media content, etc. can be tested, evaluated and modified based on insights from analysis of the gathered data.

      Statistical reports are also useful tools for achieving and reporting on a variety of organizational targets.

       

      For service providers with targets relat

      ed to service levels rather than profits the information captured by the Customer Flow Management system can be an important tool to measure and evaluate performance.

      As the system can be seamlessly connected to any number of service access points over a wide geographical area, managers can have a complete overview of their service network and it is possible to develop real-time smart business application to support the decision-making process.

      Mobility has transformed everything about how humans act – and interact.

      A mobile solution from Qmatic is the glue between the virtual and physical world that empowers your customers and mobile workforce to act more freely.

      Qmatic’s Mobile Solution Features

        • Alerts and instant notifications for employees and customers via mobile apps, e-mail or SMS
        • Virtual queuing and wait time expectations
        • Purposeful, timely communication between the organization, employees, and customers
        • Post-service surveys for immediate, hyper-actionable feedback from customers
        • Integration with geofencing and beacon technology to provide locations and directions Instant delivery of relevant messages and context marketing
        • Integration with third party apps

      Qmatic’s various mobile applications

      • Orchestra Connect
      • Orchestra Concierge
      • Myfunwait
      • Spotligh

      First impressions count – and define the journey

      For a smooth, enjoyable customer journey, it’s vital to get off to a good start. Qmatic self-service kiosks are the first physical engagement your customer has with your environment. These attractive and intuitive components act as an on-premises gateway for customers, citizens and patients, giving them a way to quickly self-manage processes like checking in or selecting service, and keeping them informed about where to go, what to do, or how long to wait.

      The result?

      Your environment works more efficiently, the transition from online to onsite is seamless, and everybody knows what to do – including employees who can focus on the customers who need their help and expertise.

      Qmatic produces three exclusive self-service kiosks, and certified tickets for use in the kiosks. These components are designed to be used individually or combined to suit your environment:

      • Long-lasting design to suit busy environments
      • Unique selection of touch screens or screens with buttons
      • Choice of kiosk to suit your operation and premises – or a mix of kiosks, all working together
      • Flexibility to work with any Qmatic system, meaning upgrades to new systems can be made without any investment loss

      Contact us to find the self-service kiosk or kiosks that give you the most value and the perfect start to your customer journeys. Or scroll down to start exploring the range.

      ‘Qmatic Intro 17’ Self-Service Kiosk

      The largest self-service kiosk in our rangeThe largest self-service kiosk in our range

      • All the intelligence you need to give great service in one device, making things simple and reducing your technical worries and cost
      • Size and flexibility to suit any type of service or information you would like to provide
      • Capacitive 17-inch touch screen meaning hardly any pressure is needed. And the angle of the screen makes it visible in a wide range of environments.

      ‘Qmatic Intro 8’ Self-Service kiosk

      Flexibility in a convenient size.

      • For when a larger kiosk is not needed or would not fit your premises
      • 8-inch-high capacitive touch screen with an ultra-modern design and technology, providing the same feel as a smartphone

      ‘Qmatic Intro 5’ Self-Service Kiosk

      Simplicity in a convenient size.

      • Ideal for displaying a limited numbers of service choices or information
      • For when a larger kiosk is not needed or would not fit your premises

      Simplify and enrich the customer journey with clear communication Qmatic offers displays and voice & sound solutions that keep your environment working smoothly – and also let you tell stories, engage and entertain.

      Displays

      Give your customers clear directions and get rid of any hesitation and confusion that wastes time and raises stress levels. Flexible, cost-effective and made to last, notes, way-finding displays help speed up the flow and give customers confidence that they are moving in the right direction.

      Voice and Sound

      People can get distracted while waiting to be served. Or perhaps they are looking at merchandise or messages? Thanks to our voice-prompted product for voice and sound, you can speed up the waiting process and give certainty by calling customers with a polite voice in any language.

      Make your waiting area less crowded. Read up on how mobile ticketing and other actions help improve social distancing.  https://lp.qmatic.com/safer-customer-journey-management  #customerjourneymanagement #qmatic

      Empty your waiting area to improve social distancing. Start by reading this to transition from walk-in visits to booked appointments only. https://lp.qmatic.com/safer-customer-journey-management  #customerjourneymanagement #qmatic

      Stay in touch with your visitors to prepare, inform, alert and remind them. Learn more about how messaging services in Orchestra can improve service levels. https://lp.qmatic.com/safer-customer-journey-management  #customerjourneymanagement #qmatic

        Calculation of the Qmatic electronic queue system