Human nature tells us to avoid long wait times and to seek out opportunities where we can receive quick service.
For example, we’re told to:
· Avoid a bank on a Friday afternoon
· Avoid the grocery store before a snowstorm
· Avoid visiting a museum on a rainy Sunday
But a long wait doesn’t always equate to a bad customer experience.
Subsequently, a short wait (or no wait at all) doesn’t mean it will be a good customer interaction.
Excellent service is frequently worth the wait.
This was evident on recent trips to both the post office and grocery store.
At the post office, a lone postal worker had a line out the door but remained pleasant and poised. They proactively and audibly asked customers in line if they needed a money order and gave an alternative location (as to not inconvenience anyone even further since they were out). They were patient while processing a lengthy passport application. They engaged with each and every customer who approached the counter and made them feel like nobody else was in line. When it was my turn, the employee even took the time to educate me on a special supplemental stamp I wasn’t aware of. I left only remembering the warm service I received and not the 15-minute wait.
Then at the grocery store, I immediately unloaded my items onto the conveyor belt and expected the cashier to engage me. However, there was no warm greeting or dialogue. The employee was just going through the motions to complete a transaction. My six items were scanned quickly. I bagged them myself. I was handed a receipt and off I went. I left shaking my head.
If you could only pick one, would you rather a short wait and a forgettable transaction or a longer wait and a highly engaged customer exchange?