Surges in Small Business: How to Keep Your Customers Happy When You Need More Staff

The entrepreneurial spirit runs strong in today’s economy. More and more people are ditching the corporate workforce and choosing to pursue small business. Budding business owners are ready to be their own bosses and create opportunities for themselves and their loved ones. But running a small business can come with staffing challenges, especially when you’re short-handed and you have a surge of customers.  

Long Wait Times Affect Customers, Employees, & Small Businesses

Long wait times for appointments, or to check out, have been shown to affect the bottom line of a small business. Unhappy customers, forced to wait in long lines, are more likely to abandon their purchases. They are left feeling impatient and angry, and often feel like customer service abandoned them. This kind of experience can prevent them from returning and may ultimately cost a business a lifetime customer.

Unhappy customers can also lead to stressed-out employees. A strained employee is more likely to quit, leaving the employer with the high cost of recruiting and re-training a new hire. Overwhelmed employees will find it difficult to meet high standards of customer service and, let’s face it, unfriendly staff will leave a bad impression in the eyes of the customer. 

Long wait times not only cost small businesses profits but can cost them their reputation too. An upset customer’s perception of a business can easily lead to a public negative review. Too many of these can skew a potential customer’s opinion to visit a location and can be detrimental to any small business.

Consider a Smart Queue Management System

Surges in business may cause a small business owner to consider hiring more staff. This is both costly and time-consuming, and the new employee is not guaranteed to work out. Smart queue management systems are transforming the way small businesses operate. Finally, save time and solve a fundamental problem for patrons - waiting in line - without having to hire excess staff. 

Customers like SMS queue systems because of the benefits it provides them. Besides improving communication between the staff and its customers, virtualizing small business queues will keep your customers happy by: 

• Eliminating long wait times and clearing walkways
• Aiding staff with their time management in relation to customer demand
• Reducing customer complaints and improving overall guest satisfaction
• Providing data reports to anticipate peak periods and optimize staff accordingly

Make Your Business More Inviting 

Long lines are not necessarily a bad problem to have as a business because it means people want your product or service. But, did you know the average person spends roughly five years of their life waiting in line? Long wait times can cost a small business, sales, by driving a client away, leaving them feeling frustrated and dissatisfied. When customers approach a storefront and see a long line, they may consider going somewhere else. 

Smart queue management systems are transforming the way customers wait in line. Customer queuing system kiosks are helping make customers stay by providing an estimated wait time for each customer. Technology finally affords to empower the customer to wait wherever they’d like for their turn in line: at home, the office, or even the local diner. 

Before Hiring More Staff, Consider Employing An Online Virtual Queue

Managing queues with customer service is no longer needed. Customers no longer have to fear stepping out of the line and losing their place. Using their mobile phone, the company’s website, or a kiosk inside the location, customers can join an online virtual queue. This will let them know their place in line and approximate wait time, all from an app. In addition, a smart queue management system can help a business:

• Alleviate long lines
• Alleviate wait times
• Auto schedule appointments
• With marketing and promotions
• Boost staff productivity
• Deliver important analytics
• Improve their daily operations
• Productively use customer satisfaction reports

When it comes to keeping customers happy without having to hire additional staff, smart queue management systems can be a valuable tool for any small business owner.

Keep Customers Coming Back For More

Inspire customers with exceptional experiences and make shopping fun and convenient again. When a customer’s time and commerce are respected, they will most likely come back.

Remember to smooth over any additional customer encounters that may occur, a little something to say ‘we’re sorry’ or a fun fashionable gift never hurts. A small token of customer appreciation can go a long way and has the power to turn a patron’s mood around instantly, keeping them coming back for more. 

Image Sources

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Image 4: https://unsplash.com/photos/_bOHgMLkDJA