The Ultimate Guide to Queue Management

In any service based industry in Dubai or anywhere in UAE the biggest problem every business and customer face is the long wait time and hard to manage queues. No one likes to wait. Whether you are a bank, a government office, a healthcare facility, an educational institute, a service provider or anything else, you will always find it difficult to manage the queues and your customers will always complaint about the long wait time. This not only ruin the customer journey and customer experience but it also destroys the brand reputation and the customer relationship. Which could have very bad consequences in long term and could jeopardize the future of the business or organization. It is difficult to completely eliminate the waiting, but it can be reduced, organized and managed to make the customer waiting experience more pleasant and their journey more satisfactory. For that a queue management system is used.

The Ultimate Guide to Queue Management

What is a Queue Management System?

A queue management system is used to manage the customer flow effectively, organize the queues, and reduce the customer wait time. This is the very basic definition of a queue management system. However, these days the business and organization in Dubai and all around the UAE are using the queue management system to transform the customer journey and customer experience. The main goal for any business of organization is to have satisfied customers. That is what a queue management system is used for. But it also provide other benefits, such as it increase employees’ work efficiency, it help improving profitability, reduces expenses and help improving customer relationship with the brand. The queue management systems are also a great source of valuable business intelligence which is vital for decision making and planning for the future. From the technical point of view a queue management system is a tool that help building and managing queuing processes, waiting line disciplines, customer routing, services channels, KPIs, feedbacks, statistical data and much more.

What is a Queue Management System?

The digital queue management system consists of several different parts but all these parts can be classified in two main categories, the software and the hardware.

Read More: World’s First WhatsApp Queue Management Solution

Queue Management System Hardware Components

A variety of hardware accessories and components can be added and integrated in a queue management system to achieve certain functionalities, however there are some essential queue management system hardware components:

  • Self-Service Interactive Sing-up Kiosk/Ticket Dispensing Kiosk
  • Digital Signage Screens
  • Counter Plates
  • Announcement System/Audio System

Some non-essential but popular components are:

  • Emirates ID Card Reader
  • RFID Reader
  • QR Code Reader
  • Payment POS and/or Cash Acceptance

There are a lot many other components that can be added to meet certain needs and unconventional requirements. Here are the details of all essential hardware components:

Self-Service Interactive Sing-up Kiosk/Ticket Dispensing Kiosk

Self-Service Interactive Sing-up Kiosk/Ticket Dispensing KioskThe self-service interactive sign-up kiosk or ticket dispensing kiosk is used to allow the customers and visitors to sign-up for the queues. Usually a business is offering multiple services, and mostly certain counters are dedicated for certain services. Whatever the case is, a customer or visitor can select the desired service from the available services list and sign-up for that queue. Even if there is only one counter the self-service interactive kiosk is helpful for sign-up process, it saves time and automate the sign-up process. It also dispense a ticket bearing the customer number in the queue with estimated time to their turn or any other additional information or marketing content.

Digital Signage Screens

Digital Signage ScreensThe digital signage screens are a very important hardware component of any queue management system. The screens are used to display the real-time queuing updates and other relevant information. It can also provide the list of the active counters along with the current ticket number serving on the counter. Businesses can also display the estimated time for the next few customers in line. Such information are very helpful in improving customer’s waiting experience. Moreover, the digital signage screens can also play multimedia content on it which keep the users engaged and also make their waiting experience pleasant.

Counter Plates

Counter PlatesThe counter plates are small digital displays that are placed on each counter. Usually these are small elongated LCD screens or LED displays, which display the counter number and also the active ticket number. Such information is very helpful for customer in finding their service counter.

Announcement System/Audio System

Announcement System/Audio SystemAs the name suggest, it is a sound system used for customer calling and it can make announcements for the ticket number along with the counter number and any other required details. The audio announcement system consists of multiple speakers which are placed in different location to make the announcements audible for everyone in the waiting area. The announcements can be bilingual i,e English and Arabic or also in any other language.

Queue Management System Software Components

A queue management system software is an intelligent application and a well-crafted control console for the management. The software is used to implement policies, monitoring, and aiding queuing processes as well as it can also help improving various service delivery processes. The usually queue management system have a standard software application which is hosted on a server, it can be hosted in online hosting, cloud, or local/in-premises data center as well. The interactive kiosks, announcement system, digital signage and the agent computers are linked with the queue management system server application. The application also provide the administrative panel and control console. Here are some essential queue management system software components:

  • Administrative Control Panel
  • Agent Dashboard
  • Self-Service Interactive Kiosk User Interface
  • Digital Signage Controls
  • Reporting and KPIs Monitoring Module
  • Statistical Data Analytical Engine
  • Customer Feedbacks

Here are some popular queue management system software components:

  • Virtual Queuing Module
  • Appointment Booking System
  • Mobile Apps
  • QR Code Module

Here are the details of essential queue management software components:

Administrative Control Panel

Administrative Control PanelThe administrative control panel is basically a control console for the entire queue management system. The businesses can add and manage multiple branches. Multiple system users can be added as per the administrative hierarchy. The businesses can add head office users, higher level managers, branch managers, employees with various access levels, agents and other system users. The administrative control panel makes it easy to integrate the queue management system in the business and organization management and work flow.

The Agent Dashboard

The Agent DashboardThe agent dashboard is the agent control panel. The agent can manage and control queues. They can utilize the customer calling functionality to call customers and make announcements. The service delivery related features can also be integrated in the agent dashboard to improve the service delivery process and quality. The system integration with other systems such as customer data base, sales system, CRM, etc. can be achieved via APIs which is a very secure and most efficient way for such data integration and synchronization.

Self-Service Interactive Kiosk User Interface

Self-Service Interactive Kiosk User InterfaceThe self-service interactive kiosk user interface is the very first touch point of the customer. The customer generates their ticket number from the kiosks and sign-up for their queue. The interface can provide functionality to select from a list of available services as well as it can provide relevant information and any other functionality required for the sign-up such as scanning of the Emirates ID card or making payment for the service, etc.

Digital Signage Controls

Digital Signage ControlsThe digital signage controls is a part of the administrative control console, it allows the management to run multimedia content on the digital signage screens along with the queuing information and other updates. The signage controls allow the management to perform basic digital signage functionalities to improve the user engagements and interactions during the wait time.

Reporting and KPIs Monitoring Module

Reporting and KPIs Monitoring ModuleThe queue management system software has capabilities to monitor and capture data from each and every touch point of the customer journey. It also record valuable statistical data and measures various KPIs and other indicators. Which is very helpful for the management and make them able to make informed decisions on the bases of highly accurate data feeds from various sources.

Statistical Data Analytical Engine

Statistical Data Analytical EngineThe statistical and data analytical engine is also a part of the reporting module but it is a very useful component. It analyze the data and allow the management to extract the data in multiple format. It also help the management in creating reports with visual and graphical analysis and data presentations.

Customer Feedbacks

Customer FeedbacksThe customer feedback is a very important and essential part of business intelligence. It provides a direct window into the customer’s minds. The business can utilize the feedback to evaluate each and every aspect of the customer journey, the quality of the service and products, the employee performance and much more. The customer feedback along with other business intelligence highlights the areas of improvements and enables the management to take actions and make strategies for future improvement to maximize the customer satisfaction and quality of the service and products.

How to Choose a Best Queue Management System?

When it comes to the queue management system there are so many different vendors and systems available in the market. Businesses often get confused when they are selecting a queue management system. There are also some popular brands which advertise their systems with different brand names. However, there are certain things that a business should consider while selecting a queue management system to make sure it will be helpful in solving their problems.

How to Choose a Best Queue Management System?

Here are some key points to consider while selecting a queue management system or configuring/customizing a queue management system:

What are the Different Queuing Process Types?

The queuing process is basically managing the queues, streamlining the customer flow and improving customer journey. However there are certain service delivery mechanisms which are different for each business and that is how a business should chose a queuing process for their queue management system:

Single Phase Single Channel Queuing

When a business has single counter which serves each customer and a full service isdelivered through a single counter it is called single phase single channel queuing.

Multi-Phase Single Channel Queuing

When a customer will have to go to multiple counters to get a full service delivery and each counter serves a single step of the service it is called multi-phase single channel queuing.

Single Phase Multi-Channel Queuing

When a single service can be delivered at a single counter and there are multiple counters who can serve the same service it is called single phase multi-channel queuing.

Multi-Phase Multi-Channel Queuing

When a single service delivery requires a customer to visit multiple counters and for each step more than one counters are available it is called multi-phase multi-channel queuing.

How the Branch, Office or Facility Operates?

The capacity of the branch, office or customer service center is also important and it will help you selecting an appropriate queue management system which will meet your needs. Here are some important things that you should understand about the facility:

The Population of the Customers

The population of the customers or daily footfall is classified in two categories, one is limited and the second is unlimited. Facilities like boarding counters and clinic have limited number of expected customer or daily footfall. Facilities like customer service centers and banks doesn’t have a limited or pre-defined number of expected customers or daily footfall.

The Method of Arrival

The method of arrival is also important. Usually business operate on single arrival mode, it means that each customer will come individually. However some businesses are serving customers in group arrival mode. It means the customer will arrive there in form of a large group such as Immigration Services, HR Departments, etc.

The Infrastructure of the Facility

The infrastructure of the facility is also important. A business should consider the number of counters, space for the queues, capacity of the waiting areas, and size and shape of the facility. These things will help business in determining the type of the queue management system as well as the size and quantity of the components require for a cost-efficient queue management system solution.

Read More: Why Business Need Mobile Apps along with Classic Queue Management System?

What are the Benefits of a Queue Management System?

A queue management system can significantly improve the customer journey and provide several benefits which help businesses in improving profitability and ensuring steady growth. Here are some of the major benefits of a digital queue management system:

  1. Reduce Customer Wait Time
  2. Improve Customer Waiting Experience
  3. Improve Customer Journey
  4. Improve Customer Happiness and Customer Satisfaction
  5. Improve Customer Loyalty and Reduce Customer Churn Rate
  6. Organize Queues and Customer Flow Effectively
  7. Automate the Customer Journey
  8. Improve Employee Performance and Reduce their Workload
  9. Improve Resource Management and Reduce Operational Cost
  10. Improve Service Delivery Quality
  11. Collect Customer Feedback
  12. Gather Valuable Business Intelligence
  13. Measure KPIs, Prepare Reports and Improve Future Strategies
  14. Improve Revenue and Profitability
  15. Bring Innovation and Get Competitive Edge

What are the Benefits of a Queue Management System?

These are only a few benefits of a queue management system. When a business implement a queuing solution they can literally transform the entire customer journey and customer experience which will help them improving service quality and customer retention. The customer happiness improves customer loyalty and customer loyalty help business building good relationship with then and a positive brand image in the market. In a long term a queue management system can provide excellent ROIs.

Read More: Top 10 Virtual Queue Management Benefits

Conclusion

A queue management system is considered to be an essential part of the service based industry. Especially in Dubai and all around the UAE where the competition is tough and the customers have too many choices, it is extremely important to stay ahead of your competition and ensure ultimate customer experience and customer journey. The happy and satisfied customers are more loyal to the brands and loyal customers can be a great asset for a business. The customer loyalty plays an important role in business growth. In this blog we have discussed the queue management and the queue management system. If you follow the above mentioned guide to understand the queuing process and to assess your queuing needs, you will be able to get a very efficient and cost-effective queue management system. RSI Concepts is a leading name in Queue Management System providers in Dubai, UAE. If you need any more help, feel free to reach us out through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.

Check out this blog: Why should you adopt queue management systems?

Importance of Queue Management Software in 2021

The year 2021 is bringing us completely changed trends and new innovative ideas to counter those unprecedented changes in the trends and customers’ behavior. The queue management software is also getting modernized to meet the present day’s needs. Customer happiness is extremely important for a business. If your customers are not happy, no matter how great your products are or how competitive your prices are, eventually you will going to lose it. It is crucial that your customers remain happy and loyal to your brand. Customer happiness is the only indicator that shows everything is in place, it really doesn’t matter how hard you worked around the operational details, or IT infrastructure or training for the employees, or marketing or whatsoever. If your customer is not happy, nothing will pay off. This is what the business has realized in Dubai and all around the UAE and in the past few years business, enterprises, banks, the retail sector, healthcare, and all other industries are investing heavily in customer happiness solutions and systems.

The queue management software is one of the most important components of customer happiness solutions. Basically, the queue management software provides great control and helps in managing customer experience throughout the entire customer journey. With the new features and latest advancements in queue management software and technology a more personalized and digitalized experience is easily possible. In the year 2021 everyone is hoping to get a bit more contact-less and digitalized experience from their brands. That is why the queue management system’s software has to be improved to meet the demands and trends of 2021.

The queue management system hardware is usually the same as all available queuing solutions in Dubai, UAE. However, the software of each vendor is different and that is where you can distinguish them. Here are some reasons why queue management software is critically important when making a decision of installing a queuing solution:

Queue Management Software Help Improving Brand Identity by Improving Customer Experience and Customer Journey

Queue Management Software Help Improving Brand Identity by Improving Customer Experience and Customer Journey

The most important factor that contributes to customer happiness is the wait time. If your customers will have to wait for a long time to get their service done, they will get repelled or they will start seeking other options. The wait time is the single most negative factor that can completely ruin a business and its reputation. Reputation and brand image are everything, if a brand has a positive reputation and a great brand identity, it will not only help it to score more leads, but it will also help the brand to improve customer loyalty and customer retention. Which is the basic necessity for growth. The positive brand identity also attracts more customers and visitors. It is also very helpful in improving conversion rates for the other marketing efforts.

Automatic customer flow management and queue management significantly reduce the wait time. It automates the process hence there is no human intervention, which prevents a lot many complaints and problems that businesses have to deal with without a queue management system. The queue management software is also capable of automatically handling the customer journey, it can effectively direct the customers to their designated counters, for example, there are multiple services and for each service, there are designated counters, the customers or visitors might get confused and try to join the queue which has the least number of people in it, however, with a queue management software when a customer opts for the queue the system automatically assign them the queue as per their required service.

The same is also applicable in complex scenarios such as in the case of stepped service delivery, where a full-service delivery is done through multiple counters. The queue management software is also capable of identifying the priority customers and lead them to the priority counters for example the premium customers, or VIP customers, or customers with special needs, etc. All can be automatically directed to their designated counters. The queue management software also automatically manages the customer flow by directing the next customer to the vacant counters. Other features such as counter forwarding or routing customers to the counters who are completely vacant also save a lot of time and improve customer experience.

The queue management software also comes with an in-built announcement system and digital signage. This module enables audio-visual announcements and customer calls. Along with that it also helps to improve the customer waiting time experience as well by playing multimedia and engaging content on the digital signage. A queue management software is an excellent tool to improve customer experience and customer journey in the year 2021 when the entire market trends are changed and businesses are facing new challenges day by day. Improved customer experience results in a very positive brand image and brand identity which help businesses in customer retention and increase customer loyalty which is a basic necessity for growth and profitability.

Virtual Queuing Improves Customer Experience

Virtual Queuing Improves Customer ExperienceThe year 2021 is the year of going contactless and digital. Virtual queuing is a very effective feature of queue management software. It allows both, the digitalized experience and the contactless features as well. Virtual queuing is gaining popularity these days. There are certain reasons for that, one of the biggest advantages of virtual queuing is that the queue management software enables the visitors to sign-up remotely. Or we can put it this way that the customers and visitors are able to sign-up for the physical queue without even being physically present at the branch. There are multiple mediums that are used to allow remote sign-up for virtual queuing. For example, the customers and visitors can sign-up remotely via the website, customer portals, smartphone applications, phone calls, email, or SMS.

The remote sign-up not only facilitates the customers but also helps the staff and administration. Customer flow management becomes easier as there are not too many people in the waiting room. The social distancing measures are easy to implement. Businesses and organizations can easily control the number of active queues to limit the number of customers and visitors inside the branch to prevent crowd forming and other related problems. Virtual queuing significantly improves the customer experience and customer journey as well. As the customer is not required to physically stand in the lines or stay in the waiting areas, so the service delivery is quicker comparing to traditional queuing methods.

Smartphone Applications to Increase Customer Engagements

Smartphone Applications to Increase Customer EngagementsThese days in Dubai and all across the UAE the smartphone applications are very popular. In the past few years, smartphones have gotten very smart and powerful too. Customers love personalized experience and business too, as personalized experience increases customer engagements and improves customer satisfaction. The UAE is the most modernized nation in the MENA region and also in Asia. The government’s policies and initiatives to promote digitalization played an important role in the market trend. There are tons of government services that are just a few taps on your smartphone screen away. The general public is very adoptive and friendly towards smartphone applications. This immediately caught the attention of the marketers and businesses immediately start offering smartphone-based interactions and services to improve customer happiness and satisfaction.

The smartphone application linked to the queue management system enables the business and organizations to offer a great customer experience. The smartphone apps with queue management software allow the user to enjoy simpler and easier virtual queuing. The smartphone apps also provide a direct communication channel to provide an even more improved and personalized experience. The users can also avail themselves of so many services using smartphone applications, such as virtual queuing, customer feedback, complaints, appointments, etc. Smartphone applications when integrated with a queue management system software can do wonders in terms of customer experience and customer happiness.

Online Appointment Module to Improve Customer Journey

Online Appointment Module to Improve Customer JourneyThe modern-day queue management system software comes with an integrated online appointment booking module too. The appointment booking module is linked with multiple internal systems to build the customer experience. For example, the customer portals are linked with the online appointment booking modules, the online booking portal can be provided within the customer portals as well as on the website via a dedicated page or link. Usually, the appointment booking module is offered as a stand-alone tool via a website link, to allow the customers and visitors to book an appointment without logging in to their respective portals. In Dubai, UAE mostly we used open links, that don’t require login or sign in, instead, the visitors or customers can fill in basic information to book an appointment. Whether signed in or not both methods are equally effective.

Another great advantage of the online appointment booking module is that it provides all the details and information that are required by a customer or visitor to book an appointment, for example, the busiest days, hours, or least busy hours or days, etc. The appointment booking module of queue management software also provides real-time queuing information and data from several branches. It can also suggest the best option which ensures the quickest service delivery and so on and so forth. The queue management software with an appointment booking module is very helpful in maintaining social distancing and customer flow to further improve the customer journey.

Customer Feedback and Surveys Help Understanding Customer’s Needs

Customer Feedback and Surveys Help Understanding Customer’s NeedsThe year 2021 has completely different challenges and required a completely new approach to meet the demand and expectations of the customers. Another remarkable feature of a queue management system software is the ability to understand customer’s needs, demands, expectations, and ongoing market trends via customer feedback and survey module. These days in Dubai and all around the UAE most of the queue management systems provide in-built customer survey and feedback modules. The purpose of this module is to understand how customers and visitors are perceiving your brand’s efforts to improve their experience and journey. The customer feedback and survey module can provide direct feedback from the customers and visitors.

There are several ways to utilize this module, the best method is on-sight customer feedback and surveys and online or follow-up surveys. Usually business has placed touch screens or tablets and kiosk to collect customer feedback, as the queue management software is already linked to the internal information center so identifying the customer who is submitting feedback is very easy, the system can map the information of the customer who has been served on the counter along with their ticket number and then it also identifies the service and compile the feedback report. Such information is vital for a business to make future policies and strategies and to take vital actions to improve customer experience and customer journey, it also provides businesses a direct measurement of the efficiency of their current strategy and business practices. Such business intelligence is very helpful in keeping up with the needs, expectations, and demands of your customers to improve customer happiness and loyalty.

Increase Employee Performance and Profitability

Increase Employee Performance and ProfitabilityA queue management software is very helpful in improving employee’s performance and overall productivity which results in greater profitability and improved resource management. Without a queue management system, most of the employee’s efforts are wasted on managing the customers and visitors manually, but with a queue management system and software, all tasks are managed automatically. The employees don’t have to worry about the queues or managing crowd or any such problem. The customers will not go to have many complaints as they will know that the queue is managed by an automatic system and the system treats everyone equally.

Now when all those time-consuming tasks will be managed by intelligent queue management software, the employees will have less stress, they will be happy and satisfied, they will be able to serve more customers in a single shift and their performance will increase automatically. Another great advantage of queue management software is that it has the capability to fully automate or partially automate various customer journey steps and processes which also reduces the workload of the employees. The automation allows the employees to focus more on their primary tasks which improve the service quality as well.

When various business processes and customer journeys will be automatic then the businesses will require very little human resources to manage the operations. The dedicated employee dashboard or agent interface will boost the employee performance as well, which means fewer agents/servers will be required to manage the same number of customers and visitors, so the businesses can either serve more customers in a day or can reduce the number of staff if the number of customers or visitors remains same, in both cases the cost is reduced and the profit is increased. A queue management system software is also very effective in improving customer retention, employee performance, and overall profitability.

Reporting, Integration with Other Systems and Centralized Management

Reporting, Integration with Other Systems and Centralized ManagementA queue management software is critically important for growth as it provides a great source of very vital business intelligence. The business intelligence includes direct customer feedbacks, KPIs or key performance indicators, system usage stats, and various other information. This information is stored in the queue management software database, which is being processed by the in-built analytical engine and then compiled up in actionable reports which are available for the management. All the data is captured and updated in real-time and is processed immediately. This boosts the performance of the system as well. The reporting module and business intelligence data are very important for businesses to understand the customer’s behavior, employee’s performance, the effectiveness of their methods and policies, and much more. This data also helps businesses to make strategies for the future and do improvements in their methodologies, processes, and the quality of the service.

The queue management software is also very important as it can act as a bridge between multiple business and enterprise solutions and tools. It can easily be linked with various other data pools via secure web services or APIs. This system integration enables businesses to easily share data and information between various systems and it also makes the administration very simpler and easier. Another very important feature of the queue management software is centralized management or remote management, which enables the head office to manage all connected branches remotely from the head office. The head office can have full access to everything and they can also assign local, regional, or branch managers to provide them limited access to the branch or branches and areas under their supervision. This is a great feature for the corporate management to easily manage and monitor their entire operation from the head office.

Conclusion

A queue management software is critically important for a business in 2021 that is operating in Dubai or any other region of UAE. As we all know the year 2020 has completely transformed the landscape of the service-based industries so businesses and organizations are anxiously seeking ways to improve their customer experience and customer journey. The customer experience and customer journey help businesses to improve customer loyalty and customer retention. Which results in a good brand reputation and a positive brand image. The brand identity helps businesses to attract more customers and visitors, and it is also very helpful in increasing the conversion rates of all the marketing activities. A queue management software is at the foundation of all this, in fact, it is the foundation. Your entire future depends on how you are treating your customers today. A queue management software is the only tool that can help you improving your customer’s experience and the customer journey to improve customer happiness and customer satisfaction.

The queue management software also automates various business processes. It is capable of integrating with other enterprise tools and solutions which further enables the businesses to create innovative ways to improve their customer’s journey and experience. An efficient queue management software can provide you a great competitive edge which will ensure better customer retention and customer loyalty. Loyal customers are the most precious asset of a business. Especially in the year 2021 when the demands and the behavior of the customers are changing very quickly and the competition is getting tougher day by day a queue management system and software can be your strongest arsenal. RSI Concepts is a leading queue management system provider in Dubai, UAE. If you want to install a new queue management system or want to replace your outdated queue management software, feel free to reach us out through our Contact Us page. Or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.

Check out this: 7 Features of Queue Management Software

What are advance components of Queue Management System?

advance components of Queue Management System

Before we discuss what are the advanced components of a queue management system? Let me first explain why a queue management system is so vital for your business! The main objective of a queue management system is to let businesses streamline the customer flow to improve customer experience and to be able to serve more customers per day by each server/agent. It helps effectively managing the customer flow and queues which results in a reduction in wait time and ensures quicker service delivery. Any digital queuing solution would be very helpful for the staff and the servers/agents in improving their work efficiency as well. As the queues and the customer, flow is automatically managed by the queue management system so the servers/agents can easily focus on their prime tasks which will not only reduce the service delivery time but will also significantly improve the service quality and customer journey.

The customer journey can be automated entirely and the queue management system is also helpful in expediting the service delivery process. This helps businesses in building better relationships with their customers and visitors and it portrays a positive image of the brand as well. The positive brand reputation attracts more customers and visitors and it also helps improving conversion rates of all sorts of marketing efforts. However, there are so many different types of queue management systems advertised in the market especially in Dubai, UAE. This raises the question of which queue management system you should choose. The simple answer is to first understand the queue management system and its components then decide for yourself which solution would work for you.

There are so many advanced components of queue management systems available in the market. You should be able to choose according to your needs. That is why we are writing this blog to let our audience and customers easily understand the latest advancements in queue management systems.

How does a Queue Management System work?

How does a Queue Management System work?

A queue management system is a combination of software and hardware tools designed to help businesses effectively managing the customer flow. Its primary objectives include customer experience and customer journey, automated customer flow management, improved employee work efficiency, improved service delivery, and service quality, higher productivity, and profitability for the business. The working of a queue management system is very simple. The customers and visitors start with a signing up process, which is usually selecting the required service from an interactive touch screen kiosk and then printing their tickets for the queue. Then they are directed to the waiting room, where they can monitor the queuing status on digital screens and they are also notified by the audio announcements. Once their turn comes they can visit the designated counter/server to avail the service and that is it. Sometimes businesses also provide an option to submit feedback before leaving the premises.

Any queue management system consists of two major parts, software, and hardware. The software has its own list of modules and components, the hardware also has the same list. As the technology used to make the queue management systems is very widely available so the peripherals and accessories are also widely available. There is literally no limit to innovation in this market. Since around a decade ago so many big multinational manufacturers invested in the industry, then there has been millions upon millions of dollars had been invested only in R&D. This makes the industry very modern and innovative. However in Dubai and other parts of UAE, a certain market behavior or culture is established, so we will going to talk about only the popular components of the queue management system in our country and also in the gulf region.

Read More: How an Arabic Version of Queue System can Help Improving Customer Experience?

Here are the advanced components of the queue management system:

What is a Queue Management System Software?

What is a Queue Management System Software?

A Queue Management System Software is basically a server-side application that runs on the server and provides a different interface to interact with the system. In Dubai and other emirates of UAE, the most common type is the web-based interfaces for the agents/server and for the administration. For the visitors and customers usually, a touch screen interactive kiosk is used. However, these days other interfaces or methods are also used to interact with the customers and visitors.

Read More: How a KPI Software can help provide better Customer Journey?

Here are the details of some most popular advanced software component:

Customer/Visitor Interface via Self Service Interactive Kiosk

Customer/Visitor Interface via Self Service Interactive KioskThe customers and visitors can interact with the queue management system using an interactive touch screen self-service kiosk. The interface allows the customers to select the required service from the list of all available services and then automatically sign them up for the queue. The kiosk also prints a ticket bearing the queue number and some other basic information.

Queuing Information and Announcements

Queuing Information and AnnouncementsThe digital screens and signage are used to display the current queuing information. These signage and displays are placed in strategic locations where everyone in the waiting area can view them. In Dubai and UAE mostly the information of the current tickets under process on each counter is displayed along with the next ticket number and estimated time along with some other information such as an advert or multimedia content is played to keep the customers and visitors engaged.

Agents/Servers Interface

Agents/Servers InterfaceThe agent/server’s interface is mostly a web-based application that can be easily accessed from the computer browser. The agents can perform basic tasks such as customer calls, canceling or updating a ticket number or rerouting any ticket to a different counter, etc.

In some advanced configurations, much more can be done by integrating the queue management system with various other enterprise software and tools. This not only saves a lot of work for the agent/server but also expedites the service delivery process. The lower time for each service delivery results in happy customers and improved efficiency of the staff.

Administrative Dashboard or Control Panel

Administrative Dashboard or Control PanelThe administrative dashboard or control panel is the interface for the management, such as branch managers, supervisors, and/or head office management. The management can not only manage various processes but it can also extract valuable business intelligence in the form of statistical data, KPIs, system usage data, customer/visitor feedback, and customized reports in different formats. Regular automated reports can also be configured such as daily reports, weekly and/or monthly along with performance reports for the branch, particular service, agents, and so on. It entirely depends upon the business itself.

The administrative dashboard also allows the management to customize the customer journey, set and create policies, manage other system users and allow access by creating workflows and administrative hierarchies. All the branches can be monitored and controlled through the head office remotely. The head office can extract the data and prepare the reports from any branch. All the data is being updated in real-time, the live stats and monitoring are also available in some modern systems.

Read More: Mobile Queue Management System’s Impacts on Customer Experience

Virtual Queuing Module

Virtual Queuing ModuleVirtual Queuing is one of the modern forms of queue management systems. It enables the businesses to let their customer and visitors sign up for the queue before even physically arriving at the branch. The concept is that the customer and visitors can sign up for the queue remotely and then at the very exact time when their turn came they can arrive and get served immediately without even waiting in an actual queue. The system signs them up for a virtual queue and they can either plan their visit accordingly to reach at their estimated turn time or either they can wait outside. Very effective when your branch or office is located in a commercial area or near to recreational activities. It also helps to maintain social distancing. The customers and visitors can easily sign up using their smartphone applications, SMS, email, phone call, online customer portals, websites, etc.

Read More: How Virtual Queuing can Change the Business Process?

Social Distancing Enabled Queue Management System

Social Distancing Enabled Queue Management SystemAs we all know these days the social distancing, health and hygiene is the top concern of everyone, and social distancing is mandatory. Businesses are allocating more recourses to ensure social distancing and implementation of the government-suggested precautions. A queue management system with social distancing mode enabled could be a great help to strictly implementing the social distancing rules and it also helps to avoid the extra expense of allocation of additional resources just to maintain social distancing. The social distancing mode supports various different types of virtual queuing sign-up methods. The most popular method in Dubai and all across the UAE is signing up with a QR Code, which is usually posted outside of the entrance.

Read More: Will the focus be shifted from Queue Management System in future?

Queue Management System Integration

Queue Management System IntegrationModern-day Queue Management Systems also allow integration with other enterprise solutions and systems as well. The main objective is to make the queue management system more useful but integrating it with other databases and information centers. This also allows more superior customized features and a lot of other benefits including centralized management as well. The KPIs, stats, and reporting data can be linked to other systems, such as ERP or Intranet, or any other enterprise tool. The integration is very simple via secure web services or APIs. The queue system can also fetch data from any other system via APIs. For example, in order to identify the premium or VIP customers the business can set up an Emirates ID card scanner to identify the priority customers to route them to their designated counters and more such things.

Read More: What is Queue Management System?

Queue Management System Hardware

Queue Management System Hardware

The queue management system hardware includes all the related hardware to support software functionalities. In Dubai and other parts of UAE, in fact, in the entire MENA region, the practice is to use some standard components. For example, the self-service interactive kiosk is used for sign-up. The digital signage and the screens are used to display queuing information along with media and content. The counter plates are used to mark the counters and the audio announcement system is for the customer call.

Read More: 10 Reasons to Choose RSI Queue Management System over Other Similar Products

Here are the details of some most popular hardware component:

Interactive Kiosk or Ticket Dispensing Machine

Interactive Kiosk or Ticket Dispensing MachineAn interactive kiosk or ticket dispensing machine is a very basic component, however, these days the touch screen interfaces are used to improve service delivery as well. For example, if you are a priority customer, or a premium customer, or just an ordinary customer or visitor, you can either scan your Emirates ID or any other mode to identify yourself to the system then the system automatically puts you on your respective queue. Furthermore, the Interactive Kiosk or Ticket Dispensing machines are also used to display the list of all the services along with a few other options which are designed to help to improve the customer flow and customer journey.

Read More: Impacts of Queue Management System on Employee’s KPIs

Digital Signage and Display Screens

Digital Signage and Display ScreensDigital signage is traditionally used to display the queuing information and feeds. The information contains mainly the list of all the active queues and the counters along with the ticket number that is currently being served. However, the advanced queue management systems also include a digital signage module that allows the management to play multimedia content on those large displays. The content could be the adverts or any video or animation which keeps the customers and visitors engaged while they are waiting. As these screens also contain the queuing information so almost everyone looks at them and the content or information playing along with that could also be very helpful in reducing the stress of waiting. This improves the customer experience as well as provides a free marketing opportunity.

Read More: How Queue Management System Helps to Provide Better Customer Service

Customer Feedback System

Customer Feedback SystemThe customer feedback system is not a new thing, however, integrating it with the queue management system is fairly a new phenomenon. Businesses can benefit a lot from this. Generally, the customer feedback system includes a small tablet stand, touch screen, or a kiosk, which provides an opportunity to easily submit feedback. The software of the feedback system is linked with the queue management system and if the business is already identifying their customers, the queue management system can automatically link the feedback submitted from that particular counter by matching the ticket number and the time of service. Such feedbacks could be very helpful in making future decisions and building strategies to further enhance the customer journey and customer experience.

Advance Hardware Accessories for Queue Management System

Advance Hardware Accessories for Queue Management System

The queue management systems are built with very widely used technologies. The server-side application can easily be customized and integrated with tons of software and hardware accessories or extensions. The client-side or the customer interaction which starts with the interactive touch screen kiosk or ticket dispensing machine is also built using native applications or web-based interface. In both cases, the actual machine is either running on Windows or Linux operating system. In Dubai and UAE, almost 99% of the time windows-based systems are used. This makes the integration fairly simpler and easier.

Here are some most commonly used hardware accessories for queue management systems:

 Emirates ID Card Scanner or Reader

Emirates ID Card Scanner or ReaderThe Emirates ID Card is our national identity card here in UAE. As the UAE government is very supportive and adoptive towards digitalization and technologies, the Emirates ID or EID is used for identifications. The method is very simple and takes no time to identify the person. The identification information can be relayed to the queue management system server software where it can be cross-matched to the internal databases and then the same can also be pushed to the agent/server database to make the service delivery shorter and quicker. The queue management system can also detect the person’s status such as VIP or premium customer or ordinary customer and can automatically set priority for them. This method is used to improve the customer journey by directing customers to their respective dedicated counters. This is also used by HR departments to improve various service delivery steps.

Facial Detection & IRIS Scanners

Facial Detection & IRIS ScannersFacial detection is a very great way to identify revisiting visitors and customers. Especially in customer service departments, government departments, and mass transit facilities, immigration, and airports, facial detection is widely used. It is used to identify the customers and visitors and later the same information can be utilized to facilitate a lot of many business processes to expedite the service delivery process and to set the priority according to the status of the customers and visitors. The IRIS technology is fairly new having more government applications especially in contactless immigration or digital immigration, etc. However these days the private sector is also adopting technology to improve their customers’ experience and journey.

Voice Assistant

Voice AssistantThere are two types of voice assistants widely used. The one is to improve multi-lingual support where the voice recites the predefined messages and phrases to assist the users from the process such as helping them out to identify the required service from the list. This is very popular with queue management systems and self-service kiosks. The second is the human-aided voice assistant in which an actual customer support agent assists the user in using any self-service device upon their request. This has recently been introduced to queue management systems and is only effective when the service delivery is stepped and the relevant counters are located on longer distances such as a vehicle testing facility, or a container port or depot, or such facilities.

Read More: Important Hardware Components of a Queue Management System

Conclusion

The queue management system is a very great tool to improve the customer journey and customer experience. It also helps to reduce the extra cost of managing manual queues and it can significantly improve the efficiency of the server/agents as well. The customer experience is vital for building a positive brand image. A positive brand image ensures more customer retention and higher conversion rates. This is a key to steady growth and greater profitability. These days the queue management systems are going through great innovation and advancements due to technological advancements and new programming techniques. It allows the business and system providers to attain more customizations and greater productivity in all sorts of scenarios and conditions.

The basic queue management system contains only a few basic components that allow effective customer flow management. However, with some advanced software and hardware components a queue management system can literally transform the customer journey and customer experience. It could also be a great source of very accurate business intelligence and statistical data. The remote monitoring and controls also allow the head offices to easily manage and control the entire network.

RSI Concepts is one of the most experienced queue management system providers. Our products are the outcome of more than a decade-long experience and intensive research in the local market. Our diverse clientele, experienced staff, and superior technologies enable us to deliver a highly efficient and productive system with excellent ROI rates. Our customization capabilities and integration with other systems can provide you a greater competitive edge. If you are looking for a reliable, cost-effective, and customized queue management system to meet your specific needs, do reach us out through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box and we will soon get in touch with you.

Check out this:  What are the Basic Components of Queue Management System?

What are the Basic Components of Queue Management System?

What are the Basic Components of Queue Management System?

Queue Management System is a great tool to improve customer experience and staff efficiency. Businesses can significantly reduce the wait time and improve the customer experience by installing a queue management system. As there are so many different types of queuing solutions available in Dubai, UAE, businesses often get confused while acquiring a queue management system. The reason for this blog is to explain the basic system components of a queue management system to let our audience and customers be familiar with the technology and its functions. There are so many different types of queue management systems, some are generic and can be used in almost all sorts of applications. However, some are purpose-made or only made for particular industries. Whatever the case is the core of the system and its components remain the same.

Basic Components of Queue Management System

The two major parts of a queue management system are the software and the hardware. Here is a list of both software and hardware components of a basic queuing system:

  • Queue Management System Software Components
    1. Admin Dashboard
    2. Agent Dashboard
    3. Customer Interface
    4. Data Analytical Engine
    5. Reports, Stats& KPIs
  • Queue Management System Hardware Components
    1. Interactive Kiosk/Ticket Dispensing Machine
    2. Digital Signage Screens
    3. Counter Plates/Screens and Signs
    4. Announcement System

Queue Management System Software

Queue Management System Software

A queue management system software is a server-side application with multiple interfaces for each system user. This means that all the computing, logic, and data processing is done on the server. Usually, the interfaces are built as web apps or web-based interfaces. There are different technologies used to build the server-side application. However, the main mechanism and functioning remain the same.

Here are the queue management system software components:

1. Admin Dashboard

Admin Dashboard

The Admin Dashboard is also referred to as back-office or more commonly known in Dubai and UAE as the administrative control panel. This is the main management interface of the system. The management can control various features and configurations from this interface. This panel can also provide real-time monitoring and administrative control of all the connected branches. The administrative hierarchy with access and authentication rights can be allotted using this panel to managers and staff responsible for different operations. New administrative system users can be created and managed through this panel.

2. Agent Dashboard

Agent Dashboard

The agent dashboard is the interface used by the agents and servers. This interface provides all the required information along with the queuing controls and management. A queue management system can be integrated with other internal systems and tools to further expedite the service delivery process. The server or agent dashboard is the interface where all the information can be fetched or can be pushed through as well. Usually, businesses only ask for queuing controls but this is indeed a very useful interface and can be customized to improve the staff efficiency as well as customer experience.

3. Customer Interface

Customer Interface

A customer interface is an interface where the customer directly interacts with the queue management system. The core functionality of the customer interface is only to allow customers to sign-up for the queue. In Dubai and other parts of the UAE, we mainly see queue management systems with a ticket dispensing kiosk machine. The interface is usually touch-based with multilingual support. The touch screen kiosks are very good at providing easy interaction. Customers can easily choose the service they want to avail and the QMS will sign them up for the required queue.

4. Data Analytical Engine

Data Analytical Engine

The data analytical engine is basically the ability of the software to capture data from multiple interaction points and also data coming from various other inputs. For example in most cases the businesses these days like to integrate a customer feedback system with the queue management system to collect direct customer feedback. The data analytical engine’s responsibility is to process all the incoming data in a predefined way to generate analysis and summaries. This analysis and summaries will be later utilized by the reporting module to generate various types of reports. The data analytical engine is a kind of virtual feature and is not visible for any system user. In fact, it is a background process.

5. Reports, Stats, and KPIs

Reports, Stats, and KPIs

Once the data has been processed through the data analytical engine, it is ready to process in the form of reports. These reports help the management to understand the performance and progress of various business processes and it help them building future strategies and policies. The queue management system collects various types of system usage information and statistical data which can be utilized in reports. The KPIs or Key Performance Indicators are being used to monitor and measure the performance of the staff as well as of various business processes to easily identify the areas of improvement.

Queue Management System Hardware Components

Queue Management System Hardware Components

The hardware part of a queue management system is very simple. It includes basic components that support the software to let various types of interactions with the system. Mainly most of the hardware components are meant for the customers and visitors. The hardware components not only help to manage the customer flow but are also very helpful in improving the customer experience.

Here are the queue management system hardware components:

1. Interactive Kiosk/Ticket Dispensing Machine

Interactive Kiosk/Ticket Dispensing MachineThe interactive Kiosk or Ticket Dispensing Machine is the very first interaction of the customer or visitor with the queue management system. Usually, touch screen interactive kiosks are being used to serve queuing tickets and let the user sign-up for their required queue. The interactive kiosk is the most widely used hardware, it is very convenient and easy to use. It allows a customer or visitors to navigate to their required service easily by tapping a few buttons on the touch screen. Then it dispenses the ticket for the selected queue/service.

2. Digital Signage Screen

Digital Signage ScreenThe digital signage screens are large displays placed in certain locations to make them visible for all the customers and visitors inside the premises. The display screens are an essential part of a queue management system as they are being used to display the real-time queuing status and other information. The announcements are also made on these displays. Apart from that these large screens are also used to play content and adverts. This technique helps to reduce the stress of waiting by playing media and displaying constant updates they keep the customers engaged and busy.

3. Counter Plates/Screens and Signs

Counter Plates/Screens and SignsThere are several hardware accessories that can be used with a queue management system however in a basic QMS setup we use only a few accessories such as the counter plates or counter screens and maybe a few digital signs too to routing the customers. It depends upon the service types, premises, and the service delivery process. The counter screens and counter plates are used to mark the counters, the screen can display the ticket number along with the counter number, which is very helpful for customers to easily reach their allotted counter.

4. Announcement System

Announcement SystemThe announcement system is an essential part of any queue management system. If the waiting area is small and we have enough digital signage screens, the built-in speakers can be used too, else there has to be a dedicated sound system to make audio announcements for customer calls. It is due to the fact that when people are waiting in the waiting area, they might get distracted by several things, such as they are talking, or on the phone or reading or any such thing. Here in Dubai and UAE usually bilingual audio announcement systems are used.

How does a Queue Management System Works?

How does a Queue Management System Works

The process is very simple and easy as the queue management systems are designed to reduce the customer wait and difficulty in availing the service as well as to improve the work efficiency and productivity of the employees as well. The workflow is as follow:

Step 1: Customer or visitor sign up for the queue

customer visitor

Step 2: Customers are requested to wait in the waiting area

customer waiting area

Step 3: Customer is being called to arrive at a certain counter

customer arrive at counter

Step 4: The service has been delivered (in case of stepped service, the customer can be directed to the next counter or waiting area accordingly)

customer at next counter

Step 5: Customers are being provided with an option to submit feedback before they leave, or they simply left without providing any feedback

submit feedback

 

This is the customer journey through a queue management system. However, in the background, the queue management system keeps gathering stats and business intelligence too. Which is being transmitted to the management and/or to the head office in real-time. This data captured from different touchpoints and KPIs can be further analyzed and processed to compile actionable reports. The management can utilize these reports to take future decisions and make new policies to improve service delivery processes and also the services. This can help businesses to improve customer experience, customer journey, and customer retention. Which is necessary for steady growth.

Read More: Important Hardware Components of a Queue Management System

Conclusion

The queue management systems are extremely effective and are playing a vital role in many industries. It is important for businesses to understand the actual technology and its operation before opting for any digital queue management system or customer flow management system. Even a very basic queue management system comes with a very powerful software tool and supportive hardware to significantly transform the customer journey and customer experience. The queuing solutions are also very helpful in reducing the workload of the staff and the servers, which can significantly improve their work efficiency. The KPIs, reporting module, and data analytical engine provide great business intelligence. Which can be utilized by the management to identify the areas of improvement and to make future policies and strategies. Customer retention helps improving customer loyalty. If a business has a loyal clientele, it can easily build a strong and positive brand image, which is also very helpful in generating new leads. Positive brand identity also helps improving conversion rates of marketing efforts.

Altogether the benefits of a queue management system are staggering and businesses can gain a lot by only commissioning a very basic queue management system. RSI Concepts is specialized in Queuing Solutions, we have a variety of queue management systems that can provide you a great competitive edge. If you want to request a quote or just need consultation, feel free to reach us out through our Contact Us page or leave a comment below and we will get back to you soon.

Check out this: What is Queue Management System?

How an Arabic Version of Queue System can Help Improving Customer Experience?

How an Arabic Version of Queue System can Help Improving Customer Experience?

The customer experience and customer happiness are a key to success for a business. Here in Dubai, UAE the market is competitive and customer’s expectations are very high, which makes it even more important to ensure an excellent customer experience if a business wants to compete and grow. A good customer experience makes your customers and visitors happy and satisfied with your brand. Happy customers are more likely to endorse your business and services to others. Word of mouth and online endorsements or social media recommendations are very important for improving your brand identity. If a brand is renowned for its positive reputation, it will attract more customers, and the sales and conversion rate will be improved too. Customer loyalty and customer retention will tag along to help you achieve your business goals and objectives.

There are tons of factors that form up or directly or indirectly have an impact on the customer experience. We keep posting content on these topics, here in this blog we will particularly discuss the importance and positive effects of having a Queue Management System compatible with the Arabic language or with multi-lingual support in Dubai, UAE.

See More: What are the Different Types of Queue Management System?

What is Customer Experience?

What is Customer Experience?

The customer experience or CX is the entire customer journey and all of the interaction point that a customer has with the business or organization while availing a service. For some businesses there is only a one-time purchase in some cases there is a service availed repeatedly, some businesses sell products only and some rely on digital services only, no matter whatever the case is, the ‘customer experience’ will be simply defined as the entire interaction of a customer with a brand from the first interaction to the businesses getting paid or the task that is required by a customer is executed. The customer experience not only includes the customer journey, or customer wait time, or service delivery time, but it also includes the agent’s behavior, quality of service and products, any other physical or digital aspect which could have any impact on the customer will come under the customer experience.

See More: Sharjah Customs acquires QMS from RSI Concepts.

How an Arabic Version of Queue Management System can Improve Customer Experience?

As we all know UAE is an Arab nation, there are so many ex-pats who are from other Arab countries and there is also a huge number of ex-pat communities who understand and speak Arabic very well. In fact, there is a large ex-pat population who only speak or understand either their native language or either Arabic and are not much familiar with English. That is why having a Queue Management System with the Arabic language can really help to improve the customer experience. It always has a pleasant impact if you hear or read the information in your own language or the language that you can easily understand. If the customer is not familiar with the queue management system language, they might fail to respond to the announcements, or they might end up selecting the wrong option from the sign-up process, and so on. Due to the language a lot many things could go wrong which will definitely result in unhappy customers and poor customer experience. However, the Arabic language interface which includes the Arabic sign-up process, Arabic audio-visual announcements, and lives queuing feeds in the Arabic language could have a very pleasant effect on customer experience.

See More: How Virtual Queuing can Change the Business Process?

Conclusion

Queue Management Systems are widely used to manage and improve customer experience. In Dubai, UAE businesses are very up-to-date and completely understand the importance of a good customer experience. That is the reason most of the businesses and especially service-based industries and relevant sectors are heavily relying on queue management systems for customer flow management and customer experience at the branch. A very crucial and important aspect of any queuing solution is that it provides a very simplified customer interaction and quicker service delivery. For that the customer directly interacts with the queue management system, if the system provides multi-lingual support it further improves the customer experience.

In Dubai, UAE, and in fact entire GCC, the native language is Arabic, a huge number of Arabic language speaking ex-pats are residing here and a huge number of Non-Arab ex-pats are there who happen to be more familiar with the Arabic language than the English. This is why having an Arabic version of a queuing system can provide a great customer experience and ensures customer satisfaction. RSI Concepts is a leading queue management system provider in Dubai, UAE. If you need a queuing solution or if you need help to improve customer experience, feel free to reach us out through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below.

Check out this: Mobile Queue Management System’s Impacts on Customer Experience

What are the Different Types of Queue Management System?

What are the Different Types of Queue Management System

All sort of service-based industries is always seeking ways to improve customer experience and customer journey at their businesses or offices or customer centres. Satisfied customers mean a good brand reputation and more customer retention, which ultimately lead to steady business growth. The best way is to streamline your customer flow with a digital queue management system. In Dubai, UAE if a brand has a physical interaction with its customers and visitors, a queue management system is a must. No matter how small or how large a business is if they are interacting with customers and visitors at their premises then having a queue management system is a norm these days. The customers and visitors also expect a queue management system rather than long queues controlled by the staff manually. The queue management systems are built for certain scenarios as well as general-purpose, and the technology used to build the queuing systems is also widely available, which leads to too many innovations and types of the queue management system. This sometimes makes it difficult for some businesses to select the most efficient queue management system that can fulfil their needs.

See More: The Leading Queue Management System Provider in UAE

That is the reason we decided to write about it. This blog is a definitive guide to queue management systems. Here are some different types of the queue management system:

Linear Queuing

Linear Queuing

Linear queuing or linear queue management system is the most basic type of customer flow management. It is a first come first serve type of queuing. And is considered to be the oldest and most commonly used method to handle the queues. It consists of a single line and a single server. Although the server could be more too and the lines could be in parallel. Usually, this kind of queuing is used to maximize the throughput of the customer service centre. The Firs-In-First-Out or FIFO approach is the best for small delivery time-based services or quicker services. Mostly small service centres with fewer customers utilize linear queuing to maximize the efficiency of the system and the infrastructure.

Linear queuing is the most basic type of queue management systems and it also requires fewer system components and less sophistication. Multiple lines can be segregated on the basis of their required service, the queue management system enables the customer to choose the service they want to avail. Most of the time in case linear queuing when implemented in a scenario where there are multiple services available, then multiple parallel lines can be created and the customers and visitors can be segregated on the basis of service they want to avail. For example, all the customers who availed service with the higher service delivery time should be put in the queue against a particular counter.

See More: What is Linear Queuing Queue Management System?

Non-linear Queuing

Non-linear Queuing

Mostly the service-based industries are relying on non-linear queuing. Usually when you have more than 4 counters and/or multiple services to serve then the non-linear queuing is proven to be much better than linear queuing. In non-linear queuing, for example; there are two counters for Service A and four counters for Service B. Service A requires around 10 minutes and service B requires around 20 minutes for single service delivery. The queue management system automatically directs the customers to their required service counter regardless of their time of arrival if their required counter is vacant they will be directed to that counter without any delay. This is how non-linear queuing works, there are certain variables and conditions that may apply to the customers to determine where would they get the service from and how long will it took them to get the service delivered.

All types of queuing come under the umbrella of non-linear queuing in which the first-come-first-serve rule is not followed. For example, the exclusive counters for VIP or Premium customers are also examples of non-linear queuing. Another very common example is the telecom customer support and service centres, which usually offers a variety of services, and almost all counters can provide all sort of services too. Yet some of the services are addressed quicker than the others, it depends upon the company policy, for example, we can say that the company want to prioritize new leads and prospects who choose to purchase a new plan or service and so on. These types of queuing are all non-linear queuing.

See More: Features of an efficient Queue Management System

Multi-Counter Queuing

Multi-Counter Queuing

Multi-counter queuing is a little bit complex than other linear and non-linear customer flow management. In multi-counter queuing a customer will have to reach multiple or more than one counters to get a complete service delivered. In multi-counter queuing multiple queues has to be managed in parallel to ensure a shorter wait time. For example visa &immigration services or a clinic or bank or anything, there are so many different applications of multi-counter queuing. In multi-counter queuing the customer signup for a queue and gets a ticket number, once their turn came they arrive at the first counter, where most data entry is done, or the service is initiated. Then they have been either given a new ticket number or the same will be reutilized for the next stop. The customer can be guided to the next counter with the help of different signage and direction pointers. Then the customer reached the second counter, the customer data and/or details can be automatically pushed to the next counter upon their arrival. This saves a lot of time and improves customer experience.  Either the full service is delivered at the second counter or the customer could be directed to the next counter and so on. This is how a multi-counter queuing work.

See More: Benefits of Queue Management using Mobile Apps

Mobile Queuing

Mobile Queuing

Mobile Queuing is aimed to improve the customer experience and customer journey by reducing wait time, preventing crowd formation in the waiting area, facilities to locate and reach the least busy branch, schedule a visit, customer feedback collection and contactless queuing experience. There is a lot more and the business and organizations can significantly improve customer satisfaction using a mobile application based queue management system. The customer journey can be improved by providing simple and basic features such as a branch locator, this feature helps the customers to locate the branches near them, the customer can also view the real-time stats of each branch and an estimated time of service delivery can also be provided. This way the customer can easily decide which branch they should go to to get the quickest service delivery.

This not only reduces the wait time but also helps to improve the customer journey as well. The customer can sign-up using their queue management system mobile application. The queue management system can also send push notifications, SMS and other alerts to inform the customer about their turn. This is a great queue management system feature that can help business to improve their customer journey. And it also enables the business and organizations to collect customer feedback via the same smartphone application, which can be later utilized to further improve the customer journey and customer experience.

See More: Benefits of Virtual Queue Management System

Virtual Queuing
Virtual Queuing

Virtual Queuing is a queue management system that has the ability to allow the customers to sign-up for the queue without even being physically present in the queue. It not only enables a virtual sign-up but also provides the freedom of waiting anywhere even outside of the premises of the branch. Still, they can be served on their turn. Virtual queuing significantly improve the customer journey and customer experience. It also helps to reduce the workload of the staff and the management and there are very few chances of a crowd formation at the branch. These are the features that make it superior to other queue management system types. The customer can perform the tasks and monitor the queue progress on their smartphones or via a web portal or via SMS. The customer signup can be done via email, SMS, call, Smartphone Application or Online Portal/Website. The virtual queuing also reduce the workload of the staff which results in improved employee efficiency.

The virtual queue management systems support a lot of different methods to signup remotely. The most common methods are smartphone application and QR Code scan. The customer can log in to their smartphone application and then signup for the queue, or the customers can reach a branch and scan a QR Code which let them signup for the queue as well as also helps them getting access to the real-time live queue updates and status. Various types of notifications can be configured for the announcements and/or as a reminder for their turn. Virtual queuing can significantly reduce the wait time and automation also limits the resources required for customer flow management, which can save a lot of expenses. The system commissioning is fairly simpler and the ROI is excellent.

See More: 5 Features of Queue Management System

Online Appointment

Online Appointment

The online appointment booking system is very common in the healthcare sectors. A lot many other industries are also utilizing the online appointment booking system. A queue management system can either be integrated with an existing online appointment booking or management system or an appointment booking module can also be provided packaged with the queue management system. The appointment booking system can be either provided by the smartphone application or by an online web portal. Mostly both methods are used. The customer have can access the appointment booking dashboard with or without logging in to the customer portal, or smartphone application or even via the website as well. The customer can choose a particular day and time of their choice, the system can provide them with the expected service delivery time, or the number of active queues at that particular time. A lot many other features can be provided too to further improve the customer experience.

The online appointment booking with queue management system not only helps reducing customer wait time and the service delivery time but it also reduces the workload of the staff and provides them with better control over the number of customer or visitors at any given point of time. The online appointment booking system also helps organizations to collect valuable data and other system stats even customer feedback too. This data is very helpful for business to take vital decisions and build up future strategies.

See More: Paperless Queue Management System – Dubai, UAE

Conclusion

These days not only in Dubai, UAE but all around the world, businesses are very concerned about their customer experience and customer journey. Especially in the competitive landscape, a proper queue management system can be a game-changer. The queue management system not only helps businesses in improving their customer experience and customer journey but also provides a vital business insight that can be utilized while making strategic decisions. Improved customer journey and customer experience results in better customer retention and increased sales. This ensures steady growth for the business. However, there are so many different types of queue management system and it is extremely important to understand which type is suitable for what kind of scenarios. Only a suitable queue management system can provide maximum efficiency and desired results.

There are basically two major classifications of the queue management systems, one is linear and the other is non-linear, the linear is first-come-first-served and all other types of the queue management system are considered to be non-linear. There are other types too which are based on the basis of service itself, whether the service requires a single counter, or multiple counters and so on. No matter whatever the scenario is a queue management system can be very helpful. We always suggest acquiring the services of a professional queue management system provider in Dubai, UAE such as RSI Concepts. We at RSI Concepts have helped hundreds of customers to achieve their business goals and objectives. Feel free to reach us out through our Contact Us page.

Check this out: Complete guide to Queue Management Systems in Dubai, UAE