The Car Queue Quandary

It’s one thing to keep people happy while they’re standing in line, but what about when they’re in a vehicle? Customers in cars are definitely a captive audience – there are few opportunities for reneging once they’re situated in the driver’s seat with the engine running. While it would certainly be easy to take advantage of a driver’s attention while they’re stuck in one place, you don’t want to alienate present or future patrons by tapping on their window every 10 feet, requiring them to listen to sales pitches along the way, or inundating them with so much signage they’ll feel like they’re looking at billboards on the interstate. All queues are not the same, and the waiting line for drivers differs based on location. Let’s take a closer look at the places where lines of cars are most often found – airports, parking garages, and arenas and stadiums – and some possible solutions for making the car queue work to everyone’s advantage.

Airport Lines

Driving around an airport pretty much requires a second, third, and fourth pair of eyes. You need to be able to read all the signage in a blink, know what applies to you, and keep your eyes on the road while sometimes moving at a snail’s pace and navigating a complex system of off and on ramps, arrivals and departures, airlines, and long-term and short-term parking options… all while keeping an eye on the many cars around you. Too much signage may seem overwhelming to drivers, but signage is actually the best way to inform people about what’s happening. Digital signage in particular can be changed at a moment’s notice. Signage is also incredibly helpful for designated car waiting areas (an auto virtual waiting area, if you will). You can provide as little or as much information as you like through a digital display – details like flights that are about to land, flights that have arrived and are still getting through customs. You can even include an estimated wait for how long a typical passenger might take to get to the airport exit after going through customs and picking up their luggage.

Parking Garage Lines

Parking garages can feel like black holes. You get in there and start driving in circles, up to the sky or down to the bowels of a building, attempting to find a spot that’s close to the elevator (or the stairs, depending on your wish for cardio). Unless you’re intimately familiar with the garage and park there regularly, finding a spot is only half the challenge – parking near the desired destination is the second half of the battle, and one that drivers ultimately give up on at the risk of missing out on a good parking spot. Do some of the work for them, and save every driver from the slow car in front of them that has no idea where they’re going.

For parking garages that service multi-use developments, signs such as, “Best parking for Target, Barnes & Noble, and Kohl’s is on this level,” or “Seeing a movie? Park on Level E” or “Going to P.F. Chang’s? Turn left here for parking” will be a tremendous help to drivers who are stuck in snaking lines and attempting to find the fastest way to their destination. Patrons will thank you for saving them time and stress, and they’ll be more likely to return to what might otherwise be a very daunting collection of stores, restaurants, and other businesses. Lines also form at the exit of parking garages, especially on busy weekends or during holidays or special events. For the garages that charge a fee, explain the options for paying with signage hung throughout the garage so people can familiarize themselves with the rules before they even get in their cars. Have signage posted along the exit route as well, clearly detailing the fastest way to an exit, the quickest ways to pay, and if there are lines specifically for cash or credit card.

Stadium and Arena Lines

Offering in-line merchandising isn’t necessarily an option for most car lines, but stadiums and arenas are venues where patrons might just appreciate the opportunity to stock up on the way in or have a last hurrah on the way out.

Any visitor to a ball game or concert knows that the concession lines are going to be eternal inside, and the chances of snagging some souvenir swag is a wait and a half. Give them the opportunity to get some of what they want before they even park their cars by having purchase stations set up at the most congested points of the long lines. Just make sure the cash exchange is quick and easy – round off prices and accept only exact change, for instance, to make sure a long line doesn’t get any more backed up because of transactions. Offer one item per station to avoid indecision. Many customers expect the same-old, same-old when it comes to places like airports and parking garages and they may balk at a change in queues, even if it’s an improved method. Other patrons are always game to test out a new system to see if it’s better than what they’ve always experienced. Either way, any new change to a major way of organization takes some getting used to, but the fact remains that clear signage and well thought-out queues are always a wise business practice.