With TimeTrade Queue Manager Brands Transform Physical Experiences

By STS News Desk On Oct 17, 2019

With TimeTrade Queue Manager Brands Transform Physical Experiences

Retailers, Banks, and Credit Unions Now Have a More Powerful Tool to Bridge the Gap Between Digital and Physical Experiences by Personalizing Interactions, and Minimizing Wait Times

TimeTrade, the leader in Intelligent Appointment Scheduling, is providing brands even more ways to manage and accelerate appointment-driven customer engagement strategies with the next generation of Queue Manager. Part of the powerful TimeTrade Scheduler Platform, Queue Manager improves in-person experiences by managing on-site traffic and freeing up employees to focus on providing exceptional service to all customers.

In today’s competitive landscape, successful brands must reach consumers in the moments that most influence their decisions, while providing a frictionless process both online and off. But providing physical experiences that match the ease and convenience of online interactions remains a challenge.

TimeTrade research found that 61% of consumers frequently leave a store or bank without making a purchase because they are unable to get assistance in a timely manner. When asked about interacting with staff, 50% said it was very or somewhat difficult to find and get assistance from a knowledgeable associate.

“Leading brands understand that personalized experiences are the key to differentiating their offerings and boosting loyalty, yet there’s been a lag in implementing engagement strategies that adequately bridge a customer’s online and physical experience,” said Steven Connolly, Director of Product Management at TimeTrade. “Queue Manager addresses the frustrations customers often feel during in-store visits, fostering exceptional, live interactions that drive sales.”

Queue Manager helps brands accelerate appointment-driven customer engagement during in-person visits. With the platform, brands have a powerful tool to:

Encourage customers to connect at their convenience – self-service kiosks allow walk-in visitors to add their name to a queue and receive a text when it’s their turn for service. Additionally, brands can extend this experience online, displaying estimated wait times on their website so customers can choose which store to visit based on their needs. It also provides customers the ability to virtually join the line even before they arrive on site.

Manage customer flow in real-time – TimeTrade’s Concierge mobile app gives staff the information they need to prepare for customer visits, efficiently handle walk-in traffic, and address shifting priorities on the fly. The app provides employees the ability to see upcoming appointments, check visitors in, start and end appointments, and view wait times to ensure customers are kept up to date about when they’ll be served.

The newly improved Concierge mobile interface is even more robust, providing:

Seamless alignment to TimeTrade’s newly released Engagement Center, saving administrative time.
Estimated Wait Times, which are now are calculated based on customized algorithms that understand the real-time scenarios, including current number of people in line, appointment lengths, current appointments in service and other variables that contribute to wait time.
Instant in-app visibility into detailed appointment insights, such as wait time metrics, total number of appointments and other information.
Options to promote appointments in a queue, providing a VIP experience to specific customers.
Enhanced collection of appointment data to better track cancellations, reschedules and other appointment metrics.

Set customer expectations – Queue Display provides a real-time information center for in-store or in-branch customers. The digital display can be used on a standalone TV or integrated into existing on-site digital signage to provide customers with up-to-the minute information about wait times or other significant details of the in-person experience.

Optimize operations – Through Engagement Center, with Next Best Action™ Analytics, managers and executives can access detailed metrics that help shape current and future customer experiences. The data captured provides a clear view on who is entering each location, when they arrive, how long they wait and the purpose of their visit. Managers can better forecast demand and improve staffing levels, while also gaining insights into who serves each customer, helping to direct employee feedback and address persistent performance issues.

The newly improved Engagement Center now provides:

Proactive wait time notifications, which alert employees if wait times increase so they can take prompt actions to resolve the situation. Location and district managers can subscribe to notifications, too, for a more accurate understanding of day-to-day operations.

Queue Manager is an extension of the TimeTrade Scheduler Platform, available either in conjunction with Appointment Scheduling or stand-alone. Current TimeTrade Queue Manager customers may take advantage of this new functionality with an automatic upgrade. TimeTrade customers not currently utilizing Queue Manager may purchase it as a platform extension.