The End of the Line

Get in Line
Everybody hates waiting in lines.

That’s why I was so refreshed when I visited Tony & Harry’s Restaurant in the city of Lihue on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. They have the coolest thing I’ve ever seen while waiting in a line to order some food, and I didn’t mind waiting because of it.

Tiny Bubbles
Tony & Harry’s Restaurant has a Playstation connected to a big screen television and a video camera. The camera shows people in line on the big screen and the Playstation superimposes virtual bubbles all over the screen. When someone in line moves around and “hits” the bubbles on the screen, they burst or multiply. It’s really fun.

(That’s me in the photo on the right, taking a picture of myself on the big screen tv with bubbles all around me.)

I had so much fun busting bubbles with my hands, feet, and head, that by the time it was my turn to order, I didn’t even notice that I had been standing in line for five minutes. Everyone that I was with also got in on the bubble-busting action. We had a great time and didn’t mind the wait at all.

If They’re Willing to Wait, Entertain Them
If a customer is willing to wait for your product or service, then they must really like your stuff. Why not give them something fun to do while waiting? It gives them something to tell their friends about and keeps their minds off of the fact that they have to wait. Happy customers make the best customers.

Add This to Your To-Do List
How are your customers made to wait for your products or services?
  • Do they have to stand in a line at lunchtime? Yell out some trivia questions to help them pass the time.

  • Do they have to wait on hold on the phone? Come up with a few quick jokes and record them as your on-hold music track instead of playing the same dry songs that everybody else does.

  • Do your customers have to wait for their products to arrive in the mail? Try this: Take a package, draw a face on it, and put some driving glasses and a scarf on it. Then take a picture of the package behind the wheel of a car. Send your customers an email with the photo attached and tell them that their package is on the way.
Have fun with your customers while they’re waiting. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of time to come up with, and it gives customers something to talk about later. What are you doing to entertain your customers while they wait? I’d love to hear your ideas.

There’s never a lack of ideas.

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