For hospitality operators, a full house is a good sign. But for customers, long waits can quickly sour the experience. While some delays are unavoidable during peak periods, much of the queuing that happens across venues is a solvable problem and solving it can result in substantial gains in customer satisfaction and revenue.
Through expert insight and frontline experience, we’ve gathered proven strategies for reducing queues in hospitality business venues with a high footfall. The expected outcome is for businesses to cut the queues and run a more profitable, more agile operation.
What’s Behind the Queue?
The cause of long queues isn’t often the payment process. In fact, the actual act of paying is usually the fastest part of the experience. The real bottlenecks happen earlier during order preparation and production processes. In high-volume settings like stadiums and leisure venues, these backend operations can overwhelm the service flow, especially when capacity is stretched.
In some cases, queues also stem from resource shortages. When a single staff member is handling specialist food prep, or when collection points aren’t clearly managed, queues form quickly and can be difficult to manage once they build up.
The Impact of Peak-Time Surges
At peak times, such as lunch rushes or halftime at a football match, service teams can quickly become overwhelmed. For guests, long queues at these moments often mean missed meals or drinks and lost sales for business operators. In fact, the frustration from queues can be enough to deter customers from making a purchase altogether, cutting into per-head revenue and repeat visits.
Quick Operational Fixes that Make a Real Difference
Digital solutions can significantly improve queue flow by streamlining how orders are placed and fulfilled. Solutions like Pre-ordering apps and web platforms allow guests to order and pay in advance, skipping the main queue entirely. When paired with FastLane pick-up stations, this approach reduces congestion at collection points and enhances the overall guest experience.
In addition to the technology, small changes in layout, signage, and staff positioning can also make a big difference. Repositioning self-service kiosks, improving queue guidance with signage, and deploying staff at high-friction points all contribute to smoother customer journeys especially during peak periods.
Together, these operational adjustments and digital tools such as those provided by Zucchetti enable faster throughput, reduce frustration, and set the stage for higher transaction volumes without increasing headcount.
Addressing Queues with Smarter Scheduling and Data
Scheduling staff efficiently isn’t just about matching headcount to busy hours; it’s about understanding patterns. By analysing historical transaction data from your POS system such as TCPOS, alongside external factors like weather, time of day, or even sports team popularity, operators can forecast demand more accurately.
These forecasts help businesses prepare for surges without overstaffing, keeping labour costs efficient while ensuring customers get served on time.
Technology That Transforms the Queue
When used strategically, digital tools like TCPOS remove friction and actively drive revenue. Pre-ordering apps and web apps let customers skip the queue by ordering and paying before they arrive. Self-ordering kiosks give customers control over their experience, increasing order speed and average spend. Click & Collect services allow orders to be picked up from designated points without queueing at all. For even greater speed and efficiency, many hospitality businesses are now turning to advanced AI technologies to address bottlenecks at checkout.
In large venues such as stadiums and entertainment arenas, AI-powered self-checkouts like visioncheckout are transforming the customer experience. Using machine learning and computer vision, the system automatically identifies and processes multiple food or retail items placed on trays, allowing customers to pay in just a few seconds.
With its ability to scan up to five trays in a single transaction, without the need to rescan as items are added, visioncheckout is ideal for busy venues. For operators, this solution reduces queue times and enables them to serve more customers with fewer staff, resulting in significant labour savings and increased revenue.
In fact, digital ordering channels have consistently shown up to a 20% increase in average transaction values. This is proof that customers spend more when they’re not standing in a queue.
What’s Stopping Progress?
Despite these benefits, many businesses are still hesitant to invest in digital solutions. The perceived cost is a common blocker, even though rising labour shortages in hospitality are making these systems more valuable by the day. To overcome this blocker, Zucchetti supports operators with a rental model that allows them to access and deploy advanced solutions without the pressure of large upfront investments.
Other barriers include underestimating the number of digital touchpoints needed to make a real impact. For instance, installing one kiosk won’t solve the problem if the footfall demands three.
Then there’s awareness. Businesses often launch apps or Click & Collect services without the right promotion or incentives. As a result, adoption stays low, and the queue doesn’t shift.
Using Queues to Your Advantage
Smart queue management also presents operators with a chance to drive engagement and increase spend and enhance the overall experience. For example, offering a free drink or discount in exchange for registering on an app while waiting not only encourages loyalty but also unlocks valuable customer data for future promotions.
Some operators use queue time as a moment of connection, using digital screens, signage, or QR codes to prompt sign-ups, highlight special offers, or promote menu items. These subtle prompts help increase order values without slowing down the service.
Beyond the transaction, streamlined queuing has wider benefits. It reduces pressure on staff, improves customer reviews, and creates the conditions for more personalised service. Happier customers are more likely to return, and more likely to tell others.
Smart queue management isn’t just about reducing wait times, it’s also a chance to drive engagement and increase spend. For example, offering a discount or free drink for customers who register in an app while queueing encourages loyalty and unlocks valuable customer data.
Some operators are now turning queue time into a moment of connection, using screens or QR codes to prompt sign-ups, offer loyalty bonuses, or promote special menu items.
Measuring the Impact: Tracking the Right KPIs
To understand the value of your queue management strategies, you need to track the right performance indicators. Modern POS systems like TCPOS make this easier, offering built-in reporting tools that help operators assess performance from both operational and customer experience standpoints.
Here are some of the KPIs that can demonstrate return on investment:
- Customer throughput per hour or per table: This is a useful measure of how many guests you’re able to serve during peak times.
- Average receipt value: Digital pre-ordering and self-service tools often lead to higher spend per customer.
- Customer satisfaction index or survey results: Direct feedback gives valuable insights into how wait times affect the overall experience.
Used together, these metrics help operators evaluate what’s working, identify areas for improvement, and continuously fine-tune their approach to queue management.
For more expert advice and guidance on how to improve your hospitality operations, contact us and we will be in touch.
