We all do it.

Waiting in line is not an acquired taste. I have yet to meet someone who likes doing it, yet we all have  to do it.  It’s not an acquired taste or something that grows on you.  Waiting in line is an annoying reality of life.  We all do it.  We all have to deal with it.  

While modern technology has made our lives easier and allowed us to avoid some lines altogether (shopping for clothes, accessories, furnishings, gifts, some food, etc) some lines you just can’t avoid.  It's an annoying reality of life.  We all do it.  We all have to deal with it.

While some lines are definitely worse than others, there’s an actual science on lines, how we feel about them, and even ways to make them a little less mind-numbingly painful, because...waiting in line is an annoying reality of life.  We all do it.  We all deal with it.

But wait, there is hope yet.  We can help decrease the time that is the reality of waiting in line!  We all do it.  We all deal with it.  With our system in place that reality doesn't have to be so annoying.  You can have Time for more customers, Time to improve your customer service, Time to perfect your quality processes.  Less Time standing in line. 

 Here are 3 random facts about waiting in line:

1. Some people are more willing to pay others to wait in line for them.  We've all seen people put up tents and chairs for things like shoes, phomes, tickets to evenets. More and more businesses are allowing you to hire people to wait in line for you, run errands, and act as personal concierges.  How much is your time worth?  How much is your customers' time worth?  

2. There are some places where waiting in line is actually a part of the experience.  Themed environments, mascots, music and entertainment make the time in line a little less painful.  Disney for example has found some great ways to keep people distracted while waiting in line for hours!  However, I doubt you have the budget that Disney has to keep your guests entertained while waiting in line.

3. One of the first mentions of a line-up was in 1837, in a historic account of the French Revolution where Thomas Carlyle, describing the waiting formation as “queues" or "tails”, when he described the revolutionaries waiting to make purchases.