Keeping people in line

If you have the sort of business where you are faced with long lines of people, you will need some sort of setup to show people where to stand, how to line up, etc. The last thing you want is a long line stretching out your door and down the street — talk about scaring customers away! Rather, you need some kind of device that will help you guide your customers into a line that snakes back and forth, saves space, and appears more orderly (and therefore less intimidating) to customers when they walk in your door.

Post and rope make a great way to do this. Classier looking and less intimidating than temporary fence panels, post & rope gives you a way to gently nudge your customers into the right direction. This works just as well for smaller businesses as it does for lines at the bank or airport.

Remember, waiting in line can be a difficult thing for many people. To minimize this, make your store or lobby as welcoming and comfortable as possible, and help your lines to look less intimidating. Giving people something to read — on the walls, on signs, or in brochures and fliers — can give something to do while they wait. You also should pay attention to studies on the psychology of waiting in line — for instance, studies should that people are happier with one line that feeds into several different stations, such as at the bank, rather than many different lines (that can result in some people having to wait longer than others), such as at the grocery store.