While in college, I learned about this little thing called "waiting line models" or "Queueing theory" depending on who you're talking to. Here's a link to the Wikipedia page about it.
Essentially, waiting line models help you to determine what the appropriate number of checkout clerks should be depending on your average throughput of customers. It's kind of an interesting model on scheduling and and customer service really. But basically it comes down to common sense - the more customers you have, the more clerks you need to keep waiting in line time down.
Alternatively, the more time it takes to complete the checkout process, the more clerks you need to keep the wait time down. Customers start to get antsy after about 2 minutes, and frustrated after about 5 minutes. There are ways to extend this time, such as colorful impulse buys that are good distractions for simpler minds and children. Yet, generally, after 5 minutes, the poor clerk should be braced to get an earful.
And that's why I'm writing this today.
I'm not going to blame the store clerks, who typically bear the brunt of customer's frustration, no, I blame the managers or even the higher ups.
I waited in line at a Radioshack for over 30 minutes. THIRTY FREAKING MINUTES. Moreover, I had one item - 5 dollars worth of copper wire.
I should have walked out.
The clerks were BOTH tending customers who had purchased cell phones. Being a cell phone user myself, who has dealt with the rigmarole of setup, I was figuring 10 to 15 minutes of wait time, but since there were two clerks, one should have been about midprocess. The caveat, I'd never purchased a phone from Radioshack. 30. Freaking. Minutes. Worse, it always looked like the clerks were just one step away from finishing up their purchases, so it kept me there waiting. Could they have told me it was going to be a while? Absolutely, I could have come back later, or I may have even stayed, I was pretty committed to buying this wire. Could they have put one of the other cell phone customers to the side so that I could purchase my one item? Sure, and the cell phone customer likely would have understood. Could the manager in the back have come up to the front to assist with purchases, absolutely, that's why they're the manager - to ensure that the store runs smoothly.
Should they have had both clerks, the only two queues in the store, working on cell phone purchases at the same time and lock up all other customers in line. Absolutely NOT, and that's terrible line management, and there really should be a policy against this sort of thing. It's the kind of thing that makes people wait in line for 30 minutes. The kind of thing that compels people to write lengthy rants such as this one. The very kind of thing that turns repeat customers into non-customers.
The poor clerk who finished first knew it too. Fully expecting a nuclear verbal onslaught that would have ripped through every layer of the earth and exploded out the other side - he stood there, ready to absorb the destruction as if it were his job, his $8.00 and hour obligation. He actually winced as I came to the counter. I thought an instant,what if I was here, but from the other side. "It's obvious that he's already suffering, I can be the better man." I thought. So I regained my composure, dropped my ONE item on the counter, and stood there silent...deathly silent. He rushed to make the purchase, as if it were some kind of appeasement for the 30 minutes of waiting. We finished the purchase and before I could turn away, he actually said "Thank You for not yelling at me." I nodded, and I walked away.
But that doesn't make it any better, Radioshack failed, to the point that I felt I must write about it. And I won't be going back, not as long as they're selling cell phones.
And I hope you learn from my experience too; if there are only two clerks up front and both are tending to customers who are purchasing a cell phone...
LEAVE THE DAMN STORE.
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