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'The more valuable the perceived service the longer the customer will wait.''

e.g Special checkout counters, in supermarkets, were originally provided because customers with only a few items felt resentful at having to wait a long time for what was seen as a simple transaction. Customers with a full trolley were more inclined to tolerate lines

'Unexplained waits are longer than Explained waits.''

e.g Airline pilots understand this principle well; on-board announcements are filled with references to tardy baggage handlers, fog over landing strips, safety checks, and air-traffic controllers' clearance instructions. The explanation given may or may not exonerate the service provider, but is better than none at all.

'Anxiety Makes Waits Seem Longer.''

e.g Nearly everyone has had the experience of choosing a line at the supermarket or airport, and stood there worrying that he had, indeed, chosen the wrong line. As one stands there trying to decide whether to move, the anxiety level increases and the wait becomes intolerable. This situation is covered by what is known as Erma Bombeck's Law: "The other line always moves faster"

'Uncertain Waits Are Longer than Known, Finite Waits.''

The most profound source of anxiety in waiting is how long the wait will be. e.g if a patient in a waiting room is told that the doctor will be delayed thirty minutes, he experiences an initial annoyance but then relaxes into an acceptance of the inevitability of the wait. However, if the patient is told the doctor will be free soon, he spends the whole time in a state of nervous anticipation, unable to settle down, afraid to depart and come back.

'Unfair Waits Are Longer than Equitable Waits.''

As Sasser, Olsen, and Wycoff (1979) note, one of the most frequent irritants mentioned by customers at restaurants is the prior seating of those who have arrived later. They observe: "The feeling that somebody has successfully cut in front' of you causes even the most patient customer to become furious. Great care to be equitable is vital" (1979, 89)
In many waiting situations, there is no visible order to the waiting line. In situations such as waiting for a subway train, the level of anxiety demonstrated is high, and the group waiting is less a queue than a mob. Instead of being able to relax, each individual remains in a state of nervousness about whether their priority in the line is being preserved.

Learn more about this author, John Bowie.
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