Why Setting Wait Time Expectations Is Key to a Good Customer Experience

Not much sours a customer’s perception of a restaurant as fast as unwieldy lines and long waits. Especially for fast-paced establishments, managing wait time expectations is a significant challenge and can cause patrons to leave — or, worse, never return. Although management can’t always eliminate the wait for service entirely, they can use modern technology to set reliable wait time expectations from the start.

First of all, setting such a standard gives the initial perception to visitors that you're savvy — your staff knows what’s going on and what to expect. As a result, the potential customer who just walked in also knows what to expect, automatically putting them at ease. In other words, the effort of providing a wait time expectation conveys a level of professionalism and awareness that patrons generally appreciate. 

The Importance of Perceived Wait TimeEspecially for perpetually busy or high-demand restaurants, customers who have to wait a long time can still be…