technology store retail queue management
|

Glentel reduces customer walkaways by 27% with WaitWell

Glentel has received exceptional feedback from their staff across many locations since implementing WaitWell

Customers wait in a virtual queue and are then free to browse while they wait. The result is reduced customer frustration and a better interaction with staff at time of service. District managers have access to real time service statistics and can monitor WaitWell from anywhere to keep up-to-date with their stores, and make data-driven decisions.

Overview

Wireless etc., a division of Glentel, operates a network of 353 locations throughout Canada, providing the public with top-notch technology services and products. At the onset of the pandemic, Wireless etc. sought support in managing queues and enhancing customer convenience and satisfaction. WaitWell’s workflow management and data analytics consistently furnish Wireless etc. with the operational tools required to enhance efficiency across multiple locations. They refer to the implementation of WaitWell as a “true success story”.

353

locations

27%

fewer customer walkaways

600k

customers served

Business Challenge

Glentel reached out to WaitWell in September of 2021 in the hopes of finding an appropriate solution to their problem; they needed to manage lineups in their hundreds of Costco locations. These locations had high retail traffic and no workflow management system in place to safely handle it within the new COVID restrictions. Their previous system of clipboards and paper was inefficient, ineffective and not in line with their technology offerings, so they needed a solution to quickly and digitally transform their service. 

They were looking for a solution that would provide measurable data that could help with streamlining operations. At a minimum, they needed to understand customer traffic, wait times and service metrics to better understand their customers’ journey and make better staffing decisions. 

WaitWell is transforming the customer experience for Glentel even post-pandemic by providing an intelligent queue management system and actionable data analytics. 

“Eliminating the lineup was such a big deal for our customers because they can go and shop around and then come back,” said Tarik Belarbi, the Customer Service and Project Management Director at Glentel.

Solution

WaitWell worked with Glentel to design a perfect workflow solution for their service needs. They implemented WaitWell within their website store directory as an iframe so that visitors could book appointments without leaving their branded websites. Their join and book page URLs were also customized to match their store IDs. They use WaitWell’s virtual queueing system for their many locations exceeding customer expectations, and easing staff stress.

Glentel wanted to make joining a queue as simple and as available as possible. On location, customers can scan a QR code on their mobile device, alternatively, they can join the line from home. No matter how they choose to join, the communication informs customers of their position in line and estimated wait time. While they wait, they are able to walk around the store and shop and use their time productively. Customers receive notifications on their phone when it is their turn for service and optionally after their visit with an opportunity for feedback Customers can ask questions while they are waiting such as, “do you have this item in stock, or leave comments such as “I’ll come back tomorrow”. This line of communication helps improve the customer experience and saves staff time from having to interact with each customer directly, avoiding interruptions.

Results

Since implementation Glentel has served over 600,000 customers across 353 locations and 24 regions. Over 1500 of their staff have successfully used WaitWell in their various locations. Through this, WaitWell has decreased Glentel’s customer walkaways by 27% in only the first year. 

WaitWell’s unique administration tools make it simple to make changes to many settings across all or just a few selected locations in a matter of seconds. WaitWell makes it easy to manage multiple locations within one account, allowing administrators the ability to manage different workflows for different brands, customize hours of operation and manage a high volume of users. WaitWell’s SSO integration makes it simple for staff to login using the same credentials across their work accounts. . Administration and analytics can be tiered using region, location and level of administrator, making it simple to view data and controls based on different requirements. 

Business analytics was an important factor for Glentel. Previously, they had little means of checking in on their various locations or understanding numbers related to service. This made it difficult to know how many customers walked away, how many returned later, peak times, and length of service time by both agent and service type With WaitWell, customers do not walk away from long lineups. Instead, they can walk around the store or join the line from home. This helps Glentel sell more products as they do not miss out on these opportunities. 

Keeping record of traffic is an analytic that has especially empowered Glentel and their district managers to make better staffing decisions year-round. This saves them money as they know how many staff to put on the floor and when. They are not wasting as much money on labour at slower times, and they can in turn cater to more customers at busier times with more staff on the floor. 

team looking at data and analytics

Tarik Belarbi, the Customer Service and Project Management Director at Glentel, says that the data analytics “helps them to prepare for busy times, and manage traffic and customer expectations.” 

Glentel found that WaitWell was easy to implement and use right away. “The speed and implementation was super easy as well. I cannot say enough good things about the team at WaitWell,” said Belarbi.  “They helped us manage the implementation, the app, and helped us through the whole process and the changes we requested.” 

Glentel summed up their implementation of WaitWell in three words: “true success story”.

The speed and implementation was super easy as well. I cannot say enough good things about the team at WaitWell. They helped us manage the implementation, the app, and helped us through the whole process and the changes we requested.” 

-Tarik belarbi, Customer Service and Project Management Director at Glentel

Similar Posts