Americans spend approximately 37 billion hours a year waiting in line. Why do some handle waiting better than others? How can service providers make waiting more pleasant? And what can we do to maximize our time in limbo?
The scene at the supermarket checkout is a familiar one. Some shoppers fidget from foot to foot their eyes darting to the cashier — monitoring her progress — then back to their own carts. Mothers with children in tow warily eye their young ones wondering how long they can be kept away from the candies and toys put deliberately on display near the cashier.
Then there are those who don’t seem to mind the line ahead of them. They allow shoppers with just a few items to go ahead of them strike up conversations with fellow shoppers and smile at whoever meets their eye.
Waiting is no fun for anyone. Why is it that some people seem to handle the stress a lot better than others? Why do consumers in a post office line exhibit more signs of impatience than those in a retail shop? From personality to expectations to service value many factors will determine how we react when we’re forced to wait for something we want.
Who Has the Patience Gene?
Personality is one of the most obvious determinants for how people respond to waiting. Some people are natural “waiters” others are not.
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