Why Preparing Outdoor Queues is Important
Managing people queuing outdoors can be challenging for any business, especially when large crowds are involved. Whether visitors are queuing for an event in busy venues or waiting in line for a ride at a crowded theme park, managing your queue is crucial for delivering a positive experience. By combining TensaBarrier® products with an efficient queue layout, your business can better guide people queuing on-site, enhancing staff efficiency and minimizing disruptions.
This blog post offers 5 top tips from TensaBarrierOnline and Tamis Corporation experts to help you successfully manage people queuing outdoors.
1. Clear Signage and Communication
Clear wayfinding signage is vital in queue management. Properly installed, it allows visitors to easily see where their queue begins and understand relevant rules or instructions.
Our Tensamedia® range provides visible signage solutions that can be directly installed into your queues. These eye-catching products capture the attention of people queuing, preventing confusion.
Sign holders or customizable wayfinding totems are ideal for establishing clear communication channels. By implementing instructive signage correctly, staff can spend less time guiding visitors and more time on detailed or complex requests.
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2. Efficient Queue Layouts to Improve Visitor Flow
Avoid keeping visitors waiting outside for too long. Even in warmer weather, temperatures can drop. A well-designed queue layout can significantly impact the flow and efficiency of people queuing outdoors. When planning your queue layout, consider the following:
- Available space
- Estimated crowd size
- Expected obstacles
At Thorpe Park, we recently installed 30 TensaBarrier® Advance Stainless Steel Retractable Barriers at the SAW ride. These barriers form two queue lines, and the stainless steel finish helps the posts resist corrosion. Our experts adapted the queue layout before installation to ensure consistent spacing between the posts, even around corners. Careful planning reduces bottlenecks and ensures smooth visitor flow.
We also now have a Marine Post that is made from the top down to be weather resistant, which is another option for outdoor queues.
3. Entertainment and Distractions to Occupy Waiting Time
Occupied wait time is always better than unoccupied wait time. If people queuing are waiting too long, they can become frustrated and bored, negatively impacting their experience.
Implementing elements into your queue space to divert attention from the waiting time maintains a positive atmosphere and makes perceived waiting times feel shorter. For example, customize TensaBarrier® posts and webbing with QR codes to direct visitors to a specific landing page, providing:
- Interesting information about the site or venue
- Preparation tips for when they reach the front of the queue
- Interactive digital elements like maps to guide visitors to the next attraction
Customizing queue spaces builds excitement and keeps visitors engaged, maintaining a positive experience. You can also add custom Q-Banner billboards to your posts for even more messaging options.
4. Improving Accessibility
Ensuring queues are accessible for all is crucial. Remove obstacles to accommodate everyone, including wheelchair users, pushchairs, suitcases, or people with visual impairments.
Bulky post bases or barriers with protruding feet can be challenging. A protruding post foot or base creates trip hazards or obstructions that can catch wheels. In low-light conditions, the risk increases, especially for people with visual impairments.
Selecting the right base type for your retractable barrier is an easy way to improve accessibility. For example, a socket fixed base offers a permanent, adaptable outdoor queue solution. Alternatively, the TensaBarrier® Universal Base features the lowest-leading edge in the market for freestanding posts, allowing wheels to roll over unobstructed.
Consider both efficiency and accessibility when managing outdoor queues. A lack of balance impacts queue flow and the overall experience, causing visitors to struggle through clunky pathways.
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5. Visibility to Reduce Trip Hazards in Low-Lit Areas
Outdoor queues in the evening present different challenges. Highlighting the queue space helps guide people queuing and keeps them away from blocking other walkways. Improved visibility also helps motorists see the queue space, avoiding potential collisions.
Temporary and reactive outdoor queues during busy periods require quick setup, with signage and reflective elements for visibility. Solutions like our NightView™ Reflective Webbing, with two strips of reflective material woven directly into the webbing, reflect light back to the source, enhancing visibility.
For example, the TensaBarrier® RollaBarrier® features hard-wearing wheels for easy movement and a design that allows stacking up to three posts when not in use. This reduces space by up to 50% compared to other posts, ideal for quickly setting up temporary queues.
Improving visibility and adapting to different situations minimizes accidents while people queue outdoors.
Conclusion
Managing outdoor queues presents unique challenges. Effective planning, communication, and queue products are essential for providing a positive visitor experience. These 5 top tips will help you better manage people and your outdoor queues.
- Clear signage and communication
- Efficient queue layouts to improve visitor flow
- Entertainment and distractions to occupy waiting time
- Improving accessibility
- Visibility to reduce trip hazards in low-lit areas
If you’re looking to implement an effective queue system on your site, our experts have decades of industry experience.
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