What is going on when nothing is going on? Exploring the role of the consumer in shaping waiting situations

Abstract

Research on waiting in services focuses mainly on the role of companies in waiting situations. Much of the existing research envisages the consumer as a passive victim of the delays caused by companies. This article redresses the imbalance in research on waiting by exploring the role of consumers in waiting situations. A qualitative methodology is used, involving data collection through in‐depth interviews and personal diaries, to facilitate an in‐depth analysis of consumers’ waiting experiences. Additionally, a holistic approach is employed with a view to examining the ‘whole’ waiting experience rather than individual or isolated aspects of waiting. The main finding of the study is that consumers play an active and deliberate role in waiting situations. This is the first study to empirically identify the behaviours and initiatives undertaken by consumers when forced to wait for services. The results suggest that consumers play an active role in organising and reducing the real or perceived waiting time. They actively seek information on the length and causes of the wait. And, on occasions, the consumer may also be the cause of the wait or may even increase the delay by their actions. In contrast to most of the existing research on the topic of waiting, this study adopt a qualitative, in‐depth approach, with a multicultural sample, and a focus on the consumer whose role in waiting has previously been overlooked.

Mobile Payment Adoption in the Age of Digital Transformation: The Case of Apple Pay

“…Previous studies [8] have already shown the importance of reducing waiting times for companies, as this is a factor with the potential to greatly compromise the consumer's shopping experience.…”

The Psychology of Queuing

“…There are fascinating studies of what people do in queues to reduce their frustration (Pamies, Ryan, & Valverde, 2016). All sorts of factors influence how people react to queues.…”

Read into the lines: the positive effects of queues

“…In other words, the act of joining a queue can help co-create values. Similarly, a long queue can be regarded as a collection of endorsements of quality and value assurance (Koo and Fishbach, 2010; Pàmies et al , 2016a; Veeraraghavan and Debo, 2009), and thus help increasing consumers’ satisfaction and purchase intention (Giebelhausen et al , 2011).…”

“…Consumers of different segments can read into the lines quite differently. When consumers interpret queues favorably, waiting in lines can result in positive effects for both consumers and companies (Giebelhausen et al , 2011; Koo and Fishbach, 2010; McGuire et al , 2010; Pàmies et al , 2016a). For example, the phenomena that people repeatedly line up for days in advance to obtain certain newly launched products, such as iPhone X, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, constitute evidence that a long line can help promote new products among loyal consumers, while non-loyal consumers may not share the same enthusiasms (Frum, 2013; Kain, 2017; Price, 2017).…”