A long queue for what you’re selling is a good problem to have. It means people want what you have, and are willing to pay the price you’re asking and pay the additional time it takes them to queue to get it.
It means that what you’re selling is scarce – you might even have a monopoly. The question is, what are you going to do with it?
A queue represents an opportunity to your competitors, especially if you’re selling a commodity. Competitors don’t need to undercut you on price, just shorten the queue by serving your customers more efficiently.
A queue also represents an opportunity to you:
- It could be part of your story, like the line for a popular restaurant. It says “We are popular,” and perhaps “We are exclusive.”
- It probably highlights an opportunity to serve your customers better – what can you do to serve your customers better and faster?
- If the queue is unavoidable – if only in the short term – you might still be able to turn it into an asset. What could happen in the queue that would add value and delight the people you’re serving? What would make them look forward to queueing next time? What would turn it into a game?
And of course, if there isn’t a queue yet, the question for you is, “What would our product, service and story need to be like to make people cross the street and eagerly queue up for what we’re offering?”