Customer service. Scenario 4 of 6. Fairness under pressure

The queue behind her

You are on the only open till. An elderly customer is paying with vouchers and coins and wants to chat. She is taking a long time. Eight people are queuing behind her, and one of them sighs loudly and checks his watch.

What is the best call?

Hurry her along. "I'm sorry, there's a queue. Can we speed up?"

Not the best call

She is a customer too, and she is doing nothing wrong. Rushing her is likely to fluster her and make it slower, and everyone in the queue sees how you treat someone who needs a bit more time.

Keep serving her at her pace, call for another till to be opened, and thank the queue for waiting.

Good call

She gets proper service, and the queue gets a real fix instead of an apology. Speaking to the people waiting matters: most of them only want to know that someone has noticed.

Carry on serving her and ignore the queue.

Could be better

You are treating her well, which is right. But the people waiting have had no word and no sign that anything will change. Calling for help takes five seconds and is the part that solves the problem.

Roll your eyes at the man in the queue to show you agree with him.

Not the best call

It sides with one customer against another, in front of both. She may well notice. It also tells the queue that impatience gets a result, which makes the next slow transaction harder.

The principle

Every customer gets your full attention for their turn. When a queue builds, fix the queue: ask for help and speak to the people waiting. Do not rush the person in front of you.