Retail queue management
Retail queue management system: let shoppers browse
Shoppers scan a QR code at the counter, then browse. They keep their place and get called in order, by WhatsApp or SMS.
No app to download · Live in 10 minutes · Free tier
Separate service queues
Returns
5 waiting
Collection
2 waiting
Product advice
3 waiting
Saturday afternoon. Five people are waiting for returns and none of them is at the desk. Each can see how many are ahead.
Sample queues, not customer data
The basics
What a queue management system for retail does
A retail queuing system holds each shopper's place at a service counter, so they don't have to stand there. Shoppers join by QR code and see how many people are ahead. Staff see one list per counter in Wait Wherever's queue management system and call people in the order they arrived.
For the counter, not the till
Returns, collection, alterations and advice: anywhere one person serves one shopper.
A line for each counter
Returns and collection each get their own queue, QR code and wait.
Works on weak signal
The shopper's page loads on slow connections, and texts need no data.
The problem
Why shoppers won't leave the line
In a physical line, standing there is the only proof of your place. Step away to look at a jacket and it might be gone. So shoppers stay put, the line blocks the aisle, and staff spend the rush settling who was first.
With Wait Wherever
Their place holds while they browse
- Arrival order. Shoppers are served in the order they joined.
- People ahead. Each phone shows how many are in front, live.
- Every exception logged. Skips and early calls are recorded with the staff member's name.
- No names on show. Other shoppers never see a name or number.
How it works
How the retail queue management system works
Four steps from the counter to the call. Nothing for shoppers to download, and staff work from a phone or tablet.
Put a code at the counter
Print a QR code for returns, collection or advice.
Shoppers join in seconds
They scan, choose what they need and add their number.
Free to browse
Their phone shows how many are ahead and the wait.
Called back in order
A message when they're nearly up, another when it's their turn.
Continue exploring
More for busy stores
Separate lines, several branches, and texts that reach every phone.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Your place in line, separate counters, checkout and bookings.
How do shoppers know they won't lose their place?
Their phone shows how many people are ahead, and the number updates as the line moves. Staff call people in the order they joined. If someone is skipped or called early, the change is recorded with the staff member's name.
Can returns, collection and fitting rooms each have their own line?
Yes. Give each counter its own queue and QR code, so a quick collection doesn't wait behind a long return. Each queue keeps its own hours and wait, and staff can be assigned to the queues they work. How many queues you can add depends on your plan.
Does it work with our POS or speed up checkout?
No. It doesn't connect to your POS, and it isn't built for the till line. It's retail queue management software for counters where one person serves one shopper, such as returns, collection, alterations and product advice.
Can shoppers book a fitting or consultation in advance?
No. Wait Wherever is for walk-ins: shoppers join when they arrive. If you also take bookings, keep them in your booking tool and use Wait Wherever for the people who walk up to the counter.
Can staff run the queue from the shop floor?
Yes. The staff screen runs in the browser on a phone or tablet, so an associate can call the next shopper without going back to the desk. Staff can also add a shopper who'd rather not scan.
Can we change what the messages to shoppers say?
Yes. You can edit the wording of the messages on WhatsApp and SMS. WhatsApp updates come from your own WhatsApp Business number, which you connect once. You choose which channel your queue uses.
Get started
Let shoppers browse without losing their place
Set up a queue for your busiest counter in about ten minutes. No app for shoppers, no hardware, free to start.