In a world driven by convenience and instant gratification, people are unwilling to wait more than a few minutes for most things – a commercial break during their favorite TV show (fast forward, please), a taxi to arrive (what’s a taxi?), and a line to order food (because who wants to wait when they’re hungry?). Though restaurants can’t completely eliminate lines, the key question is - how long are your customers willing to wait? And at what point do you start losing them to competitors?

Tillster wanted to find out, so we surveyed 1,000 QSR customers about their ordering preferences. The results were astounding:

• If the line to order at the counter is longer than 5 people, 64% of customers will leave the restaurant to dine elsewhere.Predictably, as line length gets longer, customers will leave at a higher rate. Once the line length hits 10, an alarming 93% of would-be customers will walk out the door.

But the survey also uncovered a game-changing solution for QSR’s to keep customers from leaving, once the line gets too long:

• When a self-service ordering kiosk is available and line length is 5, 80% of customers would choose to order from the kiosk, rather than wait in line.

A decade ago, having a self-service ordering kiosk was a novelty. Today, having a self-service option is an important tool in keeping customers and maximizing sales.

Tillster specializes in providing Quick Service and Casual Dining restaurants with in-store kiosks and other self-service solutions that speed table turns, reduce wait times, and streamline payments. To learn more about our solutions, visit www.tillster.com.