Waiting room digital signage: Kill the boredom of the wait
Too many times in life we have to endure the pain inflicted on us by having to wait in waiting rooms without proper digital signage. When we are in a doctor’s office, an automotive dealership, or whatever it might be, we find ourselves chained to a dull room, for what feels like forever. And there is absolutely nothing to do. To quote Seinfeld, “these rooms are made for the sole purpose of making you wait.”
So, what do we do in the waiting room? Personally, after scrolling through the news, all my mails and going through all of my gazillion apps, I start to secretly spy on other people in the waiting room. I begin to wonder about their back-story; what are they waiting for, where do they live and other intrusive thoughts. Because, Yes, I get that bored.
Extreme boredom means a desperate need for engagement
However, when people are suffering from extreme boredom, they are ready and primed to receive your message! This is a perfect occasion to use their lack of occupancy to show them relevant and interesting content on digital screens, and even have them thank you for it!
There are many reasons why your waiting room should have digital screens, and there are infinite ways you can choose to use the screens and engage the highly bored, and highly receptive waiters. You can inform them about the upcoming process they are to go through, engage them with relevant and interesting content, show estimated waiting times and just generally make their wait time more pleasant and endurable.
Some numbers proving the value of digital signage in waiting rooms
If you feel I’m trying to bamboozle you, rest assured, I have stats to back this up! One study focused on waiting rooms in doctors’ offices found that more than 63% of respondents reported that the most stressful part of the entire doctor’s visit was the wait! This is a problem you can address with the use of Digital Signage. In fact, Digital Signage can cut that perceived wait time by up to 35%. The research also concluded that the offices that embrace the use of digital devices in their offices can gain a competitive advantage over offices that continue to rely on non-digital solutions. In fact, more than half of the respondents said they wished there were screens in the waiting rooms showing relevant content. I would argue that the findings in this study also can be transferred to other waiting areas. As Seinfeld said, “waiting rooms are made with the same devilish purpose: waiting.” Use Digital Signage to inform your captive waiters with relevant content, increase their engagement, and at the same time increase your likability amongst the poor waiting souls.