Music, scent and time preferences for waiting lines

Purpose – Waiting for service by customers is an important problem for many financial services marketers. The purpose of this paper is to present a new approach proposing that customer evaluation of the service can be increased with an ambient scent. The paper also aims to identify a cognitive variable which differentiates customers by the way they value time. Design/methodology/approach – Pre‐tests included focus groups which highlighted financial services and a pilot test of 105 subjects. These were followed by a main sample of 607 subjects. Structural equation modelling and multivariate analysis of covariance were used for analysis. Findings – Two environmental interventions, music and scent, can increase customer satisfaction among customers kept waiting in a line and reduce queue rage. Practical implications – Service contact points can reduce incidence of “queue rage” and enhance customer satisfaction by either or both of two simple modifications to the service environment or a preventive strategy of offering targeted customers an alternative. Originality/value – A new environmental intervention for customers waiting in line and a potential new method of segmentation are proposed.