QLess is looking for interns!

If you want to work and learn with one of the fastest-growing most exciting companies in the planet, send a cover letter, a resume and your favorite joke to interns@qless.com today.

Feedback from QLess college student users is in!

Raw, unedited student feedback about QLess –some of it quite funny, a testament to the many ways youth has to express happiness:

• The best-I spent valuable time on homework.
• Very convenient. Thank you
• Thank you for providing this service for students. It was nice not to have to sit for a long period waiting to hear our name called. Being able to request status updates was an added bonus.
• It was very cool
• Prompt service , comfortable room. Pleasant staff.
• I liked the woman who saw me, besides being very nice and even chasing me down to tell me something which was very cool of her to do.. she was also very pretty
• Nice, I liked it. Smart idea.
• It was convenient and easy to use. Definitely better than standing in line for x hours.
• It was excellent!
• It was very nice. Especially knowing I could leave and not worry about loosing my place in line
• It was awesome!!! I remember when I used to go to MCC from 2004-2007 we had to wait in the sun until out buzzard went off and we could not be more than 2
• Having the ability to know what my approx waiting time with the status update feature was a big help. Thank you
• Yeah it was nice
• Worked well
• I appreciate the status updates during the waiting process.
• It was fast
• Awesome
• That was the best experience I have ever had while waiting my turn!
• My experience was expedient, professional and flawless!
• Its easy and convenient.
• It was good thanks
• It was awesome! Thank you! If i have more questions about the enrolment process,whom can i email?
• It was very informative and helpful.
• It was wonderful.
• satisfied, thank you
• My experience was just fine, thank you. I’m just worried that next time I will forget my cell phone!
• It actually worked really well, it’s a really good idea
• You guys are awesome, thanks for helping us.
• Yes I did. I got attended to quickly.thanks
• A quick, nice visit!
• The wait was short and the people were nice to talk to…keep up the good work!
• Pretty good experience
• AWESOME EXPERIENCE
• Love it. Very efficient. Really loving the updates while waiting
• That was fast n awesome! Thanks!
• It was quick and very enjoyable!!
• It’s awesome ^^
• Very fast!
• Thanks! It was awesome!
• Ur awesome. Have a good day.
• It was nice to know my status and service was fast
• Thanks! Very efficient and mind-easing. Have a good day.
• It worked perfectly!
• It was awesome
• That was pretty nice! I’m sure it’s helped calm a lot of angry/stressed students.
• Very nice.and awesome
• Faster than what I had expected. Like everything else on campus, its not “I hope u have a good day” kind of service. But its just how it is.
• It was the best service , thank yoU
• Very friendly and helpful!
• Exellent
• It was an amazing experience. Love the service as always.
• It was excellent; thank you
• Excellent service! Very informative, fast, and helpful
• Cool
• Love it. Good job!
• It was very helpful.
• I continue to be given the “run around”
• Very efficient and helpful. Only suggestion: warn people upfront you will be texting. Some still don’t use txt, or pay per msg.
• it’s good
• It was awesome thank you
• It was fast and helped
• Very smooth process & relaxed environment Thx4 ur help!
• I didn’t have to wait in line so long. I like this system, thank you n have a good day!
• Worked well. Good system.
• Phenomenal, helpful, easy.
• Awesome experience…..customer friendly service <Alicia>
• Good! Put this in the ut Dallas JSOM advising office. The avg. wait is around 1.5 hours!
• It was a wonderful experience.
• Simply awesome
• I had a wonderful experience
• wonderful
• Yes I did thank you for being helpful
• Enjoyed the experience
• Loved it!
• It was good
• That was really really cool please continue. Please continue
• Thank you for the good experience on a Friday morning. Congrats for.the QLess system!
• It was quick and painless. I love the QLess service!!:)
• It was awesome!
• Wonderful, thanks.
• Good
• Everything is fine, I think the system works perfectly.
• Awesome!
• Awesome! Very helpful and nice!
• It was fine. I didn’t know that it was happening. Didnt know who the texts were initially as I’m not techy. Figured it out though. Nice. Thanks.
• Very informative and provided me with all of my answers.
• Fast.
• I really like Qless service. I’m very busy, and it lets me get stuff done while I wait.
• I love the QLess service!
• I loved it. Very efficient and helpful
• I love this service!!!
• The QLess service is fantastic! If only JSOM advising would use it.
• I like this system and it should be implemented in UTD JSOM Advising Office as well (they need it the most!)
• I was satisfied and it’s very convenient
• Much easier and efficient than standing around twiddling my thumbs! Thank you!
• This service is the best!
• It was quick and easy,thanks
• Perfect !
• Good service. Helpful and informative.
• This is the amazing, very convenient. The SOM needs this!
• Love this service. 5 stars
• This was definitely a cool notification experience! Usually when people are waiting for something, they spend time on their cellphone to displace boredo
• The service is very bad at register office.
• The lady that I met in register was mean and aggressive. Instead of trying to answer my question or find someone to do so was forcing me to leave.
• It’s cool I enjoyed it
• good service
• It was goood
• It was a good experience. I didn’t have to wait in line for a long time. I guess it might be so because of the end of the semester right now.
• everyone was very helpful and friendly! thanks everyone!
• I love the text message communication system, it was awesome, but the financial aid representative sucked as she didn’t offer much info, she was buzy pla
• Pretty Awesome, I liked it..
• Awsome!
• fantastic !!!
• Love the service
• So helpful and efficient!
• Really appreciated the quick service. Thx!
• It was wonderful!
• thanks the girl in the front had beautiful eyes
• excellant
• It was so awesome!! Got everything that I needed to know and more!!!!
• Very quick and efficient good job
• That was awesome.
• Cool
• It was a good and fast keep up the good work
• Very refreshing!
• Quick and efficient, it was enjoyable
• Awesome!
• Awesome!helps a lot!
• Excellent service!
• It was good
• This is the best service. I love it.
• Very convenient!
• I love it. I am just waiting to see a recruiter but i like so far.
• Exellent experience!
• My experience was excellent. The system worked perfectly.
• I loved it!
• U all r awesome.
• I need more time please. Thanks
• It a wonderful experience I could go and grab a bite to eat without worrying about loosing my place in line.
• Soo Kool and easy
• Terrific!
• It was quick and convenient
• It was awesome
• Fabulous
• Qless is awesome even tho registrar could not solve the issue
• We like the service and were pleased with the service.
• It was much better then standing in line. Thank you
• I loved it. So efficient and Venus room was beyond helpful!
• Polite and efficient. However, I was a little offended that the counselor assumed I did not know what articulate meant.
• Super cool
• I loved it:-)
• Gr8!!
• Outstanding!!
• It was Awesome! Thanks!
• It was awesome!!
• Excellent, i am very excited to start at utd. Ms. Thomas was so helpful. Thank you!
• Love it!
• Quick and easy. Thank you for your help.
• Excellent and convenient services
• I really like the new building and it was not much wait, nursing advisor was very helpful, have a good day…..
• It was good, thank you
• Wonderful
• Wasn’t bad like the new system
• Loved it.
• Was awesome!
• Its awsome and helpful people are gathering at Phoenix College.
• My experience was good. Thanks!
• Verry good thank you
• It was amazing!
• It was so fast
• U guys doing good am happy about that however u guys need to change to those peaple who work on The computer help
• I love the new building
• Love this service. Gived me time to do other things i had pending
• It was fast
• Very helpful thank you
• Long wait but comfortable seating.
• It was fast.
• It awesome i like this idea
• Good.
• Loved it!!
• Fast!
• It went well!
• Awesome!!! Thank you
• Awsome did not have to wait long at all.. everyones very nice!!
• I loved the system. Makes the process better
• It was like noming bacon giveing a soft panda a hug
• You are excellent
• It was grrrreat! My representative was very helpful.
• Very good
• It was very fast ! thanks
• Much better than last year!!
• It was my first time n i was nervous but i guess it wasnt that bad
• Cool
• good
• Its a wonderful experience, short wait.
• The wait was pleasant & quick. Employees were smiling & very helpful
• Very efficient & a pleasure….
• It was good !
• Thanks for sending up date status … Luv it !
• I like it keep it up
• PRAY UNTILL SOMETHING HAPPEN
• Love this system! Thank you.
• I apprecite the system to save time and avoide stand in line .I realy enjoy it thanks u have good informaton desk
• It was a pleasant experience . Thank you.
• Good job
• (;
• Thanks God u guys came up with fastest service! I really like it.
• The texting was helpful. I did not have to wait long.
• Good.
• Was easy breezy…
• I could do many other useful things during the wating time without worring i was going to miss my appointment thanks!
• Yes i did like the fast service and the texting/waiting process. very nice set up!
• I thought it was very helpful and convenient. Thanks!
• Would be better if sign in instructions were more visible. For this office, traditional sign would be best.
• It was very fast and efficient. Thumbs up
• I like this a lot
• AMAZING
• Good system!
• Awesome!
• Awesome! Staff is wonderful!
• Really good thanks
• It was fine thanks
• It was fast and easy
• It was very nice
• Awesome – no wait, and they were very nice & informative! Thanks!
• I liked it! Seemed more organized.
• The system is awsome
• Very helpful! Thank you!
• I enjoyed it. Service was very fast thank you. Have a nice day
• Very efficient. Thank you
• It was fine.
• Thanks, it was fantastic.
• It was very quick, stressless and the people were Very nice
• Cool system. Hated every second at ACC but the phone number thing was nice
• Awesome
• Much easier thanks!
• It was awesome. Dawn Allison is the best!
• Very quick response. Very helpful:)
• Helpful
• I havent been to this campus n about 2 yrs. I am very happy with the changes…fast & efficient.
• Good
• i enjoyed it a lot and i will like to thank the lady at the front for faxing the medical info thank you
• Wonderful concept!! Way to keep up with technology!
• Quick check-in. Helpful people at desk. Thanks
• Pretty awesome service. Love it
• This is brillant!
• Love it
• Goood
• Gd
• Awesome experience. I a so excited!
• Good so far
• Perfect!
• Fantastic!
• Yes thank you!!!!
• It is awesome! Only waited a little bit and awesome service(:
• I like yourb new system a lot!
• I do like the service thanks.
• You guys ROCK!!!
• Spectabulous customer service!!!
• Super helpful! Thank you!
• Waiting is never fun but this system alllwed me to k.ow just what was happening… i like it
• it was fast & ez
• Its a convenient system thanks

Heathrow Queues: Can’t Beat ‘Em, So What?

As the 2012 Olympics draw near, and amidst reports of rampant border control queues at Heathrow Airport, I can’t help but imagine the systemic chaos that will likely ensue over the next few months. It will culminate on August 13, the day after the Olympics closing ceremony, when Heathrow will experience its largest volume of passengers–ever. Authorities insist that the airport is prepared, but I’d be willing to bet that Murphy’s Law will have a hand to play.

I commend Heathrow for the amount of resources they’re calling upon to address the problem, to reduce wait times and process travelers. But from a purely operational perspective, there are only so many passport counters, there are only so many planes that can physically take off, there are bottlenecks in any system, and when pushed hard enough there will be queues. And in all likelihood, chaos too.

There may not be a way to avoid queues; any system no matter how well designed, has bottlenecks. But there is another way to address the chaos. Go virtual.

Assume for a moment that–despite the best of intentions and a highly organized, efficient, and drama-free day of operations–queues form of two to four hours. Heathrow is processing travelers through security and border control as fast as possible, a bottleneck manifests, and passengers become irritated (at best) as the queue grows.

Instead of forcing those travelers to endure hours upon hours on their feet, allow them to wait virtually. Instead of the hordes in queue, it could be a very orderly, civilized waiting area where people can sit, read, converse, relax–until their turn approaches. Instead of chaos and anger, there could be a sense of control and content.

Sometimes the most effective solution to a problem is not to attack it with brute force, but to address it in other ways. If we can’t beat the queues at Heathrow or other airports into submission, then why not find a way to make them tolerable, or even enjoyable?

Do you have another example of a queuing nightmare that may have been unavoidable, but where having the freedom to not stand in line might have rescued the experience for you? If so, I’d love to hear about it.

This is by far the best system I have ever used

“This is by far the best system I have ever used. Lets you anticipate your time. It also give you more freedom to make a call or use the bathroom, knowing where you are in line. Thank you.” -QLess user with a Las Vegas phone number in an SMS to us when we asked about his/her experience

Elon Musk & Si Ramo: Entrepreneurial lives of accomplishment

It’s always a pleasure to meet accomplished people who raise our standards, who humble us with their record of accomplishment. Yesterday, the LA Times wrote on its cover about one such entrepreneur: Elon Musk, of whose Saturday launch of the latest SpaceX rocket the future of the space age may depend, something he does in his spare time when he’s not running Tesla, the first successful electric car company and a solar energy production company (you want to have the electricity to run his cars be clean, after all) to save the Earth (you can tell he’s not confident of his success and is hedging his bets with an escape plan). It’s good that Elon is up to something these days, as previously he had only co-founded and led the Internet’s largest payment platform (Paypal). And that after he created his first multi-hundred-million dollars success. Wishing him and SpaceX all the luck on Saturday’s launch.

Today, I had the pleasure of being invited to lunch by Si Ramo, co-founder of TRW (he’s the R) and Bunker-Ramo (now part of Honeywell). It’s not every day you get to talk to someone who can, in one conversation over a delicious lunch he invited me to at the LA Country Club in Beverly Hills, where he is the oldest living member, tell you about his experience during the Great Depression, about the call he got from President Eisenhower to build ICBMs to beat the Russians in that race, about the Los Angeles Times and the disaster made by Sam Zell from the perspective of a former Board member, about the founding of the National Academy of Engineering from one of its founders, about how 99-yr-olds like him only have a 50% chance to make it past the year, even though he has plans to die only at 101, about the best thing you can do to stay alive at that age (a walking stick to avoid falls!), about the top 3 things that the US military is doing wrong, from the father of the ICBM, about how he got rid of his cell phone to stop wasting time talking on the phone, how he gets rid of undesirable phone calls by telling them he’s 99 and referring them to the person he thinks is best for what they want (“I know a lot of people”), about Apple and their inferior products –his opiniont–, and about the decision to admit women to Caltech decades ago, currently ranked #1 university in the world although in his opinion only for science, which is what brought us together. We’ll be meeting again soon, so stay tuned for more fascinating accounts of the last century from a unique entrepreneur.

People like Si –even if they are the 1%– are why QLess offers electronic queue management for people without cell phones, too.

Companies like Tesla, whose cars have a waiting list to get before they even launch, are why QLess allows you to digitize your waitlist and keep your customers informed and engaged during their wait.

Lots to do. Dont’ wait.

-Alex

“This is the BEST thing since sliced bread”

Johnson County’s DMV is closing their offices for a week starting tomorrow, so there’s a rush on their two offices today.  As I write this, they have 925 customers waiting in their virtual queues for service.  The lobby at each office can accommodate abut 120 people.  Imagine, for a moment, if Johnson County did not offer QLess service, to allow customers to use their cell phone to manage their spot in line.  Imagine how crowded both offices would be.  Imagine yourself crowded into a standing-room-only environment, waiting for 4 hours for service.  Then imagine that someone at Johnson County asked you for feedback on your waiting experience.  Ok, now you have your non-QLess base-line. 🙂  QLess sent each customer that queued by phone at Johnson County today the following SMS once they were done with their transaction:

“We hope you enjoyed using our QLess service to avoid standing in line. Please text us back & let us know about your waiting experience! Thanks! http://QLess.com&#8221;

Here are their replies:

• Awesome! I’ll definitely use this feature again, thank you!
• That was awesome. I love the Qless service.did not have to come and Lineup for hours.
• Quick and painless
• Excellent!
• Actually a very cool service thank you!!
• Awesome new system!
• Awesome!
• was so nice to walk in & a few minutes later, walk out. Thanks again
• I really, really appreciated using your QLess service. I called about every 30 minutes to check & see how many people were in front of me.
• so much better
• This was really time saving.
• Fantastic system
• Enjoyed the updates..was able to work and come back
• was able to take my young son with me and didnt have to stand and wait stressfully
• Thanks! Went good
• fantastic nice to see a system that works the way it should
• Much more convenoient-thankyou
• Fantastic experience! Least painful trip I’ve ever had to the dmv!
• It’s brilliant. The system was fantastic, worked beautifully and my wait was minimal. Thanks!
• It was very nice not to have to wait in line
• Awesome!!
• Absolutely fantastic! JoCo rocks!
• Loved it! Thanks
• THAT was AWESOME!!!!!!   The best DMV experience ever
• This is the best service ever. Thank you
• I Like the system. Was able to paint a bedroom during the time I would have been in line!
• Much more convenient
• It was much better then waiting in line.
• Good idea
• Love it
• loved it
• Yes your timing was within 5 minutes of being correct thank you for the organization
• I think your service is one of the most innovative since the 1920’s, besides computers & cell phones. And it looks like almost everyone there was using it too. Thanks so much!
• That was fantastic!!! I love this system!!! Hahahahaha
• Fantastic system!  Unbelievably good experience!
• It was awsome. First time user.
• It was much easier being able to leave without losing my place in line. Much more convenient and I really like being able to check my waiting time on my phone. Thank you!
• Outstanding system 🙂
• Awesome
• Loved using this service…perfect!
• It worked well.
• Best thing the state did to save peoples time
• It was awesomely simple! Thanks!
• This was the best system I’ve seen. It was very easy to use and very efficient. I plan on recommending to others and continuing to use for my own needs.
• Walked right in and up to the window, right past the line and the lobby-full of people . No wait!
• Best system ever invented. My only suggesting would be to make this system prominent on the DMV website!
• Thank you this was much better.
• Brilliant !
• Fantastic!
• Wonderful!
• Outstanding. Thanks for using technology to make my life easier
• Not bad…thanks for the updates
• Thanks. Ran errands and even went home and set the table for my dinner party tonite!
• Awesome but please don’t move, change systems and refurbish the building all in the same year!
• Was awesome! Thanks.
• It was very efficient!
• Wonderful system. It made my tag renewal process painless.
• Very good I’m really Lovett
• Good system, I was able to leave have breakfast and return on time with the updates, thanks.
• The experience went well. Thanks
• Makes it a much easier process
• I am happy
• Very efficient! Thank you
• Outstanding! Enjoyed the whole experience!
• Good
• Much better system
• Excellent service! Saved me 2 hrs of waiting!!
• Outstanding. So glad you have this system in place
• I walk in, wait maybe 5 minutes and I’m done. it’s awesome!
• Everything went smoothly. Thanks for not making me stand in line.
• That was get. Called my number the second I stepped in the door.
• Was painless! Thank you much!
• This is SO much better than waiting in line! Especially since the crowds were heavy from the anticipation of the DMV closing for a week or two. Thanks!
• It was good
• Effective system. No problems
• Loved the experience arrived aboutg 5 mins before my slotted time this is a terrific system
• Cool
• Very pleasant! My clerk was extraordinary!!! Thanks
• I LOVE this service!!!
• Very easy. Very convenient. Made my wait much shorter and service went smoothly.
• It was the best ! Better than sex !
• Awesome! Thank you!
• It was the first time I had done it this way and all went very well. Thanks for such a nice system!
• Excellent customer service! The representatives were friendly and personable while helping each customer.
• Excellent service. I waited only 10 minutes at the DMV!
• You’re service is so helpful it’s incredible! I couldn’t keep a grin off my face as I walked past hundreds, straight to the window, and was out in 5 minutes max. QLess is the only way to go!
• AWSOME! A real tIme saver. Spared me a lot of stress & aggravation. THANKS!
• awesome. the least time I have ever spent at the dmv
• Amazing I was in the DMV a total of 5mins!!!!
• It was short thx
• Awesome
• Done in 20 min just as promised
• This is the BEST thing since sliced bread!!!

“Love the system. I don’t know how we did without it before”

Check out this great customer feedback from QLess users at the Johnson County DMV.

Post Offices Are Closing From Poor Queue Management

According to the U.S. Postal Service, December 19 and 20 will be the busiest mailing days this year for holiday cards and packaging. Many people will be sending their packages in hopes of reaching their destinations prior to Christmas Day. But with big demand comes big, frustrating lines.

This article from the Washington Post describes just how bad it’s getting at the Postal Service:

“Loyal readers of The Federal Eye regularly complain about the long lines and grumpy postal workers working at the neighborhood post office…There were 59 million fewer visits to post offices in 2010 than in 2009, and visits are down 21 percent over the last decade.”

Post offices are closing down all the time, because people are fed up with waiting sometimes over an hour just to send a package.

The U.S. Postal Service is notorious for long lines during peak times of the year, and their solutions are never logical. In 2007, their solution to alleviating the frustration of waiting in long lines was to remove clocks from over 37,000 locations nationwide.

Are you kidding me? Post offices aren’t casinos. People won’t get caught up in the frenzy and fun of mailing packages that it causes them to send more packages. And here’s a news flash for the Postal Service, people wear watches.

Trying to trick customers into thinking they’ve spent less time waiting is not the answer to better queue management. The QLess SMS queue manager could revolutionize government agencies like the Postal Service, the DMV, the Social Security Administration, and courthouses.

Instead of removing clocks, send your customer a text message when it’s their turn in line.

Post Office Lines Exposed

Retailers Suffer From Customers Waiting In Line During Holidays

Black Friday has a lot of appeal to millions of people around the U.S. not just because of the great deals, but also because it gets them in the holiday spirit. For some families, it kicks off their holiday festivities to get started on the first official day of Christmas shopping. However, that giddy feeling of waking up early or staying up really late to get a cheap TV is often washed away by the look of the line to check out.

Brick-and-mortar retailers are continually feeling the effect of online retail giants like Amazon gaining ground on their holiday shopping turf. Nearly half of U.S. consumers say they plan to shop online this holiday season, up from about a third last year, according to a recent survey from consulting firm Deloitte.

A recent article from the Wall Street Journal describes the frustration of waiting in line during the holiday season and the struggle to find the “right” checkout line.

“Shoppers tend to become impatient quickly and fail to take into account key indicators of what may slow down a line. They experience remorse when they feel they’ve chosen the wrong (i.e. slower) line. And they prefer to choose their own line rather than wait in a single-file line for the next available register — even though that setup has proven to be faster, research on queuing shows.”

Retailers know that they can lose customers from long, intimidating lines, and yet they still don’t get it. Instead of investing in a sophisticated queue management system, they try other gimmicks. Disney employees try to entertain customers while they wait in line, and Home Depot clerks stand in front of their register to alert customers of open checkout lanes. This may help temporarily, but it doesn’t solve the guests’ real problem of wasting time standing in line.

Imagine going to a Target, registering your name and cell phone number at a kiosk, checking in when ready to make your purchases, then receiving a text message on your cell phone when it’s your turn. During your wait, you continue to shop or grab a latte at the in-store Starbucks. Ultimately, both parties win. Not wasting your time standing in a crowded line allows for both happy customers and the potential for additional purchases to be made while waiting.

The scenario I just described is possible with Qless, a revolutionary SMS queue management system. What are YOU waiting for? Improve your customers’ holiday shopping experience next year by implementing our cutting-edge queue management system.

Santa Fly By: Skip the Long Line to See Santa This Year!

Check out this very well-done video explaining how QLess is saving families at Washington Square Mall this year from having to stand in line to see Santa.

 

–Tim