05/29/2006 10:11:00 PM 
23% would only wait in line for 5 minutes or more at a store or an office before loosing their patience.
On the telephone, things are even worse....
54% would lose patience after 5 minutes of waiting.
Obviously, the big challenge for all business is to deliver customer service as efficiently as possible because people don't like to be kept waiting.
It would have been interesting to see the data for different businesses, to discover if people are happier to wait longer for a coffee or cashing a check? It would also have been good to see the trend data, because the Internet has to have made a huge difference to attitudes in recent years.
The Internet has spoiled us by giving us everything in just one click. According to Forrester, it appears to be the case, with Internet sales are booming and predicted to reach $200 billion by the end of 2006. Online sales first reached $100 billion in 2003.
The Internet is obviously a serious threat to bricks and mortar, but it also suggests that business needs to find more tech-based solutions for their physical locations.
It looks like some companies are already taking note. Here are some examples of kiosks in action:
Kiosks replacing wait staff in restaurants
Touchscreen kiosks for self--storage centers
Subway testing kiosks for drive thrus
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