![Read More about Kmart is forcing consumers into an online queue](/imager/s3-ap-southeast-2_amazonaws_com/commaconsulting-articles/kmart-3_ad673a4d54c08bc9c921b5784f2d8a33.jpg)
Kmart is forcing consumers into an online queue when traffic volumes to the Kmart site reach certain levels to avoid the risk of affecting site performance.
Picture this, a consumer has a need to purchase a product online, they go to the Kmart site where his/her journey is halted with a message stating they need to wait (see image below).
![](/imager/s3-ap-southeast-2_amazonaws_com/commaconsulting-articles/kmart_c6a233d418a98087fb1ea863dc442ad0.jpg)
Kmart says…
"New measures had been created to minimise the effect of the customer journey."
Kmart thinks forcing consumers to wait will enhance journeys.
There are a few reasons why this thought process is flawed...
- Consumers want to be in control of their online experiences. Forbes calls this the “empowered consumer”. ANYTIME a retailer takes this control away, consumers will stop engaging with them. Forcing consumers to wait takes control away.
- Consumers are impatient. When they have a need, they want to engage NOW. Consumers have a low tolerance for slow pageload speeds! Imagine what waiting in a queue will do.
- Consumers are shopping online during this Pandemic to avoid queues!
Kmart has decided to inconvenience the consumer to solve one or both things:
- They have significant technical issues, and/or
- There is a lack of desire to invest to resolve the issues
Would you wait in a digital line up?
This article was as tagged as Customer Experience Design , Customer Service