Comments on: Waiting in Line to Pump Gas Doesn’t Feel Long When You Watch TV https://6sigma.com/queueing-psychology-at-the-gas-pump/ Six Sigma Certification and Training Fri, 28 Feb 2025 06:01:39 +0000 hourly 1 By: Luke Shepard https://6sigma.com/queueing-psychology-at-the-gas-pump/#comment-24788 Thu, 24 May 2007 04:38:24 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/394/queueing-psychology-at-the-gas-pump#comment-24788 Sometimes I go to a station to pump gas, but don’t fill up the whole way – maybe I think that gas will be cheaper somewhere else, or I don’t feel like waiting, or whatever. I wonder how many people will be more likely to fill up that wouldn’t have because they want to watch the show?

Also, in response to James, I could certainly see people going to a station because of the video, especially if it’s at all entertaining. Maybe not you or me, but it seems reasonable that there would be a market that would respond to that.

]]> By: james https://6sigma.com/queueing-psychology-at-the-gas-pump/#comment-24787 Tue, 15 May 2007 16:39:26 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/394/queueing-psychology-at-the-gas-pump#comment-24787 I seems like the only programming that I get are the Jack in the Box adverts. I think that the concept of programming is a good one but I feel the execution is not being done well.
I also think that the concept has two big flaws. The first is that I don’t think that it is a driver to getting people to go to a certain station. I choose the station that I go to simply by which is the most convenient for me. I certainly don’t go back to a station in order to watch TV. The second flaw is that the TV is in the wrong location. When I get to the pump my queue time is effectively over and I am not in the process of actually doing “work” (not in a conventional sense but I am doing something besides waiting). The time that I am pumping is not a bother to be because I know how long I will be there. My frustration in the gas station queue is that I don’t know how long it will take for those in front of me to pump gas. That is the time that I need TV or jugglers or clowns (only kidding about the jugglers or clowns…or am I?).

james

]]> By: Mark Graban https://6sigma.com/queueing-psychology-at-the-gas-pump/#comment-24786 Mon, 14 May 2007 18:25:44 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/394/queueing-psychology-at-the-gas-pump#comment-24786 My local gas station has an annoying audio program that plays while you pump, just promotional stuff for the station. There’s a mute button, thankfully.

]]> By: Sean https://6sigma.com/queueing-psychology-at-the-gas-pump/#comment-24785 Fri, 11 May 2007 19:16:30 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/394/queueing-psychology-at-the-gas-pump#comment-24785 I’ve always felt silly that I figured out when I hang the pump back in its holder, the TV turns off and tells me to go pay the attendant. So now when it starts playing some CNN feature, I’ll hold the pump in my hand until the feature finishes, *then* hang it back. So not only was the wait uncertain, it was prolonged. If anyone at chevron hears this, they’ll try and figure out a way to charge me for that time, I’m sure.

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