Hurry up and wait

One of us recently booked a hotel on Priceline.  After we submitted our bid, William Shatner’s face popped up, along with a message along the lines of “Negotiations are currently in progress.”

This article in the Harvard Business Review suggests  Priceline might be onto something.  Obviously, none of us likes to wait.  But if we have to wait, it’s better to see that some work is being done on our behalf while we twiddle our thumbs – or at least have the illusion that some work is being done.

Domino’s Pizza is an example of a company that does this well.  You can track the status of your pizza order online.  And the manufacturers of private boats and planes allow their customers to “watch” the process unfold from the comfort of their own homes.