Ideally the substitute activity should be aligned with the objectives of both the queuer and the organisation where the queue forms.

Providing a substitute activity for the queuer can be an effective approach for reducing perceived waiting time.

The first component, a queuer, is responsible for creating a list of servers for the client to visit.

The second component is the client itself, which is able to make a requests to servers identified by the queuer.

A substitute, in this context, is an alternative activity the queuer can participate in rather than standing in line.

It was obvious that this was "the wife"; and this was fare that not even the most optimistic queuer outside the court had anticipated.

In a waiting room there may be a system whereby the queuer asks and remembers where his place is in the queue, or reports to a desk and signs in, or takes a ticket with a number from a machine.