A study from Alice Wang, professor of marketing, says people who think about concrete details perceive their wait times to be shorter because their thoughts are more apt to enrich the wait experience. Those who think more abstractly have fewer things to think about and start to feel bored, then infer from this boredom that they must have waited a long time.   

So, if you’re in a restaurant and you think about how important it is to, say, stay healthy, you’re more apt to notice your wait because the thoughts are so general that your mind starts to drift. But if you think about something specific—what can I order for this meal to stay healthy while not sacrificing taste—you’ll likely think about more concrete issues and perceive the wait time to be less.  

Wang says managers can use this finding to reduce aggravation from customers waiting in line by enriching their wait experience and encouraging them to think about concrete details. They could decorate the premises with photos or tchotchkes, or use the color red, which previous studies suggest is more effective than broader stimuli in leading people to focus on concrete details.