Foreign Property News | Posted by Si Thu Aung
For many, queuing is a waste of time. For others, it’s a business opportunity. That’s the case of Robert Samuel, a former employee of AT&T in New York, who has turned a mundane experience – waiting in line to buy an iPhone – into a thriving business model. Today, he runs Same Ole Line Dudes, a company that charges up to 40 dollars an hour to stand in line for its customers.
An idea born in a queue for the iPhone 5
The story begins in 2012. While working in the telecoms industry, Robert Samuel offered on Craigslist to stand in line to get the new iPhone 5. A client hired him for three hours, but cancelled at the last minute. Rather than waste his time, Samuel sold his place to another buyer, then to a second, cashing in for $300 in a single day… without moving from his chair. This anecdote gave him an idea: why not monetise this wait? He set up
A company built for New York Today, Same Ole Line Dudes has 45 employees. All of them offer a simple but effective service: waiting in the place of customers to buy concert tickets, attend a high-profile trial or buy a product that is in great demand.
Prices? Between 25 and 40 dollars (around 30 euros an hour), with a minimum of two hours’ service.
Additional charges apply: 3 dollars an hour in bad weather, 15 dollars for waiting overnight, 20 dollars for urgent requests. During busy periods, such as Christmas or the launch of highly sought-after items, rates also increase.
When asked about the secret of his success, Robert Samuel remains humble. His philosophy: “Observe what annoys people. Behind every complaint, there may be an opportunity.””Observe what annoys people. Behind every complaint, there may be an opportunity.”
In New York, queuing is a frequent and often frustrating ordeal. By turning this frustration into a service, he has not only solved a problem but created a new market, based on the management of personal time as a precious resource.
Ref: This man charges $33 an hour to stand in line for you. After making a lot of money with the launch of the iPhone 5, he now owns a business empire.
