The influence of servicescapes on decision-making process and perceived overall quality satisfaction has long been studied by marketers (Szymkowiak, Gaczek, Jeganathan, & Kulawik, 2020). In these environments, queuing seemed to be an area mostly managed by documented methods and principles, i.e. in general, companies favor a relatively short, pleasant, and defined wait. But the COVID-19 pandemic and its various protection plans has shaken this clear-cut approach. The disruption of daily life, the new fears for physical and financial security, and the myriad of constraints enacted by governments have had dramatic consequences for both on retailers and consumers. All these impose new challenges on service organizations. On the one hand, the need to reduce crowding has enforced new regulations all over the world such as “maximum number of shoppers per store”, which have a significant impact on length, time (Perlman, & Yechiali, 2020) and location of waiting lines. On the other hand, the increased risk of contamination associated with crowded environments and increased physical proximity (Barr, 2020) reinforces feelings of discomfort associated with waiting (Nielson, 2020) and negative emotions such as stress or anger (Zayak, 2014). These psychological and affective states can lower the perceived level of service quality satisfaction and behavioral intentions (Lee, & Li, 2014). The new constraints on servicescapes challenges “old assumption” about their organization, particularly about the psychology of waiting lines (Maister, 1985). Immediate actions are needed to manage and reduce customer dissatisfaction and related costs. Moreover, the role of the retail space is increasingly questioned, as e-commerce is playing an increasingly dominant role in the marketplace. At the time of writing this contribution the fifth wave of COVID-19 is hitting Europe just before the Christmas holiday season, which represents the annual business peak. In these conditions, we have conducted our study on the impact of pandemic on waiting lines. The effects on customers' affective and psychological states influencing the experience and ultimately their satisfaction and loyalty are studied on the basis of direct behavioral observations (i.e. behavioral and subjective indications of discomfort) and interviews with queuing customers. Customers respond to adverse conditions by behaving aggressively, abandoning the queue or avoiding the queue when queues and other customers' behaviors do not match their expectations. Social distancing is compromised as customers prefer their own sense of proper interpersonal proximity. Behaviors appear to be directly related to perceived risks (or lack of it) (i.e., temporal, psychological, procedural, and physical).