I flew a few weeks ago and dialogued (argued? - tried to be good natured about it!) with the boarding staff at 3 different gates about boarding processes. I suggested they try windows first, then middle seats, then aisle seats. 2 out of the 3 argued back that the way they were doing it had been 'proven' by some study some years back by... either a Finnish airline, or some studies in Arizona - I honestly can't remember which they said (but they'd both said the same place). Very odd, because it's demonstrably pretty damn slow, and often the slowness is quite visible - people with window seats having to stop and climb over someone in the aisle and middle seats, causing a backup. Agreed, it's not the only cause of backups, but in my recent 6 flights, 5 of the boarding processes were rather significantly slowed by multiple window/aisle snafus.
As much as someone wants to say "we've studied this already, and this is the best way to do it!", you'd have a hard time convincing me that any major airline knows how to make good decisions about anything.
Please don't harass the gate agents unless they look really idle. They don't have control over the boarding process, and they are desperately trying to get everyone on board, seat change requests accommodated, standby and upgrade list cleared, plane catered, wheelchairs, minors, gate checked baggage, strollers, etc., all the while dealing with a bombardment of impatient, indignant, overtired, and entitled "customers".
Be pleasant and let them do their job. I believe their job performance is measured by on-time percentage/turn time.
I should have reworded this - it was pleasant as could be and typically about 10 seconds of conversation as they're scanning the boarding pass. It was more curious to me that 2 of them referenced a 'study' done - almost as if it was a talking point.
I try to be as fast and polite as possible in those moments, simply because I see many other people being rude/short with them.
And to the other point, yes, I understand they're not making the rules.
re: being measured by "turn around" time - I'd end up quitting if I was measured by a process which I had no control over (and even in low/minimum wage jobs, I've ended up doing so).
Thing is that the boarding staff has as much say about this (and as much interest in improving it, for the most part) as the janitor has in what sort of flooring is in the building he's maintaining.
As much as someone wants to say "we've studied this already, and this is the best way to do it!", you'd have a hard time convincing me that any major airline knows how to make good decisions about anything.