Ch. 6 Queuing Flashcards
(42 cards)
Purpose of Queuing Models
mgt has some control
-More employees - shorter lines, more exp
-Less employees- long lines, unhappy cust.
Trade-off in Queuing Models (service level increase)
-Cost of providing the service increases.
-cost of cust. dissatisfaction decreases
As service lvl decreases
cost of providing serv. decreases
cost of cust. dissatisfaction increases
Main goal for queuing costs and service levels
The goal is to find the optimal service level that
achieves a balance between the cost of providing service and the customer satisfaction level.
Queuing theory helps us predict what happens if?
-we increase / decrease the number of
servers?
* customer arrival rates increase / decrease?
* we reduce the average service time?
Queuing theory
help us to understand, design, operate, and improve these systems and help Managers make decisions.
Queuing Behaviour
Line up actions (things people do/don’t do)
-Wait, not join, jockey (change line), join then leave line, meld (2 lines in one)
Lines are just for people
No can be for printers, subassemblies in mfg, electronic messages
History of Queuing Theory
It is the body of knowledge dealing with waiting lines.
Early 1900s by Danish telephone engineer A.K Erlang (studying the congestion and waiting times occurring on phone lines)
Queue Mgt Suggestions
-Perception of Wait
-Acceptable waiting time
-Distractions
-Avoid lineups where possible
-Awareness of waiting time- provide
-Modify arrival behavior
-Idle resources out of sight
-Segment customers
-Think long term
-A friendly server (alter impression of wait)
Perception of Wait
People tend to overestimate their wait time
Acceptable Waiting Time
→ Type of service (ex. Bank vs. Emergency room)
→ Type of waiting (ex. in person vs. phone)
→ Type of customer (ex. parent with small children)
Distractions
Provide something to do / watch / read, etc
Avoid Line-ups where possible
→ Reservations, appointments, automation, etc.
Awareness of Waiting Time – Provide?
→ Only if…
Customer is unable to estimate the
wait time themselves such as phone
support or a plane waiting to take off
Modify Arrival Behaviour
→ Incentives for arriving outside of peak hours
Idle Resources out of Sight
→ Frustrating when staff seem available, but don’t help
Segment Customers
→ Identify who is willing to wait versus who would pay
more for faster service (provide that option)
→ Volume of purchases (express lane)
Think Long-Term
→ Opinions of long line-ups / delays kept for a long time
→ Word-of-mouth can multiply this impact
What card was given to Janice and why
This card is used to help us provide
you with the most accurate wait
time. Please hand the card to a cast
member at the end of the ride.”
(Orlando jan 2011) a card on a lanyard
How did they manage queues at disney with virtual queues
-Use park pass to line up for a pop attraction with the FastPass system. (know when to ret)
-Now updated electronically
Managing Queue Expectations at
Breakfast in Disney
-Inform cust. about queues
-message was in the elevator - to avoid dissatisfaction
virtual Queues
In San Francisco, you can shop
at Macy’s while waiting for a table
at the Cheesecake Factory.
Restaurants in Calgary also use
this.
Configurations
-many use FCFS 1st come 1st serve
- arrivals are from a calling pop.
