Customer Queue Problem - Improving Distribution of Service

B

biboy2012

#1
I hope this is the right sub-forum to post my question, if not, sorry, I was not sure...

There are three types of customers
1. Current customers - They buyed our product (e.g. house & lot)
2. Brokers/agents - They processed transactions on behlf of the customer.
3. Potential customers - Haven't buyed our product but could in the future. They visited office without agent's assistance.

Transaction types
a. Payment
b. Inquiry
c. Request
d. Complaint
(and many other transaction types)

Type 1, type 2, and type 3 customers are being serviced by 1 or 2 Customer Service Representative(s) on first-come-first-serve basis. The transaction type could be a, b, c, d or multiple (combination of a and b, etc)

Payment transaction = takes 10 minutes.
Inquiry, request, and complaint = service time could take 30 minutes or 1 hour depending on magnitude of the concern.

To illustrate, say:

20 customers in queue, my number is 10, the transaction of 1 to 9 customers are multiple (will take 30 minutes to 1 hour per customer) and my transaction is only a simple inquiry or bill payment (will take 10 minutes only).

Possibilities:

Some skips the queue and leaves the company.
Some will always queue no matter what.


I am having difficulty improving the service (customer experience). They tried about doing it by queuing people up for payment transaction (one server only) and queuing people up for other transactions (one server only) but it did not really work out.

Any suggestions?
 
Elsmar Forum Sponsor

Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Staff member
Admin
#2
Good day biboy,

Why did queuing people up for payment transaction (one server only) and queuing people up for other transactions (one server only) not work out? What happened?
 
B

biboy2012

#3
Good day biboy,

Why did queuing people up for payment transaction (one server only) and queuing people up for other transactions (one server only) not work out? What happened?
Maybe because of the probabilistic nature of transactions. The volume of "per transaction type" being processed by each Customer Service Representative can't be exactly predicted.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Miner

Forum Moderator
Staff member
Admin
#4
Focus on Lean tools. That is, look for and remove non value add (waste) activities (e.g., unnecessary/duplicate paperwork/information, approvals, etc.). Is there pre-work that a customer can do prior to the point of service? Shortening the cycle times of the various transactions will always reduce the problem.

Consider discrete event simulation software. This will allow you to model/simulate many different scenarios prior to actually implementing them.
 

Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Staff member
Admin
#7
A customer need to get a queue number from a guard and wait for the number to be called.
Can the customer get a card for specifically this-or-that type of issue so as to ensure prompt service of services that are many but take less time? Maybe a different color card.
 
B

biboy2012

#8
Thanks for the responses. It seems that Miner and Jennifer’s ideas are alike. The service will not be rendered to customers on a first-come, first-served basis because the Customer Service Representatives will have advance knowledge of the transaction type per customer, and therefore, the expected service length and rate. However, you do not know how badly each customer needs immediate service. Of course, we want to prioritize the customer who needs prioritization more rather those that need it less. My question is, how is the prioritization determined?

The problem is, given a bunch of customers, each with their own demand for immediate service (let's assume for simplicity that they're all rushing, but have different transactions), what is the better way to serve them?
 
A

appdict

#9
for users have smartphone, they can use queueasy (platform and app work together) in which users get the number and then leave until receiving alert then come back. It effectively reduce the queue.


not sure this helps or not.
 
B

biboy2012

#10
for users have smartphone, they can use queueasy (platform and app work together) in which users get the number and then leave until receiving alert then come back. It effectively reduce the queue.


not sure this helps or not.
Great idea, but I'm not sure if this will work for us. I think this will work better if the company is near, for example, shopping center, coffee shops, etc where customers can enjoy themselves while waiting to be notified for their turn.
 
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
D Suggestions for Ishikawa for hyperdetailed customer - plastic molding automotive parts Nonconformance and Corrective Action 9
J WAIVED ON Q1 - We Don't have to comply with FORDS customer specific requirements IATF 16949 - Automotive Quality Systems Standard 2
A Customer Approval (Medical Devices) Document Control Systems, Procedures, Forms and Templates 4
M Reduce occurrence rating based on the PMS data and customer complaint data ISO 14971 - Medical Device Risk Management 2
M IATF16949 Clause 9.1.2.1e - Customer notification related IATF 16949 - Automotive Quality Systems Standard 4
G Too many customer complaints Customer Complaints 16
lanley liao Does the customer`s trademark belong to customer-supplied property? Oil and Gas Industry Standards and Regulations 2
J Customer Complaint & SCAR, false data Nonconformance and Corrective Action 14
S Annual Inspection Layout - Based on Customer print ? IATF 16949 - Automotive Quality Systems Standard 8
G Risk of stopping your customer's line IATF 16949 - Automotive Quality Systems Standard 4
S Calibration/Verification of customer fixtures IATF 16949 - Automotive Quality Systems Standard 6
D CB and customer audits considered as internal audits? General Auditing Discussions 9
O Informational Ford Motor Company Customer Specific Requirements for IATF 16949:2016 - 08 Jan 2021 Customer and Company Specific Requirements 0
G Bad Parts cause Customer line stop IATF 16949 - Automotive Quality Systems Standard 13
O IATF 16949 News Ford Motors Customer Specific Requirements Update - Nov 2020 IATF 16949 - Automotive Quality Systems Standard 5
D Question regarding customer feedback process ISO 13485:2016 - Medical Device Quality Management Systems 3
D Change Approval Requirements - Does every change need formal customer approval? Design and Development of Products and Processes 17
B Retention Samples when Customer Leaves Pharmaceuticals (21 CFR Part 210, 21 CFR Part 211 and related Regulations) 1
M Email Template that go to a customer and then get returned to us for RMA/Warranty Document Control Systems, Procedures, Forms and Templates 1
B FCA US Customer Specific IATF 16949- Critical Characteristics 8.6.2 Customer and Company Specific Requirements 0
D ISO 13485 8.2.1 and 8.2.2 - Customer Feedback and Customer Complaints ISO 13485:2016 - Medical Device Quality Management Systems 5
J Customer Complaint Response 21 CFR Part 820 - US FDA Quality System Regulations (QSR) 3
V Quality review Meeting with Customer for complaints we received Customer Complaints 6
D IATF16949 - Interpretation of Customer Requirements clauses IATF 16949 - Automotive Quality Systems Standard 3
S Obligation to accept customer audits? IATF 16949 - Automotive Quality Systems Standard 23
D IATF16949 7.5.3.2.1 Record Retention - Our Product or Customer Product? Elsmar Cove Forum Suggestions, Complaints, Problems and Bug Reports 1
S Customer Specific Requirements (CSR) not signed/approved IATF 16949 - Automotive Quality Systems Standard 17
B FCA US IATF 16949 Customer Requirements updates Customer and Company Specific Requirements 3
G Same parts but new customer - What will the auditor ask me? IATF 16949 - Automotive Quality Systems Standard 2
R Customer Satisfaction importance in companies with Government/Public Administration as main customer? ISO 9000, ISO 9001, and ISO 9004 Quality Management Systems Standards 11
G Self Assessment Audit from a new potential customer General Auditing Discussions 3
P Customer Corrective Action Requests in OASIS? AS9100, IAQG, NADCAP and Aerospace related Standards and Requirements 4
Ooi Yew Jin Customer E audit preparation Quality Manager and Management Related Issues 2
qualprod Managing a "special" customer into the QMS? ISO 9000, ISO 9001, and ISO 9004 Quality Management Systems Standards 10
C Certificate of Conformance Form - COC for each customer a controlled document? ISO 9000, ISO 9001, and ISO 9004 Quality Management Systems Standards 2
R Who is the customer in the ISO/IEC 17025:2017? ISO 17025 related Discussions 1
BeaBea ISO 9001 Customer Feedback Methods - What has worked for your company? Service Industry Specific Topics 17
T Root Cause Failure Analysis - Not following Customer packaging Specification Problem Solving, Root Cause Fault and Failure Analysis 9
V Customer Print Specifications on PFMEA FMEA and Control Plans 13
S Issuing of CoC to Customer in a Word or Excel format ISO 9000, ISO 9001, and ISO 9004 Quality Management Systems Standards 7
D Design Transfer Template capturing Customer Specific Requirements Other Medical Device Related Standards 3
W Direct to customer export of medical device (class I: prescription lenses + frame) US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2
S How to treat a customer complaint ISO 9000, ISO 9001, and ISO 9004 Quality Management Systems Standards 7
I ISO 9001:2015 Section 9.3.2 C1 "customer satisfaction and feedback from relevant interested parties" ISO 9000, ISO 9001, and ISO 9004 Quality Management Systems Standards 7
JoCam Labeling to Customer Requirements EU Medical Device Regulations 1
T Advice needed - Environmental MS - unwritten but customer requests policy document ISO 14001:2015 Specific Discussions 5
Q Customer Satisfaction through On-Time Delivery ISO 9000, ISO 9001, and ISO 9004 Quality Management Systems Standards 9
Pau Calvo PPAP customer requirements in the APQP APQP and PPAP 25
T Nonconforming product at customer detected by a routine inspection by field service Nonconformance and Corrective Action 9
0 PPM calculation of customer complaints for PMS Customer Complaints 10

Similar threads

Top Bottom