Average waiting time of customers in a new queue system with different classes

Abstract

Purpose

It is very complicated to keep the business processes under control since the business processes change rapidly and thus flexibility is an important attribute which businesses should possess in order to respond to rapid changes in the business environment. The purpose of this paper is to divide the companies' customers into different priority groups to be served according to their payment history and feedback in order to increase the companies' performance and profit and save the time of customers within high priority class which may lead to increase their satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper proposes a requirements engineering‐based approach for business process modelling to assist businesses maintain their performance in such an environment. The paper proposes a new numerical model to improve customer satisfaction in relation to delivery or service waiting time according to their priority class, particularly customers in the high priority class. A call centre at the selected telecommunication company is used as a case study to validate the proposed numerical model.

Findings

The customers' satisfaction in the area of the time to be served according to their priority group classes can be improved using the proposed model.

Research limitations/implications

The paper has some limitations as the paper only tested the numerical model on one real business organisation and one business process service.

Originality/value

To date, no research has been conducted in the area of separating customers into different priority groups to provide services according to their required delivery time, payment history and feedback which will increase the company's performance and profit and provide prompt service to customers in the high priority class which in turn, will increase their satisfaction.

Citation

Alotaibi, Y. and Liu, F. (2013), "Average waiting time of customers in a new queue system with different classes", Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 146-168. https://doi.org/10.1108/14637151311294903