Operations Management Dr. Ron Lembke Waiting Lines Operations Management Dr. Ron Lembke
Everyone is Just Waiting
People Hate Lines Nobody likes waiting in line Entertain them, keep them occupied Let them be productive: fill out deposit slips, etc. (Wells Fargo) People hate cutters / budgers Like to see that it is moving, see people being waited on Tell them how long the wait will be (Space Mountain)
Retail Lines Magazines Things you don’t need in easy reach Candy Seasonal, promotional items People hate waiting in line, get bored easily, reach for magazine or book to look at while in line
Disney FastPass Wait without standing around Come back to ride at assigned time Only hold one pass at a time Ride other rides Buy souvenirs Do more rides per day
Fastpasses
Some Lucky People Get These
In-Line Entertainment Set up the story Get more buy-in to ride Plus, keep from boredom
Benefits of Interactivity Slow me down before going again Create buzz, harvest email addresses
Carousels People-movers Roller Coasters
False Hope Dumbo Peter Pan
Queueing Theory In order to quantitatively study people in lines, we need to look at “Queueing Theory.” Ooooh!!! What’s that?!!! Stay tuned
What did we learn? Human considerations very important in services People hate lines, but hate uncertainty more Keep them informed and amused