Service Level Approximations for a Call Center with Two Customer Types

2011 ◽  
Vol 145 ◽  
pp. 169-173
Author(s):  
Ju Young Kim ◽  
Ki Seok Choi
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Type A ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Type B ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
Customer Type ◽  
Erlang Loss ◽  
High Level ◽  
Loss Formula

We consider a call center whose customers can be classified into two types depending on their tendency towards waiting in the queue. A customer of type A waits in the queue, if necessary, until he gets served. On the other hand, a type B customer is assumed to be impatient and he does not join the queue and leaves the call center immediately if there is no server available. There are well known formulas for calculating the service levels when a call center serves only one customer type; Erlang delay formula and Erlang loss formula for type A and type B customers, respectively. Hence, there is no such simple analytic result for computing service levels when a call center handles both customer types together. In this paper we suggest and compare several approximation methods to calculate type A and B customer service levels for a call center serving both customer types. Numerical experiments show that one of the methods suggested in this paper approximates closely the actual service level especially when the call center provides high level of service

scholarly journals High-level carbapenem resistance in a Citrobacter freundii clinical isolate is due to a combination of KPC-2 production and decreased porin expression

2008 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong Zhang ◽  
Lijiang Yang ◽  
Jia Chang Cai ◽  
Hong Wei Zhou ◽  
Gong-Xiang Chen
Keyword(s):  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Type A ◽  
Resistant Isolate ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Citrobacter Freundii ◽  
Type B ◽  
Chromosomal Dna ◽  
High Level ◽  
Level Resistance ◽  
M 14

An imipenem-resistant isolate of Citrobacter freundii ZJ163 (MIC 256 μg ml−1) isolated from a Chinese hospital was investigated. The C. freundii ZJ163 isolate exhibited high-level resistance to carbapenems, penicillins, cephalosporins, cefoxitin, aztreonam, quinolones and aminoglycosides. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) demonstrated three β-lactamases with pIs of 5.4 (TEM-1), 6.7 (KPC-2) and 7.9 (CTX-M-14). Two different transconjugants (types A and B) were obtained by conjugation studies. The type A transconjugant exhibited reduced susceptibility or resistance to penicillins, cephalosporins and aztreonam, but was susceptible to carbapenems, quinolones and aminoglycosides. The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the type B transconjugant were similar to that of type A, except for its significantly reduced carbapenem susceptibility (imipenem MIC 2 μg ml−1). IEF, specific PCRs and DNA sequence analysis indicated that the type A transconjugant produced CTX-M-14 β-lactamase with a pI of 7.9, that the type B transconjugant produced KPC-2 β-lactamase with a pI of 6.7 and that the β-lactamase with a pI of 5.4 was TEM-1. PCR analysis and sequencing confirmed the presence of the ampC gene in the chromosomal DNA from C. freundii ZJ163, although no activity of AmpC β-lactamase was detected by IEF. Urea/SDS-PAGE analysis of outer-membrane proteins revealed that the levels of the 41 and 38 kDa porins were decreased in C. freundii ZJ163. It was concluded that production of KPC-2 combined with decreased expression of porins contributes to high-level resistance to carbapenems in C. freundii ZJ163.

The strategic design of port services based on a total landed cost approach

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa G. González-Ramírez ◽  
J. Rene Villalobos ◽  
Cesar Meneses
Keyword(s):  
Service Time ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Competitive Position ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
Strategic Design ◽  
Confidentiality Agreement ◽  
Traffic Volumes ◽  
High Level

PurposeThis paper explores the effect of port's service time, particularly the mean and variability, on shippers' total landed costs to determine the competitive position of the port and derive recommendations for the strategic design of port services.Design/methodology/approachThe competitive position of a port is estimated considering the service level offered to the end-users of the port such as port service time, its variability and its effect on the total landed costs observed by the port users. The proposed methodology is meant to help ports to determine the required service time levels to maintain or gain a competitive advantage against other ports, in terms of attracting common hinterland's customers.FindingsResults show the advantages of considering service levels factors to determine the competitive position of a port, and what are the minimum characteristics required to capture more traffic volumes, that can help port managers to take strategic design decisions to better position the port in the current fierce market.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed methodology is illustrated by considering a case study, which is the Port of Guaymas in Mexico. Data was not directly collected by the port, but based on interviews with shippers and public information, a representative case is presented. Due to a confidentiality agreement with the Port, specific references for most of the data used to estimate the model's parameters are not provided. The analysis is intended to show the potential value of this mechanism and can be used for evaluating the competitive position, from a high-level perspective, of any port to determine potential hinterland by improving the service level of the port.Originality/valueThe existing literature on port choice and port competition has not previously considered the effect of port service levels under the perspective of total landed costs of the users, being this paper a contribution to fulfill this gap.

scholarly journals Research on Pricing and Service Level Strategies of Dual Channel Reverse Supply Chain Considering Consumer Preference in Multi-Regional Situations

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 9143
Author(s):  
Yao Kang ◽  
Juhong Chen ◽  
Di Wu
Keyword(s):  
Stackelberg Game ◽  
Consumer Preference ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Optimal Pricing ◽  
Reverse Supply Chain ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
Dual Channel ◽  
Transfer Prices ◽  
High Level

Facing the increasingly serious waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling problem, recycling enterprises actively introduce online recycling channels, build dual channel reverse supply chains (DRSC), and use high-level recycling price and service levels to enhance consumers’ recycling enthusiasm and recycling amount. Nevertheless, in China, where the imbalance of regional development is widespread, the recycling center, third-party recycler (TPR), and third-party platform (TPP) are faced with the choices of pricing and service level when facing multi-regional consumers. This paper mainly answers the following questions: (1) When the recycling center and TPP introduce online recycling channels in multi-regional situations, how should they set online recycling price, transfer price, and service level? (2) When consumer preference for online channels changes in a certain region, how should recycling enterprises adjust their optimal pricing and service level decisions for different regions to maximize their own profits? How do the profits of recycling enterprises change? In order to solve the above problems, in this paper, we propose three pricing and service level decision models for the recycling center with online channels, namely, keeping prices unchanged, unifying all prices, and maximizing its own profits. By using the Stackelberg game to solve the model, we get the optimal pricing, service level decisions, as well as the maximum profits of the recycling center, TPP, and TPR when consumer preference changes. By analyzing the results of the model, we find that the change of consumer preference for online channels in a certain region will affect the decision and profits of multi-regional recycling enterprises. Specifically, consumer preference for online channels in a certain region will not only lead to an increase in the profits of the recycling center and TPP and a decrease in the profit of local TPRs, but also an increase in the profit of TPRs in other regions. In addition, at the beginning of introducing online channels, the recycling center can adopt two strategies to avoid conflicts among channels: keeping offline transfer prices unchanged and unifying all transfer prices, but the former promotes its economic profits more significantly.

scholarly journals Call center service level: A customer experience model from benchmarking and multivariate analysis

2020 ◽  
pp. 467-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Colin
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Balanced Scorecard ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Key Performance Indicators ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Service Areas ◽  
Internal Benchmarking ◽  
Center Service ◽  
Call Center Service

Objective: This paper aims to study the experience of call center service customers the academic and corporate perspectives; it proposes a management model focused on looking after the customer’s experience during a phone interaction. Methodology: The methodology of this article adopts the internal Benchmarking process as a diagnostic tool and describes the user’s perceptive of internal corporate operations and key performance indicators established in a call center’s balanced scorecard. It uses an exploratory factor analysis to reduce dimensions and a confirmatory analysis to validate the statistical model proposed. Results: The results determine the existence of gaps between the key performance indicators implemented to assess the customer’s experience and satisfaction, they show organizational opportunities characterized for the necessity of transforming production methods into simple processes, aimed to give solutions to the customers within the timeframes specified in just one phone interaction. Limitations: The constructs used are limited by the instrument and metrics implemented by the company under study for evaluating the quality of customer interaction when a customer reaches a customer service’s call center. Practical implications: This study is useful in the marketing, marketing relationships, and customer service areas, since it allows the establishment of an inflection point that proposes an integrated balanced scorecard construction the customer’s experience analysis.

Downmodulation of IL-8 receptors, type A and type B, on human lung neutrophils in vivo

1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (3) ◽  
pp. L618-L625 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Soejima ◽  
S. Fujishima ◽  
H. Nakamura ◽  
Y. Waki ◽  
M. Nakamura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Type A ◽  
Type B ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Blood Neutrophils ◽  
Vitro Analysis ◽  
High Level ◽  
In Vitro Analysis

We examined the expression of interleukin (IL)-8 receptors (Rs), type A (IL-8-RA) and type B (IL-8-RB), on peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid neutrophils; we also examined IL-8 and other chemoattractants in the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of patients with chronic lower respiratory tract infection (CLI) to elucidate the in vivo regulation of IL-8Rs. Neutrophils were stained with monoclonal antibodies specific for IL-8-RA and IL-8-RB. We detected higher levels of IL-8 (81.6 +/- 25.4 ng/ml, mean +/- SE), leukotriene (LT) B4, and IL-1 beta in the ELF of the CLI patients than in their serum (P < 0.05). The expression of IL-8Rs on BAL neutrophils was significantly lower than that on peripheral blood neutrophils (P < 0.01 for both). In vitro analysis showed that low-level IL-8 (50 ng/ml) alone did not affect IL-8R expression but that it was downregulated by high-level IL-8 (500 ng/ml) alone and by low-level IL-8 in combination with LTB4 or IL-1 beta. Staurosporine reduced the downmodulation by low-level IL-8 plus LTB4 or IL-1 beta but not by high-level IL-8 alone. We speculate that pulmonary IL-8-RA and IL-8-RB may have been downmodulated by the combined effect of local chemoattractants through, in part, a protein kinase C-dependent mechanism.

Customers’ needs and expectations on servicescape surveillance management

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 887-906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Bonfanti
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Retail Stores ◽  
Service Experience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Service Managers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify customers’ needs and expectations regarding servicescape surveillance management (SSM) in order to suggest to service managers how they can carefully design a service environment to ensure a high level of security while concurrently enhancing the customer service experience. Design/methodology/approach Given that this study is explorative in nature, it is based on a specific method of qualitative data collection: focus group interviews. Three focus group sessions were organised with 24 Italian customers of retail stores, hotels and hospitals. The multi-expectation model proposed by Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml, which distinguishes between what customers consider acceptable (adequate service level) and what they hope to receive (desired service level), was chosen as the reference framework to investigate customers’ needs and expectations from SSM. Findings Servicescape surveillance must be compatible with customer satisfaction. Customers are acceptably satisfied when servicescape surveillance offers them feelings of physical safety, psychological security, economic security and the right to privacy. They desire that surveillance also allows them to live a positive service experience in sensorial, psychological, social and temporal terms. However, customers’ expectations of adequate and desired service levels are different in terms of the presence, quantity and visibility of surveillance in the three service areas examined. Interestingly, customers expect to find more visible surveillance measures inside retail stores rather than in hotels and hospitals, but they prefer to receive invisible surveillance in the servicescape. Practical implications Service managers should consider surveillance not as a cost or a tool for detecting and punishing inappropriate or criminal behaviour, but rather, as an opportunity for enhancing the customer service experience. They can invest in servicescape design elements, technological surveillance solutions and continuous training of security personnel to meet their customers’ adequate and desired service levels. Originality/value This study provides two major contributions. From the theoretical viewpoint, it extends knowledge of the hitherto under-researched area of SSM by identifying customers’ needs and expectations of surveillance and the customer service experience, which are topics usually examined separately in the literature. In terms of managerial implications, it provides store/hotel/hospital managers with recommendations on how to design a servicescape that is both secure and pleasant.

Retail supply chain service levels: the role of inventory storage

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 887-902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asif Salam ◽  
Farhad Panahifar ◽  
P.J. Byrne
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Retail Industry ◽  
Inventory Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
Product Availability ◽  
Customer Service Level ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose In today’s competitive retail industry the most critical success factor is customer service which is indicated by product availability. It is argued that in the retail industry, product availability is an important measure of quality. The single most vital decision that every retailer needs to make is, how to maximize service level while keeping minimum inventory level. The purpose of this paper is to explain and demonstrate the relationship between inventory level and customer service level. Design/methodology/approach This study examines an inventory system utilizing a simulation model based on company data obtained from a retail fast-moving-consumer goods chain operating in Thailand. Findings The results suggest that the achievement of a responsive service level is dependent on managing an efficient supply chain in addition to logistics cost reductions. The findings also reveal the effect the inventory level has on the service level. From the findings of this study, demand variability and service level have been found to have the most significant influence on the inventory level. From the findings, it can also be shown that real and accurate information is very important for service supply chains. Practical implications The paper promotes the importance of having an appropriate inventory management policy for a retail chain which should be driven by retail companies in order to better balance inventory and service levels. Originality/value The relationship between the inventory level and customer service level lead to different outcomes at different combinations of inventory and service levels. Significant relationships were found between inventory and service levels.

scholarly journals Identification of the predictors of preference for alfalfa hay by equines

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-314
Author(s):  
Kátia de Oliveira ◽  
Janaína Carolina de Sá ◽  
Ciniro Costa ◽  
Paulo Roberto de Lima Meirelles ◽  
Daniele Floriano Fachiolli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Type A ◽  
Type B ◽  
Acid Detergent Fiber ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Alfalfa Hay ◽  
Short Period ◽  
High Level

SUMMARY The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of preference for alfalfa hay by equines. A total of 15 quarter horses, at average age and body weight of 10 years and 500 kg were used, respectively. It was conducted an evaluation to identify the preference for alfalfa hay by horses by short-period tests of 10 min. This evaluation was conducted in pairs for each test hay (1-30), available on the market, against each standard (A, B, C), until the completion of all resulting combinations. Alfalfa hays classified as A, B and C, contained on average 22.88, 17.78 and 13.16% of crude protein, respectively. The evaluated variables were constituted by ethological, morphological, microbiological, bromatological and biological analysis. The horses showed a preference for the type A of alfalfa hay, followed by type B and C. The preference for alfalfa hay type A can be predicted by the equation: Pref . A = − 98.19 + 1.61 ( acid detergent fiber ) + 1.53 ( in vitro dry matter digestibility ) + 18.54 ( stem thickness ) − 0.03 ( acid detergent fiber x in vitro dry matter digestibility ) − 0.02 ( acid detergent fiber x stem thickness ) − 0.28 ( in vitro dry matter digestibility x stem thickness ) , r 2 = 0.31 , P = 0.0044. It was concluded that horses showed preference to alfalfa hay, wherein the best type A bales. Therefore to predict of preference of the equines for high quality alfalfa hay it's necessary to select bales with lower values of stem thickness and fiber in acid detergent, as well as presenting high level of dry matter digestibility.

scholarly journals Identification and Comparison of Hyaluronic Acid Biosynthetic Genes from Different Capsular Types of Pasteurella Multocida

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
TEERASAK E-KOBON ◽  
Pailin Pasomboon ◽  
Pramote Chumnanpuen
Keyword(s):  
Hyaluronic Acid ◽  
Pasteurella Multocida ◽  
Type A ◽  
Capsular Type ◽  
Type B ◽  
Biosynthetic Genes ◽  
Bioinformatics Analyses ◽  
Molecular Comparison ◽  
Species Similarity ◽  
High Level

Abstract BackgroundPasteurella multocida produces a capsule composed of different polysaccharides according to the capsular serotype (A, B, D, E, and F). Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a component of certain capsular types of this bacterium, especially capsular type A. Previously, two HA biosynthetic genes from a capsular type A strain were studied for the industrial-scale improvement of HA production. Molecular comparison of these genes across different capsular serotypes of P. multocida has not been reported. This study aimed to compare nine HA biosynthetic genes (glck, pgi, pgm, galU, hyaC, glmS, glmM, glmU, and hyaD) of eleven P. multocida strains (A:B:D:F = 8:1:1:1) with those of other organisms using sequence and structural bioinformatics analyses.ResultsThese nine genes showed a high level of within-species similarity (98–99%) compared to other organisms. Only the last gene of two strains with capsular type A:3 (PM70 and CRIMBP-0884) and one capsular type F strain (HN07) significantly differed from those of other strains (82%). Analysis of amino acid patterns together with phylogenetic results showed that the HA biosynthetic genes of the type A and D strains were closely related compared to those of the type B and F strains. However, the genes in the capsular type F strain were notably similar to those of the capsular type A:3 strain. Protein structural analysis supported structural similarities of the encoded enzymes between the strains of capsular types A, B, D, and F, except for the Glck, Pgm, GlmU and HyaD proteins.ConclusionOur bioinformatics analyses proposed that variations observed within these genes could be useful for genetic engineering-based improvement of hyaluronic acid production.

Call center performance to drive patient access.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (27_suppl) ◽  
pp. 135-135
Author(s):  
Chad W. Cummings ◽  
George Comer ◽  
Nicole Bealer ◽  
Patricia Costantino ◽  
Jonathan Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Slight Variation ◽  
Team Coordination ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
Staffing Levels ◽  
Oncology Care ◽  
Administrative Tasks ◽  
Coordinate Patient Care ◽  
Multi Disciplinary Team

135 Background: Access to oncology care through a specialty call center within a large academic institution was analyzed to determine service levels necessary to schedule patient consults within 7 days of contact. The specialty call center is the primary resource for ambulatory appointment scheduling, and staffed by 1 licensed provider and 6 agents who administratively coordinate patient care. Hours of operation are 8AM-5PM. Methods: Data was analyzed between a period of 1/1/2018 and 9/30/2018 (P1), providing call statistics (S1): inbound & outbound calls, calls not answered, average speed of answer, agent availability. Observations of agents identified key processes, staffing analysis, and productivity levels. A dependency map was developed to identify key inputs and outputs for all call center activities. The number of dependencies were identified for each activity. Results: A dependency map identified 22 unique agent activities, categorized by administrative tasks (n = 9), multi-disciplinary team coordination (n = 7), direct patient interaction (n = 5), and patient benefit processing (n = 3). Average number of inputs per activity yielded 2.4 (Range = 0 to 8), while outputs were 2.0 (Range = 0 to 6). Inbound and outbound calls spanned multiple categories, with 28,730 calls received or placed during P1. 77% of inbound calls were answered, and remaining calls were directed to voicemail. 89% of all calls occurred between 9AM and 4PM, with slight variation each hour. Staffing Analysis revealed 91.3% availability rate equivalent to 5.48 agents available per day. Average call hours (inbound and outbound) per agent ranged from 2.45hrs/day to 5.18 hours/day, with variation attributed to the unique activities. An algorithm was created to determine appropriate staffing levels to ensure S1 requirements and timely coordination of care. Conclusions: A specialty call center requires a detailed understanding of dependencies that contribute to timely scheduling, while maximizing customer service. Dependency mapping provides visibility to clinical and non-clinical teams of necessary activities to coordinate appointments. Staffing models can assist in understanding the variables that influence S1, and provide support for staffing decisions in periods of high/low demand.

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