1st International ICST Conference on Performance Evaluation Methodologies and Tools

Research Article

Predicting queueing delays for multiclass call centers

  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.1145/1190095.1190180,
        author={Oualid  Jouini and Yves  Dallery},
        title={Predicting queueing delays for multiclass call centers},
        proceedings={1st International ICST Conference on Performance Evaluation Methodologies and Tools},
        publisher={ACM},
        proceedings_a={VALUETOOLS},
        year={2012},
        month={4},
        keywords={stochastic models telephone call centers transient analysis predicting delays},
        doi={10.1145/1190095.1190180}
    }
    
  • Oualid Jouini
    Yves Dallery
    Year: 2012
    Predicting queueing delays for multiclass call centers
    VALUETOOLS
    ACM
    DOI: 10.1145/1190095.1190180
Oualid Jouini1,*, Yves Dallery1,*
  • 1: Ecole Centrale Paris, Laboratoire Genie Industriel, Grande Voie des Vignes, 92295 Chatenay-Malabry Cedex, France.
*Contact email: jouini@lgi.ecp.fr, dallery@lgi.ecp.fr

Abstract

This paper deals with real-time operation management in call centers. We investigate the prediction of the waiting time for each customer upon arrival. We model our call center by a multiclass multiserver service system. The system consists of a pool of full-flexible agents, and two classes of impatient customers. First, we propose estimators for the state-dependent waiting time distributions for new arrivals by incorporating the change that may occur on their waiting experience. Next, we investigate the way to inform customers about their anticipated delays. We discuss different ways to communicate this information. In particular, we give attention to analyzing the announcement of the waiting time by steps.