Abstract
Motivated by a problem facing the Police Communication Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, we consider the setting of staffing levels in a call centre with priority customers. The choice of staffing level over any particular time period (e.g., Monday from 8 am–9 am) relies on accurate arrival rate information. The usual method for identifying the arrival rate based on historical data can, in some cases, lead to considerable errors in performance estimates for a given staffing level. We explain why, identify three potential causes of the difficulty, and describe a method for detecting and addressing such a problem.
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Chen, B.P., Henderson, S.G. Two Issues in Setting Call Centre Staffing Levels. Annals of Operations Research 108, 175–192 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016015213287
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016015213287