Chap 005

Chapter 05 - Service Processes

Chapter 05Service Processes

Learning Objectives for Chapter 5

1. Describe the characteristics of service processes and how they differ from manufacturing processes.

2. Classify service processes.3. Explain service blueprinting.4. Understand waiting line (queuing) analysis.5. Model some common waiting line situation and estimate server

utilization, the length of a waiting line, and average customer wait time.

True / False Questions

1. A service system with a high degree of customer contact is less difficult to control than a low degree of customer contact service system. True False

2. The service-system design matrix identifies seven different degrees of customer/service contact. True False

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3. An important aspect of service products is that they can not be inventoried. True False

4. Customer contact refers to creation of the service. True False

5. The work process involved in providing the service involves the physical presence of the customer in the system. True False

6. A central problem in many service settings is the management of waiting time—the trade-off decision balancing the costs of additional service channels against the costs of waiting. True False

7. Ideally in waiting line or queuing analysis we want to balance the cost of service capacity with the cost of waiting. True False

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8. The customer arrivals in a queuing system come almost exclusively from finite populations. True False

9. The customer arrivals in a queuing system come almost exclusively from infinite populations. True False

10. A finite population in waiting line management refers to a population that is large enough in relation to the service system so that the population size caused by subtraction or additions to the population does not significantly affect the system probabilities. True False

11. An infinite population in waiting line management refers to a population that is large enough in relation to the service system so that the population size caused by subtraction or additions to the population does not significantly affect the system probabilities. True False

12. A variable arrival rate is more common in waiting line management than a constant arrival rate. True False

13. A constant arrival rate is more common in waiting line management than a variable arrival rate. True False

14. Arrival characteristics in a queuing problem include the length of the queue. True False

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15. The Poisson probability distribution is used in waiting line management when we are interested in the number of arrivals to a queue during some fixed time period. True False

16. The demand on a hospital's emergency medical services is considered a controllable arrival pattern of the calling population. True False

17. The demand on a hospital's emergency medical services is considered an uncontrollable arrival pattern of the calling population. True False

18. Gas stations, loading docks, and parking lots have infinite potential length of lines for their respective queuing systems. True False

19. Highest-profit customer first is a queue discipline mentioned in the textbook. True False

20. Longest waiting time in line is a queue discipline mentioned in the textbook. True False

21. Best customer last is a queue discipline discussed in the textbook. True False

22. A car wash is an example of a single channel, multiphase queuing system. True False

5-4


23. A tellers' window in a bank is an example of a single channel, multiphase queuing system. True False

24. The admissions system in a hospital for patients is an example of a single channel, single phase queuing system. True False

25. There are different queuing models to fit different queuing situations. True False

26. In a practical sense, an infinite queue is one that includes every possible member of the served population. True False

27. In a waiting line situation, multiple lines occur only when there are multiple servers. True False

28. The term "queue discipline" involves the art of controlling unruly customers who have become irritated by waiting. True False

29. In a practical sense, a finite line is one that is potentially very long in terms of the capacity of the serving system. True False

5-5


30. A department of 25 machines is kept running by three operators who respond to randomly occurring equipment problems. An analyst who wanted to know how much production was being lost by machines waiting for service could use queuing theory to find out. True False

31. A department of 25 machines is kept running by three operators who respond to randomly occurring equipment problems. When an operator is absent, the amount of production being lost by machines waiting for service increases. The analyst can use queuing theory to determine whether to pay overtime to an operator from a different shift or not. True False

32. A department of 25 machines is kept running by three operators who respond to randomly occurring equipment problems. An analyst wanting to know whether to add a fourth operator or downsize to two operators would be helped by using queuing theory. True False

33. An internet company that facilitates customers contact with each other is a kind of virtual service. True False

34. In a virtual service operations management is challenged to provide a policing function through monitoring customer encounters. True False

35. In a virtual service operations management's only challenge is to keep the technology functioning and up to date. True False

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36. The standard tool for process design, whether in services or manufacturing, is the flow chart. True False

37. In service blueprinting the line of visibility refers to things that the service process designer did not foresee when conceiving the process. True False

38. In service blueprinting poka-yokes are procedures that block mistakes from becoming service defects. True False

39. The line of visibility in service blueprinting distinguishes between those activities that the customer sees presence and those the customer does not see. True False

Multiple Choice Questions

40. Which of the following refers to the physical presence of the customer in a service system? A. Creation of the serviceB. Customer contactC. Intermittent productionD. Continuous productionE. None of the above

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41. Which of the following are alternative possible degrees of customer contact included in the Service-System Design Matrix? A. MailB. WarrantyC. Sales callD. Field serviceE. None of the above

42. Which of the following is a degree of customer/server contact included in the service-system design matrix? A. Face-to-face distanceB. InternetC. Questionnaire responseD. Automated teller (ATM)E. Response card encounter

43. In the service-system design matrix, a face-to-face total customization service encounter is expected to have which of the following? A. Low sales opportunityB. Low production efficiencyC. High production efficiencyD. Low degree of customer/server contactE. None of the above

44. In the service-system design matrix, a mail contact service encounter is expected to have which of the following? A. High sales opportunityB. High degree of customer/server contactC. Low production efficiencyD. Low sales opportunityE. None of the above

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45. In the service-system design matrix, a face-to-face loose specs service encounter is expected to have which of the following? A. Low sales opportunityB. Low production efficiencyC. High production efficiencyD. Low degree of customer/server contactE. None of the above

46. In the service-system design matrix, an internet and on-site technology service encounter is expected to have which of the following? A. High sales opportunityB. High degree of customer/server contactC. Low production efficiencyD. High production efficiencyE. None of the above

47. Which of the following is a suggestion for managing queues that is mentioned in the textbook? A. Put up a serpentine lane to keep people from jumping ahead in lineB. Use humor to defuse a potentially irritating situationC. Segment the customersD. Assure customers that the wait is fair and inform them of the queue disciplineE. Tell people in the queue that each will be served as soon as possible

48. Which of the following is not a suggestion for managing queues presented in the textbook? A. Try to divert your customer's attention when waitingB. Segment the customersC. Encourage customers to come during the slack periodsD. Train your people to be friendlyE. Periodically close the service channel to temporarily disperse the line

5-9


49. Which of the following is not a suggestion for managing queues presented in the textbook? A. Train your servers to be friendlyB. Try to divert your customer's attention when waitingC. Determine an acceptable waiting time for your customersD. Inform your customers of what to expectE. Encourage customers to come during slack periods

50. Which of the following is a suggestion for managing queues presented in the textbook? A. Train your servers to be friendlyB. Tell customers that the line should encourage them to come during slack periodsC. Give each customer a numberD. Periodically close the service channel to temporarily disperse the lineE. Use humor to defuse a potentially irritating situation

51. Which of the following are the two major components of a queuing system? A. The source population and the queuing disciplineB. The number of servers and the waiting lineC. The source population and the condition of the customer exiting the systemD. The queue discipline and the waiting lineE. The service speed and the waiting line

52. Which of the following is an example of a finite population in a queuing system? A. People waiting to purchase fuel at a service stationB. Machines which have randomly spaced service requirementsC. People waiting in line at a tellers' window in a bankD. Patients seeking help from a doctor in a private practiceE. Taxpayers calling the IRS for assistance

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53. Which of the following is not a queue discipline mentioned in the textbook? A. First come, first servedB. Last in, first outC. Limited needsD. Shortest processing timeE. Best customer first

54. Which of the following queue discipline is mentioned in the textbook? A. First in, first outB. Garner-Whitten formulaC. Soonest promise dateD. Patient customers lastE. Anxious customers first

55. Buying a ticket for a college football game where there are multiple windows to buy the ticket at features which type of queuing system line structure? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above

56. Buying food at a large food store with multiple checkout counters features which type of queuing system line structure? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above

5-11


57. Getting an autograph from a famous person might involve standing in which type of queuing line structure? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above

58. In a college registration process, several department heads have to approve an individual student's semester course load. What is the queuing system line structure? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above

59. Standing in line to buy a ticket for a movie where there is only one window to buy tickets is which type of queuing system Line Structure? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above

60. A roller coaster ride in an amusement park employs which type of queuing system line structure? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above

5-12


61. Machine breakdown and repair in a twelve machine factory having one repair mechanic would develop which type of queuing system line structure concerning machine breakdowns? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above

62. Machine breakdown and repair in a twelve machine factory having three repair mechanics would develop which type of queuing system line structure concerning machine breakdowns? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above

63. Assume the service rate for a queue in a truck-loading operation is 2 trucks per hour. Using the infinite queuing notion for the models presented in the textbook which of the following is the average service time? A. 2 hoursB. 1 hourC. 0.5 hoursD. 0.25 hoursE. None of the above

64. If the arrival rate for loading trucks is 5 trucks per hour, what is the mean time between arrivals? A. 28 minutesB. 20 minutesC. 12 minutesD. 6 minutesE. None of the above

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65. A company is concerned about the number of customers that have to wait for service in their customer service department. Assume the rate at which customers are serviced is 12 per hour. Using the infinite queuing notion for the models presented in the textbook which of the following is the mean time between arrivals? A. 12 minutesB. 6 minutesC. 2 minutesD. 1 minutesE. Can not be determined

66. An example of a virtual service is which of the following? A. A pizza delivery serviceB. Purchasing a flower arrangement over the internetC. An on-line dating serviceD. Ordering a specially-configured computer on-lineE. None of the above

67. A service blueprint is not which of the following? A. A standard tool for service process designB. A process flowchartC. A diagram that distinguishes between different levels of customer contactD. A service encounter that conforms to specificationsE. A tool that enumerates all the steps in a service process

68. Which of the following are not examples of poka-yokes described in the text? A. Height bars at amusement parksB. Chains to configure waiting linesC. Take-a-number systemsD. Mirrors on telephonesE. Tear-out cards in magazines

5-14


Fill in the Blank Questions

69. In the service-system design matrix, what kind of production efficiency is expected from a service encounter designed to be "face-to-face loose specs?" ______________________ ________________________________________

70. When arrivals occur in a purely random fashion at a service facility, what kind of distribution does a plot of inter-arrival times yield? __________________ ________________________________________

71. When arrivals occur in a purely random fashion at a service facility, the distribution of the number of arrivals per unit of time forms which kind of distribution? _____________ ________________________________________

Short Answer Questions

72. In finite queuing theory, the average waiting time in line is denoted by what symbol? _________________


73. In finite queuing theory, the average number in the waiting line divided by the average arrival rate yields what measure of waiting line performance? ________________________________________

5-15


74. Joining a line at an airport shoeshine stand where there are five people shining shoes puts you in which type of queuing system line structure? ______________________ ________________________________________

75. Buying items at a department store where there are a large number of checkout counters features which type of queuing system line structure? _____________________ ________________________________________

76. Getting a flu shot from the one campus nurse that is on duty might involve standing in which type of queuing line structure? ___________________________________ ________________________________________

77. In getting your first driver's license, several steps had to be taken. First, you took the written test. Then you took the driving test. Then your photograph was taken and the license made. What was the queuing system line structure in the Department of Motor Vehicles? ______________________________________ ________________________________________

78. Standing in line to buy tickets for a basketball game where there are multiple windows to buy tickets involves which type of queuing system Line Structure? ______________________________________ ________________________________________

79. A single toll booth on a one-lane bridge is which type of queuing system line structure? ____________________________ ________________________________________

80. A procedure that keeps a mistake from happening in a service operations is called what? ____________________________ ________________________________________

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81. In a virtual service what kind of customer contact enables customers to interact with one another in an open environment? ____________________________ ________________________________________

82. How are poka-yokes used differently in services than in manufacturing? ____________________________ ________________________________________

Essay Questions

83. How does the degree of customer contact relate to the kinds of skills needed by service workers and the degree of training they require?

84. How are people waiting in queues in service operations similar to inventories in manufacturing and in what ways are they different?

85. How are customer arrivals drawn from finite and infinite populations distinguished?

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Chapter 05 Service Processes Answer Key

True / False Questions

1. A service system with a high degree of customer contact is less difficult to control than a low degree of customer contact service system. FALSE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 2Taxonomy: KnowledgeTopic: An Operational Classification of Services

2. The service-system design matrix identifies seven different degrees of customer/service contact. FALSE


3. An important aspect of service products is that they can not be inventoried. TRUE


5-18


4. Customer contact refers to creation of the service. FALSE


5. The work process involved in providing the service involves the physical presence of the customer in the system. FALSE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: MediumLearning Objective: 1Taxonomy: KnowledgeTopic: An Operational Classification of Services

6. A central problem in many service settings is the management of waiting time—the trade-off decision balancing the costs of additional service channels against the costs of waiting. TRUE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 4Taxonomy: UnderstandingTopic: The Queuing System

7. Ideally in waiting line or queuing analysis we want to balance the cost of service capacity with the cost of waiting. TRUE


5-19


8. The customer arrivals in a queuing system come almost exclusively from finite populations. FALSE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 4Taxonomy: KnowledgeTopic: The Queuing System

9. The customer arrivals in a queuing system come almost exclusively from infinite populations. FALSE


10. A finite population in waiting line management refers to a population that is large enough in relation to the service system so that the population size caused by subtraction or additions to the population does not significantly affect the system probabilities. FALSE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: MediumLearning Objective: 4Taxonomy: UnderstandingTopic: The Queuing System

11. An infinite population in waiting line management refers to a population that is large enough in relation to the service system so that the population size caused by subtraction or additions to the population does not significantly affect the system probabilities. TRUE


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12. A variable arrival rate is more common in waiting line management than a constant arrival rate. TRUE


13. A constant arrival rate is more common in waiting line management than a variable arrival rate. FALSE


14. Arrival characteristics in a queuing problem include the length of the queue. FALSE


15. The Poisson probability distribution is used in waiting line management when we are interested in the number of arrivals to a queue during some fixed time period. TRUE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: MediumLearning Objective: 4Taxonomy: KnowledgeTopic: The Queuing System

5-21


16. The demand on a hospital's emergency medical services is considered a controllable arrival pattern of the calling population. FALSE


17. The demand on a hospital's emergency medical services is considered an uncontrollable arrival pattern of the calling population. TRUE


18. Gas stations, loading docks, and parking lots have infinite potential length of lines for their respective queuing systems. FALSE


19. Highest-profit customer first is a queue discipline mentioned in the textbook. TRUE


5-22


20. Longest waiting time in line is a queue discipline mentioned in the textbook. TRUE


21. Best customer last is a queue discipline discussed in the textbook. FALSE


22. A car wash is an example of a single channel, multiphase queuing system. TRUE


23. A tellers' window in a bank is an example of a single channel, multiphase queuing system. FALSE


5-23


24. The admissions system in a hospital for patients is an example of a single channel, single phase queuing system. FALSE


25. There are different queuing models to fit different queuing situations. TRUE


26. In a practical sense, an infinite queue is one that includes every possible member of the served population. FALSE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: MediumLearning Objective: 4Taxonomy: Infinite queueTopic: The Queuing System

27. In a waiting line situation, multiple lines occur only when there are multiple servers. TRUE


5-24


28. The term "queue discipline" involves the art of controlling unruly customers who have become irritated by waiting. FALSE


29. In a practical sense, a finite line is one that is potentially very long in terms of the capacity of the serving system. FALSE


30. A department of 25 machines is kept running by three operators who respond to randomly occurring equipment problems. An analyst who wanted to know how much production was being lost by machines waiting for service could use queuing theory to find out. TRUE


5-25


31. A department of 25 machines is kept running by three operators who respond to randomly occurring equipment problems. When an operator is absent, the amount of production being lost by machines waiting for service increases. The analyst can use queuing theory to determine whether to pay overtime to an operator from a different shift or not. TRUE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: HardLearning Objective: 4Taxonomy: ApplicationTopic: The Queuing System

32. A department of 25 machines is kept running by three operators who respond to randomly occurring equipment problems. An analyst wanting to know whether to add a fourth operator or downsize to two operators would be helped by using queuing theory. TRUE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: HardLearning Objective: 4Taxonomy: ApplicationTopic: The Queuing System

33. An internet company that facilitates customers contact with each other is a kind of virtual service. TRUE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 2Taxonomy: Knowledge

34. In a virtual service operations management is challenged to provide a policing function through monitoring customer encounters. TRUE


5-26


35. In a virtual service operations management's only challenge is to keep the technology functioning and up to date. FALSE


36. The standard tool for process design, whether in services or manufacturing, is the flow chart. TRUE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 1Learning Objective: 3Taxonomy: KnowledgeTopic: An Operational Classification of Services, Service Blueprinting and Fail-Saifing

37. In service blueprinting the line of visibility refers to things that the service process designer did not foresee when conceiving the process. FALSE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: MediumLearning Objective: 3Taxonomy: Knowledge

38. In service blueprinting poka-yokes are procedures that block mistakes from becoming service defects. TRUE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 3Taxonomy: KnowledgeTopic: Service Blue Printing and Fail-Safing

5-27


39. The line of visibility in service blueprinting distinguishes between those activities that the customer sees presence and those the customer does not see. TRUE

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 3Taxonomy: KnowledgeTopic: Service Blue Printing and Fail-Saifing

Multiple Choice Questions

40. Which of the following refers to the physical presence of the customer in a service system? A. Creation of the serviceB. Customer contactC. Intermittent productionD. Continuous productionE. None of the above


41. Which of the following are alternative possible degrees of customer contact included in the Service-System Design Matrix? A. MailB. WarrantyC. Sales callD. Field serviceE. None of the above


5-28


42. Which of the following is a degree of customer/server contact included in the service-system design matrix? A. Face-to-face distanceB. InternetC. Questionnaire responseD. Automated teller (ATM)E. Response card encounter


43. In the service-system design matrix, a face-to-face total customization service encounter is expected to have which of the following? A. Low sales opportunityB. Low production efficiencyC. High production efficiencyD. Low degree of customer/server contactE. None of the above


44. In the service-system design matrix, a mail contact service encounter is expected to have which of the following? A. High sales opportunityB. High degree of customer/server contactC. Low production efficiencyD. Low sales opportunityE. None of the above


5-29


45. In the service-system design matrix, a face-to-face loose specs service encounter is expected to have which of the following? A. Low sales opportunityB. Low production efficiencyC. High production efficiencyD. Low degree of customer/server contactE. None of the above


46. In the service-system design matrix, an internet and on-site technology service encounter is expected to have which of the following? A. High sales opportunityB. High degree of customer/server contactC. Low production efficiencyD. High production efficiencyE. None of the above


47. Which of the following is a suggestion for managing queues that is mentioned in the textbook? A. Put up a serpentine lane to keep people from jumping ahead in lineB. Use humor to defuse a potentially irritating situationC. Segment the customersD. Assure customers that the wait is fair and inform them of the queue disciplineE. Tell people in the queue that each will be served as soon as possible


5-30


48. Which of the following is not a suggestion for managing queues presented in the textbook? A. Try to divert your customer's attention when waitingB. Segment the customersC. Encourage customers to come during the slack periodsD. Train your people to be friendlyE. Periodically close the service channel to temporarily disperse the line


49. Which of the following is not a suggestion for managing queues presented in the textbook? A. Train your servers to be friendlyB. Try to divert your customer's attention when waitingC. Determine an acceptable waiting time for your customersD. Inform your customers of what to expectE. Encourage customers to come during slack periods


50. Which of the following is a suggestion for managing queues presented in the textbook? A. Train your servers to be friendlyB. Tell customers that the line should encourage them to come during slack periodsC. Give each customer a numberD. Periodically close the service channel to temporarily disperse the lineE. Use humor to defuse a potentially irritating situation


5-31


51. Which of the following are the two major components of a queuing system? A. The source population and the queuing disciplineB. The number of servers and the waiting lineC. The source population and the condition of the customer exiting the systemD. The queue discipline and the waiting lineE. The service speed and the waiting line


52. Which of the following is an example of a finite population in a queuing system? A. People waiting to purchase fuel at a service stationB. Machines which have randomly spaced service requirementsC. People waiting in line at a tellers' window in a bankD. Patients seeking help from a doctor in a private practiceE. Taxpayers calling the IRS for assistance

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 4Taxonomy: ApplicationTopic: The Queuing System

53. Which of the following is not a queue discipline mentioned in the textbook? A. First come, first servedB. Last in, first outC. Limited needsD. Shortest processing timeE. Best customer first


5-32


54. Which of the following queue discipline is mentioned in the textbook? A. First in, first outB. Garner-Whitten formulaC. Soonest promise dateD. Patient customers lastE. Anxious customers first


55. Buying a ticket for a college football game where there are multiple windows to buy the ticket at features which type of queuing system line structure? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above


56. Buying food at a large food store with multiple checkout counters features which type of queuing system line structure? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above


5-33


57. Getting an autograph from a famous person might involve standing in which type of queuing line structure? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above


58. In a college registration process, several department heads have to approve an individual student's semester course load. What is the queuing system line structure? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above


59. Standing in line to buy a ticket for a movie where there is only one window to buy tickets is which type of queuing system Line Structure? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: EMPTYLearning Objective: 4Taxonomy: UnderstandingTopic: The Queuing System

5-34


60. A roller coaster ride in an amusement park employs which type of queuing system line structure? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above


61. Machine breakdown and repair in a twelve machine factory having one repair mechanic would develop which type of queuing system line structure concerning machine breakdowns? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above


62. Machine breakdown and repair in a twelve machine factory having three repair mechanics would develop which type of queuing system line structure concerning machine breakdowns? A. Single channel, single phaseB. Single channel, multiphaseC. Multichannel, single phaseD. Multichannel, multiphaseE. None of the above


5-35


63. Assume the service rate for a queue in a truck-loading operation is 2 trucks per hour. Using the infinite queuing notion for the models presented in the textbook which of the following is the average service time? A. 2 hoursB. 1 hourC. 0.5 hoursD. 0.25 hoursE. None of the above

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: MediumLearning Objective: 4Taxonomy: AnalysisTopic: The Queuing System

64. If the arrival rate for loading trucks is 5 trucks per hour, what is the mean time between arrivals? A. 28 minutesB. 20 minutesC. 12 minutesD. 6 minutesE. None of the above


5-36


65. A company is concerned about the number of customers that have to wait for service in their customer service department. Assume the rate at which customers are serviced is 12 per hour. Using the infinite queuing notion for the models presented in the textbook which of the following is the mean time between arrivals? A. 12 minutesB. 6 minutesC. 2 minutesD. 1 minutesE. Can not be determined


66. An example of a virtual service is which of the following? A. A pizza delivery serviceB. Purchasing a flower arrangement over the internetC. An on-line dating serviceD. Ordering a specially-configured computer on-lineE. None of the above

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: MediumLearning Objective: 2Taxonomy: AnalysisTopic: An Operational Classification of Services

67. A service blueprint is not which of the following? A. A standard tool for service process designB. A process flowchartC. A diagram that distinguishes between different levels of customer contactD. A service encounter that conforms to specificationsE. A tool that enumerates all the steps in a service process

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: MediumLearning Objective: 3Taxonomy: AnalysisTopic: Service Blue Printing and Fail-Safing

5-37


68. Which of the following are not examples of poka-yokes described in the text? A. Height bars at amusement parksB. Chains to configure waiting linesC. Take-a-number systemsD. Mirrors on telephonesE. Tear-out cards in magazines

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 3Taxonomy: KnowledgeTopic: Service Blue Printing and Fail-Saifing


69. In the service-system design matrix, what kind of production efficiency is expected from a service encounter designed to be "face-to-face loose specs?" ______________________ Low production efficiency


70. When arrivals occur in a purely random fashion at a service facility, what kind of distribution does a plot of inter-arrival times yield? __________________ Exponential


5-38


71. When arrivals occur in a purely random fashion at a service facility, the distribution of the number of arrivals per unit of time forms which kind of distribution? _____________ Poisson


Short Answer Questions

72. In finite queuing theory, the average waiting time in line is denoted by what symbol? _________________

Wq



73. In finite queuing theory, the average number in the waiting line divided by the average arrival rate yields what measure of waiting line performance? Average waiting time


5-39


74. Joining a line at an airport shoeshine stand where there are five people shining shoes puts you in which type of queuing system line structure? ______________________ Multichannel, single phase


75. Buying items at a department store where there are a large number of checkout counters features which type of queuing system line structure? _____________________ Multichannel, single phase


76. Getting a flu shot from the one campus nurse that is on duty might involve standing in which type of queuing line structure? ___________________________________ Single channel, single phase


77. In getting your first driver's license, several steps had to be taken. First, you took the written test. Then you took the driving test. Then your photograph was taken and the license made. What was the queuing system line structure in the Department of Motor Vehicles? ______________________________________ Single channel, multiphase


5-40


78. Standing in line to buy tickets for a basketball game where there are multiple windows to buy tickets involves which type of queuing system Line Structure? ______________________________________ Multichannel, single phase


79. A single toll booth on a one-lane bridge is which type of queuing system line structure? ____________________________ Single channel, single phase


80. A procedure that keeps a mistake from happening in a service operations is called what? ____________________________ A poka-yoke

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 3Taxonomy: KnowledgeTopic: Service Blue Printing and Fail-Safing

81. In a virtual service what kind of customer contact enables customers to interact with one another in an open environment? ____________________________ Pure virtual customer contact


5-41


82. How are poka-yokes used differently in services than in manufacturing? ____________________________ They are applied to the actions of the customer

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 1Learning Objective: 3Taxonomy: UnderstandingTopic: An Operational Classification of Services, Service Blueprinting and Fail-Safing

Essay Questions

83. How does the degree of customer contact relate to the kinds of skills needed by service workers and the degree of training they require?

This question relates to the service-system design matrix discussion starting on page 101 and particularly to exhibit 5.2 on page 103. A successful response to this question will indicate that the kinds of skills required progress from technical (clerical) types of skills to relationship types of skills as the degree of customer contact increases. The higher the degree of customer contact, the more autonomous is the service worker and therefore training must include not only the technical aspects of the job but also the entire array of strategic choices the company has made regarding the way the customer is to be handled in a wide range of transactional situations.

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: HardLearning Objective: 2Taxonomy: AnalyticTopic: An Operational Classification of Services

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84. How are people waiting in queues in service operations similar to inventories in manufacturing and in what ways are they different?

People waiting in queues at various stages of a multiphase process are conceptually exactly like the buffering inventories in that they tend to decouple different stages and reduce the impacts of blocking, starving and bottlenecking on the efficiency of the system. The main difference, of course, is that people as inventory need to be actively managed (as described in the text starting on page 106) and, because they are customers, are more important and have a vastly higher "cost of carrying" than inventories of materials.

AACSB: AnalyticDifficulty: HardLearning Objective: 1Learning Objective: 4Taxonomy: SynthesisTopic: An Operational Classification of Services, The Queuing System

85. How are customer arrivals drawn from finite and infinite populations distinguished?

The text on page 108-109 describes the difference between finite and infinite populations as the size of the population relative to the service system. Analytically, different formulas and methods are required for finite vs. infinite populations based upon the probability of the next arrival either staying the same after an entry to service (infinite population assumption) or the diminishing (finite assumption.)


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Chap 005

Documents

true false questions

service processes chapter

service settings

service blueprinting

servicesystem design

line management

cost of service capacity

costs of waiting