Donna Shader, manager of the Winter Park Hotel, is consider-
ing how to restructure the front desk to reach an optimum level
of staff efficiency and guest service. At present, the hotel has
five clerks on duty, each with a separate waiting line, during
the peak check-in time of 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Observation
of arrivals during this time shows that an average of 90 guests
arrive each hour (although there is no upward limit on the num-
ber that could arrive at any given time). It takes an average of
3 minutes for each front-desk clerk to register each guest.
Donna is considering three plans for improving guest ser-
vice by reducing the length of time guests spend waiting in line.
The first proposal would designate one employee as a quick-
service clerk for guests registering under corporate accounts, a
market segment that fills about 30% of all occupied rooms.
Because corporate guests are preregistered, their registration
takes just 2 minutes. With these guests separated from the rest
of the clientele, the average time for registering a typical guest
would climb to 3.4 minutes. Under plan 1, noncorporate guests
would choose any of the remaining four lines.
The second plan is to implement a single-line system. All
guests could form a single waiting line to be served by which-
ever of the five clerks became available. This option would
require sufficient lobby space for what could be a substantial
queue.
The third proposal involves using an automatic teller
machine (ATM) for check-ins. This ATM would provide ap-
proximately the same service rate as a clerk would. Given that
initial use of this technology might be minimal, Shader esti-
mated that 20% of customers, primarily frequent guests, would
be willing to use the machines. (This might be a conservative
estimate if the guests perceive direct benefits from using the
ATM, as bank customers do. Citibank reports that some 95% of
its Manhattan customers use its ATMs.) Donna would set up a
single queue for customers who prefer human check-in clerks.
This would be served by the five clerks, although Donna is
hopeful that the machine will allow a reduction to four.
Discussion Questions
- Determine the average amount of time that a guest spends
checking in. How would this change under each of the
stated options?
- Which option do you recommend?
ing how to restructure the front desk to reach an optimum level
of staff efficiency and guest service. At present, the hotel has
five clerks on duty, each with a separate waiting line, during
the peak check-in time of 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Observation
of arrivals during this time shows that an average of 90 guests
arrive each hour (although there is no upward limit on the num-
ber that could arrive at any given time). It takes an average of
3 minutes for each front-desk clerk to register each guest.
Donna is considering three plans for improving guest ser-
vice by reducing the length of time guests spend waiting in line.
The first proposal would designate one employee as a quick-
service clerk for guests registering under corporate accounts, a
market segment that fills about 30% of all occupied rooms.
Because corporate guests are preregistered, their registration
takes just 2 minutes. With these guests separated from the rest
of the clientele, the average time for registering a typical guest
would climb to 3.4 minutes. Under plan 1, noncorporate guests
would choose any of the remaining four lines.
The second plan is to implement a single-line system. All
guests could form a single waiting line to be served by which-
ever of the five clerks became available. This option would
require sufficient lobby space for what could be a substantial
queue.
The third proposal involves using an automatic teller
machine (ATM) for check-ins. This ATM would provide ap-
proximately the same service rate as a clerk would. Given that
initial use of this technology might be minimal, Shader esti-
mated that 20% of customers, primarily frequent guests, would
be willing to use the machines. (This might be a conservative
estimate if the guests perceive direct benefits from using the
ATM, as bank customers do. Citibank reports that some 95% of
its Manhattan customers use its ATMs.) Donna would set up a
single queue for customers who prefer human check-in clerks.
This would be served by the five clerks, although Donna is
hopeful that the machine will allow a reduction to four.
Discussion Questions
stated options?