This Article Full Text (PDF) e-companion References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Ibrahim, R. Articles by Whitt, W.

Real-Time Delay Estimation in Overloaded Multiserver Queues with Abandonments

Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
rei2101{at}columbia.edu
ww2040{at}columbia.edu

We use heavy-traffic limits and computer simulation to study the performance of alternative real-time delay estimators in the overloaded GI/GI/s+GI multiserver queueing model, allowing customer abandonment. These delay estimates may be used to make delay announcements in call centers and related service systems. We characterize performance by the expected mean squared error in steady state. We exploit established approximations for performance measures with a nonexponential abandonment-time distribution to obtain new delay estimators that effectively cope with nonexponential abandonment-time distributions.

Key Words: delay estimation; delay announcements; call centers; many-server queues; customer abandonment; simulation; heavy traffic
History: Received: June 9, 2008; accepted: March 24, 2009.