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Routing analyses for call centers with human and automated services

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  • Legros, Benjamin

Abstract

We analyze a call center with robot and human agents. Customers arrive over time and have a preference for being served by an agent. Thus, although robots are infinite in number, it might be preferable to let some customers wait so as to give them a human service. The aim of this paper is to determine how agents and robots should be placed in the call center architecture to deliver the lowest wait- and service-dissatisfaction. We prove that in terms of expected wait- and expected service-dissatisfaction, a preventive policy where scheduling to robots or to agents is made at arrival, outperforms corrective policies, where scheduling is made after a certain wait, or policies where the robot service can be interrupted. This conclusion is only true with respect to expectation, however. When considering higher moments of the wait, a corrective policy appears to be preferable. Service interruption leads to less variability in service-dissatisfaction, which can be appreciated when customer fairness is sought.

Suggested Citation

  • Legros, Benjamin, 2021. "Routing analyses for call centers with human and automated services," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:proeco:v:240:y:2021:i:c:s0925527321002231
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2021.108247
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    References listed on IDEAS

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