A Survey on Queueing Systems with Mathematical Models and Applications
Read this paper on waiting line analysis and queues. It provides a good survey of the theory and uses of this type of analysis. Pay particular attention to sections 1 through 3. How might these models be used to balance firm costs with different levels of customer satisfaction?
3. Components of Queueing System
3.2. The Behaviour of Customers
Customers may be patient and willing to wait for the service after some times or may be impatient and leave after a while. The behaviour of customers who leave the queue realizing that they have to wait longer than they have expected is called balking. There are some customers who leave the queue feeling that they are tired of waiting in the queue. This type of customers' behaviour is called reneging. There is another behaviour of customers who re-join the queue which they had left earlier either by balking or by reneging, is called jockeying.