Henry has two people who can check cars out for a rental. One works at the service counter and the other works in the office and can come out to help if needed. Henry has determined that people arrive following a Poisson distribution. Rentals average about 24 per day and the service person take about 15 minutes to process a customer for a rental. [Note. Henry’s business is in a community, not in an airport, so he is only open 8 hours a day.] Henry sees that the agent at the service counter in not busy all the time so he is contemplating not keeping the office person trained and leaving only the service counter person.
1. Is this a wise move? What is the average time the customer takes from when he/she arrives until he/she has a car?
2. Currently, when the office person in serving customers, a second line forms in front of the counter. Is that how Henry should set up the waiting area or is there a better way?
3. What are the time in the queue and time in the system for your proposed method (if different from Question 2.