Customer Service Management

Efficiency or Identity? A Dilemma for Fast Food Restaurants

Minimalism is in; Googie architecture is out.

Red roofs, neon golden arches, and other bright-colored structures have practically disappeared from the fast food landscape. They have been replaced by boxy, sleek designs that reflect both cultural and economic trends. Whether or not these new designs are less aesthetically pleasing than their older counterparts is a matter of personal taste. Fast food chains’ primary goal remains to give customers what they want.

Video Spotlight: The Decline of Pizza Hut…What […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-03-14T23:06:07+00:00March 15, 2023|Tags: automation, competitivness, delivery, lead time, location, productivity, service design, service quality, strategy, value, waiting lines|

US Air Travel Disruptions: The Rule Instead of the Exception?

The airline industry has taken major hits since December 2022, and customer anxiety is on the rise over booking new reservations.

In December—during the peak of the holiday season—Southwest Airlines cancelled over 13,000 flights due to an antiquated and unreliable flight scheduling system.

In January, a nationwide ground stop imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over a computer issue forced a 90-minute halt to all U.S. departing flights, leading to over 10,000 delays in one day alone.

January’s grounding […]

By James Kirby Easterling|2023-02-15T22:07:05+00:00February 15, 2023|Tags: asset utilization, contingency planning, information systems, supply chain disruption, supply chain resiliency|

Robots Help Fill Labor Shortage at Pharmacies

Robots are increasingly being used to fill prescriptions at Walgreens due to the nationwide shortage of pharmacists.

Walgreens is revamping its stores and redesigning pharmacists’ jobs to reflect current demand as well as constraints in the industry.

Video Spotlight:

Libiao Robot Helps USA Walgreens to Sort Pharmaceutical Prescriptions (Apr 6, 2022, Li Vince)
Walgreens Gets Robotic on Filling Prescriptions (May 7, 2022, rxless)

This post is based on the PYMNTS article, Robots […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2022-11-07T01:41:41+00:00November 3, 2022|Tags: capacity planning, efficiency, facility layout, robotics, shortage|

Be Your Own Model

Walmart invites you to “Be Your Own Model” and buy more clothes!

As discretionary spending falls, the company is trying to lure customers into buying more of its clothes. Central to achieving this goal is the use of a digital tool that enables shoppers to try on clothes virtually. They can view the clothes on one of the 120 models that looks most like them. Alternatively, they can send their own picture, and the tool will scan their body and show […]

By CMKaruppan|2022-09-27T18:46:39+00:00October 5, 2022|Tags: cost-benefit analysis, inventory management, service design, service quality, virtual service|