Referring to Problem 16, suppose that each server could handle four customers per hour. Answer
the questions posed in the problem. Explain why the impact of reassigning customers is much less
than in Problem 16.
During the morning hours at a catalog sales department, telephone calls come in at the rate (Poisson)
of 40 per hour. Calls that cannot be answered immediately are put on hold. The system can handle
eight callers on hold. If additional calls come in, they receive a busy signal. The three customer service representatives who answer the calls spend an average of three minutes with a customer.
a. What is the probability that a caller will get a busy signal? (Hint: Solve for log K or ln K using
trial and error.)
b. What is the probability that a customer will be put on hold?
