A new way of queueing: last-come-first-served

Chizz

This is a brilliant idea, which reduces the average length of time spent queueing.

In short (if you haven't clicked the link), the system works like this. Whoever arrives last in a queue gets served first. So, if you arrive really early, you're going to have the longest wait to get served. Saunter up to the queue (maybe after having one more cup of coffee; a dessert after your lunch; or knocking back another pint or two) and you're first in.

It only works if everyone knows the "rules" beforehand - you can't arbitrarily set the new rules after some people have started to queue. But there are big advantages in this way of queueing, not least that it reduces the average time that people spend in queues.

This may be a weird concept for us Brits. But it's strangely compelling, isn't it?

Form an orderly queue before responding...

ShootersHillGuru

Are there long queues at the bogs then ?

Baldybonce

Queue for a bus in Woolwich town centre and see this theory in action every day.

Fiiish

I'm pretty sure this is how the pub outside my office seemed to operate anyway.

Big William

This will go down a storm outside the cab office after the pubs have turned out.....

Chizz

Big William said:

This will go down a storm outside the cab office after the pubs have turned out.....

Can you imagine how it might work in an office lunch queue? Or in a boarding queue for a flight? Or those ridiculous queues you get at major sporting events, like Wimbledon? Or for major retail sales, like Harrods?

Big William

The queue at The Valley for Wembley tickets in '98 would have been an interesting experiment

thai malaysia addick

Isn't there some flaw here? As the person at the back of the queue moves to the front to get served, they would then become first in the queue, so they would become last to be served. This would mean that the person now last in the queue comes forward and meets the same fate. This would mean that there was a constantly revolving queue where a person would only be served if there is one person in the queue who was effectively first and last. I suppose that would stop anyone queuing. Maybe, I'm missing something.

cafcfan

It's sort of what the airlines do when there are lengthy delays/cancellations. If they allocated seats on a fair basis, everyone would qualify for large compensation payments. Much better to leave the original lot to stew while clearing the newer arrivals.

sam3110

Yeah no thanks, it would be f@cking carnage for anyone in retail

Hastingsaddick

Baldybonce said:

Queue for a bus in Woolwich town centre and see this theory in action every day.

So true.

soapboxsam

thai malaysia addick said:

Isn't there some flaw here? As the person at the back of the queue moves to the front to get served, they would then become first in the queue, so they would become last to be served. This would mean that the person now last in the queue comes forward and meets the same fate. This would mean that there was a constantly revolving queue where a person would only be served if there is one person in the queue who was effectively first and last. I suppose that would stop anyone queuing. Maybe, I'm missing something.

Catch 22

kings hill addick

thai malaysia addick said:

Isn't there some flaw here? As the person at the back of the queue moves to the front to get served, they would then become first in the queue, so they would become last to be served. This would mean that the person now last in the queue comes forward and meets the same fate. This would mean that there was a constantly revolving queue where a person would only be served if there is one person in the queue who was effectively first and last. I suppose that would stop anyone queuing. Maybe, I'm missing something.

This is used a lot in computing. It's called a stack, I can't remember all the circumstances that it is used (it was 23 years ago that I finished my degree in IT) but it has it's uses. It is the way people get on and off of a bus, for example. Ignoring the desire to grab a seat at the front, if the passengers walk to the back of the bus and sit in the last empty seat they find then if the bus is emptied from the front they do become first in last out and last in first out.

If this was going to be used to manage a queue to be served then there would need to be a holding area for people to file into and wait. This would mean that the first one to get there with no empty sales reps (ticket windows) would go into the 'stack' and probably be there all day. Their exit would have to be blocked or they could just walk around to the front of the queue.

Thus (ignoring the computer situation which is, effectively, all virtual) you need to physically hold people that are in the stack. Like leaving them on a bus, or sitting them on a row of benches and taking the one that has just sat down each time.

I'm aware that that the OP was not serious about using this for selling tickets either on the phone or in person, but I have heard rumours of companies using something like this on their telephone networks so that a large proportion of their customers get through very quickly and they can publish those facts. 'Seven out of ten of our calls are answered within sixty seconds'. The fact that those holding on for too long give up is irrelevant to the stats that they can publish.