Saving Seats for Strategic Customers

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Cil, Eren B.; Lariviere, Martin A.
• 署名单位: University of Oregon; Northwestern University
• 刊物名称: OPERATIONS RESEARCH
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0030-364X
• DOI: 10.1287/opre.2013.1218
• 发表日期: 2013
• 页码: 1321-1332
• 关键词: newsvendor model

摘要

We consider a service provider in a market with two segments. Members of the first request a reservation ahead of service and will not patronize the firm Without one. Members of the second walk in and demand service immediately. These customers have a fixed cost of reaching the firm and may behave strategically. In equilibrium, they randomize between walking in and staying home. The service provider must decide how much of a limited capacity to make available to advance customers. When the advance demand segment offers a higher per customer margin, the firm may opt to decline some reservation requests in order to bolster walk-in demand. When walk-in customers are more valuable, classical revenue management models would dictate that at least some capacity be set aside for high-value later arrivals. Here it is possible that the optimal policy saves no capacity for walk-ins. Thus, it may be better to ignore rather than pamper walk-in customers. This outcome is robust to changes in the model.