Queuing Theory and ATM Service Optimization: Empirical Evidence from First Bank Plc, Kaura Namoda Branch, Zamfara State

Abstract

The consequence of queuing in relation to the time spent by customers to access financial services is increasingly becoming a major source of concern to most stakeholders, especially the banks, their teeming customers and regulatory agencies. Even more critical are the costs that accrue thereof. In this study, the queuing characteristics at the Kaura Namoda Branch of First Bank Ltd were analyzed using three service efficiency parameters – single, two and three servers. The study collected, through observation, queuing data at the bank from Monday through Wednesday to develop an optimal queuing model. Consistent with conventional wisdom and prior studies, the findings provide evidence to support the idea that the multiple-server model is more efficient than the single channel. For instance, whilst with two or three servers, a customer spends on the average, 0.0409 hours (about 3 minutes) and 0.0310 hours (about 2 minutes), the same customer spends an average of 0.2 hours (12 minutes) in the system if it is a single channel. Thus, the study concludes that higher number of servers is associated with lower average time spent in the system, a finding that is in tandem with past studies within and outside Nigeria. Drawing from these findings, the study suggests the need to increase number of servers to meet the changing expectations of the bank’s teeming customers.