Køtid

Køtid, or waiting time, is the period a person spends before receiving a service after arriving at a service point or joining a queue. The term is used in Danish and Norwegian contexts and can refer to physical lines in shops, clinics, and government offices as well as to digital queues for online services or call centers.

In queuing theory, køtid is analyzed with models that relate arrival rate (how many customers come per time) and service rate (how quickly service can be provided). Common models include M/M/1 or M/M/c queues. Metrics include average waiting time, median waiting time, and higher percentiles, along with utilization and congestion levels.

Factors include arrival patterns, service capacity, number of servers, queue discipline (first-in, first-out is common), and the extent of service complexity. Peak times and variability increase waiting time.

Strategies to reduce køtid include adding service channels or staff, implementing appointment or ticketing systems, using self-service options, virtual queuing, queue segmentation and prioritization, and improving process efficiency. Transparency about expected wait times can also help manage expectations.

In practice, køtid affects customer satisfaction, loyalty, and operational efficiency. Reducing wait times is a priority in many sectors, balanced against costs and service quality. The concept is widely used in operations research and service design to optimize throughput and experience.