title: A Multi-Period Optimization Model for Service Providers Using Online Reservation Systems: An Application to Hotels.
abstract: This paper presents a multi-period optimization model for high margin and zero salvage products in online distribution channels with classifying customers based on number of products required. Taking hotel customers as an example, one is regular customers who reserve rooms for one day, and the other is long term stay (LTS) customers who reserve rooms for a number of days. LTS may guarantee a specific amount of demand and generate opportunity income for a certain number of periods, meanwhile with risk of punishment incurred by overselling. By developing an operational optimization model and exploring the effects of parameters on optimal decisions, we suggest that service providers should make decisions based on the types of customers, number of products required, and duration of multi-period to reduce the loss of reputation and obtain more profit; at the same time, multi-period buying customers should buy products early. Finally, the paper conducts a numerical experiment, and the results are consistent with prevailing situations.
authors.affiliation: College of Tourism and Service Management, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300074, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: College of Tourism and Service Management, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300074, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: College of Tourism and Service Management, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300074, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Urban and Regional Economics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
authors.forename: Qingfeng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: School of Mathematics and Statistics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009862:Online Systems