Many services are delivered to a (large) number of customers simultaneously within a confined zone (e.g., restaurants, resorts, trains, and airplanes). Under unexpected high demand, customers experience discomfort from two major sources: (a) the sardine effect that arises when too many customers...

This paper considers an appointment scheduling system that accommodates routine patients who book well in advance as well as same-day patients with acute needs who call in the morning for an appointment later that day. In addition to determining the appointment times that are assigned up-front...