US 10,477,027 B1Granted

Queueing multi-channel communications for a contact center

AssigneeNoble Systems Corporation

InventorMichael L. Howard

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for routing a communication in a contact center. Specifically, a treatment is selected for a communication from a plurality of treatments. Here, each treatment includes a plurality of agents to handle communications placed in the treatment and a set of queues in which each queue includes a value range. A determination is made as to whether the communication is using a chaining or non-chaining channel. If the communication is using a chaining channel, then a target agent designated to handle communications placed in the treatment using the chaining channel and corresponding queue are identified based on a value of the communication. If the communication is using a non-chaining channel, then a queue is selected from the set of queues for the treatment based on the value of the communication falling within the value range for the queue.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method for routing a communication involving a remote party in a contact center comprising:

selecting a treatment for the communication by a computer processor from a plurality of treatments supported by the contact center, in which each treatment in the plurality of treatments (1) is applicable to at least one of a reason and an opportunity for conducting communications, (2) comprises a plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in the treatment, and (3) comprises a set of queues in which each queue in the set of queues comprises a value range and an agent from the plurality of agents who is assigned to handle communications placed in the queue;
determining by the computer processor whether the communication is part of an existing chain of communications being conducted between the remote party and a particular agent of the plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in the selected treatment;
in response to determining the communication is part of the existing chain of communications:
placing the communication in the queue from the set of queues associated with the particular agent;
and
connecting the communication to the particular agent upon the particular agent becoming available;
and
in response to determining the communication is not part of the existing chain of communications:
determining a communication value for the communication by the computer processor, the communication value defining an expected payback from applying the selected treatment to the communication;
identifying a target agent from the plurality of agents who are designated to handle communications placed in the selected treatment by the computer processor based on the communication value for the communication being within the value range for the queue from the set of queues associated with the target agent;
placing the communication in the queue associated with the target agent;
and
connecting the communication to the target agent upon the target agent becoming available.

10 more elements

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for routing a communication involving a remote party in a contact center, that when executed, cause at least one computer processor to:

select a treatment for the communication from a plurality of treatments supported by the contact center, in which each treatment in the plurality of treatments (1) is applicable to at least one of a reason and an opportunity for conducting communications, (2) comprises a plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in the treatment, and (3) comprises a set of queues in which each queue in the set of queues comprises a value range and an agent from the plurality of agents who is assigned to handle communications placed in the queue;
determine whether the communication is part of an existing chain of communications being conducted between the remote party and a particular agent of the plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in the selected treatment;
in response to determining the communication is part of the existing chain of communications:
place the communication in the queue from the set of queues associated with the particular agent;
and
have the communication connected to the particular agent upon the particular agent becoming available;
and
in response to determining the communication is not part of the existing chain of communications:
determine a communication value for the communication, the communication value defining an expected payback from applying the selected treatment to the communication;
identify a target agent from the plurality of agents who are designated to handle communications placed in the selected treatment by the computer processor based on the communication value for the communication being within the value range for the queue from the set of queues associated with the target agent;
place the communication in the queue associated with the target agent;
and
have the communication connected to the target agent upon the target agent becoming available.

10 more elements

A system for routing a communication in a contact center comprising:

at least one computer processor configured to:
select a treatment for the communication from a plurality of treatments supported by the contact center, in which each treatment in the plurality of treatments (1) is applicable to at least one of a reason and an opportunity for conducting communications, (2) comprises a plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in the treatment, and (3) comprises a set of queues in which each queue in the set of queues comprises a value range and an agent from the plurality of agents who is assigned to handle communications placed in the queue;
determine whether the communication is part of an existing chain of communications being conducted between the remote party and a particular agent of the plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in the selected treatment;
in response to determining the communication is part of the existing chain of communications:
place the communication in the queue from the set of queues associated with the particular agent;
and
have the communication connected to the particular agent upon the particular agent becoming available;
and
in response to determining the communication is not part of the existing chain of communications:
determine a communication value for the communication, the communication value defining an expected payback from applying the selected treatment to the communication;
identify a target agent from the plurality of agents who are designated to handle communications placed in the selected treatment by the computer processor based on the communication value for the communication being within the value range for the queue from the set of queues associated with the target agent;
place the communication in the queue associated with the target agent;
and
have the communication connected to the target agent upon the target agent becoming available.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/402,649Filed 3 May 2019 · continuation
Priority: 11 Dec 2018
Granted: 12 Nov 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H04M 3/5233
Call distribution algorithms: operator skill based call distribution
H04L 65/1069
Session management: session establishment or de-establishment
H04M 3/5235
Call distribution algorithms: dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]
H04M 3/5238
With call distribution or queueing: with waiting time or load prediction arrangements