Method and system for estimating call durations for improved call queue management

A computing apparatus for handling a telephone call, the computing apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory;
• and
• a communication interface coupled to each of the processor and the memory,
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• receive, via the communication interface, a first incoming telephone call from a first person;
• retrieve historical information that relates to the first person;
• forecast, based on the historical information, a next customer state that relates to the first person;
• estimate, based on the forecasted next customer state, a potential duration of the first incoming telephone call;
• assign a priority to the first incoming telephone call based on a result of the estimation of the potential duration of the first incoming telephone call;
• and
• determine an order of handling the first incoming telephone call with respect to each of a plurality of other incoming telephone calls based on the assigned priority,
• wherein the historical information includes at least one from among transaction-specific information and account-specific information, and
• wherein the account-specific information includes at least one from among information that relates to changing an address associated with an account, information that relates to requesting a replacement card, information that relates to requesting an account limit increase, information that relates to a dispute report associated with the account, information that relates to a fraud report associated with the account, information that relates to adding an authorized user for the account, information that relates to removing an authorized user for the account, and information that relates to closing the account.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for handling a telephone call, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

• receive a first incoming telephone call from a first person;
• retrieve historical information that relates to the first person;
• forecast, based on the historical information, a next customer state that relates to the first person;
• estimate, based on the forecasted next customer state, a potential duration of the first incoming telephone call;
• assign a priority to the first incoming telephone call based on a result of the estimation of the potential duration of the first incoming telephone call;
• and
• determine an order of handling the first incoming telephone call with respect to each of a plurality of other incoming telephone calls based on the assigned priority,
• wherein the historical information includes at least one from among transaction-specific information and account-specific information, and
• wherein the account-specific information includes at least one from among information that relates to changing an address associated with an account, information that relates to requesting a replacement card, information that relates to requesting an account limit increase, information that relates to a dispute report associated with the account, information that relates to a fraud report associated with the account, information that relates to adding an authorized user for the account, information that relates to removing an authorized user for the account, and information that relates to closing the account.