Real-time probability based contact handling time
AssigneeAvaya Inc.
InventorsGeorge Erhart, Valentine C. Matula, David Skiba
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided to estimate the amount of service time left in a contact with a contact center. A system records metadata factors associated with contacts and the service time for the contacts. This information is incorporated into one or more service time probability distributions. A service time probability distribution is a function describing how much time a contact, having certain, defined characteristics, took historically. The distribution can subsequently be used to estimate service time for future contacts that have the same or similar characteristics.
Claims20
A method for estimating a service time, comprising:
- a data collection function of a contact center creating a service time probability distribution, wherein the service time probability distribution includes a first service time and a second service time, and wherein the service time probability distribution is associated with a first metadata;
- and
- the data collection function storing the service time probability distribution in a service time database.
A contact center system comprising:
- two or more agent queues;
- a contact center server comprising:
- a memory;
- a processor in communication with the memory, the processor operable to execute:
- a work assignment engine operable to determine which agent queue to assign a contact;
- a data collection function operable to create at least one service time probability distribution;
- a service time calculator operable to:
- determine applicable metadata associated with a contact;
- based on at least a portion of the applicable metadata, retrieve a service time probability distribution;
- based on the service time probability distribution, calculate an estimated service time for the contact.
The communication system as defined in claim 0, further comprising a service time database operable to store the service time probability distribution.
A computer program product including computer executable instructions stored onto a computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to perform a method for determining an estimated service time, the instructions comprising:
- instructions to receive a contact at a contact center;
- instructions to determine an item of metadata associated with the contact;
- based at least on the item of metadata, instructions to retrieve a service time probability distribution associated with the item of metadata;
- and
- instructions to calculate the estimated service time based on the service time probability distribution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.