System and method for delivering a contact to a preferred agent after a set wait period

A system to assign a contact to one of a set of undifferentiated agents, comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store software that, when executed by the processor, performs the steps of:
• describing substantially each undifferentiated agent by use of one or more agent attributes, to produce a set of agent attribute values;
• describing a contact by use of at least one contact attribute to produce a set of contact attribute values;
• relating the set of agent attribute values to the set of contact attribute values to produce one or more preferred agents;
• determining an expected wait time for substantially each of the one or more preferred agents, to produce an expected wait time for a next preferred agent to become available;
• determining a quantifiable wait tolerance for the contact by use of historical information;
• if the expected wait time for the next preferred agent to become available is less than the wait tolerance, then wait to assign the contact to the at least one preferred agent;
• and
• if the expected wait time for the at least one preferred agent is not less than the wait tolerance, then assign the contact to an undifferentiated agent.

A computer implemented system for delivering a contact to a preferred agent after a set wait period, comprising:

• a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory;
• a work assignment module configured to define what agent parameters to be used to describe a preferred agent, wherein the agent parameters comprise at least one of:
• a proficiency;
• a preferred language;
• a preferred location;
• a revenue potential;
• a first call resolution rate;
• an average quality score;
• and an average contact satisfaction score;
• an assignment module configured to evaluate the agent parameters for agents;
• a collection module configured to collect a first contact parameter from one of the contact and a routing point administration, wherein the first contact parameter comprise one or more of:
• a preferred language;
• a preferred location;
• a repeat contact;
• a purpose for contact;
• and a required proficiency;
• a database of historical data configured to store a second contact parameter, wherein the second contact parameter comprises at least one of:
• a revenue potential;
• a quality score;
• and a contact satisfaction score;
• a search module configured to search for a preferred agent, wherein a match between the agent parameters and at least one of the first contact parameter and the second contact parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold;
• a wait-determination module configured to determine, if no preferred agents are available, an expected wait period for a preferred agent to become available;
• a tolerance-determination module configured to determine a quantifiable wait tolerance for the contact by use of historical information;
• a retrieval module configured to access from the computer-readable memory a statistic of abandonment times in a contact history;
• a queue-maintenance module configured to determine an insertion point of the contact in a queue by use of one or more of the statistic of abandonment times and a service objective for the queue;
• a wait module configured to wait in the queue for a preferred agent if the wait tolerance is greater than the expected wait period, wherein the wait module is further configured to deliver the contact to a non-preferred agent if the wait tolerance is not greater than the expected wait period.

A method to assign a preferred contact to an agent, comprising:

• describing the agent by use of at least one agent attribute to produce a set of agent attribute values;
• describing a contact by use of at least one contact attribute to produce a set of contact attribute values;
• relating the set of agent attribute values to the set of contact attribute values to produce a match indicator;
• retrieving, by a processor from a computer-readable memory storage, a maximum idle time tolerance for the agent;
• and
• if the agent is idle, and if an expected idle time until the preferred customer arrives is less than or equal to the idle time tolerance for the agent, then wait for the preferred customer.