Selective mapping of callers in a call center routing system

• US 10,051,125 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afiniti Ltd
• Original Assignee: Afiniti Europe Technologies Limited (Afiniti Ltd)
• Inventors: Chishti, Zia
• Primary Examiner(s): Al Aubaidi, Rasha
• Application Number:
  US14/727,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20150264178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-26502, 37926511-26512, 37926601
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/10 Logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5236 Sequential or circular distribution

Abstract

Techniques for benchmarking performance in a contact center system are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for benchmarking performance in a contact center system including pairing a first portion of a plurality of contacts with a plurality of agents using rank-based matching or pattern matching, pairing a remaining portion of the plurality of contacts with the plurality of agents using a random matching strategy, and determining a first amount of performance gain for the contact center system by comparing a first plurality of call outcomes associated with the first portion of the plurality of contacts with a second plurality of call outcomes associated with the remaining portion of the plurality of contacts.

Claims

1. A method for benchmarking performance in a contact center system comprising:

applying, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system, a first matching strategy for pairing a first portion of a first plurality of contacts with a first plurality of agents for connection in the contact center system;

applying, by the at least one computer processor, a second matching strategy for pairing a second portion of the first plurality of contacts for connection with the first plurality of agents for connection in the contact center system, wherein the second matching strategy is different from the first matching strategy;

establishing, by the at least one computer processor, in a telecommunication switch of the contact center system, communication channels between communication equipment of the first plurality of contacts and communication equipment of the first plurality of agents according to the pairings resulting from the applications of the first and second matching strategies;

retrieving, by the at least one computer processor, a first plurality of contact outcomes from an electronic database communicatively coupled to the contact center system, wherein the first plurality of contact outcomes indicates outcome results associated with connecting the first portion of the first plurality of contacts with the first plurality of agents;

retrieving, by the at least one computer processor, a second plurality of contact outcomes from the electronic database communicatively coupled to the contact center system, wherein the second plurality of contact outcomes indicates outcome results associated with connecting the second portion of the first plurality of contacts with the first plurality of agents;

comparing, by the at least one computer processor, the first plurality of contact outcomes with the second plurality of contact outcomes to determine a first amount of performance gain for the contact center system attributable to the first matching strategy;

adjusting, by the at least one computer processor, at least one parameter of the first matching strategy based on the first amount of performance gain; and

applying, by the at least one computer processor, the first matching strategy with the at least one adjusted parameter to pair a second plurality of contacts with a second plurality of agents for connection in the contact center system to further increase performance of the contact center system relative to applying the second matching strategy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second matching strategy is a random matching strategy comprising queue-order routing.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a ratio of the first portion and the remaining portion of the plurality of contacts.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a selected adjustment to a ratio of the first portion and the remaining portion of the plurality of contacts via a graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a requested adjustment to a ratio of the first portion and the remaining portion of the plurality of contacts; and

estimating a second amount of performance gain for the contact center system based on the requested adjustment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the first amount of performance gain in a graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating that a system for performance-based routing is on for the first plurality of contact outcomes; and

indicating that the system for performance-based routing is off for the second plurality of contact outcomes.

8. A system for benchmarking performance in a contact center system comprising:

at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system, wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to;

apply a first matching strategy for pairing a first portion of a first plurality of contacts for connection with a first plurality of agents for connection in the contact center system;

apply a second matching strategy for pairing a second portion of the first plurality of contacts with the first plurality of agents for connection in the contact center system, wherein the second matching strategy is different from the first matching strategy;

establish, in a telecommunications switch of the contact center system, communication channels between communication equipment of the first plurality of contacts and communication equipment of the first plurality of agents according to the pairings resulting from the applications of the first and second matching strategies;

retrieve a first plurality of contact outcomes from an electronic database communicatively coupled to the contact center system, wherein the first plurality of contact outcomes indicates outcome results associated with connecting the first portion of the first plurality of contacts with the first plurality of agents;

retrieve a second plurality of contact outcomes from the electronic database communicatively coupled to the contact center system, wherein the second plurality of contact outcomes indicates outcome results associated with connecting the second portion of the first plurality of contacts with the first plurality of agents;

compare the first plurality of contact outcomes with the second plurality of contact outcomes to determine a first amount of performance gain for the contact center system attributable to the first matching strategy;

adjust at least one parameter of the first matching strategy based on the first amount of performance gain; and

apply the first matching strategy with the at least one adjusted parameter to pair a second plurality of contacts with a second plurality of agents for connection in the contact center system to further increase performance of the contact center system relative to applying the second matching strategy.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second matching strategy is a random matching strategy comprising queue-order routing.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to adjust a ratio of the first portion and the remaining portion of the plurality of contacts.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to receive a selected adjustment to a ratio of the first portion and the remaining portion of the plurality of contacts via a graphical user interface.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

receive a requested adjustment to a ratio of the first portion and the remaining portion of the plurality of contacts; and

estimate a second amount of performance gain for the contact center system based on the requested adjustment.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to display the first amount of performance gain in a graphical user interface.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

indicate that a system for performance-based routing is on for the first plurality of contact outcomes; and

indicate that the system for performance-based routing is off for the second plurality of contact outcomes.

15. An article of manufacture for benchmarking performance in a contact center system comprising:

a non-transitory computer processor readable medium; and

instructions stored on the medium;

wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the medium by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system and thereby cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to;

apply a first matching strategy for pairing a first portion of a first plurality of contacts for connection with a first plurality of agents for connection in the contact center system;

apply a second matching strategy for pairing a second portion of the first plurality of contacts with the first plurality of agents for connection in the contact center system, wherein the second matching strategy is different from the first matching strategy;

establish, in a telecommunications switch of the contact center system, communication channels between communication equipment of the first plurality of contacts and communication equipment of the first plurality of agents according to the pairings resulting from the applications of the first and second matching strategies;

retrieve a first plurality of contact outcomes from an electronic database communicatively coupled to the contact center system, wherein the first plurality of contact outcomes indicates outcome results associated with connecting the first portion of the first plurality of contacts with the first plurality of agents;

retrieve a second plurality of contact outcomes from the electronic database communicatively coupled to the contact center system, wherein the second plurality of contact outcomes indicates outcome results associated with connecting the second portion of the first plurality of contacts with the first plurality of agents;

compare the first plurality of contact outcomes with the second plurality of contact outcomes to determine a first amount of performance gain for the contact center system attributable to the first matching strategy;

adjust at least one parameter of the first matching strategy based on the first amount of performance gain; and

apply the first matching strategy with the at least one adjusted parameter to pair a second plurality of contacts with a second plurality of agents for connection in the contact center system to further increase performance of the contact center system relative to applying the second matching strategy.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the second matching strategy is a random matching strategy comprising queue-order routing.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the at least one computer processor is caused to operate further so as to adjust a ratio of the first portion and the remaining portion of the plurality of contacts.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the at least one computer processor is caused to operate further so as to receive a selected adjustment to a ratio of the first portion and the remaining portion of the plurality of contacts via a graphical user interface.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the at least one computer processor is caused to operate further so as to:

receive a requested adjustment to a ratio of the first portion and the remaining portion of the plurality of contacts; and

estimate a second amount of performance gain for the contact center system based on the requested adjustment.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the at least one computer processor is caused to operate further so as to:

indicate that a system for performance-based routing is on for the first plurality of contact outcomes; and

indicate that the system for performance-based routing is off for the second plurality of contact outcomes.