Techniques for behavioral pairing in a contact center system

• US 10,051,126 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afiniti Ltd
• Original Assignee: Afiniti Europe Technologies Limited (Afiniti Ltd)
• Inventors: Chishti, Zia
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh
• Application Number:
  US15/000,775
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501, 37926601, 379309, 705 713
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/36 Memories
• 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 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]

Abstract

Techniques for behavioral pairing in a contact center system are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for pairing in a contact center including ordering one or more contacts, ordering one or more agents, comparing a first difference in ordering between a first contact and a first agent in a first pair with a second difference in ordering between a second contact and a second agent in a second pair, and selecting the first pair or the second pair for connection based on the comparing, wherein the first contact and the second contact are different or the first agent and the second agent are different.

Claims

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

ordering, in the contact center system, a plurality of agents according to a computer processor-generated model based on outcomes of previous pairings including the plurality of agents;

selecting, according to a pairing strategy, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system, a first agent of the plurality of agents for connection in the contact center system to a first contact based on the ordering to optimize performance of the contact center system attributable to the pairing strategy;

outputting, by the at least one computer processor, the selection of the first agent for connection to the first contact in the contact center system; and

establishing, by the at least one computer processor, in a switch module of the contact center system, a communication channel between communication equipment of the first contact and communication equipment of the first agent according to the output selection,

wherein the first agent is not any of;

an agent lagging in a fairness metric,

an agent rated highest in a performance metric,

an agent rated highest in a performance metric for a particular contact type,

an agent previously assigned to a contact of the selected pair,

a sequentially labeled agent,

and a randomly selected agent;

wherein a first absolute difference in ordering between the first contact and the first agent is the smallest absolute difference in ordering among absolute differences in orderings between the first contact and each of the plurality of agents, and a behavioral pairing module selects a contact-agent pairing with the smallest absolute difference between a contact'"'"'s score and an agent'"'"'s score.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ordering the first contact in a plurality of contacts; and

comparing, by the at least one computer processor, a first difference in ordering between the first contact and the first agent in a first pair with a second difference in ordering between the first contact and a second agent of the plurality of agents in a second pair.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ordering the first contact in a plurality of contacts; and

applying, by the at least one computer processor, a diagonal strategy to the orderings of the first contact and the plurality of agents.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first pair of the first contact and the first agent comprises a worse expected instant outcome than a second pair of the first contact and a second agent of the plurality of agents.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a higher-ordered agent of the plurality of agents remains available for subsequent assignment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pairing strategy is a diagonal strategy, further comprising targeting, by the at least one computer processor, a balanced agent utilization using the diagonal strategy.

7. A system for pairing 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 further configured to;

order, in the contact center system, a plurality of agents according to a computer processor-generated model based on outcomes of previous pairings including the plurality of agents;

select, according to a pairing strategy, a first agent of the plurality of agents for connection in the contact center system to a first contact based on the ordering to optimize performance of the contact center system attributable to the pairing strategy;

output the selection of the first agent for connection to the first contact in the contact center system; and

establish, in a switch module of the contact center system, a communication channel between communication equipment of the first contact and communication equipment of the first agent according to the output selection,

wherein the first agent is not any of;

an agent lagging in a fairness metric,

an agent rated highest in a performance metric,

an agent rated highest in a performance metric for a particular contact type,

an agent previously assigned to a contact of the selected pair,

a sequentially labeled agent, and

a randomly selected agent;

wherein a first absolute difference in ordering between the first contact and the first agent is the smallest absolute difference in ordering among absolute differences in orderings between the first contact and each of the plurality of agents, and a behavioral pairing module selects a contact-agent pairing with the smallest absolute difference between a contact'"'"'s score and an agent'"'"'s score.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

order the first contact in a plurality of contacts; and

compare a first difference in ordering between the first contact and the first agent in a first pair with a second difference in ordering between the first contact and a second agent of the plurality of agents in a second pair.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

order the first contact in a plurality of contacts; and

apply a diagonal strategy to the orderings of the first contact and the plurality of agents.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein a first pair of the first contact and the first agent comprises a worse expected instant outcome than a second pair of the first contact and a second agent of the plurality of agents.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein a higher-ordered agent of the plurality of agents remains available for subsequent assignment.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the pairing strategy is a diagonal strategy, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to target a balanced agent utilization using the diagonal strategy.

13. An article of manufacture for pairing 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;

order, in the contact center system, a plurality of agents according to a computer processor-generated model based on outcomes of previous pairings including the plurality of agents;

select, according to a pairing strategy, a first agent of the plurality of agents for connection in the contact center system to a first contact based on the ordering to optimize performance of the contact center system attributable to the pairing strategy;

output the selection of the first agent for connection to the first contact in the contact center system; and

establish, in a switch module of the contact center system, a communication channel between communication equipment of the first contact and communication equipment of the first agent according to the output selection,

wherein the first agent is not any of;

an agent lagging in a fairness metric,

an agent rated highest in a performance metric,

an agent rated highest in a performance metric for a particular contact type,

an agent previously assigned to a contact of the selected pair,

a sequentially labeled agent,

and a randomly selected agent;

wherein a first absolute difference in ordering between the first contact and the first agent is the smallest absolute difference in ordering among absolute differences in orderings between the first contact and each of the plurality of agents, and a behavioral pairing module selects a contact-agent pairing with the smallest absolute difference between a contact'"'"'s score and an agent'"'"'s score.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the at least one computer processor is further caused to operate so as to:

order the first contact in a plurality of contacts; and

compare a first difference in ordering between the first contact and the first agent in a first pair with a second difference in ordering between the first contact and a second agent of the plurality of agents in a second pair.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the at least one computer processor is further caused to operate so as to:

order the first contact in a plurality of contacts; and

apply a diagonal strategy to the orderings of the first contact and the plurality of agents.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein a first pair of the first contact and the first agent comprises a worse expected instant outcome than a second pair of the first contact and a second agent of the plurality of agents.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein a higher-ordered agent of the plurality of agents remains available for subsequent assignment.