Call processing system

• US 20050135593A1
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assurant Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Assurant Incorporated
• Inventors: Thompson, Charles, Becerra, Manuel, McMillan, Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 7,062,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/220.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• 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

A system that is configured for determining the value of one or at least one incoming call and routing the call for processing based on this determined value. In one embodiment, the system routes very low value calls to an automated system for processing, and directs all other calls to human operators for processing. In another embodiment, the system assigns at least one agent to one or more of a plurality of groups of agents based on the agent'"'"'s past performance in executing a particular task. For example, the highest performing agents at handling a particular type of call are assigned to a first group, and the second highest performing agents at handling this type of call are assigned to a second group. In one embodiment, the most important calls are routed to the first, “highest performing” group for processing, and less important calls are routed to the second group for processing.

Claims

1. A call processing system that is configured for:

determining an expected economic value that is expected to be derived from performing one or more tasks in connection with an incoming call;

assessing a priority of said incoming call based on said expected economic value;

using said assessed priority to determine whether to route said incoming call to an automated call processing system; and

in response to determining to route said incoming call to an automated call processing system, routing said call to said automated processing system.

2. The call processing system of claim 1, wherein said call processing system is configured to receive said incoming call.

3. A call processing system that is configured for:

receiving an incoming call;

estimating an expected lifetime value that is predicted to be derived from a caller associated with said incoming call;

assessing a priority of an incoming call based, at least in part, on said expected lifetime economic value;

determining whether to route said incoming call to an automated call processing system based on said assessed priority; and

in response to determining to route said incoming call to said automated call processing system, routing said incoming call to said automated call processing system.

4. The call processing system of claim 3, wherein said system is further configured for:

determining an estimated impact that performing one or more tasks in connection with said incoming call would have on said expected lifetime economic value, wherein

said step of assessing a priority of said incoming call is based, at least in part, on said estimated impact.

5. A call processing system that is configured for:

receiving data related to an incoming call;

assigning a priority value to said incoming call based on said data; and

using said priority value to determine whether to route said incoming call to a live agent or to an automated call processing system for handling.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said data may be used to estimate the value of said incoming call.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said priority value is based, at least in part, on a predicted economic value associated with performing one or more tasks in connection with said incoming call.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said system is configured for:

estimating an expected lifetime value that is predicted to be derived from a caller associated with said incoming call; and

determining said priority value based, at least in part, on said expected lifetime economic value.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said system is further configured to:

determine the estimated impact that performing one or more tasks in connection with said incoming call would have on said expected lifetime economic value; and

determine said priority value based, at least in part, on said estimated impact.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein said system is configured for:

estimating an expected lifetime value that is predicted to be derived from an account associated with said incoming call; and

determining said priority value based, at least in part, on said expected lifetime economic value.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said system is further configured to:

determine the estimated impact that performing one or more tasks in connection with said incoming call would have on said expected lifetime economic value; and

determine said priority value based, at least in part, on said estimated impact.

12. A call processing system that is configured for:

receiving a call from a customer, said call being related to the cancellation of a first service;

determining whether it would be beneficial to attempt to persuade said customer to replace said first service with a particular product or second service; and

at least partly in response to determining that it would not be beneficial to attempt to persuade said customer to replace said first service with a particular product or second service, routing said call to an automated call processing system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said step of determining whether it would be beneficial to attempt to persuade said customer to replace said first service with a particular product or second service comprises assessing whether it would be more profitable to have said customer retain said first service than to purchase said particular product or second service.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said step of determining whether it would be beneficial to attempt to persuade said customer to replace said first service with a particular product or second service comprises assessing whether an account associated with said call has been profitable in the past.

15. The system claim 12, wherein said step of determining whether it would be beneficial to attempt to persuade said customer to replace said first service with a particular product or second service comprises estimating the chances of persuading said customer to replace said first service with said particular product or said second service.

16. A call processing system that is configured for:

processing calls from one or more customers related to a debt cancellation contract; and

for at least a particular one of said calls, allowing a customer associated with said particular call to cancel said debt cancellation contract, via said particular call, substantially without the assistance of a human operator.

17. A call processing system that is configured for:

processing calls from one or more customers related to a debt deferment contract; and

for at least a particular one of said calls, allowing a customer associated with said particular call to cancel said debt deferment contract, via said particular call, substantially without the assistance of a human operator.

18. A call processing system that is configured for:

receiving information related to an incoming call;

using said information to determine whether it would be beneficial to have a human representative handle said incoming call; and

in response to determining that it would not be beneficial to have a human representative handle said incoming call, routing said call to an automated call processing system.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

said incoming call is a first incoming call that is in a queue with at least a second incoming call;

said step of determining whether it would be beneficial to have a human representative handle said first incoming call comprises;

using at least one statistical model to estimate the expected future profitability of a first caller, said first caller being associated with said first incoming call and said at least one statistical model being based on a plurality of variables;

using said at least one statistical model to estimate the expected future profitability of a second caller, said second caller being associated with said second incoming call;

comparing said expected future profitability of said first caller with said expected future profitability of said second caller;

at least partially in response to determining that said expected future profitability of said second caller is greater than said expected future profitability of said first caller, determining that it would not be beneficial to have a human representative handle said first incoming call.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

said step of determining whether it would be beneficial to have a human representative handle said first incoming call comprises;

assessing human resources available to handle calls in said queue of calls;

at least partially in response to determining that insufficient human resources exist to handle both said first incoming call and said second incoming call according to predetermined service criteria, determining that it would not be beneficial to have a human representative handle said first incoming call.

21. A call processing system that is configured for:

assessing the importance of an incoming call, said call being made by a particular customer; and

routing said incoming call to a particular group of agents for processing based on said importance of said incoming call,

wherein at least one particular agent within said group of agents has been assigned to said group of agents based on said particular agent'"'"'s past performance in completing one or more particular tasks.

22. The call processing system of claim 21, wherein said particular group of agents consists of one agent.

23. The call processing system of claim 21, wherein said particular group of agents comprises a plurality of agents.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said call processing system is configured for:

calculating an estimated value of future profits to be generated from said particular customer if an agent performs said one or more particular tasks successfully in regard to said incoming call; and

determining said importance of said incoming call based, at least in part, on said estimated value of future profits.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said call processing system is configured for:

determining an estimated probability that said one or more particular tasks will be successfully performed by an agent; and

determining said importance of said incoming call based, at least in part, on said estimated probability.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein said call processing system is configured for:

determining the estimated probability that said one or more particular tasks will be successfully performed by an agent; and

determining said importance of said incoming call based, at least in part, on said estimated probability.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said call processing system is configured for:

assessing the availability of said particular group of agents; and

routing said incoming call to a particular group of agents based at least in part on said assessed availability of said particular group of agents.

28. The call processing system of claim 21, wherein said one or more particular tasks comprises persuading one or more customers not to cancel a service.

29. The call processing system of claim 21, wherein said one or more particular tasks comprises persuading one or more customers to purchase a particular product or service.

30. The call processing system of claim 21, wherein said one or more particular tasks comprises persuading one or more customers to purchase an insurance policy.

31. The call processing system of claim 21, wherein said one or more particular tasks comprises persuading one or more customers to purchase a debt protection contract.

32. The call processing system of claim 21, wherein said one or more particular tasks comprises persuading one or more customers to purchase an alternative service or product.

33. The call processing system of claim 32, wherein:

said one or more particular tasks comprises persuading customers to retain or purchase a product or service; and

said system is configured to assess said particular agent'"'"'s past performance in persuading customers to retain or purchase a product or service based on said particular agent'"'"'s sold revenue value for one of more days in the past.

34. The call processing system of claim 21, wherein said one or more particular tasks comprises persuading one or more customers to retain a service or product.

35. The call processing system of claim 34, wherein said system is configured for measuring said particular agent'"'"'s past performance in persuading customers to retain a product or service based on data comprising the length of time that one or more customers retained a product or service after speaking with said particular agent in the past.

36. The call processing system of claim 34, wherein said system is configured for measuring said particular agent'"'"'s past performance in persuading customers to retain a product or service based on said particular agent'"'"'s call save rate for one or more days in the past.

37. The call processing system of claim 34, wherein said system is configured for measuring said particular agent'"'"'s performance for persuading customers to retain a product or service based on said particular agent'"'"'s saved revenue value for one or more days in the past.

38. A call processing system that is configured for:

assessing the importance of an incoming call; and

routing said incoming call to a particular group of agents for processing based on said importance of said incoming call, wherein at least one particular agent within said group of agents has been assigned to said group of agents based, at least in part, on said particular agent'"'"'s saved revenue rate performance.

39. A call processing system that is configured for:

assessing the importance of an incoming call; and

routing said incoming call to a particular group of agents for processing based on said importance of said incoming call, wherein at least one particular agent within said group of agents has been assigned to said group of agents based, at least in part, on said particular agent'"'"'s sales rate performance.

40. A call processing system that is configured for:

assessing the importance of an incoming call; and

routing said incoming call to a particular group of agents for processing based on said importance of said incoming call, wherein at least one particular agent within said group of agents has been assigned to said group of agents based, at least in part, on said particular agent'"'"'s sold revenue rate performance.

41. A method of routing a call for processing, said method comprising:

identifying, from a plurality of agents, a group of one or more highest performing agents who are among the highest performing agents within said plurality of agents at performing at least one task;

assessing the value of a particular call; and

determining whether to route said particular call to said group of “

highest performing agents”

for processing based on said assessed value of said particular call.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said call is an incoming call.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein said call is an outgoing call.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising routing said particular call to said group of “

highest performing agents”

in response to determining that said particular call is a relatively high-value call.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein said at least one task comprises persuading a customer not to cancel a service.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein said at least one task comprises persuading a customer to purchase a product or service.

47. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

identifying, from said plurality of agents, a group of one or more “

lowest performing”

agents who are among the lowest performing agents within said plurality of agents at performing one or more tasks; and

determining whether to route said particular call to said group of “

lowest performing agents”

for processing based on said assessed value of said particular call.

48. A method of routing a call for processing comprising:

identifying, from a plurality of agents, a group of one or more “

lowest performing”

agents who are among the lowest performing agents within said plurality of agents at performing one or more tasks;

assessing the value of a particular call; and

determining whether to route said particular call to said group of “

lowest performing agents”

for processing based on said assessed value of said particular call.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said particular call is an incoming call.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein said particular call is an outbound call.

51. The method of claim 48, further comprising routing said call to said group of “

lowest performing agents”

in response to determining that said call is a relatively low-value call.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein said one or more tasks comprises persuading a customer not to cancel a service.

53. The method of claim 48, wherein said one or more tasks comprises persuading a customer to purchase a product or service.

54. A method of routing calls comprising:

assigning a first performance rating to a first agent;

assigning a second performance rating to a second agent;

assigning a third performance rating to a third agent;

in response to said first performance rating being above a pre-determined first threshold value, assigning said first agent to a first group of agents;

in response to said second performance rating being below a pre-determined second threshold value, assigning said second agent to a second group of agents;

in response to said third performance rating being below said first threshold value and above said second threshold value, assigning said third agent to a third group of agents;

determining a value of a call; and

routing a call to a selected one of said first, second, third groups of agents based, at least in part, on said value of said call.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein at least one of said first, second, or third performance ratings corresponds to an agent'"'"'s ability to persuade a customer to retain a service.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein at least one of said first, second, or third performance ratings corresponds to an agent'"'"'s past performance in persuading a customer not to cancel a service.

57. The method of claim 54, wherein at least one of said first, second, or third performance ratings corresponds to an agent'"'"'s past performance in persuading a customer to purchase a product or service.

58. A method of routing a correspondence for processing, said method comprising:

identifying, from a plurality of agents, a group of one or more “

higher performing”

agents who are among the highest performing agents within said plurality of agents at performing at least one task;

assessing the value of a particular correspondence; and

determining whether to route said particular correspondence to said group of “

higher performing agents”

for processing based on said assessed value of said particular correspondence.

59. The method of claim 58, further comprising:

identifying, from said plurality of agents, a group of one or more “

lower performing”

agents who are among the lowest performing agents within said plurality of agents at performing one or more tasks; and

determining whether to route said particular call to said group of “

lower performing”

for processing based on said assessed value of said particular call.

60. A method of routing a call for processing, said method comprising the steps of:

(A) assessing the past performance of a first agent in performing one or more tasks;

(B) assessing the past performance of a second agent in performing said one or more tasks;

(C) comparing said past performance of said first agent with said past performance of said second agent;

(D) in response to determining that said past performance of said first agent is better than said past performance of said second agent;

(1) assigning said first agent to a first group of agents, and (2) assigning said second agent to a second group of agents;

(E) assigning a first call value to a first call in a queue of calls;

(F) assigning a second call value to a second call in said queue of calls;

(G) comparing said first call value with said second call value;

(H) determining whether said first agent is available to handle said first call;

(I) in response to determining that said first call value is greater than said second call value and that said first agent is available to handle said first call, routing said first call to said first agent for handling; and

(J) in response to determining that said first call value is greater than said second call value and that said first agent is not available to handle said first call, routing said first call to said second agent for handling.

61. The method of claim 60, further comprising the step of:

(K) in response to determining that said first call value is greater than said second call value and that neither said first agent nor said second agent is available to handle said first call, routing said first call to an automated call processing system for handling.

62. A method of routing a call for processing, said method comprising the steps of:

(A) assessing the past performance of a first agent in performing one or more tasks;

(B) assessing the past performance of a second agent in performing said one or more tasks;

(C) comparing said past performance of said first agent with said past performance of said second agent;

(D) for a first call in a queue of calls, assessing a first estimated benefit associated with attempting to persuade a first customer associated with said first call not to cancel a particular service;

(E) for a second call in said queue of calls, assessing a second estimated benefit associated with attempting to persuade a second customer associated with said second call not to cancel a particular service; and

(F) routing said first call to said first agent for handling in response to determining;

(1) that said first estimated benefit is greater than said second estimated benefit;

(2) that said past performance of said first agent is better than said past performance of said second agent; and

(3) that said first agent is available to handle said first call.

63. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

(G) in response to determining that said first agent is not available to handle said first call, routing said first call to said second agent for handling.

64. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

(G) determining whether routing said first call to said first agent for handling would satisfy a pre-determined average speed of answer requirement; and

(H) said step of routing said first call to said first agent for handling is executed at least in part in response to determining that routing said first call to said first agent for handling would satisfy said pre-determined average speed of answer requirement.

65. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

(I) in response to determining that routing said first call to said first agent for handling would not satisfy said pre-determined average speed of answer requirement, routing said first call to said second agent for handling.

66. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

(G) determining whether routing said first call to said first agent for handling would satisfy a pre-determined service level requirement; and

(H) said step of routing said first call to said first agent for handling is executed at least in part in response to determining that routing said first call to said first agent for handling would satisfy a pre-determined service level requirement.

67. The method of claim 66, further comprising:

(I) in response to determining that routing said first call to said first agent for handling would not satisfy said pre-determined service level requirement, routing said first call to said second agent for handling.

68. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

(G) determining an estimated effect that routing said first call to said first agent would have would have on said first agent'"'"'s ability to complete one or more tasks in regard to said first call; and

(H) said step of routing said first call to said first agent for handling is executed at least in part in response to said determined estimated effect.

69. A call processing system that is configured for:

determining which particular one of a plurality of calls in a queue of calls is the most important of said calls;

assessing the past performance of a first agent in completing one or more tasks;

assessing the past performance of a second agent in completing said one or more tasks;

comparing said past performance of said first agent with said past performance of said second agent;

based on said comparing step, determining that said past performance of said first agent was better than said past performance of said second agent;

determining whether said first agent is available to take said most important call;

in response to determining that said first agent is available to take said most important call, routing said most important call to said first agent for handling; and

in response to determining that said first agent is not available to take said most important call, routing said most important call to said second agent for handling.

70. A call processing system that is configured for:

assessing the past performance of a third agent in completing said one or more tasks;

comparing said past performance of said third agent with said past performance of said first agent and said past performance of said second agent;

based on said comparing step, determining that said past performance of said third agent was not as good as said past performance of said first agent, and was also not as good as said past performance of said second agent;

determining whether said second agent is available to take said most important call;

in response to determining that said first and second agents are not available to take said most important call, routing said most important call to said third agent for handling.

71. A call processing system comprising:

determining which particular one of a plurality of calls in a queue of calls is the most important of said calls;

assessing the past performance of a first agent in completing one or more tasks;

assessing the past performance of a second agent in completing said one or more tasks;

comparing said past performance of said first agent with said past performance of said second agent;

based on said comparing step, determining that said past performance of said first agent was better than said past performance of said second agent;

in response to determining that said past performance of said first agent was better than said past performance of said second agent, routing said most important call to said first agent for handling; and

in response to said first agent not handling said call within a pre-determined period of time after said most important call has been routed to said first agent for handling, re-routing said most important call to said second agent for handling.

72. The call processing system of claim 71, further comprising:

assessing the past performance of a third agent in completing said one or more tasks;

comparing said past performance of said third agent with said past performance of said first agent and said past performance of said second agent;

based on said comparing step, determining that said past performance of said third agent was not as good as said past performance of said first agent, and was also not as good as said past performance of said second agent;

in response to said second agent not handling said call within a pre-determined period of time after said most important call has been routed to said second agent for handling, re-routing said most important call to said third agent for handling.

73. A call processing system that is configured for:

receiving a call from a customer, said call being related to the purchase of a product or service or potential purchase of a product or service;

determining whether it would be beneficial to attempt to persuade said customer to purchase said product or service; and

in response to determining that it would not be beneficial to attempt to persuade said customer to purchase said product or service, routing said call to an automated call processing system.

74. The system of claim 73, wherein said step of determining whether it would be beneficial to attempt to persuade said customer to purchase said product or service comprises assessing the profitability associated with having said customer purchase said product or service.

75. The system of claim 73, wherein said step of determining whether it would be beneficial to attempt to persuade said customer to purchase said product or service comprises assessing the probability that said customer will purchase said product or service.

76. The system of claim 73, wherein said step of determining whether it would be beneficial to attempt to persuade said customer to purchase said product or service comprises assessing:

(1) the probability that said customer will purchase said product or service; and

(2) the profitability associated with having said customer purchase said product or service.