Method and system for handling calls at an automatic call distribution system

• US 20060239440A1
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chahrouri, Gebran G., Patel, Labhesh, Khouri, Joseph F., Shaffer, Shmuel, Darwish, Mohammed I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/402 Agent or workforce management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

A method for handling calls at an automatic call distribution system includes receiving a first call for connection with one of a plurality of agents and distributing the first call to a first agent of the plurality of agents. The method includes presenting to the first agent at least one target time associated with handling the first call and modifying the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on call parameters and a service level goal. The call parameters comprise a status of a queue comprising calls awaiting connection with agents. The method also includes presenting the at least one modified target time associated with handling the first call to the first agent.

Claims

1. A method for handling calls at an automatic call distribution system, comprising:

receiving a first call for connection with one of a plurality of agents;

distributing the first call to a first agent of the plurality of agents;

presenting to the first agent at least one target time associated with handling the first call;

modifying the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on call parameters and a service level goal, the call parameters comprising a status of a queue comprising calls awaiting connection with agents; and

presenting the at least one modified target time associated with handling the first call to the first agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one target time associated with handling the first call comprises a target call duration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one target time associated with handling the first call comprise a target call wrap-up duration.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the call parameters comprise a duration of time the first agent has spent on the first call.

5. The method of claim 1:

further comprising receiving feedback from the first agent regarding handling of the first call; and

wherein modifying the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on call parameters comprises modifying the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on the feedback received from the first agent.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the feedback comprises an estimation of the ability of the first agent to complete the first call within a target duration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the call parameters comprise a profile of a caller of the first call.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the call parameters comprise an arrival rate of new incoming calls for connection with an agent.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on call parameters and a service level goal comprises using an Erlang model to determine a target time modification.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the service level goal comprises a percentage of incoming calls that must be distributed to an agent within a predefined time frame.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second call for connection with one of a plurality of agents;

distributing the second call to a second agent of the plurality of agents;

presenting to the second agent at least one target time associated with handling the second call;

modifying the at least one target time associated with handling the second call based on the call parameters and the service level goal, the call parameters comprising handling of the first call by the first agent; and

presenting the at least one modified target time associated with handling the second call to the second agent.

12. The method of claim 11:

further comprising receiving feedback from the first agent regarding handling of the first call; and

wherein modifying the at least one target time associated with handling the second call based on call parameters comprising handling of the first call by the first agent comprises modifying the at least one target time associated with handling the second call based on the feedback received from the first agent.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the call parameters comprise the receipt of one or more additional calls each for connection with one of a plurality of agents.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying, based on receipt of the first call, at least one target time associated with the handling of one or more additional calls being handled by one or more agents.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting feedback from the first agent regarding handling of the first call while the first agent is handling the first call, the feedback request comprising a request for a prediction from the first agent of at least one of a duration of the first call and a duration of wrap-up of the first call.

16. A system for handling calls at an automatic call distribution system, comprising:

an interface operable to receive a first call for connection with one of a plurality of agents;

a distributor coupled to the interface and operable to distribute the first call to a first agent of the plurality of agents; and

a processor coupled to the distributor and operable to;

present to the first agent at least one target time associated with handling the first call;

modify the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on call parameters and a service level goal, the call parameters comprising a status of a queue comprising calls awaiting connection with agents; and

present the at least one modified target time associated with handling the first call to the first agent.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one target time associated with handling the first call comprises a target call duration.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one target time associated with handling the first call comprise a target call wrap-up duration.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the call parameters comprise a duration of time the first agent has spent on the first call.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the processor is further operable to receive feedback from the first agent regarding handling of the first call; and

a processor operable to modify the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on call parameters comprises a processor operable to modify the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on the feedback received from the first agent.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the feedback comprises an estimation of the ability of the first agent to complete the first call within a target duration.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the call parameters comprise a profile of a caller of the first call.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the call parameters comprise an arrival rate of new incoming calls for connection with an agent.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein a processor operable to modify the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on call parameters and a service level goal comprises a processor operable to use an Erlang model to determine a target time modification.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the service level goal comprises a percentage of incoming calls that must be distributed to an agent within a predefined time frame.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the interface is further operable to receive a second call for connection with one of a plurality of agents;

the distributor is further operable to distribute the second call to a second agent of the plurality of agents; and

the processor is further operable to;

present to the second agent at least one target time associated with handling the second call;

modify the at least one target time associated with handling the second call based on the call parameters and the service level goal, the call parameters comprising handling of the first call by the first agent; and

present the at least one modified target time associated with handling the second call to the second agent.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein:

the processor is further operable to receive feedback from the first agent regarding handling of the first call; and

the processor operable to modify the at least one target time associated with handling the second call based on call parameters comprising handling of the first call by the first agent comprises the processor operable to modify the at least one target time associated with handling the second call based on the feedback received from the first agent.

28. A system for handling calls at an automatic call distribution system, comprising:

means for receiving a first call for connection with one of a plurality of agents;

means for distributing the first call to a first agent of the plurality of agents;

means for presenting to the first agent at least one target time associated with handling the first call;

means for modifying the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on call parameters and a service level goal, the call parameters comprising a status of a queue comprising calls awaiting connection with agents; and

means for presenting the at least one modified target time associated with handling the first call to the first agent.

29. Logic embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

receive a first call for connection with one of a plurality of agents;

distribute the first call to a first agent of the plurality of agents;

present to the first agent at least one target time associated with handling the first call;

modify the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on call parameters and a service level goal, the call parameters comprising a status of a queue comprising calls awaiting connection with agents; and

present the at least one modified target time associated with handling the first call to the first agent.

30. The medium of claim 29, wherein the at least one target time associated with handling the first call comprises a target call duration.

31. The medium of claim 29, wherein the at least one target time associated with handling the first call comprise a target call wrap-up duration.

32. The medium of claim 29, wherein:

the code is further operable to receive feedback from the first agent regarding handling of the first call; and

code operable to modify the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on call parameters comprises code operable to modify the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on the feedback received from the first agent.

33. The medium of claim 32, wherein the feedback comprises an estimation of the ability of the first agent to complete the first call within a target duration.

34. The medium of claim 29, wherein the call parameters comprise a profile of a caller of the first call.

35. The medium of claim 29, wherein code operable to modify the at least one target time associated with handling the first call based on call parameters and a service level goal comprises code operable to use an Erlang model to determine a target time modification.

36. The medium of claim 29, wherein the service level goal comprises a percentage of incoming calls that must be distributed to an agent within a predefined time frame.

37. The medium of claim 29, wherein the code is further operable to:

receive a second call for connection with one of a plurality of agents;

distribute the second call to a second agent of the plurality of agents;

present to the second agent at least one target time associated with handling the second call;

modify the at least one target time associated with handling the second call based on the call parameters and the service level goal, the call parameters comprising handling of the first call by the first agent; and

present the at least one modified target time associated with handling the second call to the second agent.

38. The medium of claim 37:

wherein the code is further operable to receive feedback from the first agent regarding handling of the first call; and

wherein code operable to modify the at least one target time associated with handling the second call based on call parameters comprising handling of the first call by the first agent comprises code operable to modify the at least one target time associated with handling the second call based on the feedback received from the first agent.