System and method for multi-channel communication queuing using routing and escalation rules

• US 20070121578A1
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anil Annadata, Rohit Bedi, Wai Pak
• Original Assignee: Anil Annadata, Rohit Bedi, Wai Pak
• Inventors: Pak, Wai, Bedi, Rohit, Annadata, Anil
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method for routing work items to agents, wherein the work items can be of one of two or more different communication media types from one of two or more different communication channels. A queuing engine includes a list of routes and each route is associated with one or more properties. The list of routes can further include information related to one or more escalation rules for each route; the type of communication media available along the route for handling one or more of the work items; whether the route is active; the priority of the route; whether work items can be handled real-time; the service level for work items handled on the route; and the number of work items that can be assigned to the route. The queuing engine determines various properties required to handle each work item, such as the communication media type, agent language and skill level, and the category and recipient of the work item, and assigns each work item to one of the one or more agents based on one or more of the properties. When the queuing engine determines that a work item has been waiting a predetermined amount of time to be assigned to an agent, the queuing engine can escalate the search for an agent to handle the work item based on the escalation rules. The queuing engine can also substitute values for variables in the routing and escalation rules, thereby reducing the number of rules that must be entered to achieve the same routing capability.

Claims

1-36. -36. (canceled)

37. A method comprising:

assigning a work item to a first route for response by a first agent associated with the first route; and

assigning the work item to a second route for response by a second agent associated with the second route in accordance with a first escalation rule, if the first agent does not respond to the work item within a period of time associated with the first escalation rule, wherein the period of time is defined by a time threshold.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising:

selecting the first escalation rule from a plurality of escalation rules associated with the first route.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

performing said selecting the first escalation rule using a sequence number associated with each of the plurality of escalation rules, wherein the sequence number indicates a relative order of the plurality of escalation rules.

40. The method of claim 37 further comprising:

selecting the second route in accordance with a characteristic associated with the first escalation rule.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the characteristic comprises a skill to respond to the work item.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the characteristic further comprises a skill level to respond to the work item.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein

the skill associated with the second route corresponds to a skill of the second agent.

44. The method of claim 40 further comprising:

performing said selecting the second route by comparing the characteristic associated with the first escalation rule with one or more characteristics associated with one or more routes, wherein the one or more routes comprise the second route.

45. The method of claim 40 further comprising:

combining a plurality of characteristics to form the characteristic associated with the first escalation rule.

46. A computer program product comprising:

a first set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to assign a work item to a first route for response by a first agent associated with the first route; and

a second set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to assign the work item to a second route for response by a second agent associated with the second route in accordance with a first escalation rule, if the first agent does not respond to the work item within a period of time associated with the first escalation rule, wherein the period of time is defined by a time threshold.

47. The computer program product of claim 46 further comprising:

a third set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to select the first escalation rule from a plurality of escalation rules associated with the first route.

48. The computer program product of claim 46 further comprising:

a third set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to select the second route in accordance with a characteristic associated with the first escalation rule.

49. The computer program product of claim 48 wherein the characteristic comprises a skill to respond to the work item.

50. The computer program product of claim 48 wherein the third set of instructions further comprises:

a fourth set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to compare the characteristic associated with the first escalation rule with one or more characteristics associated with one or more routes, wherein the one or more routes comprise the second route.

51. The computer program product of claim 48 further comprising:

a fourth set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to combine a plurality of characteristics to form the characteristic associated with the first escalation rule.

52. A system comprising:

means for assigning a work item to a first route for response by a first agent associated with the first route;

means for determining if the first agent does not respond to the work item within a period of time associated with the first escalation rule, wherein the period of time is defined by a time threshold; and

means, responsive to said means for determining, for assigning the work item to a second route for response by a second agent associated with the second route in accordance with a first escalation rule.

53. The system of claim 52 further comprising:

means for selecting the first escalation rule from a plurality of escalation rules associated with the first route.

54. The system of claim 52 further comprising:

means for selecting the second route in accordance with a characteristic associated with the first escalation rule.

55. The system of claim 54 further comprising:

means for comparing the characteristic associated with the first escalation rule with one or more characteristics associated with one or more routes, wherein the one or more routes comprise the second route.

56. The system of claim 54 further comprising:

means for combining a plurality of characteristics to form the characteristic associated with the first escalation rule.