CALL ROUTING METHODS AND SYSTEMS BASED ON MULTIPLE VARIABLE STANDARDIZED SCORING

• US 20090190747A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afiniti Ltd
• Original Assignee: The Resource Group International Ltd
• Inventors: SPOTTISWOODE, S. James P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for routing callers to agents in a contact center, along with an intelligent routing system. An exemplary method includes combining multiple output variables of a pattern matching algorithm (for matching callers and agents) into a single metric for use in the routing system. The pattern matching algorithm may include a neural network architecture, where the exemplary method combines output variables from multiple neural networks. The method may include determining a Z-score of the variable outputs and determining a linear combination of the determined Z-scores for a desired output. Callers may be routed to agents via the pattern matching algorithm to maximize the output value or score of the linear combination. The output variables may include revenue generation, cost, customer satisfaction performance, first call resolution, cancellation, or other variable outputs from the pattern matching algorithm of the system.

Claims

1. A method for routing callers to agents in a call-center routing environment, the method comprising the acts of:

determining a Z-score for two or more output variables of a pattern matching algorithm for matching callers and agents from past agent-caller output data;

determining a linear combination of the two or more output variables; and

routing a caller to an agent based on the linear combination and the pattern matching algorithm.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing caller data for each of a set of callers to agent data of the agent via the pattern matching algorithm and the linear combination to determine a Z-score for all agent-caller pairs, and routing the caller of the caller-agent pair having the highest Z-score to the agent.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining Z-scores for multiple agent-caller pairs and wherein routing is based on the highest linear combination score of the agent-caller pairs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein routing based on the linear combination and pattern matching algorithm includes routing the caller via the pattern matching algorithm to maximize the linear combination of the two or more output variables based on the available agent-caller pairs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the linear combination includes a relative weighting of the two or more output variables.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the linear combination of the two or more variables is adjustable by the call routing center.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the linear combination of the two or more variables is adjustable in real-time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more output variables includes one or more of revenue generation, cost, and customer satisfaction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing of a caller to an agent is further based on a waiting time of the caller.

10. Apparatus for routing callers to agents in a call center routing environment, the apparatus comprising:

logic for determining a Z-score for two or more output variables of a pattern matching algorithm for matching callers and agents from past agent-caller output data;

logic for determining a linear combination of the two or more output variables; and

logic for causing a caller to be routed to an agent based on the linear combination and the pattern matching algorithm.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising logic for comparing caller data for each of a set of callers to agent data of the agent via the pattern matching algorithm and the linear combination to determine a Z-score for all agent-caller pairs, and routing the caller of the caller-agent pair having the highest Z-score.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising logic for determining Z-scores for multiple agent-caller pairs and wherein routing is based on the highest linear combination score of the agent-caller pairs.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein routing based on the linear combination and pattern matching algorithm includes routing the caller via the pattern matching algorithm to maximize the linear combination of the two or more output variables based on the available agent-caller pairs.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the linear combination includes a relative weighting of the two or more output variables.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the linear combination of the two or more variables is adjustable by the call routing center.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the linear combination of the two or more variables is adjustable in real-time.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the two or more output variables includes one or more of revenue generation, cost, and customer satisfaction.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the routing of a caller to an agent is further based on a waiting time of the caller.

19. Computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions for carrying out the method of:

determining a Z-score for two or more output variables of a pattern matching algorithm for matching callers and agents from past agent-caller output data;

determining a linear combination of the two or more output variables; and

routing a caller to an agent based on the linear combination and the pattern matching algorithm.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions for comparing caller data for each of a set of callers to agent data of the agent via the pattern matching algorithm and the linear combination to determine a Z-score for all agent-caller pairs, and routing the caller of the caller-agent pair having the highest Z-score.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions for determining Z-scores for multiple agent-caller pairs and wherein routing is based on the highest linear combination score of the agent-caller pairs.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein routing based on the linear combination and pattern matching algorithm includes routing the caller via the pattern matching algorithm to maximize the linear combination of the two or more output variables based on the available agent-caller pairs.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the linear combination includes a relative weighting of the two or more output variables.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the linear combination of the two or more variables is adjustable by the call routing center.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the linear combination of the two or more variables is adjustable in real-time.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein at least one of the two or more output variables includes one or more of revenue generation, cost, and customer satisfaction.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the routing of a caller to an agent is further based on a waiting time of the caller.