SELECTIVE MAPPING OF CALLERS IN A CALL CENTER ROUTING SYSTEM

• US 20100111286A1
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afiniti Ltd
• Original Assignee: Satmap International Holdings, Ltd.
• Inventors: CHISHTI, Zia
• Granted Patent: US 8,824,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.120
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/10 Logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• 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 3/5236 Sequential or circular distribution

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 mapping a first portion (or fraction) of callers to agents according to a performance and/or pattern matching algorithm based on comparing caller data associated with the callers and agent data associated with the agents. The method further includes mapping a second portion of the callers (e.g., the remaining portion or fraction of all callers) to agents differently than the first portion of the callers (e.g., mapping based on queue order or performance based), which may provide a control group for monitoring or analyzing the effect of the pattern matching algorithm. The method may further include displaying the effect of the routing on at least one outcome variable, which may include revenue generation, cost, customer satisfaction, 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:

causing a first portion of callers to be mapped to agents according to a pattern matching algorithm based on comparing caller data associated with the callers and agent data associated with the agents; and

causing a second portion of callers to be mapped to agents differently than the first portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of callers is further mapped to agents based on performance based data associated with the agents.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein causing the second portion of callers to be mapped comprises mapping the callers according to a performance based order of the agents.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the second portion of callers to be mapped comprises mapping the callers according to a performance based order of the agents.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the second portion of callers to be mapped comprises mapping the callers to agents based on an automatic call distribution queue order.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing display of at least one outcome variable associated with the first portion of callers compared to the second portion of callers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one outcome variable comprises one or more of cost, revenue, or customer satisfaction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern matching algorithm comprises a neural network algorithm.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping the first portion of callers according to a computer model for predicting probable outcomes of caller-agent pairs.

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

causing a first portion of callers to be mapped to agents according to performance based data associated with the agents; and

causing a second portion of callers to be mapped to agents differently than the first portion.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first portion of callers is further mapped to agents according to a pattern matching algorithm based on comparing caller data associated with the callers and agent data associated with the agents

12. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the second portion of callers to be mapped comprises mapping the callers according to a performance based order of the agents.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein causing the second portion of callers to be mapped comprises mapping the callers to agents based on an automatic call distribution queue order.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising causing display of at least one outcome variable associated with the first portion of callers compared to the second portion of callers.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the pattern matching algorithm comprises a neural network algorithm.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising mapping the first portion of callers according to a computer model for predicting probable outcomes of caller-agent pairs.

17. An interface for use with a call-center routing system, the interface comprising:

a graphical user element for adjusting a number of callers for a first portion of callers that are mapped to agents based on one or more of a performance or pattern matching algorithm, wherein a second portion of the callers are mapped to the agents differently than the first portion of callers.

18. The interface of claim 17, wherein the second portion of callers is mapped to agents based on an automatic call distribution queue order.

19. The interface of claim 17, wherein causing the second portion of callers to be mapped comprises mapping the callers according to a performance based order of the agents.

20. The interface of claim 17, further comprising a display of at least one outcome variable associated with the first portion of callers compared to the second portion of callers.

21. The interface of claim 20, wherein the at least one outcome variable comprises one or more of cost, revenue, or customer satisfaction.

22. The interface of claim 17, wherein the pattern matching algorithm comprises a neural network algorithm.

23. The interface of claim 17, wherein the first portion of callers is further mapped according to a computer model for predicting probable outcomes of caller-agent pairs.

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

causing a first portion of callers to be mapped to agents according to one or more of a performance or pattern matching algorithm based on comparing caller data associated with the callers and agent data associated with the agents; and

causing a second portion of callers to be mapped to agents differently than the first portion.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising logic for causing the second portion of callers to be mapped to agents based on an automatic call distribution queue order.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein causing the second portion of callers to be mapped comprises mapping the callers according to a performance based order of the agents.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising logic for causing display of at least one outcome variable associated with the first portion of callers compared to the second portion of callers.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the pattern matching algorithm comprises a neural network algorithm.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising logic for mapping the first portion of callers according to a computer model for predicting probable outcomes of caller-agent pairs.

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

causing a first portion of callers to be mapped to agents according to one or more of a performance or pattern matching algorithmbased on comparing caller data associated with the callers and agent data associated with the agents; and

causing a second portion of callers to be mapped to agents differently than the first portion.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30, further comprising instructions for causing the second portion of callers to be mapped based on an automatic call distribution queue order.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein causing the second portion of callers to be mapped comprises mapping the callers according to a performance based order of the agents.

33. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30, further comprising instructions for causing display of at least one outcome variable associated with the first portion of callers compared to the second portion of callers.

34. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the pattern matching algorithm comprises a neural network algorithm.

35. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30, further comprising instructions for mapping the first portion of callers according to a computer model for predicting probable outcomes of caller-agent pairs.