Device, System, and Method for Optimizing Active Transactions of an Agent

• US 20170118341A1
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Published: 04/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: KELLY, Edel, LOFTUS, Liam, HAYES, Seamus, MEANEY, Will
• Granted Patent: US 9,813,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/16 Sequence circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5141 Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80

Abstract

A device, system, and method optimizes active transactions of an agent. The method performed using a prioritizing device of a contact center includes determining a first priority value of an incoming transaction, the incoming transaction included in a user request received by the contact center, the incoming transaction requiring utilization of a real-time communication channel. When the first priority value is greater than a predetermined threshold value, the method includes identifying an agent device associated with the contact center to process the incoming transaction, said agent device currently processing an ongoing transaction. The method includes transferring the ongoing transaction from the agent device. The method includes transferring the incoming transaction to the agent device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, using a prioritizing device of center, a first priority value of an incoming transaction, the incoming transaction included in a user request received by the contact center, the incoming transaction requiring utilization of a real-time communication channel;

when the first priority value is greater than a predetermined threshold value;

identifying, using the prioritizing device, an agent device associated with the contact center to process the incoming transaction, said agent device currently processing an ongoing transaction on the real-time communication channel and a non-real-time transaction on a non-real-time communication channel;

transferring, using the prioritizing device, the ongoing transaction from the agent device; and

transferring, using the prioritizing device, the incoming transaction to the agent device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, using the prioritizing device, a second priority value of the ongoing transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the first priority value indicates that the agent device is not allowed to process transactions other than the incoming transaction, transferring the non-real-time transaction from the agent device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the real-time communication channel comprises one of a video communication channel, a voice communication channel, and a chat communication channel, and wherein the non-real-time communication channel comprises one of an email communication channel and a Web form communication channel.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, using the device, based on the second priority value of the ongoing transaction whether the ongoing transaction is transferred using one of a first transfer to a queue of the agent or a second transfer to redistribute the ongoing transaction, wherein the first transfer results in the ongoing transaction becoming a pending transaction in the queue.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second transfer to redistribute the ongoing transaction comprises transferring the ongoing transaction to another agent of the contact center when the second priority value indicates the ongoing transaction utilizes the real-time communication channel.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first transfer further comprises one of hiding the queue from the agent, locking the queue from being used by the agent, and visually emptying the queue.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first transfer further comprises transferring the pending transaction to a further queue.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the further queue is one of a first queue associated with another agent of the contact center, a general queue associated with the contact center, and a second associated with an automated response device of the contact center.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, using the prioritizing device, a further priority value of the pending transaction; and

selecting, using the prioritizing device, the further queue based on the further priority value.

11. A prioritizing device of a contact center, the contact center receiving a user request, the user request comprising a request to process an incoming transaction requiring utilization of a real-time communication channel, the prioritizing device comprising:

a transceiver communicating via a communications network to receive information associated with the incoming transaction; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver that;

determines a priority value of the incoming transaction based upon the information;

when the priority value is greater than a predetermined threshold value, identifies an agent device associated with the contact center to process the incoming transaction, said agent device currently processing an ongoing transaction on the real-time communication channel and a non-real-time transaction on a non-real-time communication channel;

transfers the ongoing transaction from the agent device; and

transfers the incoming transaction to the agent device.

12. The prioritizing device of claim 11, wherein the processor further determines a second priority value of the ongoing transaction.

13. The prioritizing device of claim 11, wherein the processor further determines that the first priority value indicates that the agent device is not allowed to process transactions other than the incoming transaction and, responsively, transfers the non-real-time transaction from the agent device.

14. The prioritizing device of claim 12, wherein the real-time communication channel comprises one of a video communication channel, a voice communication channel, and a chat communication channel, and wherein the communication channel comprises one of an email communication channel and a Web form communication channel.

15. The prioritizing device of claim 12, wherein the processor further determines, based on the second priority value of the ongoing transaction, whether the ongoing transaction is transferred using one of a first transfer to a queue of the agent or a second transfer to redistribute the ongoing transaction, wherein the first transfer results in the ongoing transaction becoming a pending transaction in the queue.

16. The prioritizing device of claim 15, wherein the second transfer to redistribute the ongoing transaction comprises transferring ongoing transaction to another agent of the

contact center when the second priority value indicates the ongoing transaction utilizes the real-time communication channel.

17. The prioritizing device of claim 15, wherein the first transfer further comprises one of hiding the queue from the agent, locking the queue from being used by the agent, and visually emptying the queue.

18. The prioritizing device of claim 15, wherein the transfer further comprises transferring the pending transaction to a further queue.

19. The prioritizing device of claim 18, wherein the further queue is one of a first queue associated with another agent the contact center, a general queue associated with the contact center, and a second queue associated with an automated response device of the contact center.

20. A contact center system comprising:

a server that receives a user request for processing a plurality of transactions that utilizes a real-time or a non-real-time communication channel;

a plurality of agent devices coupled to the server that process the plurality of transactions received by the contact center system;

wherein the server comprises a prioritizing device that prioritizes the plurality of transactions and controls a queue associated with each of the plurality of agent devices;

wherein a first agent is processing an ongoing transaction and an incoming transaction is received by the server requiring utilization of the real-time communication channel, the prioritizing device;

determines a priority value the incoming transaction;

when the priority value is greater than a predetermined threshold value, identifies the agent device to process the incoming transaction;

determines the ongoing transaction being processed by the first agent device on the real-time communication channel and a non-real-time transaction being processing by the first agent device on a non-real-time communication channel;

transfers the ongoing transaction for the transaction to be processed to the first agent device; and

transfers the incoming transaction to the first agent device.