Arrangement for automating call-center agent-schedule-notification and schedule-adherence functions
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:
- means responsive to an agent'"'"'s schedule which includes predetermined events scheduled for predetermined times, for communicating each said event at its scheduled time to the agent via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; and
means cooperative with the communicating means, for monitoring the agent'"'"'s performance of the communicated event at the scheduled time via the agent'"'"'s input into the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A call-management system (14) for a call center (FIG. 1) having a plurality of terminals (12) staffed by agents (13) includes a program-implemented arrangement (24) for communicating each agent'"'"'s schedule to the agent via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal and for monitoring the agent'"'"'s adherence to the communicated schedule via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal, thereby relieving a supervisor (19) of having to perform these functions. Other programs (25-27) that enable the supervisor to automatically communicate with the agents via their terminals are also included in the call-management system.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:
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means responsive to an agent'"'"'s schedule which includes predetermined events scheduled for predetermined times, for communicating each said event at its scheduled time to the agent via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; and means cooperative with the communicating means, for monitoring the agent'"'"'s performance of the communicated event at the scheduled time via the agent'"'"'s input into the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:
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means for communicating an agent'"'"'s schedule to the agent via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; means cooperative with the communicating means, for monitoring the agent'"'"'s adherence to the communicated schedule via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; and means responsive to receipt of a message and an identification of at least one agent intended to receive the message, for sending the received message to the identified at least one agent via the identified at least one agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal.
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11. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:
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means for communicating an agent'"'"'s schedule to the agent via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; means cooperative with the communicating means, for monitoring the agent'"'"'s adherence to the communicated schedule via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; means responsive to receipt of criteria for moving an agent from one agent split to another, for monitoring the call center for occurrence of the received criteria; and means responsive to detection of occurrence of the received criteria, for moving an agent from the one split to the other split.
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12. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:
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means for communicating an agent'"'"'s schedule to the agent via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; means cooperative with the communicating means, for monitoring the agent'"'"'s adherence to the communicated schedule via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; means responsive to detection of the agent'"'"'s failure to adhere to the communicated schedule, for causing the call center to register an exception against the agent; means responsive to receipt of information characterizing exceptions meriting disablement of an agent, for monitoring the call center for registration of the characterized exceptions; and means responsive to detection of registration of the characterized exceptions, for causing the call center to place in a non-work state an agent against whom the characterized exceptions were registered.
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13. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:
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means responsive to an agent'"'"'s schedule which includes predetermined breaks scheduled for predetermined times, for determining at each scheduled break time whether an agent split to which the agent belongs is overloaded with work; means responsive to a first determination at an individual predetermined time that the agent split is overloaded, for rescheduling the corresponding break to another time; means responsive to said first determination for sending a message to the agent via a display of the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal that the break has been rescheduled; means responsive to a second determination at an individual predetermined time that the agent split is not overloaded, for causing the call center to place the agent in a non-work state; means responsive to the second determination for sending a message to the agent via the display informing the agent to go on break; means responsive to the second determination and to expiration of a predetermined break period following the individual predetermined time, for sending a message to the agent via the display informing the agent to go off break; means responsive to detection, from the agent'"'"'s input on the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal, that the agent has gone off break within a predetermined time period following expiration of the predetermined break period, for causing the call center to place the agent in a work state; and means responsive to detection, from lack of the agent'"'"'s said input on the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal, that the agent has not gone off break within the predetermined time period following expiration of the predetermined break period, for causing the call center to register an exception against the agent.
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14. A method of communicating with agents in a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by the agents, comprising the steps of:
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in response to an agent'"'"'s schedule which includes predetermined events scheduled for predetermined times, communicating each said event at its scheduled time to the agent via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; and monitoring the agent'"'"'s performance of the communicated event at the scheduled time via the agent'"'"'s input into the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of communicating with agents in a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by the agents, comprising the steps of:
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communicating an agent'"'"'s schedule to the agent via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; monitoring the agent'"'"'s adherence to the communicated schedule via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; and in response to receipt of a message and an identification of at least one agent intended to receive the message, sending the received message to the identified at least one agent via the identified at least one agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal.
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24. A method of communicating with agents in a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by the agents, comprising the steps of:
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communicating an agent'"'"'s schedule to the agent via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; monitoring the agent'"'"'s adherence to the communicated schedule via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; in response to receipt of criteria for moving an agent from one agent split to another, monitoring the call center for occurrence of the received criteria; and in response to detection of occurrence of the received criteria, moving an agent from the one split to the other split.
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25. A method of communicating with agents in a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by the agents, comprising the steps of:
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communicating an agent'"'"'s schedule to the agent via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; monitoring the agent'"'"'s adherence to the communicated schedule via the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal; is response to detection of the agent'"'"'s failure to adhere to the communicated schedule, causing the call center to register an exception against the agent; in response to receipt of information characterizing exceptions meriting disablement of an agent, monitoring the call center for registration of the characterized exceptions; and in response to detection of registration of the characterized exceptions, causing the call center to place in a non-work state an agent against whom the characterized exceptions were registered.
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26. A method of communicating with agents in a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by the agents, comprising:
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in response to an agent'"'"'s schedule which includes predetermined breaks scheduled for predetermined times, determining at each scheduled break time whether an agent split to which the agent belongs is overloaded with work; in response to a first determination at an individual predetermined time that the agent split is overloaded, rescheduling the corresponding break to another time; in response to said first determination, sending a message to the agent via a display of the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal that the break has been rescheduled; in response to a second determination at an individual predetermined time that the agent split is not overloaded, causing the call center to place the agent in a non-work state; in response to the second determination, sending a message to the agent via the display informing the agent to go on break; in response to the second determination and to expiration of a predetermined break period following the individual predetermined time, sending a message to the agent via the display informing the agent to go off break; in response to detection, from the agent'"'"'s input on the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal, that the agent has gone off break within a predetermined time period following expiration of the predetermined break period, causing the call center to place the agent in a work state; and in response to detection, from lack of the agent'"'"'s said input on the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal, that the agent has not gone off break within the predetermined time period following expiration of the predetermined break period, causing the call center to register an exception against the agent.
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Specification