Arrangement for automating call-center agent-schedule-notification and schedule-adherence functions

• US 5,499,291 A
• Filed: 01/14/1993
• Issued: 03/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kepley, Garry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US08/004,387
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 379/34, 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 395/155, 395/161, 395/650
• US Class Current: 379/265.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/402 Agent or workforce management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/62 Keyboard equipment in key telephone systems H04M9/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13516 agents or brokers - user, terminal etc., also OSI agent/managers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

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.

Claims

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.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 implemented in a call-management system of the call center.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 for a call center having a processor-implemented call management system, wherein:

the communicating means and the monitoring means both comprise a program stored for execution on the call management system processor.

4. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the means for communicating each said event comprise

means for causing at least one of an audio signal generator and a visual signal generator of the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal to generate at least one of an audio signal and a visual signal, respectively, to alert the agent to occurrence of the scheduled time for each said event.

5. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the means for communicating each said event comprise

means for sending a display message indicating each said event at its scheduled time to a display of the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal.

6. The arrangement of claim 5 wherein:

the means for communicating each said event further comprise

means for causing a speaker of the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal to produce an auditory signal when the display message is displayed on the display of the terminal.

7. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the means for communicating each said event comprise;

means for selectively causing the call center to place the agent in a non-work state substantially at the scheduled time.

8. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the means for monitoring comprise

means responsive to detection of the agent'"'"'s performance of the communicated event for selectively causing the call center to place the agent in a work state.

9. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the means for monitoring comprise

means responsive to detection of the agent'"'"'s failure to perform the communicated event substantially at the scheduled time for causing the call center to register an exception against the agent.

10. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:

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.

11. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:

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.

12. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:

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.

13. 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 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.

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:

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.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the step of communicating comprises the step of

communicating the agent'"'"'s schedule to the agent from a call-management system of the call center; and

the step of monitoring comprises the step of

monitoring the agent'"'"'s adherence to the communicated schedule at the call-management system.

16. The method of claim 14 in a call center having a processor-implemented call management system, wherein:

the step of communicating comprises the step of

executing a stored program on the call-management system processor to communicate each said event at its scheduled time to the agent; and

the step of monitoring comprises the step of

executing a stored program on the call management system processor to monitor the agent'"'"'s performance of the communicated event at the scheduled time.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the step of communicating each said event comprises the step of

causing at least one of an audio signal generator and a visual signal generator of the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal to generate at least one of an audio signal and a visual signal, respectively, to alert the agent to occurrence of the scheduled time for each said event.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the step of communicating each said event comprises the step of

sending a display message indicating each said event at its scheduled time to a display of the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein:

the step of communicating each said event further comprises the step of

causing a speaker of the agent'"'"'s corresponding terminal to produce an auditory signal when the display message is displayed on the display of the terminal.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the step of communicating each said event comprises the step of

selectively causing the call center to place the agent in a non-work state substantially at the scheduled time.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the step of monitoring comprises the step of

in response to detection of the agent'"'"'s performance of the communicated event, selectively causing the call center to place the agent in a work state.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the step of monitoring comprises the step of

in response to detection of the agent'"'"'s failure to perform the communicated event substantially at the scheduled time, causing the call center to register an exception against the agent.

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:

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.

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:

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.

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:

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.

26. A method of communicating with agents in a call center having a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by the agents, comprising:

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.