Method and apparatus for queuing a call to the best split
First Claim
1. A call-distribution arrangement for a call-handling system that has, for each one of a plurality of calls, a plurality of call-handling facilities, comprising:
- first means in each one of a plurality of the call-handling facilities, each responsive to receipt of a call by its call-handling facility for handling by the call-handling system, for determining for each one of the call'"'"'s plurality of call-handling facilities, the present value of a parameter predetermined to define what is a best call-handling facility;
second means in said each one call-handling facility, each responsive to a determination by its call-handling facility'"'"'s fist means, for evaluating the present values to determine the best one of the plurality of call-handling facilities for the call; and
third means in said each one call-handling facility, each responsive to a determination by its call handling facility'"'"'s second means of the best call-handling facility for the call, for directing the call to the best call-handling facility.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A call-center ACD switch and queuing method are modified either to respond to an arriving call by determining, for those splits that could handle the call, the present values of a parameter that defines what is a best split for handling the call, determining from those present values which split is the best split for handling the call, and then enqueuing the call in the call queue of the best split, or to respond to a call that overflows the call queue of its primary agent split by determining which backup split in which call center is the best backup split for the call, and enqueuing the call in the call queue of the best backup split. Any desirable criteria may be used to determine the best split. A preferred criterion is queue waiting time: the best split is the one whose call queue offers the shortest in-queue waiting time. The waiting time may be either the real estimated waiting time (EWT), or the EWT weighted for other factors (WEWT) A programmable queuing control function directs the ACD switch to obtain, for each call, the EWTs of the splits, to weight these EWTs in order to obtain the corresponding WEWTs, to compare the WEWTs with each other in order to find the split with the shortest WEWT (the best split), and then to enqueue the call in the queue of this best split.
370 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A call-distribution arrangement for a call-handling system that has, for each one of a plurality of calls, a plurality of call-handling facilities, comprising:
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first means in each one of a plurality of the call-handling facilities, each responsive to receipt of a call by its call-handling facility for handling by the call-handling system, for determining for each one of the call'"'"'s plurality of call-handling facilities, the present value of a parameter predetermined to define what is a best call-handling facility; second means in said each one call-handling facility, each responsive to a determination by its call-handling facility'"'"'s fist means, for evaluating the present values to determine the best one of the plurality of call-handling facilities for the call; and third means in said each one call-handling facility, each responsive to a determination by its call handling facility'"'"'s second means of the best call-handling facility for the call, for directing the call to the best call-handling facility. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A call-center system comprising:
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a plurality of agent splits for handling calls, a plurality of said splits being splits for handling an individual call; a plurality of call queues corresponding to different ones of the splits, each for holding calls for handling by the corresponding split; at least one call center that includes the plurality of the agent splits and the plurality of the call queues; first means in each said call center, each responsive to receipt of the individual call by its call center, for determining for each one of the splits for handling the individual call, the present value of a parameter predetermined to define what is a best split for handling the individual call; second means in each said call center, each responsive to a determination by the first means of its call center, for evaluating the present values to determine the best split for handling the individual call; and third means in each said call center, each responsive to a determination, by the second means of its call center, of the best split for handling the call, for effecting enqueuing of the individual call in the call queue of the best split. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of distributing calls in a call-handling system that has, for each one of a plurality of calls, a plurality of call-handling facilities, comprising the steps of:
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in response to receipt of a call by me one of a plurality of the call-handling facilities for handling by the call-handling system, the receiving handling facility determining, for each one of the cell'"'"'s plurality of call-handling facilities, the present value of a parameter predetermined to define what is a best call-handling facility; the receiving call-handling facility evaluating said present values to determine a best call-handling facility for the call from among the call'"'"'s plurality of call-handling facilities; and in response to a determination of the best call-handling facility, the receiving call-handling facility directing the call to the best call-handling facility. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of distributing arriving calls in a call-center system comprising a plurality of first agent splits for handling calls, a plurality of said first agent splits being second agent splits for handling an individual call, a plurality of call queues each corresponding to a different one of the first agent splits, each for holding calls for handling by the corresponding first agent split, and at least one call center that includes the plurality of first agent splits and the plurality of call queues, the method comprising the steps of:
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in response to receipt of the individual call by a call center, the receiving call center determining for each one of the second agent splits, the present value of a parameter predetermined to define what is a best split for handling the individual call; in response to a determination by the receiving call center of the present values, the receiving call center evaluating the present values to determine the best second split for handling the individual call; and in response to a determination by the receiving call center of the best second split for handling the call, the receiving call center effecting enqueuing of the individual call in the call queue of the best second split. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification