Call center agent selection that optimizes call wait times

• US 6,192,122 B1
• Filed: 02/12/1998
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Foster, Robin Harris, Flockhart, Andrew D., Kohler, Joylee E., Mathews, Eugene P., Jensen, Roy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weaver, Scott L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foster, Roland G.
• Application Number:
  US09/022,959
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 379/207
• US Class Current: 379/266.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

Selection of a suitable call-center agent (106-108) to handle a call is based on which available suitable agent'"'"'s handling of the call will tend to optimize call wait times. When a call needing a particular skill becomes available (200), all skills of agents in the agent queue (131-139) corresponding to the particular skill are determined (202, 204). The agent queues corresponding to the determined skills are checked (206) to determine which ones identify only one agent. For each available agent having the particular skill, the number of agent queues which identify this agent as their only agent is computed (208). The available agent having the lowest computed number is selected (210) to handle the call. This minimizes the number of skills that will be left without an available agent to handle subsequent calls, and thus tends to maximize the probability that a next call will also have a suitable agent already available and not have to wait for one to become available, thereby optimizing call wait times.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a handler having a skill to handle a communication needing the skill, comprising the steps of:

determining which ones (determined handlers) of a plurality of handlers (available handlers) who are available to handle communications have at least the skill needed by the communication;

determining all skills (determined skills) that the determined handlers have;

for each determined skill, determining whether only one available handier of the plurality of available handlers has the determined skill; and

selecting a determined handler who is, for fewest of the determined skills, an only one available handler who has the determined skill, to handle the communication.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the step of determining all skills comprises the step of

for each said determined handler, determining all skills of said determined handler; and

the step of determining whether only one available handler has the determined skill comprises the step of

for each determined skill of each said determined handler, determining whether said determined handler is an only available handler who has the determined skill.

3. The method of claim 1 in an apparatus having a plurality of queues each corresponding to a different skill and each for identifying available handlers who have the corresponding skill, wherein:

the step of determining whether only one available handler has the determined skill comprises the step of

determining queues corresponding to any of the determined skills that identify only one handler; and

the step of selecting comprises the step of

selecting a determined handler who is identified by fewest of the determined queues.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the plurality of handlers comprise call center agents.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the communication comprises a call.

6. An apparatus that performs the method of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5.

7. A computer-readable medium containing software which, when executed in a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5.

8. An apparatus for selecting a handler having a skill to handle a communication needing the skill, comprising:

a first effector of determining which ones (determined handlers) of a plurality of handlers (available handlers) who are available to handle communications have at least the skill needed by the communication;

a second effector, cooperative with the first effector, of determining all skills (determined skills) that the determined handlers have;

a third effector, cooperative with the second effector, of determining, for each determined skill, whether only one available handler of the plurality of available handlers has the determined skill; and

a fourth effector, cooperative with the third effector, of selecting a determined handler who is, for fewest of the determined skills, an only one available handler who has the determined skill, to handle the communication.