Call center posting program

• US 6,493,446 B1
• Filed: 05/13/1999
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arise Virtual Solutions Incorporated (Arise Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Willow CSN, Inc. (Arise Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cherry, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US09/311,097
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112.01, 379/112.06, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.03, 379/265.04, 379/265.05, 379/265.09, 379/265.11, 379/265.12, 379/266.04, 379/266.05, 705/9
• US Class Current: 379/265.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/402 Agent or workforce management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5125 with remote located operators
• 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 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems

Abstract

A method of scheduling remotely located call center agents comprising the steps of connecting a call center client and a remotely located call center agent by telephonic and digital means. A posting server having a scheduling database is connected to a voice switch handling telephonic communications for the agent. A client-user terminal interface is utilized for posting one or more available time-slots in the scheduling database for accepting a customer-initiated telephone call. An agent-user terminal interface for displays the time-slots in the posting database to the agent who accepts one or more available time-slots through the agent-user terminal interface. The posting server then determines if the agent is authorized by the client to provide call center service and, if authorized, marks the time-slots accepted by the agent as unavailable.

Claims

1. A call center scheduling method comprising the steps of:

connecting a call center client and a remotely located call center agent by telephonic and digital means;

connecting a scheduling server having a scheduling database to a voice switch handling telephonic communications for said agent;

providing a client-user terminal interface for posting one or more available time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting a customer-initiated telephone call;

posting one or more time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting said customer-initiated telephone call on said scheduling server by said client;

providing an agent-user terminal interface for displaying said time-slots in said scheduling database to said agent;

accepting one or more available time-slots by said agent through said agent-user terminal interface;

validating said agent is authorized by said client to provide call center service; and

marking time-slots accepted by said agent as unavailable.

2. A call center scheduling method as described in claim 1, further comprising the step of validating said agent has not exceeded a preset hourly threshold for accepting time-slots.

3. A call center scheduling method as described in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing time-slot transferability for a first agent to release a reserved time-slot to a second agent to handle caller activity.

4. A call center scheduling method as described in claim 1, further comprising the steps of monitoring said agent'"'"'s caller activity through said voice switch;

referencing said activity against said scheduling database through said voice switch; and

recording the compliance of said agent with said scheduling database in a user file.

5. A call center scheduling method as described in claim 1, further comprising the step emailing a notification to a non-scheduled agent of an open time-slot due to non-compliance of a previously scheduled agent.

6. A call center scheduling method as described in claim 1, further comprising the step emailing a notification to non-scheduled agents of time-slot availability due to increased customer-initiated caller activity.

7. A call center scheduling method comprising the steps of:

connecting a call center client and one or more remotely located call center agent by telephonic and digital means;

connecting a scheduling server having a scheduling database to a voice switch handling telephonic communications for said agent;

providing a client-user terminal interface for posting one or more available time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting a customer-initiated telephone call;

posting one or more time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting said customer-initiated telephone call on said scheduling server by said client;

providing an agent-user terminal interface for displaying said time-slots in said scheduling database to said agent;

providing a right-of-first-refusal to client-designated agents for said time-slots;

providing a first alternate right-of-first-refusal to agents for said time-slots, said agents having previously worked the same time-slot on one or more prior occasions;

randomly providing a second alternate right-of-first-refusal to subsets of agents for said time-slots until all time-slots are accepted;

accepting one or more available time-slots by said agent though said agent-user terminal interface;

validating said agent is authorized by said client to provide call center service;

validating said agent has not exceeded a preset hourly threshold for accepting time-slots;

providing time-slot transferability for a first agent to release a reserved time-slot to a second agent to handle caller activity;

marking time-slots accepted by said agent as unavailable;

monitoring said agent'"'"'s caller activity through said voice switch;

referencing said activity against said scheduling database through said voice switch;

recording the compliance of said agent with said scheduling database in a user file;

emailing a notification to a non-scheduled agent of an open time-slot due to non-compliance of a previously scheduled agent or increased customer-initiated caller activity;

sending an interactive voice response notification to a non-scheduled agent of an open time-slot due to non-compliance of a previously scheduled agent or increased customer-initiated caller activity;

prompting said non-scheduled agent to accept or decline said open time-slot;

recording a dual tone multi-frequency response from said non-scheduled agent; and

scheduling said non-scheduled agent to receive calls in the event of acceptance.

8. A call center scheduling method comprising the steps of:

connecting a call center client and a remotely located call center agent by telephonic and digital means;

connecting a scheduling server having a scheduling database to a voice switch handling telephonic communications for said agent;

providing a client-user terminal interface for posting one or more available time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting a customer-initiated telephone call;

posting one or more time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting said customer-initiated telephone call on said scheduling server by said client;

providing an agent-user terminal interface for displaying said time-slots in said scheduling database to said agent;

providing a right-of-first-refusal to client-designated agents for said time-slots;

accepting one or more available time-slots by said agent through said agent-user terminal interface;

validating said agent is authorized by said client to provide call center service; and

marking time-slots accepted by said agent as unavailable.

9. A call center scheduling method as described in claim 8, further comprising the step of validating said agent has not exceeded a preset hourly threshold for accepting time-slots.

10. A call center scheduling method as described in claim 8, further comprising the step of providing time-slot transferability for a first agent to release a reserved time-slot to a second agent to handle caller activity.

11. A call center scheduling method as described in claim 8, further comprising the steps of monitoring said agent'"'"'s caller activity through said voice switch;

referencing said activity against said scheduling database through said voice switch; and

recording the compliance of said agent with said scheduling database in a user file.

12. A call center scheduling method as described in claim 8, further comprising the step of emailing a notification to a non-scheduled agent of an open time-slot due to non-compliance of a previously scheduled agent.

13. A call center scheduling method as described in claim 8, further comprising the step of emailing a notification to non-scheduled agents of time-slot availability due to increased customer-initiated caller activity.

14. A call center scheduling method comprising the steps of:

connecting a call center client and a remotely located call center agent by telephonic and digital means;

connecting a scheduling server having a scheduling database to a voice switch handling telephonic communications for said agent;

providing a client-user terminal interface for posting one or more available time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting a customer-initiated telephone call;

posting one or more time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting said customer-initiated telephone call on said scheduling server by said client;

providing an agent-user terminal interface for displaying said time-slots in said scheduling database to said agent;

providing a right-of-first-refusal to agents for said time-slots, said agents having previously worked the same time-slot on one or more prior occasions;

accepting one or more available time-slots by said agent through said agent-user terminal interface;

validating said agent is authorized by said client to provide call center service; and

marking time-slots accepted by said agent as unavailable.

15. A call center scheduling method comprising the steps of:

connecting a call center client and a remotely located call center agent by telephonic and digital means;

connecting a scheduling server having a scheduling database to a voice switch handling telephonic communications for said agent;

providing a client-user terminal interface for posting one or more available time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting a customer-initiated telephone call;

posting one or more time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting said customer-initiated telephone call on said scheduling server by said client;

providing an agent-user terminal interface for displaying said time-slots in said scheduling database to said agent;

providing a right-of-first-refusal to subsets of agents for said time-slots until all time-slots are accepted;

accepting one or more available time-slots by said agent through said agent-user terminal interface;

validating said agent is authorized by said client to provide call center service; and

marking time-slots accepted by said agent as unavailable.

16. A call center scheduling method comprising the steps of:

connecting a call center client and a remotely located call center agent by telephonic and digital means;

connecting a scheduling server having a scheduling database to a voice switch handling telephonic communications for said agent;

providing a client-user terminal interface for posting one or more available time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting a customer-initiated telephone call;

posting one or more time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting said customer-initiated telephone call on said scheduling server by said client;

providing an agent-user terminal interface for displaying said time-slots in said scheduling database to said agent;

accepting one or more available time-slots by said agent through said agent-user terminal interface;

validating said agent is authorized by said client to provide call center service;

marking time-slots accepted by said agent as unavailable;

sending an interactive voice response notification to a non-scheduled agent of an open time-slot due to non-compliance of a previously scheduled agent;

prompting said non-scheduled agent to accept or decline said open time-slot;

recording a dual tone multi-frequency response from said non-scheduled agent; and

scheduling said non-scheduled agent to receive calls in the event of acceptance.

17. A call center scheduling method comprising the steps of:

connecting a call center client and a remotely located call center agent by telephonic and digital means;

connecting a scheduling server having a scheduling database to a voice switch handling telephonic communications for said agent;

providing a client-user terminal interface for posting one or more available time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting a customer-initiated telephone call;

posting one or more time-slots in said scheduling database for accepting said customer-initiated telephone call on said scheduling server by said client;

providing an agent-user terminal interface for displaying said time-slots in said scheduling database to said agent;

accepting one or more available time-slots by said agent through said agent-user terminal interface;

validating said agent is authorized by said client to provide call center service;

marking time-slots accepted by said agent as unavailable;

sending an interactive voice response notification to a non-scheduled agent of time-slot availability due to increased customer-initiated caller activity;

prompting said non-scheduled agent to accept or decline said open time-slot;

recording a dual tone multi-frequency response from said non-scheduled agent; and

scheduling said non-scheduled agent to receive calls in the event of acceptance.