System for automatically assigning skill levels to multiple skilled agents in call center agent assignment applications

• US 6,704,410 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2000
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Richman, Paul L., McFarlane, Keith R., Maxwell, Darryl J., Flockhart, Andrew Derek, Sanders, Lucinda M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/586,174
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.05, 379/266.05, 379/309, 379/219, 379/242, 379/221.01, 379/220.01
• US Class Current: 379/265.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]

Abstract

The system for integrating agent database access skills in call center agent assignment applications dynamically generates data indicative of an agent'"'"'s effective skill level by mapping the agent'"'"'s acquired skills into their augmented skills representative of their ability to use the various automated resources that are required to satisfy the customer'"'"'s request. The determined effective skill level is automatically updated as changes in the agent'"'"'s effective skills are measured. In order to distribute work among the agents based upon agent skill levels, there must be a measure of each agent'"'"'s competence with a particular skill. The pool of agents is divided into categories of those who must use guided problem solving tools to service a customer request, those who can address issues beyond the scope of the guided problem solving tool, and those who exhibit various levels of efficacy in using the guided problem solving tool. The system for integrating agent database access skills in call center agent assignment applications automatically computes an agent'"'"'s effective skill level, which is a term used herein to describe a metric indicative of the agent'"'"'s overall knowledge management ability consisting of both acquired skills and augmented skills.

Claims

1. A communications management system, operational in a communication service providing system, for interconnecting a customer who is using a communication device, with a selected one of a plurality of agents who are connected to said communication service providing system, comprising:

means for retrieving data relating to said customer to determine a at least one service need of said customer,

means, responsive to said determined service need, for selecting a one of said plurality of agents to serve said customer as a function of both an experience level of said selected agent with respect to said determined service need and an augmented skill of said agent comprising said agent'"'"'s skill level in using a automated resource which is appropriate for said determined service need; and

means for establishing a communication connection through said communication service providing system to said selected agent.

2. The communications management system of claim 1 wherein said means for retrieving comprises:

interactive voice response means for presenting said customer with a predetermined hierarchically organized set of questions to obtain data from said customer for identifying at least one service need.

3. The communications management system of claim 1 wherein said means for retrieving comprises:

customer identification means for automatically obtaining data relating to said customer for identifying at least one service need.

4. The communications management system of claim 1 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means for work flow based call routing using said determined service need to assist in the call navigation to said selected agent.

5. The communications management system of claim 1 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means for maintaining data comprising a mapping of agent experience, and an augmented skill of said agent comprising said agent'"'"'s ability to use an automated resource, to each of plurality of service needs.

6. The communications management system of claim 5 wherein said means for selecting further comprises:

means for analyzing availability of the ones of said plurality of agents having skills appropriate to said determined service need; and

means for automatically selecting an agent based upon availability of agents having skills appropriate to said determined service need and said maintained data.

7. The communications management system of claim 4 wherein said means for work flow based call routing comprises:

efficiency engine means for managing operation of said plurality of agents; and

customer satisfaction engine means for processing customer-specific data to adapt the operation of said communications management system to most effectively match the preferences of said customer.

8. The communications management system of claim 7 wherein said means for work flow based call routing further comprises:

means for maintaining data for use by said efficiency engine means and said customer satisfaction engine means.

9. The communications management system of claim 8 wherein said means for maintaining data comprises:

means for maintaining customer identification data comprising information that is available as a result of said communication connection;

means for maintaining qualification data comprising information that identifies the importance of said customer; and

means for maintaining entitlement data comprising information that defines the type of call processing appropriate for said customer.

10. A method of operating a communications management system, operational in a communication service providing system, for interconnecting a customer who is using a communication device, with a selected one of a plurality of agents who are connected to said communication service providing system, comprising the steps of:

retrieving data relating to said customer to determine a service need of said customer;

selecting, in response to said determined service need, a one of said plurality of agents to serve said customer as a function of both an experience level of said selected agent with respect to said determined service need and an augmented skill of said agent comprising said agent'"'"'s skill level in using a automated resource which is appropriate for said determined service need; and

establishing a communication connection through said communication service providing system to said selected agent.

11. The method of operating a communications management system of claim 10 wherein said step of retrieving comprises:

interconnecting said customer with an interactive voice response system for presenting said customer with a predetermined hierarchically organized set of questions to obtain data from said customer for identifying at least one service need.

12. The method of operating a communications management, system of claim 10 wherein said step of retrieving comprises:

automatically obtaining data relating to said customer for identifying at least one service need.

13. The method of operating a communications management system of claim 10 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

work flow based call routing using said determined service need to assist in the call navigation to said selected agent.

14. The method of operating a communications management system of claim 10 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

maintaining data comprising a mapping of agent experience, and an augmented skill of said agent comprising said agent'"'"'s ability to use a an automated resource, to each of a plurality of service needs.

15. The method of operating a communications management system of claim 14 wherein said step of selecting further comprises:

analyzing availability of the ones of said plurality of agents having skills appropriate to said determined service need; and

automatically selecting an agent based upon availability of agents having skills appropriate to said determined service need and said maintained data.

16. The method of operating a communications management system of claim 13 wherein said step of work flow based call routing comprises:

managing operation of said plurality of agents; and

processing customer-specific data to adapt the operation of said communications management system to most effectively match the preferences of said customer.

17. The method of operating a communications management system of claim 16 wherein said step of maintaining data comprises:

maintaining customer identification data comprising information that is available as a result of said communication connection;

maintaining qualification data comprising information that identifies the importance of said customer; and

maintaining entitlement data comprising information that defines the type of call processing appropriate for said customer.