System and method for implementing wait time estimation in automatic call distribution queues

• US 6,714,643 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2000
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Gargeya, Padma R., White, Charles M., Dufour, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US09/512,988
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/72, 379/214.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.03, 379/265.07, 379/265.08, 379/266.01, 379/266.03, 379/266.06, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/266.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for predicting the wait time of a caller to a call center is disclosed. The call center associates a set of agents to which the caller may be queued. This set of agents selected may depend on the skills that each agent possesses, the type of service request made by the caller, caller priority, time of day, day of week and other conditions. An initial wait time estimate may then be given to the caller who is just queued. As a caller'"'"'s conditions may dynamically change, a caller'"'"'s position in the queue may also change as well as the pool of available agents. Periodic wait time estimate updates may also be given to the queued caller. A caller'"'"'s wait time may be estimated based upon mean inter-arrival times for recently past calls into the call center. An average inter-arrival time may be calculated for the last several calls. Alternatively, a caller'"'"'s wait time may be estimated based upon calls that are recently queued and dequeued. A table of values, W_nj, are maintained wherein each such value denoting the jth recent wait time of calls arriving with n calls already in the queue. An average value, W_n, for each n among all such W_nj, is thus calculated and a caller'"'"'s estimated wait time is thus given, depending on how many calls are in the queue at the time of calling.

Claims

1. In a call center comprising a switching server, a recording/playback server, and a agent server;

wherein callers communicate with said call center with requests to be handled by agents;

a method for implementing a waiting period for callers who may not be immediately serviced by available agents, the steps of said method comprising;

a) associating an initial set of agents to which said caller may be queued said initial set comprising a primary group and one or more secondary groups of agents;

b) delivering a first wait time announcement to said caller regarding an estimated wait time for service, said estimated wait time accounting for said primary group and said one or more secondary groups;

c) monitoring changes in said caller'"'"'s conditions during said wait period;

d) if conditions in step (c) meet predetermined changes, said set of agents to which said caller may be queued to a second set including said one or more secondary groups;

e) if modification is made in step (d), delivering an additional wait time announcement regarding the estimated wait time for service.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of said delivering said first time announcement further comprises estimating wait time based upon queue age sum method.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of said delivering said first time announcement further comprises estimating wait time based upon agent process time method.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of said delivering said first time announcement further comprises estimating wait time based upon mean inter-arrival time method.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of said delivering said first time announcement further comprises estimating wait time based upon queue-dequeue method.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of said delivering said first time announcement further comprises one of the set of wait time estimation methods;

said set comprising queue age sum method, agent process time method, mean inter-arrival time method, and queue-dequeue method.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of monitoring further comprise monitoring said caller'"'"'s time spent in queue.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of monitoring further comprise monitoring said caller'"'"'s priority.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of monitoring further comprise monitoring said caller'"'"'s number of qualified agents.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of monitoring further comprise monitoring said caller'"'"'s associated agent'"'"'s skills.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of monitoring further comprise monitoring said caller'"'"'s time of day.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of monitoring further comprise monitoring said caller'"'"'s day of week.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of monitoring further comprise monitoring shift changes of said agents.

14. In a call center comprising a switching server, a recording/playback server, and a agent server;

wherein callers communicate with said call center with requests to be handled by agents;

a method for calculation of a wait time estimation for said callers based on mean inter-arrival time, the steps of said method comprising;

calculate the average inter-arrival time for the last M calls;

calculate said caller'"'"'s estimated wait time as the number of calls on the queue times the average inter-arrival time.

15. In a call center comprising a switching server, a recording/playback server, and a agent server;

wherein callers communicate with said call center with requests to be handled by agents;

a method for calculation a wait time estimation for said callers based on queue-dequeue calls, the steps of said method comprising;

maintain a table of values, W_nj, each such value denoting the jth recent wait time of calls arriving with n calls already in the queue;

calculate an statistical value, W_n, for each n among all such W_nj.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said statistical value, W_n, is the average value.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said statistical value, W_n, is the mode value.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said statistical value, W_n, is the median value.

19. A method for determining a wait time estimation in a call center based on queue-dequeue calls, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of most recent wait time values of calls arriving with a predetermined numbers of calls already in queue; and

determining a statistical value for each of said predetermined number of calls among said plurality of wait time values.

20. A method in a call center for implementing a waiting period for callers who may not be immediately serviced by available agents, the method comprising:

associating an initial set of agents to which said caller may be queued;

delivering a first wait time announcement to said caller regarding an estimated wait time for service;

monitoring changes in said callers conditions during said wait period;

if said conditions meet pre-determined changes, modifying said set of agents to which said caller may be queued;

if modifying is done, delivering an additional wait time announcement regarding the estimated wait time for service, wherein the delivering a first wait time announcement comprises estimating wait time based upon a mean inter-arrival time method.

21. A method in a call center for implementing a waiting period for callers who may not be immediately serviced by available agents, the method comprising:

associating an initial set of agents to which said caller may be queued;

delivering a first wait time announcement to said caller regarding an estimated wait time for service;

monitoring changes in said caller'"'"'s conditions during said wait period;

if said conditions meet predetermined changes, modifying said set of agents to which said caller may be queued;

if modifying is done, delivering an additional wait time announcement regarding the estimated wait time for service;

wherein the delivering a first wait time announcement comprises estimating wait time based on queue-dequeue calls, by determining a plurality of most recent wait time values of calls arriving with a predetermined numbers of calls already in queue; and

determining a statistical value for each of said predetermined number of calls among said plurality of wait time values.