Customer service by batch

• US 6,766,014 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2001
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: McFarlane, Keith Robert, Sanders, Lucinda M., Flockhart, Andrew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/756,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20020118816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202.01, 379/207.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/265.11, 379/265.12, 379/265.13, 379/266.01, 379/266.05
• US Class Current: 379/265.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/20 with means for interrupting existing connections; with means for breaking-in on conversations
• 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 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

In a customer contact center (100), a plurality of customers'"'"' communications are serviced simultaneously by one resource (120-128) (agent or port). A conferencing function (136) connects the plurality of customers (110-118) to the one resource and/or to each other. When a resource becomes available, a batch service function (140) determines (206-226), for each skill of the resource, the value to the contact center of having the resource presently serve communications needing that skill, and uses the conferencing function to conference (234-236) a plurality of communications needing the skill having the highest value with the resource. The conference connection may be listen-only, listen-and-talk, or listen-only/then listen-and-talk.

Claims

1. In a customer contact center having

means for distributing customers'"'"' communications for servicing among resources based on skills needed by the communications and possessed by the resources, the improvement comprising:

means responsive to a plurality of the communications needing a same said skill, for connecting the plurality of the communications for servicing simultaneously to one said resource having said skill.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein:

the connecting means comprise

a conferencing means for conferencing the plurality of the communications with the resource.

3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein;

the resource is a human agent.

4. The improvement of claim 1 wherein:

the resource is a single port of an automated communications servicing arrangement.

5. The improvement of claim 1 wherein:

the communications are voice calls.

6. The improvement of claim 1 wherein:

the resource has a plurality of said skills; and

the connecting means comprise

means for determining, for each of the skills, a value to the customer contact center of having the resource presently service communications needing that skill, and

means responsive to the determining means, for connecting to the resource a plurality of said communications needing the skill having a highest said value.

7. An automated communications distribution (ACD) system comprising:

an effector of distributing customers'"'"' communications for servicing among resources based on skills needed by the communications and possessed by the resources; and

an effector, responsive to a plurality of the communications needing a same said skill, of connecting the plurality of the communications for servicing simultaneously to one said resource having said skill.

8. The ACD system of claim 7 wherein:

the effector of connecting comprises

a conferencing arrangement for conferencing the plurality of the communications with the resource.

9. The ACD system of claim 7 wherein:

the resource is a human agent.

10. The ACD system of claim 7 wherein:

the resource is a single port of an automated communications-servicing arrangement.

11. The ACD system of claim 7 wherein:

the communications are voice calls.

12. The ACD system of claim 7 wherein:

the resource has a plurality of said skills; and

the effector of connecting comprises

an effector of determining, for each of the skills, a value to the customer contact center of having the resource presently service communications needing that skill, and

an effector, responsive to the effector of determining, of connecting to the resource a plurality of said communications needing the skill having a highest said value.

13. A method of servicing customers'"'"' communications in a customer contact center comprising:

distributing customers'"'"' communications for servicing among resources based on skills needed by the communications and possessed by the resources; and

in response to a plurality of the communications needing a same said skill, connecting the plurality of the communications for servicing simultaneously to one said resource having said skill.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

connecting comprises

conferencing the plurality of the communications with the resource.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the resource is a human agent.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the resource is a single port of an automated communications-servicing arrangement.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the communications are voice calls.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the resource has a plurality of said skills and;

connecting comprises

determining, for each of the skills, a value to the customer contact center of having the resource presently service communications needing that skill, and

in response to the determining, connecting to the resource a plurality of said communications needing the skill having a highest said value.

19. An apparatus that performs the method of one of the claims 13-18.

20. A computer-readable medium containing software which, when executed in a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of one of the claims 13-18.