Contact routing system and method

• US 6,934,381 B1
• Filed: 08/16/1999
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Klein, John, Bhat, RagHurama, Cosmadoupoulos, Yannis
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGDEPPA, HECTOR A
• Application Number:
  US09/374,646
• Time in Patent Office: 2,199 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 379/212
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

A contact routing system is disclosed comprising: a plurality of media connectors which receive incoming customer contacts from an equal plurality of media channels; and contact routing logic which routes the incoming contacts to particular customer service representatives (“CSRs”) based on the particular media channel over which the contacts were received and the skill sets of the CSRs.

Also described is a method for routing customer contacts comprising the steps of: receiving incoming customer contacts from a plurality of media channels; and routing the incoming customer contacts particular customer service representatives (“CSRs”) based on the media channel over which the contacts are received and the skill sets of the particular CSRs.

Claims

1. A contact routing system, comprising:

a plurality of media connectors which receive incoming customer contacts from an equal plurality of media channels;

contact routing logic which routes said incoming contacts to particular customer service representatives (“

CSRs”

) based on a set of routing variables including the particular media channel over which said contacts were received and the skill sets of said CSRs; and

a single call tracking data unit created for each incoming customer contact regardless of the medium channel of the customer contact to record data for said incoming customer contact, the call tracking data unit to be archived upon termination of activities associated with the call tracking data unit based on an internally maintained list of processes utilizing the call tracking data unit, said call tracking data unit transmitted to said CSRs concurrently with said routing of said contacts for updating by said CSRs as said contact traverses said contact routing system, regardless of media type handled by said CSRs.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein some CSRs receive customer contacts from only one media channel and other CSRs receive customer contacts from a plurality of media channels.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein some CSRs are only routed calls which require a single skill set and other CSRs are routed calls which require multiple skill sets.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said media channels is e-mail.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said media channels is text chat over hypertext transfer protocol (“

HTTP”

).

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said media channels is collaborative browsing over HTTP.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said media types is voice over IP.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said call tracking data unit is transferred to a second CSR concurrently with said contact being transferred to said second CSR.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said call tracking data unit is closed upon completion of said contact.

10. A method for routing customer contacts comprising the steps of:

receiving incoming customer contacts from a plurality of media channels; and

routing said incoming customer contacts to particular customer service representatives (“

CSRs”

) based on a set of routing variables including the media channel over which said contacts are received and the skill sets of the particular CSRs; and

routing a single call tracking data unit generated for each incoming customer contact regardless of the medium channel of the customer contact to a plurality of locations in a call center system, said call tracking unit recording data associated with said incoming customer contact, the call tracking data unit to be archived upon termination of activities associated with the call tracking data unit based on an internally maintained list of processes utilizing the call tracking data unit, said call tracking data unit routed concurrently with said routing of said contacts for updating by said CSRs as said contact traverses said call center system, regardless of media type handled by said CSRs.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein some CSRs receive customer contacts from only one media channels and other CSRs receive customer contacts from a plurality of media channels.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein some CSRs are only routed calls which require a single skill set and other CSRs are routed calls which require multiple skill sets.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein one of said media channels is e-mail.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein one of said media channels is text chat over hypertext transfer protocol (“

HTTP”

).

15. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein one of said media channels is collaborative browsing over HTTP.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said call tracking data unit is transferred to a second CSR concurrently with said contact being transferred to said second CSR.

17. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said call tracking data unit is closed upon completion of said contact.

18. A contact routing method comprising:

receiving customer contacts from a plurality of different media channel types;

selecting a particular media-specific queue group for each incoming customer contact based on said media channel over which said customer contact was received;

selecting a particular queue within said selected media-specific queue group for each customer contact based on one or more routing variables;

transmitting said customer contact to a particular CSR based on the skill set of said CSR and the media channels over which said CSR is equipped to receive contacts; and

transmitting a single call tracking data unit regardless of the medium channel of the customer contact to a plurality of locations, each call tracking data unit recording data associated with one incoming customer contact, the call tracking data unit to be archived upon termination of activities associated with the call tracking data unit based on an internally maintained list of processes utilizing the call tracking data unit, said call tracking data unit transmitted concurrently with said routing of said contacts for updating by said CSRs as said contact traverses a contact routing center, regardless of media type handled by said CSRs.

19. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 18 wherein one of said routing variables is the service level requirement for each customer contact.

20. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 18 wherein one of said routing variables is the cost of transferring the contact from one call center location to another.

21. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 18 wherein one of said routing variables is an estimated queue wait time.

22. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 18 wherein one of said routing variables is the number of previous customer contacts by the particular customer.

23. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said step of selecting a particular queue is accomplished by an automatic call distribution (“

ACD”

) system.

24. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 18 wherein some CSRs receive customer contacts from only one media channels and other CSRs receive customer contacts from a plurality of media channels.

25. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 24 wherein some CSRs are only routed calls which require a single skill set and other CSRs are routed calls which require multiple skill sets.

26. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 18 wherein one of said media channels is e-mail.

27. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 18 wherein one of said media channels is text chat over hypertext transfer protocol (“

HTTP”

).

28. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 18 wherein one of said media channels is collaborative browsing over HTTP.

29. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 18 wherein one of said media channels is voice over IP.

30. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said call tracking data unit is transferred to a second CSR concurrently with said contact being transferred to said second CSR.

31. The contact routing method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said call tracking data unit is closed and saved upon completion of said customer contact.

32. The contact routing system of claim 18 wherein said call tracking data unit is a storage device that collects strings of text from multiples sources.

33. The contact routing system of claim 18 wherein each call tracking data unit has an identifier.

34. The contact routing system of claim 18 wherein said call tracking data unit includes certain values that are searchable by at least one of said CSR and said customer contact.

35. A contact routing system, comprising:

a plurality of media connectors which receive incoming customer contacts from an equal plurality of media channels;

contact routing logic which routes said incoming contacts to particular customer service representatives (“

CSRs”

) based on a set of routing variables including the particular media channel over which said contacts were received and the skill sets of said CSRs; and

a single tracking data unit created for each incoming customer contact regardless of the medium channel of the customer contact to record data for said incoming customer contact, the call tracking data unit to be archived upon termination of activities associated with the call tracking data unit based on an internally maintained list of processes utilizing the call tracking data unit, the call tracking data unit routed to a plurality of contact center applications that indicate interest in the call tracking data unit, said tracking data unit transmitted to said CSRs concurrently with said routing of said contacts for updating by said applications or CSRs as said contact traverses a contact routing center, regardless of media type handled by said applications or CSRs.

36. The system as claimed in claim 35 wherein some CSRs receive customer contacts from only one media channel and other CSRs receive customer contacts from a plurality of media channels.

37. The system as claimed in claim 36 wherein some CSRs are only routed calls which require a single skill set and other CSRs are routed calls which require multiple skill sets.

38. The system as claimed in claim 35 wherein one of said media channels is e-mail.

39. The system as claimed in claim 35 wherein one of said media channels is text chat over hypertext transfer protocol (“

HTTP”

).

40. The system as claimed in claim 35 wherein one of said media channels is collaborative browsing over HTTP.

41. The system as claimed in claim 35 wherein one of said media types is voice over IP.

42. The system as claimed in claim 35 wherein said call tracking data unit is transferred to a second CSR concurrently with said contact being transferred to said second CSR.

43. The system as claimed in claim 35 wherein said call tracking data unit is closed upon completion of said contact.

44. The contact routing system of claim 35 wherein said call tracking data unit is a storage device that collects strings of text from multiples sources.

45. The contact routing system of claim 35 wherein each call tracking data unit has an identifier.

46. The contact routing system of claim 35 wherein said call tracking data unit includes certain values that are searchable by at least one of said CSR and said customer contact.

47. A contact routing system, comprising:

a plurality of media connectors which receive incoming customer contacts from an equal plurality of media channels;

contacting routing logic which applies media-independent business rules, customer contact history, and knowledge of the particular media channel over which said contacts were received to route said incoming contacts to particular customer service representatives (“

CSRs”

) based on the particular media channel over which said contacts were received and the skill sets of said CSRs; and

a single tracking data unit created for each incoming customer contact regardless of the medium channel of the customer contact to record data for said incoming customer contact, the call tracking data unit to be archived upon termination of activities associated with the call tracking data unit based on an internally maintained list of processes utilizing the call tracking data unit, said tracking data unit transmitted to said CSRs concurrently with said routing of said contacts for updating by said applications or CSRs as the contact traverses said contact center, regardless of media type handled by said applications or CSRs.

48. The system as claimed in claim 47 wherein some CSRs receive customer contacts from only one media channel and other CSRs receive customer contacts from a plurality of media channels.

49. The system as claimed in claim 48 wherein some CSRs are only routed calls which require a single skill set and other CSRs are routed calls which require multiple skill sets.

50. The system as claimed in claim 47 wherein one of said media channels is e-mail.

51. The system as claimed in claim 47 wherein one of said media channels is text chat over hypertext transfer protocol (“

HTTP”

).

52. The system as claimed in claim 47 wherein one of said media channels is collaborative browsing over HTTP.

53. The system as claimed in claim 47 wherein one of said media types is voice over IP.

54. The system as claimed in claim 47 wherein said call tracking data unit is transferred to a second CSR concurrently with said contact being transferred to said second CSR.

55. The system as claimed in claim 47 wherein said call tracking data unit is closed upon completion of said contact.

56. The contact routing system of claim 47 wherein said call tracking data unit is a storage device that collects strings of text from multiples sources.

57. The contact routing system of claim 47 wherein each call tracking data unit has an identifier.

58. The contact routing system of claim 47 wherein said calling tracking data unit includes certain values that are searchable by at least one of said CSR and said customer contact.