System and method for multi-channel communication queuing using routing and escalation rules
First Claim
1. A method of routing work items in a multi-channel communication queuing system, the method comprising:
- forming a list of routes, wherein each route includes information related to the type of communication media available along the route for handling one or more of the work items; and
entering one or more escalation rules for a route, wherein each of the escalation rules comprises a definition of processing for a work item along the route.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, apparatus, and method for routing work items to agents, wherein the work items can be of one of two or more different communication media types from one of two or more different communication channels. A queuing engine includes a list of routes and each route is associated with one or more properties. The list of routes can further include information related to one or more escalation rules for each route; the type of communication media available along the route for handling one or more of the work items; whether the route is active; the priority of the route; whether work items can be handled real-time; the service level for work items handled on the route; and the number of work items that can be assigned to the route. The queuing engine determines various properties required to handle each work item, such as the communication media type, agent language and skill level, and the category and recipient of the work item, and to assign each work item to one of the one or more agents based on one or more of the properties. When the queuing engine determines that a work item has been waiting a predetermined amount of time to be assigned to an agent, and the queuing engine can escalate the search for an agent to handle the work item based on the escalation rules. The queuing engine can also substitute values for variables in the routing and escalation rules, thereby reducing the number of rules that must be entered to achieve the same routing capability.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of routing work items in a multi-channel communication queuing system, the method comprising:
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forming a list of routes, wherein each route includes information related to the type of communication media available along the route for handling one or more of the work items; and entering one or more escalation rules for a route, wherein each of the escalation rules comprises a definition of processing for a work item along the route. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for routing work items in a multi-channel communication queuing system, the apparatus comprising:
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means for forming a list of routes, wherein each route includes information related to the type of communication media available along the route for handling one or more of the work items; and means for entering one or more escalation rules for a route, wherein each of the escalation rules comprises a definition of processing for a work item along the route. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A database structure for a multi-channel communication queuing system, comprising:
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a list of routes, wherein the list of routes includes information related to one or more properties for a route; and one or more escalation rules for the route, wherein each of the escalation rules comprises a definition of processing for a work item along the route. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A system for routing work items to agents, wherein the work items can be of one of two or more different communication media types from two or more different communication channels, comprising:
a queuing engine including a list of routes, wherein the list of routes includes information related to one or more properties for each route, and information related to one or more escalation rules for a route, wherein each of the escalation rules comprises a definition of processing for a work item along the route. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
Specification