Hold queue wait estimations

• US 7,215,759 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2001
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Winters, Scott Lee, Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Weaver, James Mark, McIntyre, Joseph Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar; Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US10/015,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20030108187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207.03, 379/209.15, 379/265.01, 379/266.1, 379/266.03, 379/266.01, 379/265.09, 379/265.02, 379/266.036
• 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 method, system, and program for estimating hold queue wait times are provided. Call times are individually estimated for multiple calls within a call center. In particular, call times may be estimated according to representative profiles, caller profiles, and current caller activity of the multiple calls within the call center. The identity of each caller may be authenticated and a caller profile accessed from a central server according to authenticated caller identities. The central server may be accessible to multiple call centers, where each call centers accesses and updates caller profiles according to a single caller identifier for each caller. In addition, call times estimates and factors utilized to calculate call time estimates may be output to a caller, preferably according to an output interface specified by the caller in the caller profile.

Claims

1. A method for estimating wait times within a hold queue comprising:

receiving a plurality of calls at a call center, wherein each caller associated with a call from among said plurality of calls is identified by an authenticated caller identifier;

retrieving, for each caller according to said authenticated caller identifier, a caller profile from among a plurality of caller profiles, wherein each of said plurality of caller profiles indicates a previous call center usage history for each said caller;

estimating a plurality of call times individually for each of said plurality of calls within a call center based on said previous call center usage history for each said caller;

positioning a particular call received from a particular caller at said call center within a hold queue; and

estimating a wait time in said hold queue for said particular call according to said plurality of call times individually estimated for said plurality of calls within said call center; and

adjusting a selection of an output interface to which said wait time is output based on an amount of time remaining in said wait times wherein at a first amount of time remaining in said wait time said wait time is output to a second output interface.

2. The method for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 1, wherein estimating a plurality of call times further comprises:

estimating said plurality of call times according to at least one from among an average time per representative, an average time per caller, and an activity participated in by a selection of said plurality of callers waiting in said hold queue.

3. The method for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 2, wherein said average time per representative is further specified according to at least one from among a time of day and a subject.

4. The method for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 2, wherein said average time per caller is further specified according to at least one from among an average time with representatives across a plurality of call centers, an average time with a particular representative, an average time for a subject, and an average time of a total call within said call center.

5. The method for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 2, wherein said activity participated&

l in by a selection of said plurality of callers comprises at least one from among a third party call, a competition, a survey, an expert session, and an entertainment service.

6. The method for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 1, further comprising:

publishing said wait time to an interface selected by said caller.

7. The method for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 6, wherein publishing said wait time further comprises:

publishing a plurality of criteria utilized to estimated said plurality of call times.

8. The method for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 1, wherein a selection of said plurality of calls are currently waiting in said hold queue.

9. The method for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 1, wherein a selection of said plurality of calls are currently being assisted by a plurality of representatives within said call center.

10. The method for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 1, further comprising:

updating a caller profile server according to a session for said particular call according to said authenticated identifier for said particular caller, wherein said caller profile server maintains a plurality of caller profiles stored according to a plurality of authenticated identifiers for compiling information about sessions at at least one call center.

11. The method according to claim 1 for estimating wait times within a hold queue wherein each said authenticated caller identifier is voice authenticated.

12. A system for estimating wait times within a hold queue, comprising:

a call center for receiving a plurality of calls;

means for receiving a plurality of calls at a call center, wherein each caller associated with a call from among said plurality of calls is identified by an authenticated caller identifier;

means for retrieving, for each caller according to said authenticated caller identifier, a caller profile from among a plurality of caller profiles, wherein each of said plurality of caller profiles indicates a previous call center usage history for each said caller;

means for estimating a plurality of call times individually for each of said plurality of calls within a call center based on said previous call center usage history for each said caller;

means for positioning a particular call received from a particular caller at said call center within a hold queue; and

means for estimating a wait time in said hold queue for said particular call according to said plurality of call times individually estimated for said plurality of calls within said call center; and

means for adjusting a selection of an output interface to which said wait time is output based on an amount of time remaining in said wait time, wherein at a first amount of time remaining in said wait time said wait time is output to a first output interface and at a second amount of time remaining in said wait time said wait time is output to a second output interface.

13. The system for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 12, wherein said means for estimating a plurality of call times further comprises:

means for estimating said plurality of call times according to at least one from among an average time per representative, an average time per caller, and an activity participated in by a selection of said plurality of callers waiting in said hold queue.

14. The system for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 13, wherein said average time per representative is further specified according to at least one from among a time of day and a subject.

15. The system for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 13, wherein said average time per caller is further specified according to at least one from among an average time with representatives across a plurality of call centers, an average time with a particular representative, an average time for a subject, and an average time of a total call within said call center.

16. The system for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 13, wherein said activity participated in by a selection of said plurality of callers comprises at least one from among a third party call, a competition, a survey, an expert session, and an entertainment service.

17. The system for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for publishing said wait time to an interface selected by said caller.

18. The system for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 17, wherein said means for publishing said wait time further comprises:

means for publishing a plurality of criteria utilized to estimated said plurality of call times.

19. The system for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 12, wherein a selection of said plurality of calls are currently waiting in said hold queue.

20. The system for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 12, wherein a selection of said plurality of calls are currently being assisted by a plurality of representatives within said call center.

21. The system for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for updating at least one caller profile server according to a session for said particular call according to said authenticated identifier for said particular caller, wherein said at least one caller profile server maintains a plurality of caller profiles stored according to a plurality of authenticated identifiers for compiling information about sessions at at least one call center.

22. The system according to claim 12 for estimating wait times within a hold queue wherein each said authenticated caller identifier is voice authenticated.

23. A computer program product for estimating wait times within a hold queue, said computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for receiving a plurality of calls at a call center, wherein each caller associated with a call from among said plurality of calls is identified by an authenticated caller identifier;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for retrieving, for each caller according to said authenticated caller identifier, a caller profile from among a plurality of caller profiles, wherein each of said plurality of caller profiles indicates a previous call center usage history for each said caller;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for estimating a plurality of call times individually for each of said plurality of calls based on said previous call center usage history for each said caller;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for positioning a particular call received from a particular caller at said call center within a hold queue;

means recorded on said recording medium, for estimating a wait time in said hold queue for said particular call according to said plurality of call times individually estimated for said plurality of calls within said call center; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for adjusting a selection of an output interface to which said wait time is output based on an amount of time remaining in said wait time, wherein at a first amount of time remaining in said wait time said wait time is output to a first output interface and at a second amount of time remaining in said wait time said wait time is output to a second output interface.

24. The computer program product for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 23, wherein said means for estimating a plurality of call times further comprise:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for estimating said plurality of call times according to at least one from among an average time per representative, an average time per caller, and an activity participated in by a selection of said plurality of callers waiting in said hold queue.

25. The computer program product for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 23, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for controlling output of said wait time to an interface selected by said caller.

26. The computer program product for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 25, wherein said means for publishing said wait time further comprises:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for controlling output of a plurality of criteria utilized to estimated said plurality of call times.

27. The computer program product for estimating wait times within a hold queue according to claim 23, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for updating at least one caller profile server according to a session for said particular call according to said authenticated identifier for said particular caller, wherein said at least one caller profile server maintains a plurality of caller profiles stored according to a plurality of authenticated identifiers for compiling information about sessions at at least one call center.

28. The computer program product according to claim 23 for estimating wait times within a hold queue wherein each said authenticated caller identifier is voice authenticated.

29. A method for monitoring caller on hold characteristics, comprising:

receiving, at a caller profile server, monitored on hold characteristics according to an authenticated caller identifier of a caller from at least one call center at which said caller has waited in a hold queue from among a plurality of call centers communicatively connected to said caller profile server;

computing, at said caller profile server, on hold statistics for said caller across at least one from among said plurality of call centers from said monitored on hold characteristics in said caller profile maintained in association with said authenticated caller identifier;

responsive to receiving a request for said caller profile according to said authenticated caller identifier at said caller profile server, distributing said computed on hold statistics for said caller, such that each of said plurality of call centers is independently enabled to estimate wait times within a hold queue comprising said caller based on said on hold statistics.

30. The method according to claim 29 for monitoring on hold characteristics, wherein said authenticated caller identifier comprises an identifier for a device which compares a current voice sample provided by said caller with a previously stored voice sample for said caller to authenticate an identity of said caller.

31. The method according to claim 29 for monitoring on hold characteristics, wherein said on hold statistics specify on hold activity statistics of a caller accumulated from participation in on hold activities comprising at least one from among idleness, participation in surveys, participation in competitions, listening to music, and accessing a third party service.

32. The method according to claim 29 for monitoring on hold characteristics, further comprising:

receiving said request for said caller profile according to said authenticated caller identifier at said caller profile server via a media gateway, wherein said caller profile server is accessible within an internet based network that interfaces with said plurality of call centers which are accessible within a telephony network through said media gateway, wherein said media gateway supports a plurality of protocols for communication between said internet based network and said telephony network.

33. A system for monitoring caller on hold characteristics, comprising:

a caller profile server communicatively connected to a plurality of call centers;

said caller profile server further comprising;

means for receiving monitored on hold characteristics according to an authenticated caller identifier of a caller from at least one call center at which said caller has waited in a hold queue from among said plurality of call centers;

means for computing on hold statistics for said caller across at least one from among said plurality of call centers from said monitored on hold characteristics in said caller profile maintained in association with said authenticated caller identifier; and

means, responsive to receiving a request for said authenticated caller profile according to said caller identifier, for distributing said computed on hold statistics for said caller.

34. The system according to claim 33 for monitoring on hold characteristics, wherein said authenticated caller identifier comprises an identifier for a device through which compares a current voice sample provided by said caller with a previously stored voice sample for said caller to authenticate an identity of said caller.

35. The system according to claim 33 for monitoring on hold characteristics, wherein said on hold statistics specify on hold activity statistics of a caller accumulated from participation in on hold activities comprising at least one from among idleness, participation in surveys, participation in competitions, listening to music, and accessing a third party service.

36. The system according to claim 33 for monitoring on hold characteristics further comprising:

a media gateway through which said caller profile server is communicatively connected to said plurality of call centers, wherein said caller profile server is accessible within an internet based network that interfaces with said plurality of call centers which are accessible within a telephony network through said media gateway, wherein said media gateway supports a plurality of protocols for communication between said internet based network and said telephony network.

37. A computer program product for monitoring caller on hold characteristics, said computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for enabling receipt of monitored on hold characteristics according to an authenticated caller identifier of a caller from at least one call center at which said caller has waited in a hold queue;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for computing on hold statistics for said caller across said at least one call center from said monitored on hold characteristics in said caller profile maintained in association with said authenticated caller identifier; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for distributing said computed on hold statistics for said caller.

38. The computer program product according to claim 37 for monitoring on hold characteristics, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for enabling receipt of monitored on hold characteristics according to an authenticated caller identifier of a caller from at least one call center at which said caller has waited in a hold queue, wherein said authenticated caller identifier comprises an identifier for a device which compares a current voice sample provided by said caller with a previously stored voice sample for said caller to authenticate an identity of said caller.

39. The computer program product according to claim 37 for monitoring on hold characteristics, wherein said means, recorded on said recording medium, for computing on hold statistics for said caller across said at least one call center from said monitored on hold characteristics in said caller profile maintained in association with said authenticated caller identifier, further comprises:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for computing said on hold statistics which specify on hold activity statistics of a caller accumulated from participation in on hold activities comprising at least one from among idleness, participation in surveys, participation in competitions, listening to music, and accessing a third party service.

40. The computer program product according to claim 37 for monitoring on hold characteristics, further comprising:

means, recording on said recording medium, for enabling receipt of said request for said caller profile according to said authenticated caller identifier at said caller profile server via a media gateway, wherein said caller profile server is accessible within an internet based network that interfaces with said plurality of call centers which are accessible within a telephony network through said media gateway, wherein said media gateway supports a plurality of protocols for communication between said internet based network and said telephony network.