System and method for multi-channel communication queuing using routing and escalation rules
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- assigning a work item to a first route for response by a first agent associated with the first route; and
assigning the work item to a second route for response by a second agent associated with the second route in accordance with a first escalation rule, if the first agent does not respond to the work item within a period of time associated with the first escalation rule, wherein the period of time is defined by a time threshold.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
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 assigns 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, 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.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
assigning a work item to a first route for response by a first agent associated with the first route; and assigning the work item to a second route for response by a second agent associated with the second route in accordance with a first escalation rule, if the first agent does not respond to the work item within a period of time associated with the first escalation rule, wherein the period of time is defined by a time threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A tangible computer readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising:
-
a first set of instructions, executable by a processor, configured to assign a work item to a first route for response by a first agent associated with the first route; and a second set of instructions, executable by the processor, configured to assign the work item to a second route for response by a second agent associated with the second route in accordance with a first escalation rule, if the first agent does not respond to the work item within a period of time associated with the first escalation rule wherein the period of time is defined by a time threshold. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A system comprising:
-
means for assigning a work item to a first route for response by a first agent associated with the first route; means for determining if the first agent does not respond to the work item within a period of time associated with the first escalation rule, wherein the period of time is defined by a time threshold; and means, responsive to said means for determining, for assigning the work item to a second route for response by a second agent associated with the second route in accordance with a first escalation rule. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification