Apparatus and method of maintaining and improving agent performance

• US 7,386,467 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2001
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Electronic Commerce Corporation (Rockwell International Corporation)
• Inventors: Eitel, Robert T., Hollatz, Michael C., Dezonno, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US09/941,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,478 Days
• Field of Search: 705/11, 379/265.07
• US Class Current: 705/7.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent performing a plurality of tasks. The method includes the steps of providing a performance threshold for each task of the plurality of tasks, measuring a performance parameter of the agent in completing each of the plurality of tasks and training the agent when the measured performance parameter of the agent in performing a task exceeds the respective performance threshold of the task for each task of the plurality of tasks.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent performing a plurality of tasks, such method comprising the steps of:

providing a performance threshold for each task of the plurality of tasks;

electronically monitoring at least some of the plurality of agent tasks to measure performance parameters of the agent in completing successive tasks of the plurality of tasks including the tasks of reciting information from at least some screens of a predetermined progression of screens;

automatically adjusting a respective performance threshold in response to a change in a parameter related to at least one of the successive tasks; and

generating a notification of the need for training the agent when the measured performance parameters of the agent in performing the successive tasks exceeds the respective performance thresholds of the successive tasks of the plurality of tasks.

2. The method of maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 1 further comprising comparing the measured performance parameter of a task with the respective performance threshold of the task for each task of the plurality of tasks.

3. The method of maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of tasks further comprises a single repetitive operation.

4. The method of maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of tasks parameter further comprises time between screens in a predetermined progression of screens.

5. The method of maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 1 wherein the measured parameter further comprises detected errors in the recited information of the at least some screens.

6. The method of maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 1 wherein the measured parameter further comprises at least one of errors per unit sale, average call handling, and sales per unit time period.

7. The method of maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 1 comprising coupling multiple performance parameters for different respective tasks and comparing the coupled multiple performance parameters to respective thresholds.

8. The method of maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 1 wherein the step of providing a performance threshold for each task of the plurality of tasks further comprises measuring a performance parameter of an exemplary agent in completing each task of the plurality of tasks.

9. The method of maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of tasks further comprises entry of bill and bill payment information from a plurality of customers into a billing computer.

10. The method of maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 9 wherein the measured parameter further comprises time for entry of each bill.

11. The method of maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 10 wherein the measured parameter further comprises errors per entered bill.

12. An apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent performing a plurality of tasks, such apparatus comprising:

a performance threshold for each task of the plurality of tasks;

means for monitoring at least some of the plurality of agent tasks to measure performance parameters of the agent in completing successive tasks of the plurality of tasks including the tasks of reciting information from at least some screens of a predetermined progression of screens;

means for automatically adjusting a respective performance threshold in response to a change in a parameter related to at least one of the successive tasks; and

means for notifying a supervisor when the measured performance parameters of the agent in performing the successive tasks exceeds the respective performance thresholds of the successive tasks of the plurality of tasks.

13. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 12 further comprising means for comparing the measured performance parameter of a task with the respective performance threshold of the task for each task of the plurality of tasks.

14. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 13 wherein the plurality of tasks parameter further comprises time between screens in a predetermined progression of screens.

15. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 12 wherein the plurality of tasks further comprises a single repetitive operation.

16. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 12 wherein the means for measuring a performance parameter further comprises means for detecting errors in the recited information of the at least some screens.

17. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 12 wherein the measured performance parameter further comprises sales per unit time period.

18. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 12 wherein the measured parameter further comprises errors per unit sale.

19. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 12 wherein the means for measuring the performance parameter further comprises means for measuring an average call handling time.

20. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 12 wherein the means for providing a performance threshold for each task of the plurality of tasks further comprises means for measuring a performance parameter of an exemplary agent in completing each task of the plurality of tasks.

21. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 12 wherein the plurality of tasks further comprises entry of bill and bill payment information from a plurality of customers into a billing computer.

22. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 21 wherein the measured parameter further comprises time for entry of each bill.

23. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 22 wherein the measured parameter further comprises errors per entered bill.

24. An apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of a plurality of agents performing a plurality of tasks, such apparatus comprising:

a performance threshold for each task of the plurality of tasks;

means for monitoring at least some of the plurality of agent tasks to measure performance parameters of each agent of the plurality of agents in completing successive tasks of the plurality of tasks including the task of reciting information from at least some screens of a predetermined progression of screens;

means for automatically adjusting the respective performance threshold in response to a change in parameter related to at least one of the successive tasks;

means for notifying a supervisor when the measured performance parameters of any agent of the plurality of agents in performing the successive tasks exceeds the respective performance thresholds of the successive tasks of the plurality of tasks; and

means for sorting the notifications to the supervisor based upon a relative magnitude by which the measured performance parameters exceeded the performance thresholds.

25. An apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent performing a plurality of tasks, such apparatus comprising:

a performance threshold for each task of the plurality of tasks;

a performance processor adapted to monitor at least some of the plurality of agent tasks to measure a performance parameters of the agent in completing successive tasks of the plurality of tasks including the tasks of reciting information from at least some screens of a predetermined progression of screens and adapted to automatically adjust a respective performance threshold in response to a change in a parameter related to at least one task; and

a display adapted to notify a supervisor when the measured performance parameters of the agent in performing the successive tasks exceeds the respective performance thresholds of the successive tasks of the plurality of tasks.

26. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 25 further comprising a comparator adapted to compare the measured performance parameter of a task with the respective performance threshold of the task for each task of the plurality of tasks.

27. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 26 wherein the plurality of tasks parameter further comprises time between screens in a predetermined progression of screens.

28. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 25 wherein the plurality of tasks further comprises a single repetitive operation.

29. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 25 wherein the performance processor for measuring a performance parameter further comprises word recognition software adapted to detect errors in the recited information of the at least some screens.

30. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of agent as in claim 25 wherein the measured performance parameter further comprises sales per unit time period.

31. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 25 wherein the measured parameter further comprises errors per unit sale.

32. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 25 wherein the means for measuring the performance parameter further comprises a timer adapted to measure an average call handling time.

33. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 25 wherein the performance threshold for each task of the plurality of tasks further comprises a measured performance parameter of an exemplary agent in completing each task of the plurality of tasks.

34. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 25 wherein the plurality of tasks further comprises entry of bill and bill payment information from a plurality of customers into a billing computer.

35. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 34 wherein the measured parameter further comprises time for entry of each bill.

36. The apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent as in claim 35 wherein the measured parameter further comprises errors per entered bill.

37. An apparatus for maintaining and improving a performance level of a plurality of agents performing a plurality of tasks, such apparatus comprising:

a performance threshold for each task of the plurality of tasks;

a performance processor adapted to monitor at least some of the plurality of agent tasks to measure performance parameters of each agent of the plurality of agents in completing successive tasks of the plurality of tasks including the tasks of reciting information from at least some screens of a predetermined progression of screens and adapted to automatically adjust the respective performance threshold in response to a change in parameter related to at least one task;

a display adapted to notify a supervisor when the measured performance parameters of any agent of the plurality of agents in performing the successive tasks exceeds the respective performance thresholds of the successive tasks of the plurality of tasks; and

a sorting processor adapted to sort the notifications to the supervisor based upon a relative magnitude by which the measured performance parameters exceeded the performance thresholds.