Waiting but not ready
First Claim
1. A method of distributing contacts to a plurality of resources in a contact center, comprising:
- (a) providing at least a first queue comprising contacts awaiting service by at least one resource of a contact center, wherein each of the contacts can wait in multiple queues simultaneously, and each of the contacts in each of the queues has a corresponding state, wherein a first state indicates that a contactor corresponding to the queued contact is ready to be serviced and a second state indicates at least one of an unwillingness of the contactor to be serviced and unavailability of the contactor for servicing; and
(b) applying the following rules to the contacts in the first queue;
(B1) when a first contact is at the head of a first queue and has a first state, assigning an available resource to serve the first contact; and
(B2) when the first contact is at the head of the first queue and has a second state different from the first state, not assigning an available resource to serve the first contact but assigning the available resource to serve a second contact in the first queue, the second contact having the first state and being later queued in the first queue than the first contact, the first contact remaining at the head of the queue until in the first state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is directed to a system for distributing contacts to a plurality of resources in a contact center, comprising at least one resource 104 for serving contacts 114; at least a first set 110 of contacts 114 awaiting service by the at least one resource 104, wherein each of the contacts in the first set 110 of contacts 114 has a corresponding state 140; and a selection agent 132 operable to assign a resource 104 to serve the contact 114 when a contact in the first set 110 of contacts has a first state and not assign the resource 104 to serve the contact 114 when a contact 114 in the first set of contacts 110 has a second state that is different from the first state. A state monitor 128 can be used to change the state of a contact between the first and second states.
183 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method of distributing contacts to a plurality of resources in a contact center, comprising:
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(a) providing at least a first queue comprising contacts awaiting service by at least one resource of a contact center, wherein each of the contacts can wait in multiple queues simultaneously, and each of the contacts in each of the queues has a corresponding state, wherein a first state indicates that a contactor corresponding to the queued contact is ready to be serviced and a second state indicates at least one of an unwillingness of the contactor to be serviced and unavailability of the contactor for servicing; and (b) applying the following rules to the contacts in the first queue; (B1) when a first contact is at the head of a first queue and has a first state, assigning an available resource to serve the first contact; and (B2) when the first contact is at the head of the first queue and has a second state different from the first state, not assigning an available resource to serve the first contact but assigning the available resource to serve a second contact in the first queue, the second contact having the first state and being later queued in the first queue than the first contact, the first contact remaining at the head of the queue until in the first state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for distributing contacts to a plurality of resources in a contact center, comprising:
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at least one resource for serving contacts; at least a first queue of contacts awaiting service by the at least one resource, wherein each of the contacts can wait in multiple queues simultaneously and each of the contacts in each of the queues has a corresponding state; and a selection agent operable to assign an available resource to serve a selected contact when the selected contact is at the head of the first queue and has a first state and not assign the resource to serve the selected contact when the selected contact is at the head of the first queue but has a second state different from the first state, wherein the first state indicates that a contactor corresponding to the selected contact is ready to be serviced and the second state indicates at least one of an unwillingness of the contactor to be serviced and unavailability of the contactor for servicing, and wherein, while the selected contact is in the second state, the selection agent advances a position of the selected contact in the first queue in the same manner as if the selected contact had the first state until such time that the first contact is at the head of the queue where the first contact remains until they are in the first state. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for distributing contacts to a plurality of resources in a contact center, comprising:
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(a) at least one resource to serve contacts; (b) at least a first queue of contacts awaiting service by the at least one resource, wherein each of the contacts can wait in multiple queues simultaneously and each of the contacts in each of the queues has a corresponding state, wherein a first state indicates that a contactor corresponding to a contact is ready to be serviced and a second state indicates at least one of an unwillingness of the contactor to be serviced and unavailability of the contactor for servicing; and (c) a selection agent operable to apply the following rules; (C1) when a first contact is at the head of a first queue and has a first state, assign an available resource to serve the first contact; and (C2) when the first contact is at the head of the first queue and has a second state different from the first state, not assign an available resource to serve the first contact but assign the available resource to serve a second contact in the first queue, the second contact having the first state and being later queued in the first queue than the first contact, the first contact remaining at the head of the queue until in the first state. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of distributing contacts to a plurality of resources in a contact center, comprising:
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(a) providing at least a first queue comprising contacts awaiting service by at least one resource of a contact center, wherein each of the contacts can wait in multiple queues simultaneously and each of the contacts in each of the queues has a corresponding state, wherein a first state indicates that a contactor corresponding to the queued contact is ready to be serviced and a second state indicates at least one of an unwillingness of the contactor to be serviced and unavailability of the contactor for servicing, and wherein a contactor and resource each have the ability to place the first contact in the second state to permit the customer and/or resource to perform a selected operation and later return the first contact to the first state when the selected operation has been performed; and (b) applying the following rules to the contacts in the first queue; (B1) when a first contact is at the head of a first queue and has a first state, assigning an available resource to serve the first contact; and (B2) when the first contact is at the head of the first queue and has a second state different from the first state, not assigning an available resource to serve the first contact but assigning the available resource to serve a second contact in the first queue, the second contact having the first state and being later queued in the first queue than the first contact, the first contact remaining at the head of the queue until in the first state. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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Specification