Multi-tasking tracking agent

• US 7,711,104 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Ziobro, Jill B., Hackbarth, Kenneth R., Flockhart, Andrew D., Kohler, Joylee E., Kiefhaber, Sarah Hildebrandt, Olmsted, Gary Edward, Hemm, Thomas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar; Ahmad F
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US10/946,638
• Time in Patent Office: 2,052 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.03, 379/265.07, 379/265.08, 379/265.09
• US Class Current: 379/265.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system for tracking a contact center operation. The system includes a tracking agent 232 operable to (a) receive a notification indicating a change in agent focus from a first work item to a second work item; (b) determine whether the first work item involves a communication medium different from the second work item; and (c) when the first work item involves a communication medium different from the second work item, cause termination of a timer with respect to the servicing of the first work item and initiation of a timer with respect to the servicing of the second work item. The first and second work items are concurrently assigned for servicing to the agent.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(a) providing a plurality of human agents to service a plurality of work items, the work items being in the form of contacts;

(b) selecting, by a processor, a first human agent;

(c) while the first human agent is servicing concurrently first and second work items on different communication media and involving different customers, determining, by a processor, a change in focus by the first human agent by at least one of the following indicators;

(C1) a cursor location on a display;

(C2) a cursor activity on the display;

(C3) an amount of voice energy generated by a communication device of the first agent; and

(C4) a type of voice energy being received by the agent'"'"'s communication device, wherein the first work item is a voice call and wherein the determination of step (c) that the first agent had a change in agent focus was made without input from the first agent;

(d) in response to detecting a change in agent focus, stopping a first timer of service time on the first work item and initiating a second timer of service time on a second work item, wherein, while the second timer is activated, the agent is speaking with a first customer on the first voice call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator is (C1).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator is (C2).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator is (C3).

5. A computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions operable, when executed by the computer, to perform the steps of claim 1.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator is (C4).

7. A method, comprising:

(a) while an agent is servicing simultaneously first and second work items on different communication media and involving different customers, detecting, by a processor, a change in agent focus by the agent from the first work item to the second work item, wherein the detection of change in agent focus is based on one or more of the following;

(i) cursor location on a display,

(ii) cursor activity on the display,

(iii) an amount of voice energy being transmitted from a communication device of the agent,

(iv) a type of voice energy being received by the agent'"'"'s communication device, and

(v) a movement of the agent;

(b) in response to detecting the change in agent focus, stopping, by a processor, a first timer of work time on servicing of the first work item and initiating a second timer of work on servicing of the second work item, wherein the first work item is a first voice call and wherein, while the second timer is activated, the agent is speaking with a first customer on the first voice call.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification and wherein the notification indicates the occurrence of (i).

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification and wherein the notification indicates the occurrence of (ii).

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

(c) in response to the occurrence of (i), causing, automatically, at least one of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and Telephone User Interface (TUI) of the agent to be returned automatically to a previous configuration associated with the second work item or turned to a different configuration associated with the second work item.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one of a GUI and TUI is returned to the previous configuration and wherein the previous configuration is a display of information previously displayed to the agent and is related to the second work item.

12. A computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions operable, when executed by the computer, to perform the steps of claim 7.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification and wherein the notification indicates the occurrence of at least one of (i) and (ii) and further comprising:

(c) while the agent is working on the first work item, identifying a cursor location and/or a cursor activity in a display or portion thereof associated with the second work item; and

(d) in response, generating the marker notification.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

(c) while the agent is working on the first work item and before work on the first work item has been completed, determining that the agent has previewed the second work item for a predetermined time, the first and second work items being concurrently assigned to the first human agent for servicing; and

(d) in response, generating the marker notification.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification and wherein the notification indicates the occurrence of (iii) and wherein the first work item is a voice call and further comprising:

(c) detecting, for a selected length of time, voice energy from only one node over the first communication medium, the only one node being associated with a contactor associated with the first work item;

(d) in response, generating the marker notification.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification and wherein the notification indicates the occurrence of (iv) and wherein the first work item is a voice call and further comprising:

(c) monitoring an amount and/or type of voice energy being transmitted and/or received by the agent while the agent is servicing the first work item;

(d) in response, generating the marker notification.

17. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

(c) while the agent is working on the first work item, restricting at least one of what can be done and viewed by the agent with respect to the second work item until the agent activates the second work item.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification, wherein the change in agent focus is determined based on (v) and further comprising:

(c) in response to receipt of the marker notification, at least one of placing, automatically, on hold the voice call and muting, automatically, a talk path of the voice call, the talk path extending from the agent to a customer, whereby the agent can hear the customer but the customer cannot hear the agent.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the agent, to resume the voice call, must, as appropriate, at least one of remove the call from on-hold status and unmute the talk path.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

(d) when at least one of the voice call is removed from on hold status and the talk path is unmuted, returning at least one of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and a Telephone User Interface (TUI) to a prior configuration associated with the first work item.

21. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

tracking an amount of time the agent has had more than one work item active.

22. The method of claim 7, wherein the agent did not indicate the change in agent focus.

23. A system, comprising:

a plurality of human agents to service work items;

a plurality of queues to receive work items awaiting service; and

a processor operable to;

(a) while an agent is servicing simultaneously first and second work items on different communication media and involving different customers, detect a change in agent focus by the agent from the first work item to the second work item, wherein the detection of change in agent focus is based on one or more of the following;

(i) cursor location on a display,

(ii) cursor activity on the display,

(iii) an amount of voice energy being transmitted from a communication device of the agent,

(iv) a type of voice energy being received by the agent'"'"'s communication device, and

(v) a movement of the agent,

wherein the first work item is a first voice call and wherein, while a second timer is activated, the agent is speaking with a first customer on the first voice call; and

(b) in response to detecting the change in agent focus, stop a first timer of work time on servicing of the first work item and initiating the second timer of work on servicing of the second work item.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification and wherein the notification indicates the occurrence of (i).

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification and wherein the notification indicates the occurrence of (ii).

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising the operation:

(c) in response to the occurrence of (i), cause, automatically, at least one of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and Telephone User Interface (TUI) of the agent to be returned to a previous configuration associated with the second work item or turned to a different configuration associated with the second work item.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one of a GUI and TUI is returned to the previous configuration and wherein the previous configuration is a display of information previously displayed to the agent and is related to the second work item.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification, wherein the notification indicates the occurrence of at least one of (i) and (ii) and further comprising the operations:

(c) while the agent is working on the first work item, identify a cursor location and/or a cursor activity in a display or portion thereof associated with the second work item; and

(d) in response, generate the marker notification.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification and further comprising the operations:

(c) while the agent is working on the first work item, identify a passage of a predetermined time before work on the second work item by the agent is indicated as being completed, the first and second work items being concurrently assigned to the first human agent for servicing; and

(d) in response, generate the marker notification.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification, wherein the notification indicates the occurrence of (iii) and further comprising the operation:

(c) detect, for a selected length of time, voice energy from only one node over the first communication medium, the only one node being associated with a contactor associated with the first work item;

(d) in response, generate the marker notification.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification, wherein the notification indicates the occurrence of at least one of (iii) and (iv) and further comprising the operation:

(c) monitor an amount and/or type of voice energy being transmitted and/or received by the agent while the agent is servicing the first work item;

(d) in response, generate the marker notification.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein the change in agent focus is indicated by a marker notification, wherein the notification indicates the occurrence of (v) and further comprising the operation:

(c) while the agent is working on the first work item, restrict at least one of what can be done and viewed by the agent with respect to the second work item until the agent activates the second work item.

33. The system of claim 23, further comprising the operation:

(c) in response to receipt of the marker notification, at least one of place, automatically, on hold the voice call and mute, automatically, a talk path of the voice call, the talk path extending from the agent to a customer, whereby the agent can hear the customer but the customer cannot hear the agent.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the agent, to resume the voice call, must, as appropriate, at least one of remove the call from on-hold status and unmute the talk path.

35. The system of claim 33, further comprising the operation:

(c) when at least one of the voice call is removed from on hold status and the talk path is unmuted, returning at least one of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and a Telephone User Interface (TUI) to a prior configuration associated with the first work item.

36. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor tracks an amount of time the agent has had more than one work item active.

37. The system of claim 23, wherein the agent did not indicate the change in agent focus.