Method of preference driven segmentation routing
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of assigning a plurality of live agents to a plurality of contacts that have been detected and are awaiting assignment within a contact distribution system, such method comprising:
- providing within the contact distribution system an ordered list of agent preferences for each respective contact of the plurality of contacts, the ordered list for each respective contact, including a preference ranking of each agent relative to each other agent representing a preference of the respective contact for being handled by each agent;
providing within the contact distribution system an ordered list of contact preferences for each respective agent of the plurality of agents, the ordered list of contact preferences for each respective agent selected by the respective agent and including a preference ranking of each contact relative to each other contact representing a preference of the respective agent to handle the contact; and
assigning an agent of the plurality of agents to a contact of the plurality of contacts based upon the preferences lists of both the contact and agent.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for assigning a plurality of agents to a plurality of contacts. The method includes the steps of providing an ordered list of agent preferences for each contact of the plurality of contacts, providing an ordered list of contact preferences for each agent of the plurality of agents and assigning an agent of the plurality of agents to a contact of the plurality of contacts based upon the preferences lists of both the contact and agent.
35 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method of assigning a plurality of live agents to a plurality of contacts that have been detected and are awaiting assignment within a contact distribution system, such method comprising:
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providing within the contact distribution system an ordered list of agent preferences for each respective contact of the plurality of contacts, the ordered list for each respective contact, including a preference ranking of each agent relative to each other agent representing a preference of the respective contact for being handled by each agent; providing within the contact distribution system an ordered list of contact preferences for each respective agent of the plurality of agents, the ordered list of contact preferences for each respective agent selected by the respective agent and including a preference ranking of each contact relative to each other contact representing a preference of the respective agent to handle the contact; and assigning an agent of the plurality of agents to a contact of the plurality of contacts based upon the preferences lists of both the contact and agent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of assigning a plurality of agents to a plurality of contacts that have been detected and are waiting assignment within a contact system distribution, such method comprising:
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a) providing an ordered list of agent preferences for each respective contact of the plurality of contacts, the ordered list for each respective contact including a preference ranking of each agent relative to each other agent representing a preference of the respective contact to be handled by each agent; b) providing an ordered list of contact preferences for each respective agent of the plurality of agents, the ordered list of contact preferences for each respective agent selected by the respective agent and including a preference ranking of each contact relative to each other contact representing a preference for handling the contact by the respective agent; c) selecting a selected contact from the plurality of contacts; d) selecting an agent with a highest relative preference from the ordered list of the selected contact; e) determining whether the selected agent has been previously assigned to another contact of the plurality of contacts; f) if the selected agent has been previously assigned to another contact, then determining whether the other contact has a lower relative preference in the preference list of the selected agent than the selected contact; and g) if so, then assigning the selected agent to the selected contact; h) if not, then selecting a next agent in the ordered list of the selected contact and repeating steps e-h substituting the selected next agent as the selected agent; and i) selecting a next contact of the plurality of contacts and repeating steps d-i substituting the selected next contact as the selected contact until an agent of the plurality of agents has been selected for each contact of the plurality of contacts. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for assigning a plurality of agents to a plurality of contacts awaiting assignment within the apparatus, such apparatus comprising:
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means for providing an ordered list of agent preferences for each respective contact of the plurality of contacts, the ordered list for each respective contact, including a preference ranking of each agent relative to each other agent as a preferred handling priority of the respective contact; means for providing an ordered list of contact preferences for each respective agent of the plurality of agents, the ordered list of contact preferences for each respective agent selected by the respective agent and including a ranking of each contact relative to each other contact as a preferred priority for the respective agent to handle the contact; means for assigning an agent of the plurality of agents to a contact of the plurality of contacts based upon the preferences lists of both the contact and agent. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An apparatus for assigning a plurality of agents to a plurality of contacts awaiting assignment to an agent within the apparatus, such apparatus comprising:
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an ordered list of agent preferences provided for each respective contact of the plurality of contacts, the ordered list for each respective contact, including a preference ranking of each agent relative to each other agent representing a preference of the respective contact for being handled by each agent; an ordered list of contact preferences provided for each respective agent of the plurality of agents, the ordered list of contact preferences for each respective agent selected by the respective agent and including a ranking of each contact relative to each other contact representing a preference for the respective agent to handle the contact; and an agent selection processor that assigns an agent of the plurality of agents to a contact of the plurality of contacts based upon the preferences lists of both the contact and agent.
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Specification