Work item relation awareness for agents during routing engine driven sub-optimal work assignments
First Claim
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1. A method for servicing contacts, comprising:
- (a) receiving a first contact from a first customer;
(b) identifying, a routing engine and contact selector, an optimal agent to service the first contact based on capabilities of the optimal agent and processing requirements of the first contact;
(c) selecting, by the routing engine and contact selector, a first agent to initially service the first contact in lieu of the optimal agent initially selected to service the first contact, wherein the first agent is a suboptimal selection for servicing the first contact; and
(d) performing at least one of the following substeps;
(d1) generating a notification at a suboptimal routing notification agent, the notification notifying the first agent that the optimal agent was not selected to initially service the first contact; and
(d2) after delivery of the first contact to the first agent, notifying the optimal agent that the first agent is the suboptimal selection for servicing the first contact and that the optimal agent is identified as optimal for initially servicing the first contact.
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a contact center 100 includes:
- (a) a queue 208 to contain a pointer to a first contact from a first customer;
- (b) a selector 220 to select a first agent to service the first contact, the first agent being a suboptimal selection for servicing the first contact and a second agent being an optimal selection for servicing the first contact; and
- (c) a routing notification agent 232 to notify the first agent that the second agent was the optimal selection for servicing the contact; and/or, after delivery of the first contact to the first agent, notify the second agent that the first agent is the suboptimal selection for servicing the contact and that the second agent is the optimal selection for servicing the contact.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for servicing contacts, comprising:
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(a) receiving a first contact from a first customer; (b) identifying, a routing engine and contact selector, an optimal agent to service the first contact based on capabilities of the optimal agent and processing requirements of the first contact; (c) selecting, by the routing engine and contact selector, a first agent to initially service the first contact in lieu of the optimal agent initially selected to service the first contact, wherein the first agent is a suboptimal selection for servicing the first contact; and (d) performing at least one of the following substeps; (d1) generating a notification at a suboptimal routing notification agent, the notification notifying the first agent that the optimal agent was not selected to initially service the first contact; and (d2) after delivery of the first contact to the first agent, notifying the optimal agent that the first agent is the suboptimal selection for servicing the first contact and that the optimal agent is identified as optimal for initially servicing the first contact. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A contact center, comprising:
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(a) a queue operable to contain a pointer to a first contact from a first customer; (b) an automated routing engine and contact selector operable to initially identify a second agent as an optimal selection for servicing the first contact, determine that the second agent is currently unavailable to service the first contact, and then select a first agent to at least initially service the first contact in lieu of the second agent and deliver the first contact to the first agent; and (c) a routing notification agent operable to perform at least one of the following operations; (c1) generate a notification which, when provided to the first agent, notifies the first agent that the agent and contact selector determined the second agent to be the optimal selection for servicing the contact; and (c2) after delivery of the first contact to the first agent, generate a notification which, when provided to the second agent, notifies the second agent that the first agent is a suboptimal selection for servicing the contact and that the second agent is the optimal selection for servicing the contact.
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20. A method for servicing contacts, comprising:
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(a) receiving a first contact from a first customer; (b) identifying, by a routing engine and contact selector, a second agent as an optimal selection for servicing the first contact; (c) determining, by the routing engine and contact selector, that the second agent is currently unavailable to service the first contact; (d) selecting, by the routing engine and contact selector, a first agent to at least initially service the first contact in lieu of the second agent; (e) delivering the first contact to the first agent; and (f) notifying the first customer that the first agent is the suboptimal selection and is currently available to service the first contact and that a second agent is the optimal selection and will be available to service the first contact after an additional waiting period. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification