Method and apparatus for customer key routing

• US 8,180,043 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Dezonno, Anthony J., Sumner, Roger A., Biggam, Sandy, Hodson, Jeffrey D., Moser, Mary Ellen, Hollatz, Mike, Wesen, Dave, Sheridan, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US11/006,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20080008309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,716 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.02, 379/265.1, 379/265.05, 379/265.11, 379/265.12, 379/266, 379/265.13, 379/266.01, 379/266.02
• US Class Current: 379/265.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method is provided for routing calls within an automatic contact distribution system comprising assessing at least two evaluators programmed to collect information about identified sets of attributes associated with a call. The system then initiates the collection of information to enable the evaluators to assign a value to those attributed for which information exists. A comparison is then performed of the values assigned to the attributes in each evaluator. The call is then routed to the agent selected by the comparison.

Claims

1. A method for routing calls within an automatic contact distribution system (ACD) that comprises the steps of:

accessing at least three different evaluators programmed to collect information for an associated call about at least three different respective identified sets of attributes including a customer evaluator defined by customer information, said customer evaluator programmed to collect customer information about an identified set of customer attributes relating to customers for at least some of the customers originating calls in to the ACD, a business evaluator defined by attributes of agents of the ACD, said business evaluator programmed to collect information about an identified set of business attributes relating to agents and to a business receiving calls on the ACD, and an environment evaluator defined by available equipment resources of the ACD, wherein equipment resources do not include agent availability and agent attribute said environmental evaluator programmed to collect information about an identified set of environmental attributes reflecting equipment resources available to handle calls on the ACD;

initiating for the associated call the collection of information enabling said evaluators to assign a value to those attributes for which information exists;

creating for the associated call a customer attribute score value based upon the collected customer attribute values, a business attribute score value based upon the business attribute values, and an environment attribute score value based upon the environmental attribute values;

performing a comparison of the customer attribute score value to the business attribute score value and the environment attribute score value using a selected one of a plurality of attribute matching algorithms for matching the attribute score values to select an agent where the selected algorithm is chosen based on resources bandwidth available to determine the match, and routing said call to the agent selected by said comparison.

2. The method of routing calls as in claim 1 further comprising collecting timing, and available processing capabilities of a match engine and, when available resources diminish, choosing the matching algorithm which uses less parameters for a looser match in order to require less resource bandwidth to determine the looser match and achieve a routing result.

3. The method of routing calls as in claim 2 wherein said customer evaluator collects information available about the customer and the customer'"'"'s account from internal and external sources and from the customer after the call is received by the ACD and wherein the attribute values are updated after each customer contact.

4. The method of routing calls as in claim 2, wherein one or more of the following occurs:

at least one of said customer attributes programmed into the customer evaluator are assigned a priority ranking in relationship to the other customer attributes;

at least one of said customer attributes programmed into said customer evaluator is assigned a weighted value; and

at least one of said customer attributes are assigned a dependency so that said dependant customer attributes can be linked as necessary to certain business or environmental attributes during said comparisons.

5. The method of routing calls as in claim 2, wherein one of more of the following occurs:

at least one of said business attributes programmed into the business evaluator is assigned a priority ranking in relationship to the other business attributes;

at least one of said business attributes programmed into said business evaluator is also assigned a weighted value;

at least one of said business attributes are assigned a dependency so that said dependent business attribute can be linked as necessary to certain customer or environment attributes during said comparison.

6. The method of routing calls as in claim 2, wherein one or more of the following occurs:

at least one of said environmental attributes programmed into said environmental evaluator is assigned a priority ranking in relationship to the other environmental attributes;

at least one of said environmental attributes programmed into said environmental evaluator is assigned a weighted value;

at least one of said environmental attributes is assigned a dependency so that said dependent environmental attribute can be linked as necessary to certain customer or business attributes during said comparison.

7. The method of routing calls within an automatic call distributor as in claim 2 wherein:

at least one of said customer attributes programmed into the customer evaluator may be assigned a priority ranking in relationship to the other customer attributes;

at least one of said attributes programmed into said customer evaluator may be assigned a weighted value;

at least one of said customer attributes may be assigned a dependency so that said customer attribute can be linked as necessary to certain business or environment attributes during said comparison;

at least one of said business attributes programmed into the business evaluator may be assigned a priority ranking in relationship to the other business attributes;

at least one of said business attributes programmed into said business evaluator is assigned a weighted value;

at least one of said business attributes may be assigned a dependency so that said business attribute can be linked as necessary to certain customer or environmental attributes during said comparison;

at least one of said environmental attributes programmed into the environmental evaluator may be assigned a priority ranking in relationship to the other environmental attributes;

at least one of said environmental attributes programmed into said environmental evaluator is assigned a weighted value;

at least one of said environmental attributes may be assigned a dependency so that said environmental attribute can be linked as necessary to certain customer or business attributes during said comparison.

8. The method of routing calls as in claim 2 wherein said comparison is made by evaluating the values assigned to the various customer, business and environmental attributes to locate compatible customer/agent/equipment matches.

9. The method of routing calls as in claim 7 wherein said comparison is made by evaluating the values assigned to the various customer, business and environmental attributes together with any priorities, weights and dependencies to locate compatible customer/agent/equipment matches.

10. The method of routing calls as in claim 2 or 7 wherein said comparison is made by an attribute matching engine that makes comparisons of the values assigned to the various customer, business and environmental attributes and any priorities, weights and dependencies associated with an attribute to locate compatible customer/agent/equipment matches.

11. The method of routing calls as in claim 2 or 7 wherein the attributes within one evaluator are given the highest priority during said comparison.

12. The method of routing calls within an automatic call distributor as in claim 2 or 7 wherein the selected matching algorithm uses less attributes and a more loose match to reduce required resource bandwidth when current routing load increases beyond current capacity.

13. An apparatus for routing calls within an automatic contact distribution system (ACD) comprising:

means for collecting customer information for an associated call about a preprogrammed set of customer attributes for use by a customer evaluator, said customer evaluator defined by customer information;

means for collecting information about a preprogrammed set of business attributes relating to a business receiving the associated call on the ACD for use by a business evaluator, said business evaluator defined by attributes of agents of the ACD;

means for collecting information about a preprogrammed set of environmental attributes reflecting equipment resources available to handle calls for use by an environment evaluator, said environmental evaluator defined by available equipment resources of the ACD wherein equipment resources do not include agent attributes and agent availability;

means for assigning a priority as required to said attributes within each evaluator;

means for giving a weighted value to at least one of said attributes within each evaluator;

means for assigning dependencies to certain attributes within each evaluator;

means for creating for the associated call a customer attribute score value based upon the customer attributes, priority, weighted value and dependencies, for creating a business attribute score value based upon the attribute, priority, weighted value, and dependencies, and for creating an environment attribute score value based upon the attribute, priority, weighted value, and dependencies; and

means for comparing for the associated call, the customer attribute score value to the business attribute score value and the environment attribute score value using a selected attribute matching algorithm for matching the attribute score values, the algorithm selected to use less attributes to form a more loose matching of the attribute scores in response to an increase in current transactions, to match a customer with a compatible available agent;

means for routing said call to the agent selected by the comparison.

14. An apparatus for routing calls as set forth in claim 13 further comprising:

means for determining available processing capabilities of a match engine for said comparison and for choosing the matching algorithm based upon the available match engine processing capabilities and current transaction load.

15. An apparatus for routing calls within an automatic contact distribution system (ACD) comprising:

at least one digital processor programmed to;

collect for an associated call information about a preprogrammed set of customer attributes for storage in at least a customer evaluator, where the customer evaluator is defined by customer information, and collect information about a set of business attributes relating to a business receiving the associated call for at least one business evaluator, where the business evaluator is defined by attributes of agents, and collect information about a set of environment attributes reflecting environmental resources available to handle calls for an environmental evaluator, where the environmental evaluator is defined by available equipment resources of the ACD which do not include agent availability;

assign values to the attributes for which information is available;

assign a priority as required to said attributes in said evaluators;

assign a weighted value as required to said attributes in said evaluators;

assign dependencies as required to certain attributes within each evaluator;

compare the values of any customer attributes including any assigned priority, dependencies, or weighted values against the business and environment attribute values together with any assigned priorities, weighted values or dependencies using a selected attribute matching algorithm, selected from a plurality of matching algorithms for matching the attributes, to match a customer with a compatible available agent; and

then rout the call to said agent.

16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 further comprising an attribute matching engine programmed to compare the values assigned to the attributes within the customer evaluator together with the priorities, weighted values and dependencies to the attribute values, priority, weighted values and dependencies within at least the business and environment evaluators to match a customer with a compatible available agent and wherein the selected matching algorithm compares less attribute values and performs a more loose match to reduce required resource bandwidth when current routing load increases beyond current capacity.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a digital processor programmed to determine matching engine processing capabilities available for said comparison and to select the attribute matching algorithm based upon the matching processing capabilities available and current transaction load.