Method and apparatus for identifying related contacts

• US 8,391,463 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Kiefhaber, Sarah H., Kohler, Joylee, Paddock, Henry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): AL AUBAIDI, RASHA S
• Application Number:
  US11/469,798
• Time in Patent Office: 2,377 Days
• Field of Search: 37920101-20102, 37926501-26502
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying related contacts in a contact center are provided. In particular, contacts that are initiated by an agent or other resource after an earlier contact has been placed on hold or while the agent or resource is in an after-contact work state are determined to be associated with the earlier contact. Accordingly, associations within contacts can be identified and recorded. Furthermore, the identification of associations between contacts can be performed without requiring explicit recognition of relationships between the content of different contacts, and without relying on an agent to make accurate reports regarding relationships between contacts.

Claims

1. A method for associating contacts, comprising:

one of receiving and initiating a first contact at a first contact center;

assigning the first contact to a first resource;

recording information related to the first contact;

the first resource taking a first action including one of;

a) placing the first contact on hold, or b) terminating the first contact and entering an after-contact work state associated with the terminated first contact;

after taking the first action, and while the first contact is on hold or while the first resource is in an after-contact work state associated with termination of the first contact, the first resource initiating the establishment of a second contact; and

recording information related to the second contact, wherein, in response to the first resource initiating the establishment of a second contact while the first contact is on hold or while the first resource is in the after-contact work state following termination of the first contact, the first and second contacts are indicated as being related to one another, and wherein an indication that the first and second contacts are related to one another is included in the recorded information related to the first contact and the recorded information related to the second contact.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first resource places the first contact on hold, and wherein the first resource then establishes the second contact while the first contact is on hold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first contact comprises a voice telephony call.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first contact comprises an exchange of textual information, and wherein placing the first contact on hold includes the first resource temporarily suspending the entry of textual information by at least the first resource in connection with the first contact.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first contact is terminated, wherein the first resource enters an after-contact work state, and wherein the first resource establishes the second contact while in the after-contact work state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second contact comprises an internal communication with a second resource.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second contact comprises an external communication with a second resource.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first resource taking a second action including one of a) placing the second contact on hold, or b) terminating the second contact and entering an after-contact work state;

after taking the second action, the first resource establishing a third contact; and

recording information related to the third contact, wherein the first, second and third contacts are indicated as being related to one another.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a first identifier to said first and second contacts.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first resource establishing a second contact includes the first resource communicating with a second resource, the method further comprising:

the second resource establishing a third contact; and

recording information related to the third contact, wherein the first, second and third contacts are indicated as being related to one another.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first resource comprises an agent, and wherein the agent is not allowed to modify the recorded information.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a report, wherein said report indicates said first and second contacts as being related to one another.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said first contact is received at the contact center from a first network, and wherein the second contact is placed over a second network.

14. A system for recording information related to a call center, comprising:

a plurality of workstations, wherein at least some of the workstations are each associated with at least one of the agents, wherein each workstation can initiate and receive contacts, and wherein each workstation can at least one of;

a) place a contact on hold, or b) allow an associated agent to select an after-contact work state after a contact has been terminated;

a contact distribution system interconnected to the plurality of workstations and to at least a first communication network, wherein the contact distribution system at least one of receives incoming contacts from and places outgoing contacts on the at least a first communication network, wherein the contact distribution system assigns or attempts to assign each incoming or outgoing contact to an agent at a workstation, and wherein the contact distribution system collects information related to each incoming or outgoing contact;

data storage; and

a related contact identification server interconnected to the contact distribution system, wherein information related to each incoming or outgoing contact collected by the contact distribution system is received by the related contact identification server, wherein the related contact identification server determines that a first workstation included in the plurality of workstations has initiated a second contact while a first contact assigned to the first workstation is one of;

a) placed on hold, or b) terminated and associated with an after-contact work state, and wherein, in response to the related contact identification server determining that the first workstation has initiated a second contact while the first contact is one of placed on hold or terminated and associated with an after-contact work state, the related contact identification server stores information including the association of the contact initiated from the first workstation and the incoming or outgoing contact in the data storage.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the related contact identification server is integral to the call distribution system.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the contact comprises a voice telephony call, wherein the first communication network comprises the public switched telephony network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the workstations include a voice telephone.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the call distribution system is interconnected to the workstations by a second network.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the contact comprises an exchange of messages comprising text.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, comprising:

instructions for interfacing a plurality of agent work stations with a communication network;

instructions for receiving or initiating contacts in connection with communication endpoints;

instructions for placing agents the agent workstations in communication with said communication endpoints external to said contact center;

instructions for selecting one of the agent workstations to handle a contact received at or initiated from said contact center, wherein in response to a first contact, said instructions for selecting one of the agent workstations operate to assign said first contact to a first of the agent workstation;

instructions for collecting information related to said first contact;

instructions for associating a second contact initiated from said first agent workstation, wherein said first and second contacts are determined to be associated with one another in response to said initiation of said second contact while said first contact is on hold or when said second contact is initiated as the next action taken at the first agent workstation following the selection of an after-contact work state at said first agent workstation, and wherein said first and second contacts are recorded as being associated with one another by the creation of at least a first record indicating that said first and second contacts are related to one another.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein said second contact comprises a contact placed to a second agent workstation.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein said first contact is initiated by a first communication endpoint, and wherein said second contact comprises a contact placed to a second communication endpoint.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

instructions for recording said association between said first and second contacts.