Precalculated caller-agent pairs for a call center routing system

• US 8,699,694 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afiniti Ltd
• Original Assignee: Satmap International Holdings, Ltd.
• Inventors: Chishti, Zia, Spottiswoode, S. James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): ISLAM, MOHAMMAD K
• Application Number:
  US12/869,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20120051537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 3792651-2661
• US Class Current: 379/265.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for preprocessing caller-agent pairs in a contact routing center, along with an intelligent routing system. A method includes determining at least one agent data for each agent of a set of agents, determining at least one caller data for each caller of a set of callers, and determining a score for each possible caller-agent pair of the set of agents and the set of callers using the agent data and the caller data in a pattern matching algorithm. The scores for each possible caller-agent pair may then be stored, e.g., in a look-up table, for retrieval, where matching a caller of the set of callers to an agent of the set of agents is based on the previously determined or calculated scores. For example, the caller-agent pair having the best score of all potential caller-agent pairs may be connected.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for pre-processing caller-agent pairs in a call-center routing environment, the method comprising the acts of:

determining, by one or more computers, at least one agent data for each agent of a set of agents, wherein the agent data comprises one or more of demographic data or psychographic data;

determining, by the one or more computers, at least one caller data for each potential future caller of a set of potential future callers selected based on one or more criteria, wherein the caller data comprises one or more of demographic data or psychographic data;

determining for each of the selected potential future callers, by the one or more computers, multiple scores, with each of the scores comprising a score for the respective potential future caller paired with a different one of the agents in the set of agents to obtain respective scores for different caller-agent pairs for the respective future caller using the agent data and the caller data in a multi-data element pattern matching algorithm that matches at least one or more of demographic data or psychographic data, to increase the chance of an optimal interaction;

storing, by the one or more computers, the determined scores for caller-agent pairs;

obtaining, by the one or more computers, call connections to a set of callers including to one of the potential future callers;

retrieving, by the one or more computers, the scores for multiple of the caller-agent pairs for the one potential future caller; and

matching, by the one or more computers, the call connection to the one potential future caller to one of the agents based at least in part on the stored scores of caller-agent pairs retrieved for the one potential future caller.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the scores for caller-agent pair in a look-up table.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining caller data comprises retrieving caller data from a database based on the phone number of the caller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining caller data comprises retrieving average caller data for a group of phone numbers including the phone number of the caller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller data is determined from a commercial database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the caller data further comprises determining the caller'"'"'s account number.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the caller data comprises determining a type of phone associated with the caller.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the type of phone is determined from Billing Telephone Number (BTN) data associated therewith.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the type of phone comprises one or more selected from the group of a residential phone number, mobile phone number, and business phone number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the agent data comprises demographic data, wherein the demographic data comprises one or more of gender, race, age, education, accent, income, nationality, ethnicity, area code, zip code, region, marital status, job status, or credit score.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller data comprises demographic data, wherein the demographic data comprises one or more of gender, race, age, education, accent, income, nationality, ethnicity, area code, zip code, region, marital status, job status, or credit score.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more criteria is age.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more criteria is gender.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more criteria is selected from the group of a range of house value, and a range of income.

15. A system for routing callers to agents in a call center routing environment, comprising:

one or more computers configured with program code, that when executed, performs the step;

determining, by the one or more computers, at least one agent data for each agent of a set of agents, wherein the agent data comprises one or more of demographic data or psychographic data;

determining, by the one or more computers, at least one caller data for each potential future caller of a set of potential future callers, selected based on one or more criteria, wherein the caller data comprises one or more of demographic data or psychographic data;

determining for each of the selected potential future callers, by the one or more computers, multiple scores, with each of the scores comprising a score for the respective potential future caller paired with a different one of the agents in the set of agents to obtain respective scores for different caller-agent pairs for the respective future caller using the agent data and the caller data in a multi-data element pattern matching algorithm that matches at least one or more of demographic data or psychographic data, to increase the chance of an optimal interaction;

storing, by the one or more computers, the determined scores for each possible caller-agent pair;

obtaining, by the one or more computers, call connections to a set of callers including to one of the potential future callers;

retrieving, by the one or more computers, the scores for multiple of the caller-agent pairs for the one potential future caller; and

matching, by the one or more computers, the call connection to the one potential future caller to one of the agents based at least in part on the stored scores of caller-agent pairs retrieved for the one potential future caller.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising logic for storing the score for each possible caller-agent pair in a look-up table.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein determining caller data comprises retrieving caller data from a database based on the phone number of the caller.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein determining caller data comprises retrieving average caller data for a group of phone numbers including the phone number of the caller.

19. The system apparatus of claim 15, wherein determining the caller data comprises determining a type of phone associated with the caller.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the type of phone is determined from Billing Telephone Number (BTN) data associated therewith.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the type of phone comprises one or more selected from the group of a residential phone number, mobile phone number, and business phone number.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein one of the one or more criteria is age.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein one of the one or more criteria is gender.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein one of the one or more criteria is selected from the group of a range of house value, and a range of income.

25. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions for carrying out, when executed by one or more computers, the method of:

determining, by the one or more computers, at least one agent data for each agent of a set of agents wherein the agent data comprises one or more of demographic data or psychographic data;

determining, by the one or more computers, at least one caller data for each potential future caller of a set of potential future callers, selected based on one or more criteria, wherein the caller data comprises one or more of demographic data or psychographic data

determining for each of the selected potential future callers, by the one or more computers, multiple scores, with each of the scores comprising a score for the respective potential future caller paired with a different one of the agents in the set of agents to obtain respective scores for different caller-agent pairs for the respective future caller using the agent data and the caller data in a multi-data element pattern matching algorithm that matches at least demographic data, to increase the chance of an optimal interaction;

storing, by the one or more computers, the determined scores for each possible caller-agent pair;

obtaining, by the one or more computers, call connections to a set of callers including to one of the potential future callers;

retrieving, by the one or more computers, the scores for multiple of the caller-agent pairs for the one potential future caller; and

matching, by the one or more computers, the call connection to the one potential future caller to one of the agents based at least in part on the stored scores of caller-agent pairs retrieved for the one potential future caller.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein one of the one or more criteria is age.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein one of the one or more criteria is gender.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein one of the one or more criteria is selected from the group of a range of house value, and a range of income.