Playing expected wait time on agent's notification

• US 8,744,063 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Nimmagadda, Krishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US13/648,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20130034226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.03, 379/265.04, 379/265.05, 379/265.06, 379/265.07, 379/265.08, 379/265.09, 379/265.1, 379/265.11, 379/265.12, 379/265.13, 379/265.14, 379/266.01, 379/266.02, 379/266.03, 379/266.04, 379/266.05, 379/266.06, 379/266.07, 379/266.08, 379/266.09, 379/266.1
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing estimated wait times are provided. More particularly, an estimated wait time is calculated based at least in part on agent availability information entered by the agent. The agent availability information may be obtained from the agent through a user interface provided by a contact center communication device. The user interface may include soft keys. In addition, the estimated wait time can be provided to client communication devices.

Claims

1. A system for supporting voice communications, comprising:

a plurality of agent communication devices, including;

a first agent interface;

a switch, including;

a processor;

memory;

application programming comprising instructions executed by the processor, wherein at least a first call control button is presented to a first agent associated with the first agent interface, wherein an estimated wait time for a first work item is updated in response to an indication of a time to availability input by the first agent through selection of the first call control button, and wherein the first call control button specifies an expected call duration as a predefined amount of time or as an amount of time specified by the first agent as a numeric input.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein first agent interface includes a visual display that presents a plurality of soft keys.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a communication network interconnected to the switch;

a plurality of user devices, wherein at least a first user device in the plurality of user devices is interconnected to the switch by the communication network, wherein the first user device is associated with a first work item, and wherein the first revised estimated work item is provided to the first user device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the application programming includes a resource status module, wherein the resource status module includes instructions executed by the processor for updating an estimated wait time.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the application programming includes a call routing engine.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first call control button includes a numeric input field, and wherein the expected call duration is entered by the first agent as a numeric input in the numeric input field.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the numeric input is in units of minutes.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first work item is placed in a first queue and wherein the first work item is received from a communication network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein, while the first work item is in the first queue, the application programming receives a first indication from a second agent of a time to availability of the second agent;

wherein in response to receiving the indication from the second agent of a time to availability of the second agent, the application programming calculates a further revised estimated wait time for the first work item that considers the indication of a time to availability received from the second agent, wherein the further revised estimated work time that considers the indication of a time to availability received from the second agent is calculated after the revised estimated wait time for the first work item that considers the indication of a time to availability received from the first agent, and wherein the application programming communicates the further revised estimated wait time to the user associated with the first work item.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the application programming:

receives a second work item from a communication network;

places the second work item in the first queue, wherein the first work item and the second work item are in the first queue simultaneously;

calculates an estimated wait time for the second work item in the first queue;

receives one of a second indication from the first agent or a first indication from a second agent of a time to availability of the one of the first agent or the second agent;

in response to receiving the indication from one of the first agent or the second agent of a time to availability, calculates a revised estimated wait time for the second work item that considers the indication of a time to availability received from the one of the first agent and the second agent; and

communicates the updated estimated wait time to a user associated with the second work item.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the application programming requests from the first agent an indication of a time to availability of the first agent.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the application programming receives from the first agent an indication of a time to availability in response to the request for an indication of a time to availability.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first agent is handling a call in progress when the first agent provides the indication of a time to availability, and wherein the first agent specifies a time to availability in response to the request.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein, in response to the request for an indication of a time to availability, the application programming receives, from the first agent, an indication that the first agent is in a wrap-up state.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein, in response to the request for an indication of a time to availability, the application programming receives, from the first agent, an indication that the first agent is in an auxiliary state.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the indication of a time to availability of the first agent includes a period of time specified by the first agent.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the application programming requesting from the first agent an indication of a time to availability includes displaying a user interface to the first agent, wherein the user interface includes a soft button for accepting an indication from the first agent of a time to availability of the first agent.