System and method for automated call distribution

• US 8,848,898 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jay, Jon R., Dashe, Jeremy A., Lin, Yung-Chun, Macfarlane, Kenneth C., Stone, Eric S., Sharpe, Paul, Glissmeyer, Nate
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US12/390,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20090154688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.09, 379/266.01
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/405 Competitive bidding for work items
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6018 Subscriber or terminal logon/logoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5125 with remote located operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems

Abstract

Aspects of systems and methods for maintaining and operating agent nodes are provided. In some embodiments, calls, contacts, and other work units may be routed to individual customer service agents via a centralized queue based on a variety of factors. Some embodiments may provide market-based call pricing and customer service agent compensation.

Claims

1. A system for identifying agents to whom incoming calls from users are automatically distributed, the system comprising:

a data store that maintains information related to at least one of user history information, user identity information, agent capability information, system operation information, and incoming call information; and

a computing device in communication with the data store, the computing device operative to;

maintain a group of agents qualified to process an incoming call based upon at least one of system operation information and agent capability information maintained in the data store; and

identify an agent to whom the incoming call is to be distributed from the group of agents qualified to process the incoming call, the identification based at least in part on information related to at least one of the user history information, user identity information, agent capability information, system operation information, and incoming call information maintained in the data store

wherein the agent capability information of the selected agent comprises utilization information for the group of agents determined based at least in part on the availability of each agent within the group of agents to process the incoming call, and

wherein agents in the group of agents are ranked in a preferred selection order.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the agent capability information comprises at least one of agent history information and agent skills information;

and wherein the information related to the incoming call comprises at least one of call history information and call identity information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the agent history information comprises a previous history between the user and the agent.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the agent history information comprises feedback associated with the agent.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further operative to provide information regarding at least one of user history information, user identity information, and incoming call information to the agent to whom the incoming call is to be distributed.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the information is provided to the agent while the agent is processing the incoming call.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further operative to enable an agent to indicate the agent'"'"'s availability to process an incoming call.

8. A computer-implemented method for identifying agents to whom incoming calls from users are to be routed in a call distribution system, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving information relating to an incoming call from a user;

selecting an available agent in an agent node to process the incoming call, wherein the agent node comprises a group of agents qualified to process the incoming call based upon at least one of information related to operation of the call distribution system and information regarding capabilities of respective agents, and wherein the agent is selected from the group of agents qualified to process the incoming call based at least in part on information related to at least one of the user, the capabilities of the selected agent, the operation of the call distribution system and the incoming call; and

providing instructions to route the incoming call to the selected agent;

wherein the information related to the capabilities of the selected agent comprises utilization information for the agent node determined based at least in part on the availability of each agent within the agent node to process the incoming call, and

wherein the agents in the agent node are ranked in a preferred selection order.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the information related to the capabilities of the agent comprises a profile for the agent.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the utilization information for the agent node is determined based at least in part on at least one of agent node availability, agent node capacity, and an agent node utilization target.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the information related to the user comprises a type of the user initiating the incoming call.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the information related to the incoming call comprises a skill associated with the incoming call.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising gathering metrics related to the incoming calls and the agent node.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising providing information related to at least one of the user, and the incoming call to the selected agent.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the information is provided to the selected agent while the selected agent is processing the incoming call.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising providing an agent with a selectable control to indicate the agent'"'"'s availability to process an incoming call.

17. A system for identifying available agents to process incoming calls, the system comprising:

a data store that maintains information relating to an incoming call from a user; and

a relationship manager operable to identifying an available agent in an agent node to process the incoming call, wherein the agent node comprises a group of agents qualified to process the incoming call based upon at least one of information related to operation of the system and information regarding capabilities of respective agents obtained from the data store, and wherein the agent is identified from the group of agents qualified to process the incoming call based at least in part on information obtained from the data store that is related to at least one of the user, the capabilities of the identified agent, the operation of the system, and the incoming call; and

instructing that the incoming call be assigned to the available agent;

wherein the information related to the capabilities of the identified agent comprises utilization information for the agent node determined based at least in part on the availability of each agent within the agent node to process the incoming call, and

wherein the agents in the group of agents are ranked in a preferred selection order.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the call comprises previous interactions between the agent and the user.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the user comprises a geographic location of the user.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the user comprises behavior of the user.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the user comprises voice analysis of the user.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the user comprises purchase history of the user.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the call comprises a skill associated with the incoming call.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the utilization information for the agent node is determined based at least in part on at least one of agent node availability, agent node capacity, and an agent node utilization target.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the capabilities of the agent comprises a profile associated with the agent.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the incoming call comprises a type of the user initiating the incoming call.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the information related to the capabilities of the agent comprises a type of the agent.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein the relationship manager is further operable to cause information about the incoming call to be provided to the available agent.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the information is provided to the available agent via a user interface component displayed to the available agent.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the information is provided to the available agent via a whisper.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein the relationship manager is further operable to enable analysis of recorded calls for information related to at least one of the incoming call and the user.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein the relationship manager generates metrics related to incoming calls.

33. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-executable components for automatically selecting agents capable of processing calls in a call distribution system, the computer-executable components comprising:

a relationship manager component that;

associates an incoming call with an agent in an agent node from a group of agents qualified to process the incoming call, wherein the call is initiated by a user, wherein the agent node comprises a group of agents qualified to process the incoming call based upon at least one of information related to operation of the call distribution system and information regarding capabilities of respective agents, and wherein the association is based at least in part on information related to at least one of user history information, user identity information, the capabilities of the agent, the operation of the call distribution system and the incoming call; and

automatically instructs the incoming call to be assigned to the agent for processing; and

a user interface component that enables the agent to indicate the agent'"'"'s availability to process the incoming call;

wherein the capabilities of the agent comprises utilization information for the agent node determined based at least in part on the availability of each agent within the agent node to process the incoming call, and

wherein the information related to the incoming call comprises at least one of a skill associated with the incoming call and a duration that the incoming call has been active.

34. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the information related to the capabilities of the agent comprises at least one of an allocation of the agent'"'"'s agent node, a profile associated with the agent and a type of the agent.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the information related to the user comprises a type of the user.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the user interface component generates a user interface control that, when selected by the agent, indicates the agent'"'"'s availability to the relationship manager component.

37. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the user interface component causes information about the incoming call to be provided to the agent.

38. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the relationship manager enables monitoring of calls.