Playing expected wait time on agent's notification
First Claim
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1. A method for estimating a wait time, comprising:
- receiving a first work item at a server;
calculating by the server an estimated wait time for the first work item;
receiving at the server a first indication from a first agent of a time to availability of the first agent, wherein the first indication from the first agent of a time to availability of the first agent includes a numeric value;
receiving at the server a first indication from the first agent of at least one of a call type and a call state of a current call;
in response to receiving the first indication from the first agent of a time to availability of the first agent and further in response to receiving the first indication from the first agent of the at least one of a call type and a call state of a current call, calculating by the server a revised estimated wait time for the first work item, wherein the calculation of the revised estimated wait time considers the first indication from the first agent of a time to availability of the first agent and considers the first indication from the first agent of the at least one of a call type and a call state of a current call;
communicating the revised estimated wait time to a user associated with the first work item.
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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.
16 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for estimating a wait time, comprising:
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receiving a first work item at a server; calculating by the server an estimated wait time for the first work item; receiving at the server a first indication from a first agent of a time to availability of the first agent, wherein the first indication from the first agent of a time to availability of the first agent includes a numeric value; receiving at the server a first indication from the first agent of at least one of a call type and a call state of a current call; in response to receiving the first indication from the first agent of a time to availability of the first agent and further in response to receiving the first indication from the first agent of the at least one of a call type and a call state of a current call, calculating by the server a revised estimated wait time for the first work item, wherein the calculation of the revised estimated wait time considers the first indication from the first agent of a time to availability of the first agent and considers the first indication from the first agent of the at least one of a call type and a call state of a current call; communicating the revised estimated wait time to a user associated with the first work item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17)
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13. A contact center, comprising:
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a plurality of contact center communication devices, including; an agent interface operable to receive at least first input from a first agent related to an availability of the first agent; a server in communication with the plurality of contact center communication devices, the server including; at least a first queue established in memory on the server; a call routing engine comprising instructions executed by a processor included in the server, wherein at least some work items are routed to the at least a first queue, wherein first input from the first agent related to an availability of the first agent includes a time value that is entered by the first agent and communicated from a first one of the plurality of contact center communication devices to the server, wherein second input from the first agent related to at least one of a call type and a call state of a current call is entered by the first agent and communicated from the first state one of the plurality of contact center communication devices to the server, wherein an estimated wait time is calculated for at least one work items included in the work items routed to the at least a first queue, and wherein the first input from the first agent related to an availability of the first agent and the second input from the first agent related to at least one of a call type and a call state of a current call is used to calculate the estimated wait time for the at least one work item. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification