Systems and methods for managing multi-tenant callback services

• US 9,031,223 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Echopass Corp. (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Echopass Corp. (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Wes, Burdick, Derek, Sheppard, Wayne, Empey, Dennis, Tso, David
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US13/480,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20120321070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-26514, 37926601-2661, 379/309, 379/158, 379/201.01, 455/414.1, 455/415
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/424 Arrangements for automatic redialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5141 Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing multi-tenant callback services may be provided via a multi-tenant services integration platform. Several multi-tenant software as a service applications may be offered as a hosted software solution via the multi-tenant services integration platform. Various applications may deploy and support a shared tenant and shared services environment where there can be many different customers (companies and users) running in their own virtual partition from a single application instance. The applications may be multi-tenant aware and integrated into an administration portal which integrates several shared tenant services. The tenant model may allow for customized application configurations to be run from a single application instance. Further, improved methods for providing callback management, calculating estimated wait times, and providing for callback initiation may be integrated in such multi-tenant services.

Claims

1. A system for managing multi-tenant callback services for call centers comprising:

a processor;

a memory, wherein the memory has stored therein a callback application accessible to a plurality of call center tenants for managing callback to a plurality of customers of the call center tenants, the call back application providing a virtual partition for each of the plurality of tenants, the memory further storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive configuration data for each of the plurality of tenants;

associate the configuration data with the callback application;

receive requests from the plurality of customers, wherein each of the requests is a request to be connected to an agent resource of a tenant of the plurality of the tenants;

identify, for callback, a first customer of the plurality of customers transmitting a first one of the requests for a first tenant of the plurality of tenants;

identify, for callback, a second customer of the plurality of customers transmitting a second one of the requests for a second tenant;

invoke the callback application for managing callbacks for the first and second tenants according to the corresponding configuration data, wherein the callback application includes a single instance of call management services, and first and second queue instances for respectively the first and second tenants, the first and second queue instances each running in the virtual partition provided for respectively the first and second tenants;

invoke the single instance of call management services for monitoring position of the first customer in the first queue instance and position of the second customer in the second queue instance; and

invoke a callback to the first customer in response to the monitoring of the position of the first customer in the first queue instance; and

a media device coupled to the processor adapted to establish a connection with a communication device of the first customer in response to the invoked callback.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration data for the first tenant includes skill sets for the agent resources of the first tenant.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

calculate an expected wait time for the first customer.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a first formula is used to calculate the expected wait time if at least one call was answered during a particular sampling window, and a second formula different from the first formula is used to calculate the expected wait time if no call was answered during the particular sampling window.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first formula is configured to compute the expected wait time as a sum of an average speed of answer during the particular sampling window plus a number of calls currently in the first queue instance for a specific skill group.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the second formula is configured to compute the expected wait time based on an average speed of answer computed across a plurality of queues during the particular sampling window.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

invoke the single instance of the call management services for adjusting the first queue instance in real time without affecting the second queue instance.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual partitions are configured to provide separation between the first and second queue instances.

9. A method for managing multi-tenant callback services for call centers comprising:

receiving, by a processor, configuration data for each of a plurality of call center tenants;

associating, by the processor, the configuration data with a callback application;

receiving, by the processor, requests from the plurality of customers, wherein each of the requests is a request to be connected to an agent resource of a tenant of the plurality of the tenants;

identifying for callback, by the processor, a first customer of the plurality of customers transmitting a first one of the requests for a first tenant of the plurality of tenants;

identifying for callback, by the processor, a second customer of the plurality of customers transmitting a second one of the requests for a second tenant of the plurality of tenants;

invoking, by the processor, the callback application for managing callbacks for the first and second tenants according to the corresponding configuration data, the callback application providing a virtual partition for each of the first and second tenants, the callback application including a single instance of call management services, and first and second queue instances for respectively the first and second tenants, the first and second queue instances each running in the virtual partition provided for respectively the first and second tenants;

invoking, by the processor, the single instance of call management services for monitoring position of the first customer in the first queue instance and position of the second customer in the second queue instance;

invoking, by the processor, a callback to the first customer in response to the monitoring of the position of the first customer in the first queue instance; and

establishing, by a media device, connection with a communication device of the first customer in response to the invoked callback.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuration data for the first tenant includes skill sets for the agent resources of the first tenant.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

calculating, by the processor, an expected wait time for the first customer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a first formula is used to calculate the expected wait time if at least one call was answered during a particular sampling window, and a second formula different from the first formula is used to calculate the expected wait time if no call was answered during the particular sampling window.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first formula is configured to compute the expected wait time as a sum of an average speed of answer during the particular sampling window plus a number of calls currently in the first queue instance for a specific skill group.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second formula is configured to compute the expected wait time based on an average speed of answer computed across a plurality of queues during the particular sampling window.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further includes:

invoking, by the processor, the single instance of the call management services for adjusting the first queue instance in real time without affecting the second queue instance.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the virtual partitions are configured to provide separation between the first and second queue instances.