Secret transfers in contact centers

• US 9,154,626 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Uba, Gene Masaru, Bland, Michael Alan, Steiner, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S
• Application Number:
  US13/836,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20140270138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 379/212.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

A microprocessor executable resource monitor operable to determine that a less skilled and/or qualified resource has been assigned to service a work item or is servicing the work item, wherein a more skilled and/or qualified resource exists but is not currently available to service the work item, monitor at least one of a level of service provided by the less qualified resource to the work item and/or a customer associated with the work item and an availability of the more skilled and/or qualified resource to service the work item, and, in response to the monitoring step and while the work item is being serviced, transfer the work item to the more skilled and/or qualified resource for servicing.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a microprocessor executable resource monitor, that a less skilled and/or qualified resource has been assigned to service a work item or is servicing the work item, wherein a more skilled and/or qualified resource exists but is not currently available to service the work item;

monitoring, by the resource monitor, at least one of a level of service provided by the less qualified resource to the work item and/or a customer associated with the work item and an availability of the more skilled and/or qualified resource to service the work item; and

in response to the monitoring step and while the work item is being serviced, transferring, by the resource monitor, the work item to the more skilled and/or qualified resource for servicing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer of the more skilled and/or qualified resource is hidden from the customer associated with the work item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the work item is a pseudo-real-time contact and wherein the less and more skilled and/or qualified resources are human agents.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the customer is presented with a screen name common to both the less and more skilled and/or qualified resources.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the resource monitor spoofs identifications of the less and more skilled and/or qualified resources.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the resource monitor creates a session identification for the servicing of the work item and associating the session identification with both the less and more skilled and/or qualified resources.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining, by the resource monitor and while the work item is being serviced by the less skilled and/or qualified resource, the work item in a tracking queue separate from a queue for work items awaiting servicing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring step monitors a level of service provided by the less qualified resource to the work item and/or a customer associated with the work item and transfers the work item to the more skilled and/or qualified resource for servicing when the level of service is unacceptable.

9. A non-transient, tangible computer readable medium comprising microprocessor executable instructions that, when executed, perform the steps of claim 1.

10. A system, comprising:

a microprocessor executable resource monitor operable to;

determine that a less skilled and/or qualified resource has been assigned to service a work item or is servicing the work item, wherein a more skilled and/or qualified resource exists but is not currently available to service the work item;

monitor at least one of a level of service provided by the less qualified resource to the work item and/or a customer associated with the work item and an availability of the more skilled and/or qualified resource to service the work item; and

in response to the monitoring step and while the work item is being serviced, transfer the work item to the more skilled and/or qualified resource for servicing.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the transfer of the more skilled and/or qualified resource is hidden from the customer associated with the work item.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the work item is a pseudo-real-time contact and wherein the less and more skilled and/or qualified resources are human agents.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the customer is presented with a screen name common to both the less and more skilled and/or qualified resources.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the resource monitor spoofs identifications of the less and more skilled and/or qualified resources.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the resource monitor creates a session identification for the servicing of the work item and associating the session identification with both the less and more skilled and/or qualified resources.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the resource monitor is further operable to:

maintain, while the work item is being serviced by the less skilled and/or qualified resource, the work item in a tracking queue separate from a queue for work items awaiting servicing.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the monitoring operation monitors a level of service provided by the less qualified resource to the work item and/or a customer associated with the work item and transfers the work item to the more skilled and/or qualified resource for servicing when the level of service is unacceptable.

18. A method, comprising:

in a contact center, routing, by a work assignment mechanism connected to at least one communication device by a communication network, a contact to at least one of a bulletin board and chat room;

receiving, via the communication network by the work assignment mechanism and via the at least one of a bulletin board and chat room, a communication from a customer associated with the work item;

determining, by the work assignment mechanism, at least one of a first set of skilled and/or qualified resources currently capable of responding to the communication and a second set of unskilled and/or unqualified resources currently capable of responding to the communication; and

enabling at least one of the first set of skilled and/or qualified resources to respond, via the at least one communication device, to the communication while blocking the members of the second set of unskilled and/or unqualified resources from responding to the communication.

19. A method, comprising:

transferring, by a work assignment mechanism connected to a first communication device and a second communication device by a communication network, a work item from a first resource utilizing the first communication device to a second resources utilizing the second communication device;

maintaining, by the work assignment mechanism, the transfer hidden from the customer associated with the work item; and

wherein the work item is a pseudo-real-time contact, wherein the first and second resources are human agents, and wherein the customer is presented with a screen name common to both the first and second resources.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the work assignment mechanism spoofs identifications of the first and second resources.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the work assignment mechanism creates a session identification for the servicing of the work item and associating the session identification with both the first and second resources.