System and method for calculating context-aware estimated wait time for customers

• US 9,172,810 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: McCormack, Tony, Dervan, Siobhn, D'Arcy, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S
• Application Number:
  US13/928,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20150003604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.1, 379/265.11, 379/265.14, 379/266.06, 379/265.12, 379/265.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2038 Call context notifications
• 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

An Estimated Wait Time (EWT) computing system for computing estimated wait time for customers in a contact center is provided. The EWT computing system includes an analysis module for analyzing each incoming contact to determine attributes corresponding to the incoming contact. The EWT computing system further includes a categorization module for categorizing the incoming contact based on the determined attributes and a past history of the incoming contact or similar contacts. The EWT computing system further includes a computing module for computing an estimated wait time for the incoming contact based on a category of the incoming contact and availability of suitable agents for handling the incoming contact. The EWT computing system further includes a reporting module for reporting the estimated wait time to the incoming contact.

Claims

1. An Estimated Wait Time (EWT) computing system to compute estimated wait time for customers in a contact center, the EWT computing system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, provide;

an analysis module configured to analyze each incoming contact to determine attributes corresponding to the incoming contact;

a categorization module configured to assign the incoming contact to a category of incoming contacts, based on the determined attributes and a past history of the incoming contact or a previous contact that shares an attribute with the incoming contact, the past history retrieved from the memory; and

a computing module configured to compute an estimated wait time for the incoming contact based on the category of the incoming contact and availability of suitable agents to handle the incoming contact, wherein suitability of an agent is determined by matching the category of the incoming contact with one of skill sets and past experiences of agents; and

a natural language processing (NLP) engine comprising;

a communication interface to receive the incoming contact;

a memory interface to couple the NLP engine to the memory; and

a processing interface to the analysis module,

wherein the NLP engine computes an accurate representation of a context and complexity of the incoming contact.

2. The EWT computing system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module analyzes the incoming contact based on at least one of email messages, web chats, text messages, sentiments on one or more social network and voice calls corresponding to the incoming contact.

3. The EWT computing system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module determines the attributes of the incoming contact by analyzing activities corresponding to selection of options, by the incoming contact, from an IVR menu of the contact center.

4. The EWT computing system of claim 1, wherein the determined attributes correspond to details and purpose of the incoming contact.

5. The EWT computing system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module further analyzes the context of the incoming contact.

6. The EWT computing system of claim 1 further comprising a database to store the one or more characteristics corresponding to each incoming contact, the one or more characteristics corresponding to the incoming contact comprise the determined attributes and activities corresponding to selection of options from an IVR menu corresponding to the contact center.

7. The EWT computing system of claim 1 further comprising a determination module configured to determine one or more suitable agents from a plurality of available agents in the contact center based on the determined attributes of the incoming contact.

8. The EWT computing system of claim 1, wherein the determination module matches the determined attributes of the incoming contact with skill sets of each of the plurality of available agents to select the suitable agents from the plurality of agents.

9. The EWT computing system of claim 8, wherein the determination module determines the suitable agents from the plurality of agents available at a time of receiving a request from the incoming contact.

10. The EWT computing system of claim 8, wherein one or more characteristics corresponding of the determined agents comprise skill sets of the determined agents, and an experience of past dealing with one or more contacts having attributes shared with the incoming contact.

11. The EWT computing system of claim 1, wherein the computing module computes the estimated wait time for the incoming contact based on a predicted handling time for the incoming contact.

12. The EWT computing system of claim 1 further comprising a reporting module configured to report the estimated wait time to the incoming contact.

13. A computer-implemented method to calculate context based estimated wait time for customers, the method comprising:

analyzing, by a processor coupled to a memory, each incoming contact to determine attributes corresponding to the incoming contact;

processing the incoming contact by a natural language processing (NLP) engine, the processing comprising;

receiving the incoming contact via a communication interface; and

retrieving attributes of previous similar contacts via a memory interface that couples the NLP engine to the memory;

wherein the NLP engine computes an accurate representation of a context and complexity of the incoming contact;

categorizing, by the processor, the incoming contact to a category of incoming contacts, based on the determined attributes and a past history of the incoming contact or a previous contact that shares an attribute with the incoming contact, the past history retrieved from the memory; and

computing, by the processor, an estimated wait time for the incoming contact based on the category of the incoming contact and availability of suitable agents to handle the incoming contact, wherein suitability of an agent is determined by matching the category of the incoming contact with one of skill sets and past experiences of agents.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the incoming contact is analyzed based on at least one of email messages, web chats, text messages, sentiments on one or more social network, and voice calls corresponding to the incoming contact.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the attributes of the incoming contact are determined by analyzing activities corresponding to selection of options, by the incoming contact, from an IVR menu of the contact center.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 further comprising storing one or more characteristics corresponding to each incoming contact, the one or more characteristics corresponding to the incoming contact comprise the determined attributes and activities corresponding to selection of options from an IVR menu corresponding to the contact center.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the suitable agents are determined from a plurality of available agents based on the determined attributes of the incoming contact.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 further comprising reporting the estimated wait time to the incoming contact.