Prioritize contact numbers of customers in real time

• US 9,258,424 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Talapady, Shailesh, Bawge, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S
• Application Number:
  US13/902,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20140348318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266.07, 379/266.08, 379/265.09
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/402 Agent or workforce management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/432 Arrangements for calling a subscriber at a specific time, e.g. morning call service
• 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 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

A microprocessor executable contact manager operable to determine, for selected different types of customer communication devices, a likelihood of contacting successfully a customer at a respective type of customer communication device and select, based on the likelihood, an order and/or sequence in which to contact customer communication devices of the different customer communication device types.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a microprocessor executable contact manager of a contact center, for multiple selected customers, each customer having multiple different types of customer communication devices, and for each of the multiple different types of customer communication devices, one or more of a success rate for contacting a customer at a corresponding type of customer communication device and a probability of contacting successfully the customer at the corresponding type of customer communication device; and

selecting, by the microprocessor executable contact manager and based on one or more of the determined success rate for contacting a customer at the corresponding type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the corresponding type of customer communication device, an order in which to contact customer communication devices of different device types, including the corresponding types of customer communication devices, of other customers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a dialer places the contacts to customer communication devices of the different device types based on the selected order, wherein the different device types correspond to a common grouping of customers and/or customer communication devices, and wherein the different device types are plural of home telephone, business telephone, cellular telephone, and pager.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the common grouping corresponds to one or more of a geopolitical and geocultural geographical area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the different device types has a corresponding one or more of the determined success rate for contacting a customer at the selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device and wherein the order is based on the relative magnitudes of the one or more of the determined success rate for contacting a customer at the selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device.

5. A method, comprising:

determining, by a microprocessor executable contact manager of a contact center and for a selected type of customer communication device, one or more of a success rate for contacting a customer at the selected type of customer communication device and a probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device; and

selecting, by the microprocessor executable contact manager and based on one or more of the determined success rate for contacting a customer at the selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device, an order in which to contact customer communication devices of different device types including the selected type of customer communication device, wherein the success rate is defined by;

P (device type)=S (device type)*W (device type), where P (device type) is a probability of contacting a customer at a selected customer communication device, S is the success rate for contacting the customer at the selected type of customer communication device, and W is a weighting factor for the selected device type.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the weighting factor is a function of one or more of whether a current time corresponds to a weekend, whether the current time corresponds to a holiday, whether the current time corresponds to a business day, whether the current time corresponds to a business hour of a business day, and a grouping identifier corresponding to a grouping of customers and/or customer communication devices and associated with the selected device type and/or customer communication device.

7. A tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium comprising microprocessor executable instructions that, when executed by the microprocessor of a contact center, perform steps comprising:

determining, for multiple customers, each customer having multiple different types of customer communication devices, and for the multiple types of customer communication devices, a likelihood of contacting successfully a customer at a respective type of customer communication device; and

selecting, based on the likelihood and for other customers, an order and/or sequence in which to contact customer communication devices of the different customer communication device types.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the likelihood for a selected customer communication device type is one or more of a success rate for contacting a customer at a selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device, wherein a dialer places the contacts to customer communication devices of the different customer communication device types based on the selected order, wherein the different customer communication device types correspond to a common grouping of customers and/or customer communication devices, and wherein the different customer communication device types are plural of home telephone, business telephone, cellular telephone, and pager.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the common grouping corresponds to one or more of a geopolitical and geocultural geographical area.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the likelihood for a selected customer communication device type is one or more of a success rate for contacting a customer at a selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device and wherein the order and/or sequence is based on the relative magnitudes of the one or more of the determined success rate for contacting the selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the selected type of customer communication device.

11. A non-transient, tangible computer readable medium comprising microprocessor executable instructions that, when executed by the microprocessor of a contact center, perform steps comprising:

determining, for selected different types of customer communication devices, a likelihood of contacting successfully a customer at a respective type of customer communication device; and

selecting, based on the likelihood, an order and/or sequence in which to contact customer communication devices of the different customer communication device types, wherein the likelihood for a selected customer communication device type is one or more of a success rate for contacting a customer at a selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device and wherein the probability is defined by;

P (device type)=S (device type)*W (device type), where P (device type) is a probability of contacting a customer at a selected customer communication device, S is the success rate for contacting the selected type of customer communication device, and W is a weighting factor for the selected device type.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the weighting factor is a function of one or more of whether a current time corresponds to a weekend, whether the current time corresponds to a holiday, whether the current time corresponds to a business day, whether the current time corresponds to a business hour of a business day, and a grouping identifier corresponding to a grouping of customers and/or customer communication devices and associated with the selected device type and/or customer communication device.

13. A contact center, comprising:

a microprocessor executable contact manager operable to;

determine, for multiple customers, each customer having multiple different types of customer communication devices, and for the multiple types of customer communication devices, a likelihood of contacting successfully a customer at a respective selected type of customer communication device; and

select, based on the likelihood and for other customers, an order and/or sequence in which to contact customer communication devices of the different customer communication device types.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the likelihood for a selected customer communication device type is one or more of a success rate for contacting a customer at a selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device, wherein a dialer places the contacts to customer communication devices of the different customer communication device types based on the selected order, wherein the different customer communication device types correspond to a common grouping of customers and/or customer communication devices, and wherein the different customer communication device types are plural of home telephone, business telephone, cellular telephone, and pager.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the common grouping corresponds to one or more of a geopolitical and geocultural geographical area.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the likelihood for a selected customer communication device type is one or more of a success rate for contacting a customer at a selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device and wherein the order and/or sequence is based on the relative magnitudes of the one or more of the determined success rate for contacting the selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the selected type of customer communication device.

17. A contact center, comprising:

a microprocessor executable contact manager operable to;

determine, for selected different types of customer communication devices, a likelihood of contacting successfully a customer at a respective type of customer communication device; and

select, based on the likelihood, an order and/or sequence in which to contact customer communication devices of the different customer communication device types, wherein the likelihood for a selected customer communication device type is one or more of a success rate for contacting a customer at a selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device and wherein the probability is defined by;

P (device type)=S (device type)*W (device type), where P (device type) is a probability of contacting a customer at a selected customer communication device, S is the success rate for contacting the selected type of customer communication device, and W is a weighting factor for the selected device type.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the weighting factor is a function of one or more of whether a current time corresponds to a weekend, whether the current time corresponds to a holiday, whether the current time corresponds to a business day, whether the current time corresponds to a business hour of a business day, and a grouping identifier corresponding to a grouping of customers and/or customer communication devices and associated with the selected device type and/or customer communication device.

19. A method, comprising:

determining, by a microprocessor executable contact manager of a contact center and for a selected type of customer communication device, one or more of a success rate for contacting a customer at the selected type of customer communication device and a probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device; and

selecting, by the microprocessor executable contact manager and based on one or more of the determined success rate for contacting a customer at the selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device, an order in which to contact customer communication devices of different device types including the selected type of customer communication device, wherein the success rate is defined by;

S (device type)=C (device type)/D (device type), where S is the success rate for a selected device type, C is a number of successful connects for the selected device type, and D is a total number of attempted connects for the selected device type.

20. A non-transient, tangible computer readable medium comprising microprocessor executable instructions that, when executed by the microprocessor of a contact center, perform steps comprising:

determining, for selected different types of customer communication devices, a likelihood of contacting successfully a customer at a respective type of customer communication device; and

selecting, based on the likelihood, an order and/or sequence in which to contact customer communication devices of the different customer communication device types, wherein the likelihood for a selected customer communication device type is one or more of a success rate for contacting a customer at a selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device and wherein the success rate is defined by;

S (device type)=C (device type)/D (device type), where S is the success rate for a selected device type, C is a number of successful connects for the selected device type, and D is a total number of attempted connects for the selected device type.

21. A contact center, comprising:

a microprocessor executable contact manager operable to;

determine, for selected different types of customer communication devices, a likelihood of contacting successfully a customer at a respective type of customer communication device; and

select, based on the likelihood, an order and/or sequence in which to contact customer communication devices of the different customer communication device types, wherein the likelihood for a selected customer communication device type is one or more of a success rate for contacting a customer at a selected type of customer communication device and probability of contacting successfully the customer at the selected type of customer communication device and wherein the success rate is defined by;

S (device type)=C (device type)/D (device type), where S is the success rate for a selected device type, C is a number of successful connects for the selected device type, and D is a total number of attempted connects for the selected device type.