Call center anxiety feedback processor (CAFP) for biomarker based case assignment

• US 9,426,292 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Griffith, Douglas J., Muppala, Srinivasa R., Raghavan, Srinivasa M., Yang, Yanhua, Kalavakolanu, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US14/983,381
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-26514, 379/309
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/402 Agent or workforce management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms

Abstract

One embodiment provides a method for allocating assignments based on workload and physiological stress. The method comprises maintaining a queue of logged-in service representatives, and, in response to receiving a service request for a new assignment, scanning the queue to determine a subset of potential service representatives to assign the new assignment to. A corresponding workload level of each service representative of the subset is the smallest among all service representatives of the queue. For each service representative of the subset, a corresponding anxiety level is determined based on physiological sensor data captured by a wearable tracking device attached to the service representative. The new assignment is assigned to a service representative of the subset, the service representative having a corresponding anxiety level that is the smallest among all service representatives of the subset.

Claims

1. A system for allocating assignments based on workload and physiological stress, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory processor-readable memory device storing instructions that when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to perform operations including;

maintaining historical data indicating mean and mode anxiety levels corresponding to at least one service representative during at least one prior experience in which the at least one service representative serviced at least one prior assignment received at a service center;

in response to a log-in by a service representative, adjusting a corresponding status indicator for the service representative from an unavailable status indicating the service representative is unavailable to an available status indicating the service representative is available;

maintaining a first queue of logged-in service representatives, wherein each service representative of the first queue has a corresponding workload level indicating amount of assignments assigned to the service representative;

maintaining a second queue of assignments pending at the service center;

in response to receiving a service request for a new assignment at the service center, adding the new assignment to the second queue, and scanning the first queue to determine a subset of potential service representatives to assign the new assignment to, wherein a corresponding status indicator of each service representative of the subset is set to the available status, and a corresponding workload level of the service representative is the least among all service representatives of the first queue;

for each service representative of the subset, determining a corresponding anxiety level representing a degree of physiological stress of the service representative based on the historical data and the physiological sensor data captured by a wearable tracking device attached to the service representative, wherein the physiological sensor data captured comprises biomarkers including heart rate variability of the service representative, galvanic skin response of the service representative, and temperature of the service representative;

assigning the new assignment to a service representative of the subset, wherein a corresponding anxiety level of the service representative is the least among all service representatives of the subset;

monitoring at least one anxiety level corresponding to at least one service representative of the first queue, wherein the monitoring comprises;

computing mean and mode anxiety levels corresponding to a service representative of the first queue during a duration the service representative is servicing an assignment; and

recording the mean and mode anxiety levels in the historical data; and

in response to mean anxiety levels corresponding to a service representative of the first queue exceeding a configurable threshold indicating increased physiological stress, adjusting a corresponding status indicator for the service representative from the available status to the unavailable status, and re-assigning at least one assignment of the second queue.