Techniques for benchmarking pairing strategies in a contact center system

• US 10,165,123 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afiniti Ltd
• Original Assignee: Afiniti Europe Technologies Limited (Afiniti Ltd)
• Inventors: Chishti, Zia
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H
• Application Number:
  US15/808,337
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501, 37926601, 379309, 705 713
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/36 Memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• 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 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5236 Sequential or circular distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

Techniques for benchmarking pairing strategies in a contact center system are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for techniques for benchmarking pairing strategies in a contact center system comprising: cycling, by at least one processor, among at least two pairing strategies; and determining, by the at least one processor, a difference in performance between the at least two pairing strategies.

Claims

1. A method for benchmarking in a contact center system comprising:

determining, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system, an identifier for each contact of a plurality of contacts;

for each contact, selecting, by the at least one computer processor, one of a first pairing strategy or a second pairing strategy based on the unique identifier, wherein the selecting comprises searching, by the at least one computer processor, a plurality of historical contact-agent interaction records for a record of a prior pairing, wherein the record of the prior pairing includes an indicator of a previously selected one of the first or second pairing strategy used for the prior pairing;

pairing, by the at least one computer processor, each contact to a corresponding agent for connection in the contact center system using the selected one of the first or second pairing strategy, wherein the pairing comprises establishing, by a switch of the contact center system, a connection between communication equipment of each contact and communication equipment of each corresponding agent based upon at least one of the first and second pairing strategies;

determining, by the at least one computer processor, a difference in performance between the first pairing strategy selected for pairing a first subset of the plurality of contacts and the second pairing strategy selected for pairing a second subset of the plurality of contacts, wherein the difference in performance provides an indication that pairing contacts and agents using the first pairing strategy results in a performance gain for the contact center system attributable to the first pairing strategy; and

outputting, by the at least one computer processor, the difference in performance between the first and second pairing strategies for benchmarking the first and second pairing strategies.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is based on a telephone number of the contact.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting based on the identifier further comprises:

seeding, by the at least one computer processor, a pseudorandom number generator using the identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is fixed for the contact, and wherein the first pairing strategy is repeatedly selected each time the contact arrives at the contact center system based on the fixed identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting based on the identifier further comprises:

mapping, by the at least one computer processor, the identifier to the first pairing strategy according to a first predetermined frequency or the second pairing strategy according to a second predetermined frequency.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating, by the at least one computer processor, an indicator of the selected one of the first or second pairing strategy with a record of an interaction between the contact and the agent paired to the contact.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier for each contact is a unique identifier for each contact.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier for each contact is at least a portion of a telephone number of each contact.

9. A system for benchmarking in a contact center system comprising:

at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to;

determine an identifier for each contact of a plurality of contacts;

for each contact, select one of a first pairing strategy or a second pairing strategy based on the identifier, wherein the selecting comprises searching a plurality of historical contact-agent interaction records for a record of a prior pairing, wherein the record of the prior pairing includes an indicator of a previously selected one of the first or second pairing strategy used for the prior pairing;

pair each contact to a corresponding agent for connection in the contact center system using the selected one of the first or second pairing strategy, wherein the pairing comprises establishing, by a switch of the contact center system, a connection between communication equipment of each contact and communication equipment of each corresponding agent based upon at least one of the first and second pairing strategies;

determine a difference in performance between the first pairing strategy selected for pairing a first subset of the plurality of contacts and the second pairing strategy selected for pairing a second subset of the plurality of contacts, wherein the difference in performance provides an indication that pairing contacts and agents using the first pairing strategy results in a performance gain for the contact center system attributable to the first pairing strategy; and

output the difference in performance between the first and second pairing strategies for benchmarking the first and second pairing strategies.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the identifier is based on a telephone number of the contact.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

seed a pseudorandom number generator using the identifier.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the identifier is fixed for the contact, and wherein the first pairing strategy is repeatedly selected each time the contact arrives at the contact center system based on the fixed identifier.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

map the identifier to the first pairing strategy according to a first predetermined frequency or the second pairing strategy according to a second predetermined frequency.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

associate an indicator of the selected one of the first or second pairing strategy with a record of an interaction between the contact and the agent paired to the contact.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the identifier for each contact is a unique identifier for each contact.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the identifier for each contact is at least a portion of a telephone number of each contact.

17. An article of manufacture for benchmarking in a contact center system in a contact center system comprising:

a non-transitory processor readable medium; and

instructions stored on the medium;

wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the medium by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system and thereby cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to;

determine an identifier for each contact of a plurality of contacts;

for each contact, select one of a first pairing strategy or a second pairing strategy based on the identifier, wherein the selecting comprises searching a plurality of historical contact-agent interaction records for a record of a prior pairing, wherein the record of the prior pairing includes an indicator of a previously selected one of the first or second pairing strategy used for the prior pairing;

pair each contact to a corresponding agent for connection in the contact center system using the selected one of the first or second pairing strategy, wherein the pairing comprises establishing, by a switch of the contact center system, a connection between communication equipment of each contact and communication equipment of each corresponding agent based upon at least one of the first and second pairing strategies;

determine a difference in performance between the first pairing strategy selected for pairing a first subset of the plurality of contacts and the second pairing strategy selected for pairing a second subset of the plurality of contacts, wherein the difference in performance provides an indication that pairing contacts and agents using the first pairing strategy results in a performance gain for the contact center system attributable to the first pairing strategy; and

output the difference in performance between the first and second pairing strategies for benchmarking the first and second pairing strategies.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the identifier is based on a telephone number of the contact.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to:

seed a pseudorandom number generator using the identifier.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the identifier is fixed for the contact, and wherein the first pairing strategy is repeatedly selected each time the contact arrives at the contact center system based on the fixed identifier.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to:

map the identifier to the first pairing strategy according to a first predetermined frequency or the second pairing strategy according to a second predetermined frequency.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the identifier for each contact is a unique identifier for each contact.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the identifier for each contact is at least a portion of a telephone number of each contact.