Method and apparatus for intelligent routing of incoming calls to representatives in a call center

• US 6,798,876 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1999
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: [24]7.ai, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bala, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, KAREN L
• Application Number:
  US09/473,951
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.13, 379/266.02, 379/266.12
• US Class Current: 379/265.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for specifically routing a call based on the profile of the caller, the profile of the call center representative, and for updating the system based on experience to provide for more accurate call routing. The system accesses customer profile information and/or customer service representative information, and comparing the customer'"'"'s need to the representative skill sets and job functions. It ranks the customer service representatives that can best meet the customer needs. The system then proceeds to route the incoming call to the service representative that is most likely to successfully meet the customer'"'"'s needs. The system performs a post-call routine to determine how successfully it matched the customer with the appropriate call center representative.

Claims

1. A method for routing an incoming call to a customer service representative comprising the steps of:

identifying the caller of the incoming call;

retrieving a profile on the caller;

comparing the caller profile with stored customer service representative profiles to determine which customer service representatives are more qualified to handle the incoming call;

ranking the customer service representatives that can best meet the caller'"'"'s needs;

routing the incoming call to a selected highest ranked customer service representative; and

automatically updating, at the completion of the call, the caller profile and the selected customer service representative profile with information regarding the success of the call.

2. The method for routing an incoming call according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

routing the incoming call to the next highest ranked customer service representative if the previously selected customer service representative is unavailable.

3. The method for routing an incoming call according to claim 1, wherein said caller profile comprises at least one of the caller'"'"'s age, gender, native language, home address, profession, educational background, product purchased, past products purchased, length of time as a customer, number of calls made to customer service, average duration of those calls, number of complaints made, location where the product was purchased, DNIS, preferences selected in response to a voice response unit, and other customer information.

4. The method for routing an incoming call according to claim 1, wherein said customer service representative profiles comprise at least one of age, gender, educational background, ethnic background, foreign languages spoken, training courses completed, years of experience, years of experience with company, years of experience as a customer service representative, length of time in current position, degree of familiarity with each of the company'"'"'s products or services, and other information.

5. The method for routing an incoming call according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

conducting a post-call survey, during the updating step, of at least one of said caller and said customer service representative in order to determine the success of the call.

6. A method for routing an incoming call to a customer service representative, comprising the steps of:

identifying the caller of the incoming call;

retrieving a profile on the caller;

prompting the caller with a list of questions;

comparing the caller profile and answers to the prompted questions with stored customer service representative profiles to determine which customer service representatives are more qualified to handle the incoming call;

ranking the customer service representatives that can best meet the caller'"'"'s needs;

routing the incoming call to the highest ranked customer service representative; and

automatically updating, at the completion of the call, the caller profile and the highest ranked customer service representative profile with information regarding the success of the call.

7. The method for routing an incoming call according to claim 6, further comprising the step of:

routing the incoming call to the next highest ranked customer service representative if the previously selected customer service representative is unavailable.

8. The method for routing an incoming call according to claim 6, wherein said caller profile comprises at least one of the caller'"'"'s age, gender, native language, home address, profession, educational background, product purchased, past products purchased, length of time as a customer, number of calls made to customer service, average duration of those calls, number of complaints made, location where the product was purchased, DNIS, preferences selected in response to a voice response unit, and other customer information.

9. The method for routing an incoming call according to claim 6, wherein said customer service representative profiles comprise at least one of age, gender, educational background, ethnic background, foreign languages spoken, training courses completed, years of experience, years of experience with company, years of experience as a customer service representative, length of time in current position, degree of familiarity with each of the company'"'"'s products or services, and other information.

10. The method for routing an incoming call according to claim 6, further comprising the step of:

conducting a post-call survey, during the updating step, of at least one of said caller and said customer service representative in order to determine the success of the call.

11. A system for routing an incoming call to a customer service representative, comprising:

means for identifying the caller of the incoming call;

means for retrieving a profile on the caller;

means for comparing the caller profile with stored customer service representative profiles to determine which customer service representatives are more qualified to handle the incoming call;

means for ranking the customer service representatives that can best meet the caller'"'"'s needs;

means for routing the incoming call to the highest ranked customer service representative; and

means for automatically updating the caller profile and the highest ranked customer service representative profile with information regarding the success of the call upon call completion.

12. The system for routing an incoming call according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for routing the incoming call to the next highest ranked customer service representative if the previously selected customer service representative is unavailable.

13. The system for routing an incoming call according to claim 11, wherein said caller profile comprises at least one of the caller'"'"'s age, gender, native language, home address, profession, educational background, product purchased, past products purchased, length of time as a customer, number of calls made to customer service, average duration of those calls, number of complaints made, location where the product was purchased, DNIS, preferences selected in response to a voice response unit, and other customer information.

14. The system for routing an incoming call according to claim 11, wherein said customer service representative profiles comprise at least one of age, gender, educational background, ethnic background, foreign languages spoken, training courses completed, years of experience, years of experience with company, years of experience as a customer service representative, length of time in current position, degree of familiarity with each of the company'"'"'s products or services, and other information.

15. The system for routing an incoming call according to claim 11 wherein the means for updating further comprises means for conducting a post-call survey of at least one of said caller and said customer service representative in order to determine the success of the call.

16. A system for routing an incoming call to a customer service representative, comprising:

means for identifying the caller of the incoming call;

means for retrieving a profile on the caller;

means for prompting the caller with a list of questions;

means for comparing the caller profile and answers to the prompted questions with stored customer service representative profiles to determine which customer service representatives are more qualified to handle the incoming call;

means for ranking the customer service representatives that can best meet the caller'"'"'s needs;

means for routing the incoming call to the highest ranked customer service representative; and

means for automatically updating the caller profile and the highest ranked customer service representative profile with information regarding the success of the call upon call completion.

17. The system for routing an incoming call according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for routing the incoming call to the next highest ranked customer service representative if the previously selected customer service representative is unavailable.

18. The system for routing an incoming call according to claim 16, wherein said caller profile comprises at least one of the caller'"'"'s age, gender, native language, home address, profession, educational background, product purchased, past products purchased, length of time as a customer, number of calls made to customer service, average duration of those calls, number of complaints made, location where the product was purchased, DNIS, preferences selected in response to a voice response unit, and other customer information.

19. The system for routing an incoming call according to claim 16, wherein said customer service representative profiles comprise at least one of age, gender, educational background, ethnic background, foreign languages spoken, training courses completed, years of experience, years of experience with company, years of experience as a customer service representative, length of time in current position, degree of familiarity with each of the company'"'"'s products or services, and other information.

20. The system for routing an incoming call according to claim 16, wherein the means for updating further comprises means for conducting a post-call survey of at least one of said caller and said customer service representative in order to determine the success of the call.