Intelligently routing customer communications

• US 7,027,586 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: [24]7.ai, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Bushey, Robert R., Knott, Benjamin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Creighton
• Application Number:
  US10/737,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20050135595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.12
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

A method for intelligently routing customer communications to an agent includes receiving a customer'"'"'s request to initiate communications. A modality of the requested communications is identified and a profile of the customer is obtained. An agent model is generated for each modality supported by each agent. An agent model is selected from a set of agent models for each of a set of agents, based upon the identified modality. The profile of the customer is compared with the selected model for each of the set of agents to determine a best match. A communications connection is established between the customer and the best matched agent.

Claims

1. A method for intelligently routing customer communications to an agent, comprising:

receiving a customer'"'"'s request to initiate communications;

identifying a modality of the requested communications;

obtaining a profile of the customer;

selecting one of a plurality of agent models for each of a plurality of agents, based upon the identified modality;

comparing the profile with the selected model for each of the plurality of agents to determine a best match, and

establishing a communications connection between the customer and the best matched agent.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the modality comprises a communication mode used by the customer to communicate.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the communication mode comprises one of a telephone mode, an internet mode, a voice over internet protocol mode, and a text message mode, the text message mode comprising one of an instant message mode and an email mode.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the best matched agent comprises one of a queue, an automated self-service application and an automated application employing speech recognition.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the profile of the customer includes information identifying the customer and information identifying previous interaction between the customer and at least one of the plurality of agents.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the profile of the customer includes information provided for the requested communications by at least one of the customer and a device used by the customer.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the plurality of agent models for each agent comprise a set of weighted parameters that are used to generate a score, at least one of the weighted parameters having a different value for different agent models.

8. An apparatus for intelligently routing customer communications to an agent in a telecommunications environment, comprising:

at least one processor that receives a customer'"'"'s request to initiate communications, identifies a modality of the requested communications, obtains a profile of the customer, selects one of a plurality of agent models for each of a plurality of agents, based upon the identified modality, compares the profile with the selected model for each of the plurality of agents to determine a best match, and establishes a communications connection between the customer and the best matched agent.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the modality comprises a communication mode used by the customer to communicate.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, in which the communication mode comprises one of a telephone mode, an internet mode, a voice over internet protocol mode, and a text message mode, the text message mode comprising one of an instant message mode and an email mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the best matched agent comprises one of a queue, an automated self-service application and an automated application employing speech recognition.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the profile of the customer includes information identifying the customer and information identifying previous interaction between the customer and at least one of the plurality of agents.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the profile of the customer includes information provided for the requested communications by at least one of the customer and a device used by the customer.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the plurality of agent models for each agent comprise a set of weighted parameters that are used to generate a score, at least one of the weighted parameters having a different value for different agent models.

15. A computer readable medium that stores a program for intelligently routing customer communications to an agent, comprising:

a request receiving code segment that receives a customer'"'"'s request to initiate communications;

a modality identifying code segment that identifies a modality of the requested communications;

a profile obtaining code segment that obtains a profile of the customer;

an agent model selecting code segment that selects one of a plurality of agent models for each of a plurality of agents, based upon the identified modality;

a comparison code segment that compares the profile with the selected model for each of the plurality of agents to determine a best match, and establishing a communications connection between the customer and the best matched agent.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, in which the modality comprises a communication mode used by the customer to communicate.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, in which the communication mode comprises one of a telephone mode, an internet mode, a voice over internet protocol mode, and a text message mode, the text message mode comprising one of an instant message mode and an email mode.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, in which the best matched agent comprises one of a queue, an automated self-service application and an automated application employing speech recognition.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, in which the profile of the customer includes information identifying the customer and information identifying previous interaction between the customer and at least one of the plurality of agents.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, in which the profile of the customer includes information provided for the requested communications by at least one of the customer and a device used by the customer.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 15, in which the plurality of agent models for each agent comprise a set of weighted parameters that are used to generate a score, at least one of the weighted parameters having a different value for different agent models.