Using true value in routing work items to resources
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- (a) receiving, in real time, by a computer, a first contact from a first customer, wherein at least one of the first customer and first contact has an associated first value to a contact center, wherein the associated first value reflects an income received by the contact center from the first customer or from a set of other similar customers for a contact type when no first customer history is known;
(b) deriving the associated first value by calculating the following equation;
first value=expected revenues−
expected costs−
average expense directly attributed to a customer responsible for a contact;
wherein the expected revenues are based on a weighted average historical revenue for a contact type for a set of similar customers when the first customer is unknown, and a weighted average historical revenue for all contact types for the first customer when the first customer is known;
wherein the expected costs are based on a weighted average historical cost for the contact type for the set of similar customers when the first customer is unknown, a weighted average historical cost for all contact types for the first customer when the first customer is known, predicted cost to service a future contact with the first customer, and current costs to service a current contact waiting to be serviced by a resource;
wherein the average expense directly attributed to the customer responsible for the contact is based on customer specific expenses, which are not otherwise considered in the expected costs, and which are attributed to the customer but not caused by the customer;
(c) selecting in real time, by the computer,(i) an available resource of the contact center to service the first contact and(ii) a service priority for the first contact, relative to contacts from other customers, based, at least in part, on the associated first value;
(d) placing the first contact into a queue of contacts based, at least in part, on the selected service priority of the first contact relative to service priorities for the contacts from other customers in the queue, wherein the queue of contacts is ordered based on the selected service priorities; and
(e) assigning, in real time, a contact, based on the order of the queue, to the selected available resource.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a contact center 100 comprising (a) an input operable to receive a contact from a customer, the customer having an associated value to the contact center 100 and (b) a contact selector 216 operable to select a resource of the contact center 100 to service the contact based, at least in part, on the associated value. The associated value reflects one or more of a historic, predicted, and current monetary expense of the contact center to service the customer.
654 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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(a) receiving, in real time, by a computer, a first contact from a first customer, wherein at least one of the first customer and first contact has an associated first value to a contact center, wherein the associated first value reflects an income received by the contact center from the first customer or from a set of other similar customers for a contact type when no first customer history is known; (b) deriving the associated first value by calculating the following equation;
first value=expected revenues−
expected costs−
average expense directly attributed to a customer responsible for a contact;wherein the expected revenues are based on a weighted average historical revenue for a contact type for a set of similar customers when the first customer is unknown, and a weighted average historical revenue for all contact types for the first customer when the first customer is known; wherein the expected costs are based on a weighted average historical cost for the contact type for the set of similar customers when the first customer is unknown, a weighted average historical cost for all contact types for the first customer when the first customer is known, predicted cost to service a future contact with the first customer, and current costs to service a current contact waiting to be serviced by a resource; wherein the average expense directly attributed to the customer responsible for the contact is based on customer specific expenses, which are not otherwise considered in the expected costs, and which are attributed to the customer but not caused by the customer; (c) selecting in real time, by the computer, (i) an available resource of the contact center to service the first contact and (ii) a service priority for the first contact, relative to contacts from other customers, based, at least in part, on the associated first value; (d) placing the first contact into a queue of contacts based, at least in part, on the selected service priority of the first contact relative to service priorities for the contacts from other customers in the queue, wherein the queue of contacts is ordered based on the selected service priorities; and (e) assigning, in real time, a contact, based on the order of the queue, to the selected available resource. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A machine, comprising:
- a processor operable to;
receive, in real time, by a computer, a first contact from a first customer, wherein at least one of the first customer and first contact has an associated first value to a contact center, wherein the associated first value reflects an income received by the contact center from the first customer or from a set of other similar customers for a contact type when no first customer history is known; and derive the associated first value by calculating the following equation;
first value=expected revenues−
expected costs−
average expense directly attributed to a customer responsible for a contact;wherein the expected revenues are based on a weighted average historical revenue for a contact type for a set of similar customers when the first customer is unknown, and a weighted average historical revenue for all contact types for the first customer when the first customer is known; wherein the expected costs are based on a weighted average historical cost for the contact type for the set of similar customers when the first customer is unknown, a weighted average historical cost for all contact types for the first customer when the first customer is known, predicted cost to service a future contact with the first customer, and current costs to service a current contact waiting to be serviced by a resource; wherein the average expense directly attributed to the customer responsible for the contact is based on customer specific expenses, which are not otherwise considered in the expected costs, and which are attributed to the customer but not caused by the customer; select in real time, by the computer, at least one of an available resource of the contact center to service the first contact and a service priority for the first contact, relative to contacts from other customers, based, at least in part, on the associated first value; place the first contact into a queue of contacts based, at least in part, on the selected service priority of the first contact relative to service priorities for the contacts from other customers in the queue, wherein the queue of contacts is ordered based on the selected service priorities; and assign, in real time, a contact, based on the order of the queue, to the selected available resource. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- a processor operable to;
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13. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions encoded on a non-transitory computer readable medium, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
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receive, in real time, by the computer, a first contact from a first customer, wherein at least one of the first customer and first contact has an associated first value to a contact center, wherein the associated first value reflects an income received by the contact center from the first customer or from a set of other similar customers for a contact type when no first customer history is known; and derive the associated first value by calculating the following equation;
first value=expected revenues−
expected costs−
average expense directly attributed to a customer responsible for a contact;wherein the expected revenues are based on a weighted average historical revenue for a contact type for a set of similar customers when the first customer is unknown, and a weighted average historical revenue for all contact types for the first customer when the first customer is known; wherein the expected costs are based on a weighted average historical cost for the contact type for the set of similar customers when the first customer is unknown, a weighted average historical cost for all contact types for the first customer when the first customer is known, predicted cost to service a future contact with the first customer, and current costs to service a current contact waiting to be serviced by a resource; wherein the average expense directly attributed to the customer responsible for the contact is based on customer specific expenses, which are not otherwise considered in the expected costs, and which are attributed to the customer but not caused by the customer; select in real time, by the computer, at least one of an available resource of the contact center to service the first contact and a service priority for the first contact, relative to contacts from other customers, based, at least in part, on the associated first value, place the first contact into a queue of contacts based, at least in part, on the selected service priority of the first contact relative to service priorities for the contacts from other customers in the queue, wherein the queue of contacts is ordered based on the selected service priorities; and assign, in real time, a contact, based on the order of the queue, to the selected available resource. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification