Data store for assessing accuracy of call center agent service time estimates

• US 8,731,182 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Foster, Robin H., Li, Hongguang, Smith, Lynn R., Sobus, Katherine A.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US12/544,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20100322408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-26514, 37926601-2661, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/266.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

A data store (e.g., a relational database, an object-oriented database, an unstructured file system, an in-memory data structure, etc.) and associated methods are disclosed for predicting the accuracy of agent responses in a call center. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, agents in a call center are prompted at different times during their workday for estimates of how much longer they will be servicing their current call, and the estimates are stored in the data store along with the actual times required for completion of the call. Statistics for each agent'"'"'s prediction accuracy are computed and stored in the data store along with the raw data, and can then be used to assess the accuracy of subsequent agent responses to queries.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

prompting a first agent of a call center, by a data processing system associated with the first agent, while said first agent is serving a first call, for an estimate of how much longer said first agent will be serving said first call;

receiving, by the data processing system, a first response from said first agent;

storing, by the data processing system, one or more values based on said first response in a data store;

prompting, by the data processing system, said first agent, while said first agent is serving a second call, for an estimate of how much longer said first agent will be serving said second call;

receiving, by the data processing system, a second response from said first agent;

storing, by the data processing system, one or more values based on said second response in said data store;

computing a measure of how closely a plurality of service time estimates provided by said agent compare to actual remaining service times; and

storing, by the data processing system, said measure in said data store.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the times at which said first agent is prompted is determined at random.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first response specifies a range.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing in said data store a value that is based on the actual remaining service time for said first call.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prompting a second agent of a call center, while said second agent is serving a third call, for an estimate of how much longer said second agent will be serving said third call;

receiving a third response from said second agent; and

storing one or more values based on said third response in said data store.

6. A system comprising:

a data processing system associated with an agent of a call center;

a data store coupled to the data processing system, wherein the data processing system is configured to access in the data store;

a first value that is based on an estimate of how much longer the agent of a call center will be serving a call, wherein said estimate is provided by said agent during said call;

a second value that is based on the actual remaining time required for said agent to service said call; and

a measure of accuracy computed over a plurality of service time estimates provided by said agent.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said estimate specifies a range.

8. The system of claim 6 further comprising a third value that identifies which of a plurality of stages said call was in when said estimate was provided.

9. The system of claim 6 further comprising an indication of a capability required by said agent for said call.

10. The system of claim 6 further comprising an indicium of a transaction that resulted from said call.

11. A system comprising:

a data processing system associated with an agent of a call center;

a data store coupled to the data processing system, wherein the data processing system is configured to access in the data store;

(a) a first value that is based on the difference between;

(i) an estimate of how much longer an agent of a call center will be serving a first call, wherein said estimate is provided by said agent during said first call, and

(ii) the actual remaining time required for said agent to service said first call;

(b) a second value that is based on the difference between;

(i) an estimate of how much longer said agent will be serving a second call, wherein said estimate is provided by said agent during said second call, and

(ii) the actual remaining time required for said agent to service said second call; and

(c) a measure of accuracy computed over a plurality of service time estimates provided by said agent.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said estimate specifies a range.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

(c) an indicium of the person who placed said first call.

14. A system comprising:

a data processing system associated with an agent of a call center;

a data store coupled to the data processing system, wherein the data processing system is configured to access in the data store;

(a) a first value that is based on the difference between;

(i) an estimate of how much longer a first agent of a call center will be serving a first call, wherein said estimate is provided by said first agent during said first call, and

(ii) the actual remaining service time for said first call;

(b) a second value that is based on the difference between;

(i) an estimate of how much longer a second agent of a call center will be serving a second call, wherein said estimate is provided by said second agent during said second call, and

(ii) the actual remaining service time for said second call;

(c) a measure of accuracy computed over a plurality of service time estimates provided by said first agent; and

(d) a measure of accuracy computed over a plurality of service time estimates provided by said second agent.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the estimate provided by said first agent specifies a range.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

(c) an indicium of said first agent; and

(d) an indicium of said second agent.