Call center anxiety feedback processor (CAFP) for biomarker based case assignment

• US 9,602,669 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2016
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Griffith, Douglas J., Kalavakolanu, Anil, Muppala, Srinivasa R., Raghavan, Srinivasa M., Yang, Yanhua
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US15/197,637
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-26514, 37926601-2661, 379/309
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/402 Agent or workforce management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms

Abstract

One embodiment provides a method for allocating assignments based on workload and physiological stress. The method comprises maintaining a queue of logged-in service representatives, and, in response to receiving a service request for a new assignment, scanning the queue to determine a subset of potential service representatives to assign the new assignment to. A corresponding workload level of each service representative of the subset is the smallest among all service representatives of the queue. For each service representative of the subset, a corresponding anxiety level is determined based on physiological sensor data captured by a wearable tracking device attached to the service representative. The new assignment is assigned to a service representative of the subset, the service representative having a corresponding anxiety level that is the smallest among all service representatives of the subset.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable hardware storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code being executable by a computer to implement a method for allocating assignments based on biomarkers, the method comprising:

maintaining historical data indicating mean and mode anxiety levels corresponding to at least one service representative during at least one prior experience in which the at least one service representative serviced at least one prior assignment received at a service center;

maintaining a first queue of logged-in service representatives, wherein each service representative of the first queue has a corresponding workload level indicating amount of assignments assigned to the service representative for servicing, and each service representative of the first queue is either available or unavailable for servicing an assignment;

maintaining a second queue of assignments pending at the service center;

in response to receiving a service request for a new assignment at the service center, adding the new assignment to the second queue, and scanning the first queue to determine a subset of potential service representatives to assign the new assignment to, wherein each service representative of the subset is available for servicing an assignment, and a corresponding workload level of each service representative of the subset is the least among all service representatives of the first queue;

for each service representative of the subset, determining a corresponding anxiety level representing a degree of physiological stress of the service representative based on the historical data and biomarkers captured by a tracking device attached to the service representative, wherein the biomarkers include heart rate variability of the service representative, galvanic skin response of the service representative, and temperature of the service representative;

assigning the new assignment to a service representative of the subset, wherein a corresponding anxiety level of the service representative is the least among all service representatives of the subset;

computing mean and mode anxiety levels corresponding to a service representative of the first queue during a duration the service representative is servicing an assignment, wherein the mean and mode anxiety levels computed are recorded in the historical data; and

in response to mean anxiety levels corresponding to a service representative of the first queue exceeding a configurable threshold indicating increased physiological stress, marking the service representative as unavailable for assignment, and re-assigning at least one assignment of the second queue.