公开(公告)号：US06356632B1

公开(公告)日：2002-03-12

申请号：US09224043

申请日：1998-12-31

申请人： Robin H. Foster ,  William E. Gourlay ,  Eugene P. Mathews

发明人： Robin H. Foster ,  William E. Gourlay ,  Eugene P. Mathews

IPC分类号： H04M300

CPC分类号： H04M3/5233

摘要： A call center is configured such that call selection and/or agent selection processes may be based at least in part on stored information regarding agent schedules, such as scheduled break times, training sessions, ends of shifts or other events for the agents. In an illustrative embodiment, schedule information is stored for at least one of the call center agents, and a communication is selected for delivery to the agent based at least in part on the stored schedule information for that agent. For example, a call selection process in the call center may be modified for a designated period of time before a scheduled break of a given agent such that the call selected for delivery to that agent is likely to be completed in the time remaining until the scheduled break. As another example, an agent selection process in the call center may be modified for a designated period of time before a scheduled break such that the agent selected to process a given call is one likely to complete the call in the time remaining until the scheduled break. The designated time period may vary depending on factors such as the type of scheduled event, or the type of agent. As another example, the modified selection process may run continuously, such that the stored agent schedule information is always active as a consideration in call selection and agent selection. The call center may be configured to select a call or other communication without reference to the stored agent schedule information under specified conditions, such as, for example, a staffing shortfall or an unusually heavy call volume.

摘要翻译： 配置呼叫中心，使得呼叫选择和/或代理选择过程可以至少部分地基于关于代理程序的所存储的信息，例如计划的休息时间，训练会话，班次结束或代理的其他事件。 在说明性实施例中，针对呼叫中心代理中的至少一个存储时间表信息，并且至少部分地基于所述代理的所存储的时间表信息选择用于传送到代理的通信。 例如，呼叫中心内的呼叫选择过程可以在给定代理的计划中断之前指定的时间段被修改，使得选择用于传送给该代理的呼叫可能在直到预定的时间内完成 打破。 作为另一示例，呼叫中心中的代理选择处理可以在调度中断之前指定的时间段被修改，使得被选择处理给定呼叫的代理是可能在剩余时间内完成呼叫直到预定中断 。 指定的时间段可以根据诸如预定事件的类型或代理的类型等因素而变化。 作为另一示例，修改的选择过程可以连续运行，使得存储的代理调度信息总是作为呼叫选择和代理选择中的考虑因素而活动。 呼叫中心可以被配置为在指定的条件下（例如，人员配备不足或异常繁重的呼叫量）参考存储的代理进度信息来选择呼叫或其他通信。