Abstract: An agent presence application for monitoring target agent resources and rendering agent states to subscribing applications is provided. The presence application has at least one first portion for collecting data regarding states of activity of the target agent resources, and at least one second portion for integrating the data and rendering the agent states to the subscribing applications.

Abstract: An audio recording apparatus that includes: an acquisition part that acquires a fragment data set indicating an action of a switchboard to a call, and an execution time of the action; a history generation part that generates a historical data set indicating a history of response states of an agent to one call, from a plurality of fragment data sets acquired; a talking storage part that stores audio recording data of talking of the agent; a display control part that causes a link display image to be displayed on a display unit, the link display image indicating a link to the corresponding audio recording data, in association with historical display of response states of the agent, based on the historical data set; and a replaying part that replays the audio recording data, when the link display image is selected.

Abstract: A history management apparatus that includes: a history storage part that stores a historical data set indicating a history of response states including transfer among a plurality of agents to one call; an image generation part that generates data of a display image that integrates the history of response states of the plurality of agents to the one call, based on the historical data set; and a display control part that causes the display image to be displayed on a display unit.

Abstract: A communication session analyzer is integrated or otherwise coupled to an audio player to generate a system for analyzing voice-based communication sessions. Embodiments of the system also include a data store and an output device, respectively. The analyzer identifies a communication session attribute. An automated or human reviewer of a stored communication session forwards an assessment for an observed communication session. The data store receives and stores the communication session attribute with the assessment in a common format. Alternatively, an output device generates a representation that includes the communication session attribute and the assessment. When customer feedback is available for a particular communication session, the system identifies the communication session as one that should be reviewed.

Abstract: An agent efficiency analysis system for a contact center performs analysis and comparisons on where the agents' time is being spent. The system integrates data from multiple systems Automatic Call Distribution, Integrated Voice Response and Work Force Management contact center applications and organizes the data against a standard set of metrics. Statistical trend analysis (long-term and short-term) may be performed.

Abstract: A method, a system and computer readable storage media facilitate establishing a plurality of simultaneously occurring communication sessions between call agent devices and customer devices at a call center communication system. Each communication session is monitored to determine a priority score associated with each communication session, where each priority score provides an indication of a potential problem associated with the corresponding communication session. An indication of the priority score associated with each communication session is provided to a supervisor device.

Abstract: An automatic ambient environmental detection and lockout system that recognizes unacceptable background noise for agents and a method that requires agents and/or supervisors to take corrective action on detected noise issues prior to work assignment facilitates an effective and efficient environment appropriate for agents to handle contact center work.

Abstract: A method, system and program product, the method comprising: determining a distribution of real agent performance from previous real agent performance data; determining a set of hypothetical agents with respective hypothetical agent performances APi ranging from a worst performance to a best performance; calculating for each of the set of hypothetical agents a posterior distribution taking into account actual results of a respective actual agent in multiple skills, using the distribution of real agent performance and the set of hypothetical agents with respective hypothetical agent performances APi, to obtain a total probability for each hypothetical agent of the set of the hypothetical agents; repeating calculating the posterior distribution steps for multiple of the hypothetical agents to obtain the respective total probabilities for the respective hypothetical agents; determining one hypothetical agent with a better value of total probability as the actual agent's most probable global performance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for recording a communication session between a customer and an agent of a customer center communication system are provided. In this regard, a representative method comprises: configuring a communication component of the customer center communication system to enable recording of a media stream associated with the communication session; transmitting the media stream over a network based on the configuration of the communication component; receiving the media stream over the network; and recording the received media stream.

Abstract: A device may receive a history of call volumes and statistics for a call queue. The device may also receive, for each of a number of agents that are associated with the call queue, a work schedule. The device may determine a projected call occupancy for the call queue based on the history of call volumes for the call queue and the work schedules; select a subset of agents, among the number of agents that are associated with the call queue, that are not needed to handle calls in the call queue during a time for which projected call occupancy is below a first threshold; and assign tasks, for the time, to the subset of agents.

Abstract: A contact center system can receive messages from consumers. The system can then interact with the consumer or customer using a dialog. Before conducting the session with the consumer, past interactions using the dialog are reviewed to determine words, phrases, and other information that caused the dialog to be successful. The information is stored as norms. Upon beginning a new interaction with the dialog, the norms and the past successful dialogs are retrieved and compared to the active dialog while the interaction is on-going. The comparison is then used to ensure that the present active dialog will lead to a successful outcome or to resolve any issued if the outcome is not likely to be successful.

Abstract: A method of predicting expected performance of a processing center system is accessed. The method includes receiving performance information from a performance monitoring system associated with the processing center system. A computer model of the processing center system is developed based on the performance information. The method further includes generating predictions based on the computer model, and analyzing the predictions to generate performance scenarios for the processing center system.

Abstract: A method, system and program product, the method comprising: obtaining for calls in one set of calls a respective pattern representing one or multiple different respective data fields; obtaining performance data for the respective patterns of the calls; performance data for agents in a set of agents; determining pattern performance sensitivity to agent performance comprising the pattern performance data correlated to agent performance data; matching a respective one of the agents from the set of agents to one of the calls based at least in part on the performance data for the one agent and on the pattern performance sensitivity to agent performance for the respective call.

Abstract: A system for automated assignment of monitoring customer-agent interactions is provided. A metadata extraction module configured to extract metadata related to each of a plurality of customer-agent interactions is disclosed. Further, a resource attribute collection module configured to collect attributes about each of a plurality of supervisor resources in the communication system is disclosed. Additionally, an assignment module configured to assign one of the plurality of supervisor resources to monitor one of the plurality of customer-agent interactions based on the extracted metadata and the collected attributes is disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and systems for supporting the monitoring and control of an automatic call distribution system are provided. In particular, a ranked list of candidate agents that can be assigned to handle contacts for a selected queue associated with an automatic call distribution system is presented to a supervisor. The supervisor can make agent assignments from the ranked list at the discretion of the supervisor. The assignment or reassignment can be effected by the supervisor through control inputs entered through the user interface. These control inputs can include reconfiguring agent and/or queue attributes. In addition, assignments can be effected through communications to agents made by the supervisor that are initiated through the user interface.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an adaptive Interaction Logging functionality to help agents reduce the time spent documenting contact center interactions. In a preferred embodiment the system uses a pipeline comprising audio capture of a telephone conversation, automatic speech transcription, text normalization, transcript generation and candidate call log generation based on Real-time and Global Models. The contact center agent edits the candidate call log to create the final call log. The models are updated based on analysis of user feedback in the form of the editing of the candidate call log done by the contact center agents or supervisors. The pipeline yields a candidate call log which the agents can edit in less time than it would take them to generate a call log manually.

Abstract: A method and system for indicating in real time that an interaction is associated with a problem or issue, comprising: receiving a segment of an interaction in which a representative of the organization participates; extracting a feature from the segment; extracting a global feature associated with the interaction; aggregating the feature and the global feature; and classifying the segment or the interaction in association with the problem or issue by applying a model to the feature and the global feature. The method and system may also use features extracted from earlier segments within the interaction. The method and system can also evaluate the model based on features extracted from training interactions and manual tagging assigned to the interactions or segments thereof.

Abstract: Complex recording triggers are provided. As an example of a system and method, the volume of call records can be reduced by complex recording triggers, thereby reducing the storage space allocated for call records.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for monitoring a contact center in real-time. An overview page may be displayed providing information associated with a plurality of agents in a contact center including real-time status information indicating that one or more of the plurality of agents are currently involved in customer interactions and indicating progress of the interactions. An interaction page may be displayed for a selected one of the customer interactions providing computer-generated information summarizing the customer interaction in real-time. A user may be connected to the customer or agent to intervene in the selected interaction.

Abstract: A system for automated assignment of monitoring customer-agent interactions is provided. A metadata extraction module configured to extract metadata related to each of a plurality of customer-agent interactions is disclosed. Further, a resource attribute collection module configured to collect attributes about each of a plurality of supervisor resources in the communication system is disclosed. Additionally, an assignment module configured to assign one of the plurality of supervisor resources to monitor one of the plurality of customer-agent interactions based on the extracted metadata and the collected attributes is disclosed.

Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus for routing a call using a hybrid call routing scheme are disclosed. For example, the method receives a call for a customer agent at a call center, identifies a list of available customer agents, calculates a hybrid score for each one of the available customer agents, wherein the hybrid score is based upon a combination of a longest-idle-agent routing parameter, a performance based routing parameter and a tuning parameter, selects a customer agent from the list of the available customer agents having a highest hybrid score and routes, by the processor, the call to the customer agent that is selected.

Abstract: A computing device obtains call data for multiple calls received at a call center and plots individual calls of the multiple calls, based on the call data, against three behavioral measures related to agent activities. The computing device identifies an optimal zone, among the plotted individual calls, for a selected performance metric value over the three behavioral measures. The computing device also plots a particular agent's calls, based on the call data, against the three behavioral measures and identifies an agent's zone, among the plotted agent's calls, for the selected performance metric value. The computing device generates a visual model of the optimal zone and the agent's zone within the context of the three behavioral measures.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing a customer call is disclosed. The customer call may be initiated for an IVR type system or a live agent. An example method of processing the call may include receiving customer call data and recording the customer call data in a database server. The method may also include performing speech analytics on the recorded customer call data to determine instances of predefined information that occurred during the customer call, and displaying the results of the speech analytics on a user interface. The call analytics may populate a dashboard interface that provides a data analyst with an opportunity to understand the positive and negative portions of the call for future call improvement.

Abstract: A user of a personal computing device may identify an item of interest provided by a network-based service for which additional information is desired. Customer service agents (CSAs) of the network-based service may be contacted by the user to respond to queries. To assess the quality of a contact, a contact review service may record the contact between the CSA and the user and edit the contact to reduce its length for ease of review. The edited contact may be submitted to one or more reviewers to obtain reviews characterizing the contact quality. Reviewers may include CSAs not participating in the contact or other human reviewers. The reviewers may return their reviews to the contact review service, which generates a composite review from the returned reviews. The composite review may be employed for CSA evaluation and/or training purposes, amongst others.

Abstract: Systems and methods for recording a communication session between a customer and an agent of a customer center communication system are provided. In this regard, a representative method comprises: configuring a communication component of the customer center communication system to enable recording of a media stream associated with the communication session; transmitting the media stream over a network based on the configuration of the communication component; receiving the media stream over the network; and recording the received media stream.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed herein for processing agent interactions. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving interaction data describing states and transitions between states within interaction sessions. The method further provides identifying business processes based on the interaction data and identifying instances of the business processes. The method further provides storing the instances and generating a model from the instances.

Abstract: A method of routing a session from a calling party in a serving communication network of the calling party to a called party is described. The serving communication network of the calling party is distinct from a home communication network of the calling party. The method is executed by a session routing node in the serving communication network of the calling party. In order to optimize a session routing path of signaling data of the session, the method comprises receiving from the home communication network of the calling party a session routing request requesting routing the signaling data of the session to the called party via the serving communication network of the calling party, and routing the signaling data of the session to the called party via the serving communication network of the calling party based on the received session routing request.

Abstract: This disclosure details the implementation of methods, systems and computer program products for a customer satisfaction engine (CSE). Embodiments of the CSE allow callers to key in customer satisfaction data using a rating system and/or to change customer service representatives (CSR) during the course of a customer service call rather than after the call has ended. Caller generated ratings may be stored in a database in association with the respective CSR profile for later access, analysis, and/or review. CSE embodiments may also allow customers to log in to a website and view operations made by the CSR as a service call progresses. CSE systems may provide for improved customer service and allow companies improved efficiency, monitoring and reporting of CSR performance.

Abstract: A method and system for improving performance within a contact center are provided. The method includes monitoring one or more Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) corresponding to the contact center having one or more agents associated thereto. The method further includes determining a weighted sum of the KPIs based on a weight assigned to each key performance indicator. Further, the method includes modifying one or more parameters within the contact center to improve the weighted sum of the KPIs when the weighted sum of the KPIs crosses beyond a threshold level.

Abstract: The Next Best Action (NBA) management system and method is a real time decision solution usable in multiple industries, including Telco industry. The NBA system identify offers for call agents to pitch to customers, calculate and allow call center organizations and agents to view performance analytics, including an Inbound Campaign Agent Performance Index (ICAPI) for each agent. The NBA system uses usage oriented key performance indicators (KPIs) and sales oriented KPIs to add a weighted portion of the usage oriented KPIs and the sales oriented KPIs to calculate the ICAPI for each agent.

Abstract: A contact center is provided that includes a plurality of agents for servicing incoming contacts and an event manager that is operable to monitor various administrative changes made within the contact center, determine if those changes had a positive or negative effect on the contact center performance (either locally or globally), and reverse the change if it is determined that the change resulted in negative effect on the contact center.

Abstract: An aural volume feedback system is implemented in a center having a plurality of agents working thereat. Each agent is situated at a work station for being in calling contact with a client. At the work station, a microphone transforms aural speech of the agent into an electrical format, and a volume detector samples the electrical format and generates based on the sampling an instantaneous volume level. The volume detector compares the generated volume level to a predetermined threshold to determine that the agent is speaking excessively loudly, and thereafter outputs a trigger signal. A feedback generator receives the trigger signal, and based thereon generates a feedback to be perceived by the offending agent at the work station, where the perceived feedback hopefully causes the offending agent to reduce the aural volume thereof.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of handling contacts at a contact center. The method includes the steps of identifying a characteristic associated with a contact received at the contact center, and labeling a contact entity representing the contact with a label identifying the characteristic. In response to receipt of a request from an agent of the contact center to handle the contact based on the label of the contact entity, the contact is assigned to the agent and in response to the agent successfully handling the contact, an agent record associated with the agent, is updated to indicate a proficiency in handling contacts associated with the characteristic.

Abstract: A parameters modification system for a contact center is provided. The parameters modification system includes an input module for enabling a user to provide an input indicating one or more parameters required to be modified. The parameters modification system further includes a determination module for determining a surface based on key performance indicators (KPIs) associated the one more parameters. The determination module further determines an optimal path in the determined surface. The parameters modification system further includes a modification module for modifying the one or more parameters along the determined optimal path so that key performance indicators associated with the one or more parameters remain within a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A method and system for improving performance within a contact center are provided. The method includes monitoring one or more Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) corresponding to the contact center having one or more agents associated thereto. The method further includes determining a weighted sum of the KPIs based on a weight assigned to each key performance indicator. Further, the method includes modifying one or more parameters within the contact center to improve the weighted sum of the KPIs when the weighted sum of the KPIs crosses beyond a threshold level.

Abstract: A mobile service observing integration system efficiently utilizes multi-functional smart devices providing operating system support for native applications and application programming interface support for third-party applications, allowing seamless mobile communication between a contact center and its agents and supervisors.

Abstract: A system, method, and device for forming contextualized competitions in a work environment are disclosed. The system includes a performance metric computation component which computes performance metrics, a visualization component which generates a visual interface for display to a supervisor, and a processor which implements the components. The method includes receiving information related to a set of agents operating in a work environment. A first aggregated value for a first performance metric and a second aggregated value for a second performance metric are computed. The first and second values are visualized, and a predicted effect on the second performance metric when the first performance metric is altered is visualized. The device serves as a decision-making support tool including a plurality of control mechanisms for altering at least one performance metric and displaying the predicted effect on another.

Abstract: The methods, apparatuses, and systems described herein are designed to analyze comments provided by a coach relating to an agent's interaction with a customer. The methods include receiving a coaching comment regarding an agent's interaction with a customer, applying at least one scoring algorithm to the comment, and outputting a score of the scoring algorithm.

Abstract: An operator evaluation support device includes a speech recording unit that records speech times of a customer and an operator during a telephone call; a display recording unit that records a display time of a screen on an operator terminal, with screen identification information; a content recording unit that records screen content information with the screen identification information; a providing unit that creates call information indicating the speech times, the display time, and the screen content information, and sends the call information and voice files of speeches of the customer and the operator to an administrator terminal; and a determining unit that receives, from the administrator terminal, a selection of the speech, and when the selected speech is included in a predetermined time from a switching timing of the screen, the determining unit determines, as play speeches, the selected speech and another speech included in the predetermined time.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for modeling of agent skills based on or more closely matching categorization structures of the CRM system. According to one embodiment, defining skills of each of a plurality of customer service agents in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can comprise defining a set of product information representing products or services for which support is available through the CRM system. A set of incident information representing incidents handled by the CRM for one or more of the products or services can also be defined and a structure of the incident information can be based on a structure of the product information. A set of skills information for each of the plurality of customer service agents can also be defined. A structure of the skills information can be based on the structure of the product information and the structure of the incident information.

Abstract: A communication session analyzer is integrated or otherwise coupled to an audio player to generate a system for analyzing voice-based communication sessions. Embodiments of the system also include a data store and an output device, respectively. The analyzer identifies a communication session attribute. An automated or human reviewer of a stored communication session forwards an assessment for an observed communication session. The data store receives and stores the communication session attribute with the assessment in a common format. Alternatively, an output device generates a representation that includes the communication session attribute and the assessment. When customer feedback is available for a particular communication session, the system identifies the communication session as one that should be reviewed.

Abstract: An architecture for the storage, processing, and display of service desk performance metrics data for a service desk department may include a call management system (CMS), an issue tracking system, a performance metrics (PM) database, a PM database module, a PM display data module, and a PM client module. The PM database module may retrieve call statistics data from the call management system database and issue tracking data from the issue tracking system database, and store the data in the PM database. The PM client module may obtain call statistics data and issue tracking data from the PM database via the PM display data module. The PM client module may display the obtained call statistics data and issue tracking data in one or more user interface elements.

Abstract: An alert analyzing apparatus includes: a storage unit that stores a first value and a preset second value in association with time-of-day information, the first value fluctuating as time elapses; an alert output unit that outputs an alert and time-of-day information in a case in which the first value diverges from the second value in a certain time of day; a comment accepting unit that accepts an input of a comment on the alert thus output, and stores the comment in association with the time-of-day information; and a classification unit that classifies a plurality of time zones into any one of predetermined segments, and stores the comment associated with the time zone thus classified, in association with each of the segments, based on a fluctuation phase of the first value.

Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.

Abstract: An event logging and analysis system and method are disclosed. The event logging and analysis system are described as being configured to analyze decisions made by a work assignment engine in a contact center, map the decisions to one or more events for a contact center entity, and storing information about the event in a buffer associated with the contact center entity, the information stored in the buffer describing how the new decision affected the contact center entity.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer readable medium for feedback of survey results comprises a data center, a call center, and a survey platform communicably coupled to the data center and to the call center, wherein the data center receives a communication initiated by an individual, wherein the communication is routed to the survey platform after an event, wherein data related to at least one of: the individual and the communication is collected, wherein the individual is prompted for participation in a survey, if the individual agrees to participate in the survey, the data is routed to the call center, based on the data and information related to the individual, the individual is routed to an agent within a call center, wherein the agent conducts a survey, and wherein results of the survey are dynamically provided to quality control database.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring computer user screen an telephone activity from a remote location are provided. The method includes the steps of recording data corresponding to two actual sequential screen changes at the monitored workstation and storing the screen change-related data; recording data corresponding to audio telephone conversation occurring at the monitored workstation during the sequential screen changes and storing the audio telephone conversion-related data; subsequent to steps “a” and “b”, playing back, with the use of the screen change-related data and the audio telephone conversation-related data, the audio telephone conversation with the sequential screen changes as they both happened in real time at the monitored workstation, to allow a monitoring workstation to view and hear on-screen and telephone activities as they occurred at the monitored workstation; and, providing training to an agent at the monitored workstation based upon the played back audio and sequential screen changes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for real-time monitoring and analyses of a conversation of an agent by capturing and processing a plurality of features of the speech of the agent during the conversation with the caller. The system and method further provides a monitoring device for detecting a variation in the conversation, detecting location of the caller and suggesting location specific vocabulary. The system and method also provides an alert engine for transmitting an alert in real-time at the agent console.

Abstract: An audio recording apparatus that includes: an acquisition part that acquires a fragment data set indicating an action of a switchboard to a call, and an execution time of the action; a history generation part that generates a historical data set indicating a history of response states of an agent to one call, from a plurality of fragment data sets acquired; a talking storage part that stores audio recording data of talking of the agent; a display control part that causes a link display image to be displayed on a display unit, the link display image indicating a link to the corresponding audio recording data, in association with historical display of response states of the agent, based on the historical data set; and a replaying part that replays the audio recording data, when the link display image is selected.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for updating customer service agent skillset definitions within a customer relationship management system. According to one embodiment, updating a skillset definition for an agent in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can comprise defining an initial skillset for the agent including indications of areas of expertise for which the agent is available to handle related customer requests. A request can be received from the agent to update the initial skillset definition to indicate a new area of expertise for which the agent wishes to be considered qualified. A determination can be made as to whether the agent is qualified for the new area of expertise. In response to determining the agent is qualified, the skillset for the agent can be updated to indicate the agent is qualified to begin handling customer requests related to the new area of expertise.