Abstract: In one embodiment, an enterprise network is provided that includes subscriber communication devices 120, 148, and 150, an archival server 128 to store representations of communications between subscribers and/or between subscribers and nonsubscribers, and a module 160, 168, and/or 174 that analyzes a communication by a subscriber for selected content and, when the selected content is present in the communication, determines a weighted value associated with the communication and/or subscriber. The value reflects timing information associated with the communication. The archival server subsequently uses the weighted value to locate the recorded communication and/or identify the subscriber as being fluent in the selected content.

Abstract: A microprocessor executable resource monitor operable to determine that a less skilled and/or qualified resource has been assigned to service a work item or is servicing the work item, wherein a more skilled and/or qualified resource exists but is not currently available to service the work item, monitor at least one of a level of service provided by the less qualified resource to the work item and/or a customer associated with the work item and an availability of the more skilled and/or qualified resource to service the work item, and, in response to the monitoring step and while the work item is being serviced, transfer the work item to the more skilled and/or qualified resource for servicing.

Abstract: A method and system for analyzing electronic communication data is provided. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving electronic customer communication data by a contact center, analyzing the electronic customer communication data by applying a predetermined linguistic-based psychological behavioral model to the electronic customer communication data, and generating behavioral assessment data by the contact center based on said analyzing, the behavioral assessment data providing a personality type for the analyzed electronic customer communication data. In one or more embodiments, electronic customer communication data may be one or more of electronic-mail data, web content data, text message data, voice over IP data, online forum data, social media data, update status, media feed, social media review, social media data stream. In other embodiments, electronic customer communication data may include data received during a customer communication with a graphical user interface for the contact center.

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: A service level controlling system for a contact center is provided. The service level controlling system includes a monitoring module for monitoring predetermined operation statistics, such as call traffic, in the contact center. The service level controlling system further includes a publishing module for publishing pre-configured solutions to each of agents in the contact center based upon at least one of the monitored predetermined operation statistics falling outside a predetermined range. The service level controlling system further includes a controlling module for automatically bringing the at least one of the monitored predetermined operation statistics within the predetermined range based upon execution of the pre-configured solutions selected by the agents.

Abstract: A system for enhanced quality monitoring, comprising a call record server operating on a network-connected computing device, a quality monitoring analysis server operating on a network-connected computing device that receives and analyzes call records from the call record server, a quality monitoring database that stores analysis results, and a monitoring station operating on a network-connected computing device that allows a human user to monitor call records, and a method for enhancing quality monitoring.

Abstract: A contact center is provided that includes a plurality of agents for servicing incoming contacts and an evolutionary routing mechanism that is capable of dynamically testing and analyzing the performance/skills of each agent. As the evolutionary routing mechanism detects that the skills of the agent have sufficiently changed, the evolutionary routing mechanism may cause the skills of that agent to be updated, thereby altering the routing algorithm.

Abstract: A history management apparatus 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; an extraction part that extracts a historical data set satisfying predetermined conditions, respectively, among the historical data sets; an image generation part that generates data of a display image displaying information specifying a call corresponding to the historical data set extracted, along with information indicating the predetermined conditions; and a display control part that causes the display image to be displayed on a display unit.

Abstract: Communications within a communication management network are routed according to a dynamic scorecard routing method in which communication routing decision attributes of communication route destinations are monitored through data feeds from the communication route destinations at a communication router. Values of the communication routing decision attributes are processed to produce processed attribute values and these processed attribute values are stored in a scorecard routing database. Thereafter, upon receipt of an indication of an inbound communication, a call controller is instructed to route the inbound communication to one of the communication route destinations according to assessed scores of the communication route destinations compiled using the processed communication routing decision attribute values stored in the scorecard routing database.

Abstract: A method of evaluating scripts in an interpersonal communication includes monitoring a customer service interaction. At least one portion of a script is identified. At least one script requirement is determined. A determination is made whether the at least one portion of the script meets the at least one script requirement. An alert is generated indicative of a non-compliant script.

Abstract: A method of managing a call center that includes a plurality of agents may include receiving functional data associated with the plurality of call center agents over a time period, for each data curve, normalizing the data points to create a plurality of normalized functional data points, determining a variation associated with each normalized functional data point, determining one or more threshold values associated with each normalized functional data point, determining whether one or more of the normalized functional data points have a value that exceeds the associated threshold value, and identifying each of the normalized functional data points having a value that exceeds the associated threshold value as an outlier. The method may include identifying the call center agent associated with each curve that has an outlier and presenting information pertaining to one or more identified call center agents to a user.

Abstract: The computerized call center method and system decodes agent and customer communications sessions. Questions and answers (Q&A) are displayed to the agent based upon decoding of agent speech using both a basic Q&A database and an agent database, each with key words/phrases. A positive feedback loop uses agent's speech data for the agent key word-phrase database. When words-phrases are decoded, the system queues up and displays Q&A in real time from the Q&A database (with speech data elements for word-phrases). A quality function for successful sessions integrates agent key words-phrases into the basic Q&A database.

Abstract: To check the status of an agent assigned to a call center in which geographic areas are respectively associated with geographic area identifiers (IdZ) communication terminals (TC) are respectively associated with geographic areas, a mobile terminal (TM) in possession of a monitor capable of moving within geographic areas determines the geographic area's identifier within which an agent is located. The mobile terminal transmits a request comprising the geographic area's identifier to the data management server in order to retrieve from a lookup table an identifier (IdA) of the agent associated with the geographic area's identifier, and transmits a request comprising the agent's identifier (IdA) to the call center's server (SCA) in order to retrieve from a lookup table the identifier of the agent's status data (DonA) associated with the agent's identifier (IdA), then provides the agent's status to the monitor through graphical display based on the agent's retrieved status data (DonA).

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for using automatic speech recognition to analyze a voice interaction and verify compliance of an agent reading a script to a client during the voice interaction. In one aspect of the invention, a communications system includes a user interface, a communications network, and a call center having an automatic speech recognition component. In other aspects of the invention, a script compliance method includes conducting a voice interaction between an agent and a client and evaluating the voice interaction with an automatic speech recognition component adapted to analyze the voice interaction and determine whether the agent has adequately followed the script. In still other aspects of the invention, respective data for specific interactions, including voice records or panels, transcribed text equivalents to such voice records or panels, and/or script text governing such voice records or panels, can be forwarded to one or more respective clients.

Abstract: A call center system optimizing rules enforced over interactions with customers, including: an infrastructure including a module for handling interactions with customers, and hardware for at least maintaining the communication with said customers; management rules comprising one or more rule parameters, enforcing interaction behavior during all interactions with customers; and an adaptive, self learning module, for: monitoring interactions with customers; upon completion of each interaction, recording a corresponding set of full interaction details, which includes rule parameters that were enforced during said interaction, and those additional interaction parameters that are specific to that interaction; and using an adaptive engine, periodically analyzing said sets of recorded full interaction details, and producing one or more modified rules having modified rule, parameters, and enforcing said modified rules over future interactions with customers.

Abstract: A method and system for providing automated call center services, operating by identifying a caller, accessing the caller's account information, determining the likely reason for the call, identifying an agent skill group based on the likely reason for the call, and providing an available agent with access to the caller's account information, together with a script based on the likely reason for the call. Data and voice access to agents is combined with specialized methods and systems for determining agent optimization capabilities, thereby allowing multiple call centers located in geographically different areas to operate as a seamless virtual call center, having the capability to dynamically reorganize the structure of available agents, regardless of where located. Real time statistics allow determination of how many agents should be available and what skill set those agents should have, thereby facilitating management decisions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic processing of toll free call service alarms are disclosed. For example, the method receives a trouble ticket by a service provider for a toll free call service alarm, and retrieves a calling to number and a calling from number from the trouble ticket. The method determines if the service provider is a responsible organization for the toll free call service for the calling to number, and determines if a customer network for the toll free call service is active if the service provider is the responsible organization for the toll free call service. The method notifies a work center if the customer network is not active.

Abstract: A system implements a method of assessing performance of a call center agent that includes identifying a set of the one-time caller calls that the agent has handled. A first issue resolution rate is determined for the calls in the set that were released by the customer, and a second issue resolution rate is determined for the calls in the set that were released by the call center agent. The method also includes determining a difference between the first issue resolution rate and the second issue resolution rate. The determined difference is used to generate a performance assessment for the call center agent.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and visualizing contact center performance via a graphical user interface. A processor identifies a plurality of contact center metrics, identifies predicted values for the plurality of contact center metrics, and displays a reference geometric object having a plurality of vertices representing the predicted values for the plurality of contact center metrics. The processor also determines actual values for the plurality of contact center metrics and overlays over the display of the reference geometric object, a display of a current geometric object. The current geometric object has a plurality of vertices representing the actual values for the plurality of contact center metrics. Deviation of the current geometric object from the reference geometric object is an indication of deviation of one or more actual values from the predicted values.

Abstract: A system for semi automated review of contact center agent performance, comprising a data manager, an evaluator user interface, a speech analytics engine, an automated evaluator software module, a database, and a call recording system. The call recording system records customer calls and stores the resulting call recordings in the database. The data manager collects and preprocesses a plurality of data elements pertaining to a plurality of specific call recordings and stores them in the database as metadata associated with the respective call recordings. The speech analysis engine conducts automated speech analysis of call recording, tags the call recording with a metadata element, and stores the metadata element in the database. The automated evaluator software module performs analysis of a call recording and prioritizes at least a subset of the call recordings for review by a human reviewer.

Abstract: A system implements a method of assessing performance of a call center agent that includes identifying a set of the one-time caller calls that the agent has handled. A first issue resolution rate is determined for the calls in the set that were released by the customer, and a second issue resolution rate is determined for the calls in the set that were released by the call center agent. The method also includes determining a difference between the first issue resolution rate and the second issue resolution rate. The determined difference is used to generate a performance assessment for the call center agent.

Abstract: An operator management apparatus, includes a browsing times history storage unit configured to record a number of transmission times browsing information relating to a customer service is transmitted to an operator terminal used by an operator in association with an identifier of the operator that serves customers, for each of a plurality of operators, a load degrees storage unit configured to store load degrees of an operator in association with a number of transmission times of browsing information, a determining unit configured to specify a number of transmission times corresponding to a specific one of the identifies of the operators by referring to the browsing times history storage unit, and specify load degrees corresponding to the specified number of transmission times by referring to the load degrees storage unit, and an output unit configured to output the specified load degrees.

Abstract: Systems and processes are disclosed for routing callers to agents in a contact center based on similar probabilities for an outcome variable. An exemplary probability multiplier process includes determining agent performance of a set of agents for an outcome variable (e.g., sales) and determining caller propensity of a set of callers for the outcome variable (e.g., the propensity or statistical chance of purchasing). Callers and agents are matched based on corresponding agent performance and propensity for the outcome variable of the caller, e.g., matching callers and agents having similar relative performance for the outcome variable, such as matching the highest ranked caller to the highest ranked agent, the worst ranked caller to the worst ranked agent, and so on. The performance and propensity of the callers and agents may be converted to percentile rankings, and callers and agents can be matched based on a closest match of percentile rankings.

Abstract: A method for analyzing a telephonic communication between a customer and a contact center is provided. According to the method, a telephonic communication is separated into at least first constituent voice data and second constituent voice data. One of the first and second constituent voice data is analyzed by mining the voice data and applying a predetermined linguistic-based psychological behavioral model to one of the separated first and second constituent voice data. Behavioral assessment data is generated which corresponds to the analyzed voice data.

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: Disclosed is a system and method for providing a view of performance data based on a number of performance rating criteria for evaluating a plurality of customer service agents across an enterprise. The method includes receiving data corresponding to call handling for an agent; processing data to generate performance data for said first agent based on process steps followed by the agent for handling a call type; assigning a color scheme to process steps depending on the importance of the steps to an enterprise; and transmitting a signal to display agent performance data based on the color scheme and indicative of steps missed by the agent.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method for assessing impact of a rule change in a contact center. The method includes configuring one or more parameters of the rule; receiving a command to assess the rule; retrieving a log of past interactions between end users and the contact center, wherein the log of past interactions reflects interactions prior to deployment of the rule; processing one or more of the past interactions based on the rule; simulating an outcome of the one or more past interactions; and deploying the rule or not to a rules engine based on the simulating.

Abstract: The present invention is related to improving a conversation quality of calls in a call center setup/environment. The system of the present invention allows monitoring of several live ongoing audio conversations to alert supervisor regarding vulnerable/deviations in the call being handled by a call center agent. The alerts are displayed on the supervisor console by way of providing graphical visual display in order to seek attention of the supervisor. The system also facilitates the supervisor to listen to the live conversation on his desktop by clicking on the visual display.

Abstract: A method and computer readable medium are provided for monitoring customer support sessions based on at least one category associated with the customer support sessions. A request from an administrator for information associated with unresolved support sessions is received. A set of support categories is presented to the administrator. A selection of at least one support category is received from the administrator. A set of first level customer support agent identifiers associated with at least one support session queued under the at least one support category which has been selected is presented to the administrator.

Abstract: A reserve agent management system (“RAMS”) allows a user, such as a contact center agent or administrator, to access and edit a reserve schedule. In one embodiment, the reserve schedule indicates times, called reserve times, during the agent's off-hours when the agent would be willing to receive a recall invitation and potentially return to work. When, during operation of the contact center, a determination is made that additional agent resources are needed, agents having compatible reserve times are notified and invited to be recalled. Agents responding and agreeing to be recalled are then recalled by being scheduled to work at certain recall times. In another embodiment, agent's break times can be shifted to potentially accommodate unexpected changes in the required agent resources. The RAMS allows administrators and agents a limited amount of flexibility in adapting agent work schedules to accommodate unplanned needs for agent resources.

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 method and system for concurrently monitoring contact center agents. A user interface executes on a supervisor station and displays multiple agent identifiers, including a first agent identifier and a second agent identifier, on a display device. The supervisor station provides to a three-dimensional spatial audio engine (3DSAE) first audio attribute data identifying a location of the first agent identifier in the user interface with respect to a supervisor reference position, the first audio attribute data including first audio direction data and first audio distance data. The supervisor station receives from the 3DSAE first voice signals corresponding to the first agent identifier, wherein the first voice signals include aural characteristics based on the first audio attribute data, and presents the first voice signals to an output port.

Abstract: A system and method for real-time process management. An attribute of a process currently performed may be related to a key performance indicator (KPI) threshold. A system may determine, in real-time, the KPI threshold was breached. An indication may be provided to, for example, a mobile device. Feedback related to an intervention of an expert may be received on the mobile device.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for analyzing conversations between customers and call center agents in real-time. An agent may be located at an agent station having a display screen. A continuous audio feed of the conversation between a customer and an agent may be received. For every second that the customer is speaking, a customer emotion score may be calculated in real-time. A frequency at which calculated customer emotion scores equal or exceed an emotion score threshold during a specified time interval may be calculated in real-time during the conversation. The calculated frequency for the customer may be compared, in real-time, to a plurality of specified frequency thresholds. A visual representation corresponding to a highest of the plurality of specified frequency thresholds that is equaled or exceeded by the calculated frequency for the customer may be displayed in real-time on the display screen of the agent station.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for analyzing conversations between customers and call center agents in real-time. An agent may be located at an agent station having a display screen. A continuous audio feed of the conversation between a customer and an agent may be received. For every second that the customer is speaking, a customer emotion score may be calculated in real-time. A frequency at which calculated customer emotion scores equal or exceed an emotion score threshold during a specified time interval may be calculated in real-time during the conversation. The calculated frequency for the customer may be compared, in real-time, to a plurality of specified frequency thresholds. A visual representation corresponding to a highest of the plurality of specified frequency thresholds that is equaled or exceeded by the calculated frequency for the customer may be displayed in real-time on the display screen of the agent station.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for recording media communication. An exemplary method comprises the steps of: receiving an incoming communication from a first communication device; routing the incoming communication to a second communication device in a call center; transmitting media communications associated with the incoming media communication between the first communication device and the second communication device through a media application server; duplicating the media communications via the media application server; transmitting the duplicated media communications via the media application server; and recording the duplicated media communications.

Abstract: An operator evaluation support device includes a speech recording unit configured to record speech times of a customer and an operator during a telephone call; a superposition identifying unit configured to refer to the speech recording unit and identify a superposition speech, which is a speech of the operator that has started during a speech of the customer; a problematic superposition identifying unit configured to identify a problematic superposition speech among the superposition speeches, by comparing a sound quality of a speech of the customer that has started after the superposition speech with a standard sound quality; a call information creating unit configured to refer to the speech recording unit and create telephone call information indicating the identified problematic superposition speech during the telephone call; and a sending unit configured to send the created telephone call information to an administrator terminal used by an administrator evaluating the operator.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for estimating and assigning agent performance characteristics in a call routing center. Performance characteristics (e.g., sales rate, customer satisfaction, duration of call, etc.) may be assigned to an agent when the agent has made few calls relative to other agents or otherwise has a large error in their measure of one or more performance characteristics used for matching callers to agents (e.g., via a performance based or pattern matching routing method). A method includes identifying agents of a plurality of agents having a number of calls fewer than a predetermined number of calls (or an error in the performance characteristic exceeding a threshold), assigning a performance characteristic to the identified agents (that is different than the agent's actual performance characteristic), and routing a caller to one of the plurality of agents based on the performance characteristics of the plurality of agents.

Abstract: The present invention provides a more accurate estimate as to time for completion of a call by using estimated time durations of separate phases of the call and by determining what phase a call is currently on. An important feature of the present invention is the use of automated speech processing techniques to estimate where the customer and agent are in their conversation and to gauge the rate of progress of the call.

Abstract: A contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. The contact center proposed herein provides the ability to, among other things, dynamically and in real-time utilize contact center analytics feedback mechanisms to adjust parameters that are used in making work assignment decisions. The adjusted parameters may correspond to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for agents of the contact center rather than skill values for the agents.

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 system for customer interaction includes a telephony-enabled device for receiving voice calls from customers, a voice recognition engine connected to the telephony-enabled device for monitoring the voice channel, and an application server connected to the voice recognition engine for receiving notification when specific keywords phrases or tones are detected. The system is characterized in that the application server selects scripts for presentation to the customer based at least in part on the notifications received from the voice recognition engine.

Abstract: A contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. The contact center proposed herein provides the ability to, among other things, determine performance efficiencies/metric associated with one or more multi-tasking agents and provide relief to agents based on rules. This multi-tasking relief may be provided to the one or more agents via reducing an amount of multi-tasking work, inserting breaks into the agent's work flow, and/or directing work items to other resources.

Abstract: A mid-point call management node subject to monitoring through a workstation communicatively coupled thereto, provides call services (e.g., through extensible markup language (XML), and in particular call control extensible markup language (CCXML) and/or voice extensible markup language (VXML), instructions) for an inbound call received from an originating network at an originating point-of-presence (POP) associated with multiple, disparate call centers, the call services being provided in response to call management application instructions issued according to enterprise-specific strategies for optimizing call handling between the originating POP and domestic and/or international ones of the disparate call centers communicatively coupled thereto. Call center information (e.g., call load information) received at the management node from the multiple call centers may be used in connection with providing the call services.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for preprocessing caller-agent pairs in a contact routing center, along with an intelligent routing system. A method includes determining at least one agent data for each agent of a set of agents, determining at least one caller data for each caller of a set of callers, and determining a score for each possible caller-agent pair of the set of agents and the set of callers using the agent data and the caller data in a pattern matching algorithm. The scores for each possible caller-agent pair may then be stored, e.g., in a look-up table, for retrieval, where matching a caller of the set of callers to an agent of the set of agents is based on the previously determined or calculated scores. For example, the caller-agent pair having the best score of all potential caller-agent pairs may be connected.

Abstract: Systems and methods for recording a communication session between a customer and an agent are provided. In this regard, a representative method comprises: routing a media stream associated with the communication session based on information corresponding to routing criteria, wherein the routing criteria include call control protocols or policies; receiving the media stream associated with the communication session from the customer center communication system; and recording the received media stream.

Abstract: A call center compliance system is used to ensure that agents adhere to call center policies and applicable regulations when handling calls. A call handler processing a call between an agent and a remote party bridges on a speech analytics component. A keyword set is used by the speech analytics component to analyze the remote party's or the agent's speech. If a keyword is detected, an event notification is provided from the speech analytics component to the call handler. A logic script executing in the call handler defines what actions are to occur in response to receiving the event notification. The call handler can provide information to the agent, record a violation, or await further event notifications. In one embodiment, detection of a first keyword in a first keyword set spoken by a remote party causes the agent's speech to be monitored using a second keyword set.

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: Dialog management within a call handling system includes monitoring a dialog between a contact and an operator. A first dialog attribute confidence score is generated based on an acoustical analysis of the dialog, and a second dialog attribute confidence score is generated based on a keyword analysis of the dialog. The first and second dialog attribute scores are combined, and a rule is effected in response to a value of the combined dialog attribute score.

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