Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods to connect a call. The systems and methods provide techniques to receive a call from a caller and determine a call path for the call. The call path is used to connect the caller to a call path destination. The call path destination may vary depending on factors in addition to the call path, such as, for example, a classification of the caller and a classification of the representative to whom the caller is to be connected.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes various ways of monitoring the needs of a contact center in real-time and pushing training to a number of agents to address those needs. In determining to push training to agents, the short-term efficiency of the agent is balanced with the long-term efficiency of the contact center. When agents receive and then complete training events designed to address the monitored contact center needs the attributes associated with the agents are updated to allow them to handle the contacts requiring training.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that coordinates the presentation of speech signals and screen images to a receiver of a call, without some of the costs, disadvantages, and limitations of techniques in the prior art. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention builds upon the infrastructure of the Session Initiation Protocol (or “SIP”) to distribute and transfer calls to agents who are associated with a call center or contact center system. A server-based system is used in conjunction with call distribution based on SIP to replace some desktop and agent computer/telephony integration arrangements, thereby providing first-party call control. Customer-related information is embedded in the call transfer itself; as a result, the display of the customer-related information occurs at the agent's telecommunications terminal at the same time the call arrives.

Abstract: Agents in a contact center are grouped dynamically by defining performance metrics against which agents are to be judged, and generating an evaluation score for each of a number of agents by comparing their actual performance data to the defined performance metrics. Agents are assigned to the groups based on their performance scores. This provides the ability to generate reports and route contacts according to actual agent performance judged relative to user-specified performance metrics. The sizes of groups can be adjusted in real time to take account of actual or anticipated levels of contacts with different requirements, and agents can be reallocated among the resized groups on the fly based on the ranking of their evaluation scores.

Abstract: A call center system in which agents are geographically dispersed based on agent skill-set, agent location and caller location that results in a call being delivered to the best available agent. The call center system is comprised of a call center application module coupled to a database module with a communications network being used to couple incoming calls from customers, as well as various call center agents, to the system. The database contains a ranking of available agents, based on a dataset including information regarding skill-set, previous interaction with the customer, proximity to the customer, language capability, current availability, and so forth. The system then chooses the best available agent to service a customer call based on the agent rankings. In the case where the customer has a preference for proximity of the agent to the customer, the system adjusts the agent rankings according to the agent's distance from the customer prior to making a selection.

Abstract: A call center system has a computerized server executing software (SW) from a machine-readable medium, a data collection function of the SW enabled for collecting data regarding incoming transactions, a data processing function coupled to the data collection engine and enabled for processing the data collected against a set of business rules, the data processing function determining a priority level for individual ones of the incoming transactions, and a distribution function enabled for distributing a priority indication determined by the data processing function to one or more presentation interfaces accessible to agents, at or near the time the associated transaction is engaged by the agent.

Abstract: A method processes and conditionally routes a call. The method includes receiving a call from a caller, determining a telephone number of the caller, and determining if the telephone number of the caller is a telephone number assigned to a specific individual. The method also includes accessing an electronic database to determine a stored language preference of the specific individual when the telephone number of the caller is determined to be assigned to a specific individual, prompting the caller to select a language preference when the specific individual does not have a stored language preference, and storing the language preference selected by the caller based on the prompting in an electronic database. The method further includes routing the call to a predetermined destination based on the stored language preference of the specific individual in the electronic database.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for servicing a transaction in a contact center. When an instant message communication associated with a transaction is suspended prematurely, special treatment may be provided to the transaction initiator. The special treatment includes: (a) maintaining the assigned service priority for the transaction for assignment to a subsequent communication; (b) scheduling a subsequent outbound instant message to an external endpoint associated with the transaction initiator; (c) assigning to the transaction initiator a favored service priority when the subsequent inbound instant message is received by the contact center; and (d) maintaining previously selected item(s) in memory and providing the item(s) to the transaction initiator in a subsequent communication.

Abstract: A communication assistance system has a first database haying a plurality of listings therein, each having at least one contact name and a corresponding contact number. A device is configured to receive a directory assistance communication from a device of a user requesting at least one listing. A past requested listing table for at least one of said users is configured to store prior requested listings obtained from the database, as previously requested by the user. The past requested listing table is generated by the system and transmitted for storage on the device of the user so that when the user contacts the system, with the at least one listing stored on the past requested listing table being masked, the system may allow a communication connection between the device and the listing on the past requested listing table.

Abstract: A system and method for language variation guided operator selection is disclosed. The method discloses: initiating a dialog between a contact and a call handling system; identifying a language variation spoken by the contact; determining a skill level with respect to the language variation for each operator within a set of operators; selecting an operator whose skill level in the language variation is above a predetermined value; and transferring the dialog with the contact to the operator. The system discloses means and embodiments for implementing the method.

Abstract: A system that is configured for determining the value of one or at least one incoming call and routing the call for processing based on this determined value. In one embodiment, the system routes very low value calls to an automated system for processing, and directs all other calls to human operators for processing. In another embodiment, the system assigns at least one agent to one or more of a plurality of groups of agents based on the agent's past performance in executing a particular task. For example, the highest performing agents at handling a particular type of call are assigned to a first group, and the second highest performing agents at handling this type of call are assigned to a second group. In one embodiment, the most important calls are routed to the first, “highest performing” group for processing, and less important calls are routed to the second group for processing.

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: Some general aspects of the invention relate to systems and methods for improving contact center agent performance, for instance, by integrating real-time call monitoring with speech analytics to present agents with information useful to the handling of the current calls. In some implementations, phonetically based speech analysis techniques are applied to process live audio streams to identify key words and/or phrases of relevance, based on which knowledge articles can be selectively presented to agents to drive more efficient business processes.

Abstract: This invention provides for a method of (or apparatus for) facilitating the delivery of advice to consumers using a server unit which can store and display the names and characteristics of experts and then rapidly assist in connecting the expert and consumer for real-time communication. The server can also have the ability to receive keywords from the consumer, match those keywords to one or more experts, and tell the consumer how to contact an expert.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for automatically prioritizing contacts in a contact handling system for the purpose of monitoring are disclosed. The method can include a plurality of contacts, each contact being associated with a particular agent and a particular customer. The method can include comparing an attribute associated with each contact to a priority factor. The method can include assigning each contact a supervision priority based on the comparison of the attribute of each contact to the priority factor associated with the attribute. The method can include presenting a first contact of the plurality of contacts to a supervisor at a supervisor workstation based on the priority assigned each contact. The method can include displaying a representation of the first contact at a display associated with the supervisor workstation.

Abstract: A method for determining call center resource allocation can include modeling call center performance over an operations time period using a computer. A number of replicas of the modeled call center performance are simulated, using the computer, over a planning time period, each replica having random contact arrivals and contact service times following a stochastic arrival and service process according to a probability distributions of inter-arrival time and service time. Multiple iterations of each simulation are run on the computer to optimize call center resource allocation. A particular simulation iteration is tested against a criterion of convergence, and call center resource is allocated based on the particular simulation iteration with a successful criterion of convergence.

Abstract: System and method for servicing a contact by a first agent while searching for a second agent to service the contact is provided. At least one agent attribute is used to produce a set of agent attribute values, and at least one contact attribute is used to produce a set of contact attribute values; relating agent attribute values to contact attribute values in order to search for at least one available first agent having at least a first predetermined level of matching attributes; delivering the contact to the first agent; relating agent attribute values to contact attribute values in order to search for at least one second agent having at least a second predetermined level of matching attributes, wherein the second predetermined level is greater than the first predetermined level; waiting until the second agent is available; and replacing the first agent with the second agent to service the contact.

Abstract: Techniques for dispatching one or more services requests to one or more agents are provided. The techniques include obtaining one or more attributes of each service request, obtaining one or more attributes of each agent, obtaining feedback from each of one or more agent queues, and using the one or more attributes of each service request, the one or more attributes of each agent and the feedback from each of the one or more agent queues to determine one or more suitable agents to receive a dispatch for each of the one or more service requests. Techniques are also provided for generating a database of one or more attributes of one or more service requests and one or more attributes of one or more agents.

Abstract: In a remote technical support system, a technical support controller receives an indication of a maximum number of support sessions to be serviced by a remote technician. Thereafter, the technical support controller receives a service request for a user device. The technical support controller determines if handling of the service request by the remote technician would cause the number of support sessions currently being handled by the remote technician to exceed the previously-indicated maximum number of support sessions. If not, the service request is added to a work queue for the remote technician. Each service request may be classified into categories such that only remote technicians associated with a given category can handle service requests for that category. Furthermore, the process of selecting a remote technician to handle a given service request can be completely automated or based on individual remote technicians selecting service requests from a preliminary queue.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems are provided for monitoring and reporting various metrics associated with objects of interest. The present invention is adapted to monitor objects of interest, such as contact center agents, to determine whether a triggering event has occurred and, if so, report metrics associated with the object of interest in a dynamic, customized, and real-time fashion.

Abstract: Provided herein is a system and method for assigning a service contact from a customer to a service agent. The method may include: generating a customer information record from the service contact; producing a result set of eligible service agents by use of the customer information record; sorting the result set of eligible service agents based upon a predetermined criterion, to produce a sorted result set of eligible service agents; assigning a service agent from the sorted result set of eligible service agents, to produce an assigned service agent; and monitoring a communication channel for a refusal message from the assigned service agent. If a refusal message is received from the assigned service agent, then the method may further include: classifying the assigned service agent as ineligible; and assigning another service agent from the sorted result set of eligible service agents, to produce an assigned service agent.

Abstract: A system for monitoring contact sessions of a contact center. The system comprises a work assignment engine for allocating contacts received at the contact center to resources of the contact center and a monitoring module, arranged to detect an allocation of a contact to a resource to determine a skill requirement of the contact. The work assignment engine is further arranged to fork a session between an originator of the contact and the resource, to a monitor resource, in response to the detected skill requirement satisfying a monitor resource skill requirement.

Abstract: A reception management system for handling transactions includes a plurality of ACMs (Automated Contract/Consulting Terminals) for receiving procedure requests for predetermined transactions from customers, a plurality of ROTs (Remote Operation Terminals) to be employed by an operator for handling the procedure requests, a server for storing information for managing the operators for each transaction skill, and information about queues formed for each transaction skill upon a procedure request accepted from an ACM, and a queue monitoring terminal for monitoring the queues by receiving information from the SACD server.

Abstract: A working skill estimating program is provided for estimating working skills of each agent in the state of separating a disturbance factor from response records (incidents). A large category classifier is supplied with the incidents within a predetermined time and classifies the incidents according to classification rules, for creating the topic-classified incidents. A small category generator collects the analogous incidents for each task type of the topic-classified incidents and generates a small category. A disturbance distinguisher distinguishes if the incidents belonging to each small category are common response records that appear regularly over time or disturbances whose frequency exhibits a significant time dependency. Then, a skill estimator estimates the working skills of each agent for each task type by using only common incidents determined as the common information.

Abstract: A system for routing an interaction has a queue for staging the interaction, a router running a routing strategy for routing the interaction, and a number of object models maintained for a number of agents, the object models defining one or more agent skills, the values of the object models dynamically affected by real-time bio-metrics of the agents obtained through ongoing monitoring of voice and input actions of the agents. The routing strategy routes the interaction based on comparison of the dynamically-affected skill values of the agents, as evidenced in the object models.

Abstract: Contacts are routed to contact center agents handling multiple concurrent contacts by determining, for each of a plurality of agents, a historical average measure of time taken by that agent to handle one more contact than they are currently handling, and making a routing decision which is at least partially based on this historical average measure of time.

Abstract: A communication from a person in a first language is received at a contact center. A social network that the person frequents is searched to determine if the person can converse in a second language. The determination that the person can converse in the second language can be done through text analysis, voice analysis, picture analysis, video analysis, or different combinations of these. Based on the person being able to converse in the second language, the communication is routed differently within the contact center. In a second embodiment, the system and method searches the first social network to determine an issue in a first language. A second social network is searched to determine if the person can converse in a second language. Based on the person being able to converse in the second language, the issue is responded to based on the second language.

Abstract: Methods and systems are presented for integrating workforce management and quality monitoring. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: receiving information about a skill; capturing a plurality of contacts made by an agent; receiving an evaluation of the contacts; and updating the skill information based on the evaluation. The skill is associated with an agent, and the evaluation measures the agent skill. In another embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: receiving information about a skill; capturing a plurality of contacts made by an agent; receiving an evaluation form for the contacts; and updating the form based on the skill information. The skill is associated with an agent, and the form produces a measurement of the agent skill.

Abstract: Provided herein is a system and method for assigning a service contact from a customer to a service agent. The method may include: generating a customer information record from the service contact; producing a result set of eligible service agents by use of the customer information record; sorting the result set of eligible service agents based upon a predetermined criterion, to produce a sorted result set of eligible service agents; assigning a service agent from the sorted result set of eligible service agents, to produce an assigned service agent; and monitoring a communication channel for a refusal message from the assigned service agent. If a refusal message is received from the assigned service agent, then the method may further include: classifying the assigned service agent as ineligible; and assigning another service agent from the sorted result set of eligible service agents, to produce an assigned service agent.

Abstract: Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for skill and level assignment. In some examples, the method includes providing for display of a graphical user interface (GUI) with one or more sets of graphical objects. Each set of graphical objects corresponds to a decision factor and each graphical object in each set of graphical objects corresponds to a level of the decision factor. The method further includes receiving an assignment configuration for a contact routing device. The assignment configuration is generated based on the one or more sets of graphical objects and associated one or more agents. The method further includes routing the contact to the selected one or more contact agents based on the assignment configuration.

Abstract: A communications routing system, and method, for representing a plurality of predicted characteristics of a plurality of communications sources, each having an economic utility; representing a plurality of predicted characteristics of a plurality of communications targets each having an economic utility; and determining an optimal routing between the plurality of communications sources and the plurality of communications targets, by maximizing an aggregate utility with respect to the respective predicted characteristics of communications source and communications destination represented by linkages.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for routing callers to agents in a contact center, along with an intelligent routing system. An exemplary method includes mapping a first portion of callers to agents according to a performance and/or pattern matching algorithm based on comparing caller data associated with the callers and agent data associated with the agents and mapping a second portion of the callers (e.g., the remaining portion callers) to agents differently than the first portion of the callers (e.g., mapping based on queue order), which may provide a control group for monitoring or analyzing the effect and/or training of the pattern matching algorithm. The first and second portion may be varied separately for each agent within the contact center.

Abstract: A device may include a communication interface to receive messages, a skills database that includes a skills schedule table, and one or more processors. The one or more processors may detect an event based on one of the messages, determine whether the event satisfies a condition for changing a schedule associated with a skill of a call agent of a call center, modify the schedule in the skills schedule table when the event satisfies the condition for changing the schedule associated with the skill of the call agent, and send a request, based on the modified schedule associated with the skill of the call agent, to an automatic call distribution (ACD) device to change the skill of the call agent from a database of the ACD device.

Abstract: Various examples of a methods and systems are disclosed herein for routing calls at a call center based on spoken languages. In one example, a method includes, but is not limited to, receiving, by a call center, information indicating a request for assistance from a driver of a vehicle and information indicating one or more languages spoken by the driver. The call center automatically identifies an available advisor who speaks at least one language spoken by the driver. The call center automatically directs the request for assistance to the available advisor.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes connecting on a call with a caller and determining if social network information associated with the caller is available. If it is determined that social network information associated with the caller is available, the social network information is obtained and utilized to identify at least a first agent suitable for participating on the call with the caller. The first agent is associated with a call center. The method also includes providing the caller with information that identifies the first agent as being suitable for participating on the call with the caller.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a call processing method, apparatus and system. According to the embodiments of the present invention, under the precondition that the target put-through rate of the alternative skill queue is ensured, all call skill queues are dynamically adjusted. Therefore, according to the embodiments of the present invention, the operator may be taken full advantage of to improve quality of service of all call skill queues.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, a system that appropriately routes calls to an agent at a contact center based on the agent's voice and/or hearing characteristics. The agent is selected by matching speech and hearing characteristics of a caller with the speech and hearing characteristics of an agent. In order to find the best match for the caller, the contact center determines if the caller is hearing impaired, and if so determines a suitable frequency range for the caller. If a match cannot be found, the agent's and/or caller's voice may be shifted in real time and adjusted to a frequency range that is best suited for the caller.

Abstract: A channel and agent state control system and method is used in a contact center having a plurality of multi-media contact channels and a plurality of agents for handling communications over the contact channels. The agents are allocated to one or more contact channel tasks corresponding to the contact channels. The system and method reallocates the agents between the contact channels based upon real-time contact channel state data and the agent states. The system and method can be configured by a user to determine when reallocation is needed within a contact channel and to determine how the agents are reallocated.

Abstract: An approach for over the phone interpretation call management is provided herein. Calls from customers of a client are received at an interactive voice recognition (IVR) system, which determines a language of the caller by detecting the language or language selection by keypad entry. The IVR system forwards the call along with a modified ANI number to a Call Management Center (CMC), which determines an appropriate agent to handle the call based on the client information and the modified ANI number. The call is then forwarded to the agent and a screen corresponding to the call is activated in a call service application for the agent. Additional applications such as quality monitoring are concurrently executed with the call processing.

Abstract: Systems and processes are disclosed for routing callers to agents in a contact center based on predicted call handle times. An exemplary process includes using predicted call handle time as a variable for call routing along with a performance matching and/or psychodemograhpic matching process of caller-agent pairs to maximize sales, customer satisfaction, and so on. The process may allocate the highest performing agents and/or the most “demographic matchable” agents to those callers that are predicted have the shortest duration. The process may further allocate the lowest performing agents and or the least “demographic matchable” agents to those callers that are predicted have the longest duration, or may not allocate the lowest performing agents to any callers at all.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an open contact center formed from multiple contact center components that conform to open standards and that intercommunicate utilizing open standards. The open contact center can provide automated interactive communications with callers, can provide queue management for callers waiting to communicate with live agents, can provide skills based routing for assigning live agents to callers based upon skills of the live agents and skills needed by the callers, and can provide tooling for provisioning and monitoring the live agents. In one configuration, the contact center components can execute within a middleware solution, such as WEBSPHERE, that has IP Multimedia Subsystem capability. Additionally, the contact center components can be implemented as service oriented architecture (SOA) components that communicate over an enterprise service bus (ESB).

Abstract: Aspects of systems and methods for maintaining and operating agent nodes are provided. In some embodiments, calls, contacts, and other work units may be routed to individual customer service agents via a centralized queue based on a variety of factors. Some embodiments may provide market-based call pricing and customer service agent compensation.

Abstract: A call directing system receives an incoming call from a caller. The caller is prompted to speak, thus enabling a prosody analyzer to generate an analysis of a prosody of the caller's voice. This analysis provides a basis for generating a caller profile that describes caller preferences of the caller. Based on the analysis of the prosody of the caller's voice and the generated caller profile, the call is directed to a particular call recipient.

Abstract: A system and method for providing real-time interpretation, translation, and cross-culture communication expertise for delivery over the global communication and wireless networks, mobile communication devices and kiosks. The system provides an end-to-end global communication and interpretation service for users including registration, listing, profiling, matchmaking, authentication, scheduling, reservation, delivery, billing, feedback, archiving and rating components. Consumers engage the translation/interpretation services of certified language and knowledge experts after communicating their needs in their native language(s) or by selecting translators/interpreters based on profiling and availability. Thereinafter, the real-time event and/or knowledge transfer is delivered over the global communications networks, mobile phones, or kiosks.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a method and system for determining the skill levels of an agent in a contact center. The invention creates a relationship between contact intent and agent skill to help determine agent skills based on successfully completed contacts.

Abstract: A system and method for forwarding a session based on a recording capacity. A recording sub-system may inform a session forwarding component of a recording capacity associated with agents. A forwarding component may select an agent to handle a session based on a recording capacity associated with the agent. A session may be interrupted if the recording capacity associated with the session is reduced below a predefined level.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method and system for segmenting work implemented in a contact center server. The method may include: creating a plurality of common skill options; creating a service skill definition tree comprising a plurality of service skill options, wherein each of the plurality of common skill options is associated with the service skill definition tree; receiving a contact from a customer; obtaining a common skill option selection, wherein the common skill option is selected from the plurality of common skill options by the customer; transmitting the plurality of service skill options to the customer, and receiving a service skill option selection from the customer, wherein the service skill option selection is selected from the plurality of service skill options; and segmenting the contact to an agent associated with the common skill option selection and service skill option selection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for routing contacts within an automatic contact distribution system having a plurality of automatic contact distributors. The method includes the steps of receiving a request for contact from a human client through a public communication system and randomly tendering the contact request to some subset of the plurality of automatic contact distributors.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of allocating calls coming into a call center from a caller location remote from the call center, receiving a call from a caller which includes information from an RFID chip located in close proximity to the caller location; decoding the information from the RFID chip to determine one or more parameters relating to the information; using said one or more parameters to allocate the call from the caller at the call center to ensure calls are handled in accordance with the parameters. This has the advantage of much more efficient management of the of the calls within the call center and ensures that the calls are sent to the agent with the most appropriate skill set.

Abstract: A method for assigning a contact to undifferentiated agents is provided, comprising: describing substantially each undifferentiated agent using at least one agent attribute to produce a set of agent attribute values; describing a contact using at least one contact attribute to produce a set of contact attribute values; relating the sets of agent and contact attribute values to produce at least one preferred agent; determining an expected wait time for substantially each of the at least one preferred agent to produce a set of expected wait times; determining a wait tolerance for the contact; if the expected wait time for at least one preferred agent is less than the wait tolerance, then assign the contact to the at least one preferred agent; and if the expected wait time for the at least one preferred agent is greater than the wait tolerance, then assign the contact to an undifferentiated agent.