Abstract: A "look-ahead" calculation projects what would be the effect on the abandon rate if several additional abandons happened to occur. The method uses the result of this "look-ahead" calculation of a projected abandon rate to modify its estimation of the number of ringing dials that will or will not result in an answer. If the projected abandon rate indicates the abandon rate is sensitive to an increase in the number of abandons, the method increases the estimate of those ringing calls which are likely to answer by up to two and one-half times the "average", depending on the degree of sensitivity. If the sensitivity forecasts little danger of exceeding the set abandon rate, the method decreases the estimate of ringing calls that will answer by up to one-half. In the former case, dialing is slowed down and in the latter, dialing is speeded up. Both cases have the advantage to "looking ahead" rather than simply reacting to events that may not be quickly correctable once they have occurred.

Abstract: In a call verification system, a telephone switch conference bridge couples the agent/client conversation to a multi-processor sound-and-screen server, which digitally stores the agent-client conversation. When the agent completes inputting data to the client record, at least the updated portion of the client record is also coupled to the sound-and-screen server. The sound-and-screen server includes a data base manager that correlates storage of the client record with the conversation recording. In the verification operation, the sound and screen server operating in a multi-processing mode can fetch a conversation recording and the corresponding transaction record from memory while simultaneously recording new conversations and their associated records.

Abstract: A voice interactive agent training system has a series of discrete voice messages stored in a digital memory. These messages are keyed to screens used in live call center operations. The call center logic used in live call center operations determines the sequence in which the screens are displayed on the agent's monitor. When transferred to an agent's terminal, the screen is identified, based upon a characteristic of the actual screen (e.g. character count in a field) so that there is no need for access to the call center operating system in order to identify which screen is displayed. A voice energy transducer responsive to the trainee's voice, causes a reproduction of appropriate discrete voice messages to respond to passages in the script which have been read by the trainee from the monitor. In one embodiment, agent inputs are compared to "appropriate" inputs and inappropriate inputs are fed back to the trainee concurrently with the appropriate input.

Abstract: An add-on telephony server platform provides inter alia high-speed call switching. The outbound automatic call distributor establishes one "nailed" voice connection between the telephony served platform and trunks connected to the automatic call distributor. The outbound call distributor establishes another "nailed" voice connection between the telephony server platform and the voice sets at the agent stations assigned to outbound operations.

Abstract: Call pacing method in which agent availability and call answers are based on probability statistics and the allowable maximum abandon rate. A weight is assigned each agent engaged in a call or in after-call work. This weight is a function of how long an agent has been engaged in a call or in after-call work, the duration of a time window for which a prediction that the agent will be free is made, and the maximum allowable abandon call rate. The sum of the weights is the predicted number of engaged agents that will become free. The time window is independent of the interval between the dial of a call and when the call is expected to be answered and is automatically adjusted by the system; lengthened when the abandon call ratio falls below the acceptable ratio and shortened when the ratio rises above the acceptable ratio.

Abstract: An automatic call distributor system and an automatic call dialer system that are integrated so that each system has its own set of dedicated agents and the combined integrated system has a set of universal agents that can be switched between systems.