Abstract: In a blended inbound/outbound call center (100), an outbound call-pacing function (122) decides whether or not to initiate an additional outbound call for a particular skill. It determines (206) whether the number of available agents for the skill plus the number of resting agents for the skill exceeds the number of available inbound calls for the skill plus the number of outstanding outbound calls for the skill. It also determines (312) whether a target service time for the skill exceeds an estimated wait time of each of the available inbound calls for the skill assuming that pending outbound calls for the skill plus one take precedence over the inbound calls. If both determinations are affirmative, the call pacing function initiates (318) an additional call for the skill. If either determination is negative, the function forbears (321) from initiating an additional call for the skill.

Abstract: A system for using an under-utilized data channel for carrying additional data, in a network mode. One such channel is the D-channel in the ISDN system. In one implementation, a group of telephone call centers share data, using the D-channel, about the lengths of time incoming callers must wait before being answered. Using the shared data, the call centers collectively route incoming calls to call centers having smaller waiting times.

Abstract: A call center or other processing system receives an incoming communication over a computer network, determines at least a portion of a network source address of the originator, and utilizes information from the source address to select a particular type of treatment for the communication. The computer network may be an Internet Protocol (IP) network and the network source address may be an IP source address. The communication may be a service request delivered from the originator to a call center over the Internet. The source address may be processed to determine, e.g., a particular individual corresponding to the originator, or a company name, company size, Internet service provider, geographic region, or other characteristic associated with the originator. This information is then used to determine how the communication will be handled, e.g., provided with service within a designated time, handled by an agent having particular skills, etc.

Abstract: The system for integrating agent database access skills in call center agent assignment applications dynamically generates data indicative of an agent's effective skill level by mapping the agent's acquired skills into their augmented skills representative of their ability to use the various automated resources that are required to satisfy the customer's request. The determined effective skill level is automatically updated as changes in the agent's effective skills are measured. In order to distribute work among the agents based upon agent skill levels, there must be a measure of each agent's competence with a particular skill. The pool of agents is divided into categories of those who must use guided problem solving tools to service a customer request, those who can address issues beyond the scope of the guided problem solving tool, and those who exhibit various levels of efficacy in using the guided problem solving tool.

Abstract: The present integrated work management engine for customer care orchestrates all forms of work relating to the servicing of customer requests across the entire business enterprise. This integrated work management engine brings together all types of disparate communication system components, applications and information storage systems so the business which provides the customer care via these systems can respond to their customer requests in a unified, efficient and effective manner. The integrated work management engine also integrates the real time operation of the front office customer communications and the batch data processing mode of the back office. The integrated work management engine accepts work through multiple access channels, where each work request is automatically mapped to a process flow that specifies the task associated with the handling of the particular work item.

Abstract: A multi-variable work assignment process is used to assign work items, such as voice calls, e-mails and other communications or tasks, to agents in a call center. The multi-variable work assignment process determines whether values of a particular variable characterizing the work items fall within a designated range, and if so utilizes at least one additional variable for making the work assignment decision. The work assignment process may also or alternatively consider a weighted combination of multiple variables in making the work assignment decision. Examples of variables which may be used in the multi-variable assignment process include current wait time, service objective, skill preference, skill level, anticipated wait time, predicted wait time, etc.

Abstract: A multi-site call processing system includes multiple distributed call center sites, and utilizes a load balancing process to distribute calls among the sites for handling by agents. The system generates a multi-site performance score characterizing the performance of the load balancing process. Adjustments may be made in the load balancing process, such as selection of one type of load balancing over another for use at a particular time, based at least in part on the multi-site performance score. The multi-site performance score may be determined using single-site performance measures such as Average Speed of Answer (ASA) and agent occupancy generated across multiple time intervals. The multi-site performance score as generated for a given interval may be, e.g., a ratio of the maximum and minimum values of a single-site performance measure for that interval.

Abstract: In a blended inbound/outbound call center (100), an outbound call-pacing function (122) decides whether or not to initiate an additional outbound call for a particular skill. It determines (206) whether the number of available agents for the skill plus the number of resting agents for the skill exceeds the number of available inbound calls for the skill plus the number of outstanding outbound calls for the skill. It also determines (312) whether a target service time for the skill exceeds an estimated wait time of each of the available inbound calls for the skill assuming that pending outbound calls for the skill plus one take precedence over the inbound calls. If both determinations are affirmative, the call pacing function initiates (318) an additional call for the skill. If either determination is negative, the function forbears (321) from initiating an additional call for the skill.

Abstract: A call center is configured to determine which of a number of designated service states is associated with a particular skill or type of communication supported by one or more agents of the call center. A particular one of the states represents a branded service level, while other states represent over-service and under-service conditions. If the particular skill or type of communication is determined to be associated with a service state other than that corresponding to the desired branded service level, a communication processing function of the call center is adjusted so as to return the skill or type of communication to the desired branded service level state. An example of such an adjustment is a dynamic agent pooling, in which a pool of agents available to perform work for the particular skill varies in accordance with the current service state of that skill.

Abstract: A call center is configured to determine variable rest periods for one or more agents, based at least in part on factors such as call center service state and agent occupancy. The call center service states may include a number of designated service states associated with a particular skill or type of communication supported by one or more agents of the call center. A particular one of the states represents a branded service level, while other states represent over-service and under-service conditions. The rest period determined for one or more of the agents can be used to implement features such as many-to-many work assignment, just-in-time (JIT) delivery of work, next opportunity for service (NOS) indicators, thereby facilitating the processing of communications in the call center.

Abstract: Calls or other communications requiring a particular skill for handling are placed in a corresponding skill queue in a call center. One of a plurality of different values is assigned to each of the communications in the skill queue, with each of the values corresponding to a particular level of priority for access to the skill. For example, high, mid and low values may be assigned for communications placed in a technical support skill queue. A given communication is selected from the queue as a function of the assigned values, time advantages associated with the values, and the wait times of the communications in the queue. This communication selection process may include, for example, identifying communications in the queue which are candidates for out-of-order selection, computing an adjusted wait time for each of the identified communications, and selecting the communication with the highest adjusted wait time.

Abstract: The system for integrating agent database access skills in call center agent assignment applications dynamically generates data indicative of an agent's effective skill level by mapping the agent's acquired skills into their augmented skills representative of their ability to use the various automated resources that are required to satisfy the customer's request. The determined effective skill level is automatically updated as changes in the agent's effective skills are measured. In order to distribute work among the agents based upon agent skill levels, there must be a measure of each agent's competence with a particular skill. The pool of agents is divided into categories of those who must use guided problem solving tools to service a customer request, those who can address issues beyond the scope of the guided problem solving tool, and those who exhibit various levels of efficacy in using the guided problem solving tool.

Abstract: An arrangement for lookahead interflowing traffic among a plurality of serving sites of one customer. Incoming calls received at a site are queued if they cannot be served immediately. Queued calls are then examined periodically and if the call has not yet been served by a local agent and if the call is one of the oldest call in the queue, then the call is a candidate for lookahead interflow. A candidate for lookahead interflow causes a message to be sent to another switch requesting that the call be interflowed. If the other switch accepts the call, the call is routed to that other switch; if the other switch does not accept the interflowed call then the call remains in the queue of the requesting switch and is reexamined at the next period. All calls in the queue are completed to a local agent if a local agent is available.

Abstract: A transaction center including a transaction processing platform having an automatic call distribution system for queuing customer transaction requests, for choosing an appropriate service agent according to information gathered about the transaction requests, and for determining when the appropriate service agent is available. Also provided is a transaction request server for receiving and storing the transaction requests. In operation, the message is first received and stored by the transaction request server. Next, the presence of the message is detected and in response thereto a signal is sent to the transaction processing platform. Finally, the message is sent to the appropriate service agent in response to a signal from the transaction processing platform indicating that the appropriate service agent is available to service the transaction request.

Abstract: A call-center ACD switch and queuing method are modified either to respond to an arriving call by determining, for those splits that could handle the call, the present values of a parameter that defines what is a best split for handling the call, determining from those present values which split is the best split for handling the call, and then enqueuing the call in the call queue of the best split, or to respond to a call that overflows the call queue of its primary agent split by determining which backup split in which call center is the best backup split for the call, and enqueuing the call in the call queue of the best backup split. Any desirable criteria may be used to determine the best split. A preferred criterion is queue waiting time: the best split is the one whose call queue offers the shortest in-queue waiting time.

Abstract: A call-center ACD switch and queuing method are modified either to respond to a call that overflows the call queue of its primary agent split by determining which backup split in which call center is the best backup split for the call, and enqueuing the call in the call queue of the best backup split, or to respond to an arriving call by determining, for those splits that could handle the call, the present values of a parameter that defines what is a best split for handling the call, determining from those present values which split is the best split for handling the call, and then enqueuing the call in the call queue of the best split. Any desirable criteria may be used to determine the best split or the best back-up split. A preferred criterion is queue waiting time: the best split or the best backup split is the one whose call queue offers the shortest in-queue waiting time. The waiting time may be either the real estimated waiting time (EWT), or the EWT weighted for other factors (WEWT).

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus (12) for handling calls in a call center predicts (206, 312, 410) a caller's level of motivation for making the call and uses (208-212, 314-330, 412-416) the prediction as a basis for determining how to handle the call. The method and apparatus respond to a call coming in to the call center by determining (206, 306, 404) a number of call attempts--either all call attempts whether answered or unanswered by an agent, or only unanswered call attempts--made by the caller to the call center within a predetermined elapsed period of time, and possibly also by determining (308-310, 406) other predictors of the level of motivation of the caller in making the call, prior to the call being answered.