Abstract: A method and system for automatically updating and synchronizing contact center agent skill data maintained in a central agent skill database with a routing system based upon skill-changing events triggered in skill-Impacting systems. Contact center agent skills may be maintained in a skill database for a set of agents. A skill-impacting system (such as an education system, a satisfaction system or a metrics system) may send skill/capability data for an agent. The agent's profile in the skill database may be updated based on the received skill data. Either immediately, when triggered by an event, or at a predetermined interval, a routing system's routing logic may be synchronized with the new data in the agent's profile. When the contact center receives a contact (such as a phone call, an email, a web chat, an instant message, or a fax) from a customer, processing logic in the routing system may select a best-fit agent based on availability and skill data from the agent profiles.

Abstract: A method for automatic call distribution includes detecting that a first agent is communicating on a first call and detecting that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication. The method includes transitioning the first agent to an on-call ready state based on the first call. The on-call ready state indicates that the first agent is ready to receive an additional call while communicating on the first call.

Abstract: An automatic call distribution system includes a first software control module and a caller identification device for capturing caller identification information associated with an incoming call, a call agent station in communication with the automatic call distribution system, and an interactive voice response system in communication with the automatic call distribution system. The interactive voice response system administers a survey to a caller associated with the caller identification information. In response to receiving the incoming call, a transaction is completed between the caller and a call agent. Upon completion of the transaction, the call agent asks the caller to take part in the survey and seeks permission of the caller to use the caller's caller identification information in the survey. Upon obtaining consent from the caller, the call is routed by the automatic call distribution system from the call agent to the interactive voice response system to initiate the survey.

Abstract: A system for virtual representation of physical contact center resources includes a server coupled to a wide-area-network (WAN), a digital medium accessible to the server, and a resource virtualization application executable from the digital medium to run on the server, characterized in that at least one physical contact center having physical resources has access to the server over the network wherein the resource virtualization application categorizes and represents the physical resources in an abstract way for access by customers of one or more virtual contact centers.

Abstract: The present invention enables service agents in a call center to monitor portions of calls that are especially error-prone (e.g., automated speech recognition of an address, etc.), while portions of calls that are not error-prone occur without any human monitoring. An interactive voice response (IVR) system script (e.g., a VXML script, etc.) is divided into a plurality of independent dialog sequences, each of which is assigned a human-monitoring requirement that indicates whether (and optionally, to what degree) the dialog sequence requires monitoring by a service agent. In addition, instances of the dialog sequences in calls are prioritized based on an indication of caller intelligibility during (i) prior dialog sequences in the current call, and (ii) prior calls involving the same caller and/or the same contact identifier (e.g., telephone number, email address, Internet Protocol address, etc.).

Abstract: An exemplary method for training call center agents over a communications network using automatically selected training scenarios comprises the steps of obtaining confirmations of availability of a plurality of call center agents, determining a proctor based on proctor attributes stored in a database, selecting an agent from the plurality of agents, based on agent attributes stored in the database, to be trained by the proctor, automatically determining a training scenario based on the selected agent's attributes, and enabling the proctor and the agent to engage in the training scenario.

Abstract: A method of predicting expected performance of a processing center system is provided. 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 system is described for determining the active copresence of users during interactions. The system may include a processor, a memory, and an interface. The memory may store a degree of active copresence. The interface may communicate with a user. The processor may identify a primary interaction of the user. The processor may determine whether the user engages in a secondary interaction while the user is engaged in the primary interaction. The processor may determine the degree of active copresence of the user during the primary interaction based on a quality score of the primary interaction and a quality score of the secondary interaction. The degree of active copresence may represent the level of engagement of the user during the primary interaction. The processor may provide the degree of active copresence to the user via the interface.

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: In a stagnation-judgment device, a work history-acquiring unit acquires work history of actions taken by an operator to handle an enquiry. A correlation-deriving unit derives correlation between actions of the operator and stagnation based on the work history regarding past enquiries. A stagnation-judgment unit judges whether the operator is in a state of stagnation by checking the work history regarding a current enquiry and the correlation derived by the correlation-deriving unit. A warning unit issues a warning when the operator is in the state of stagnation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for recording call sessions over a telephony network using a desktop recording architecture are disclosed. An illustrative system for recording call sessions over a telephony network includes one or more user telephone stations equipped with a telephone and computer desktop, and one or more additional record services or record servers. A desktop recording service associated with the computer desktop is configured to operate as either a primary or secondary recording service for recording inbound or outbound calls conducted over the user telephone station.

Abstract: Methods are provided of creating a deployment plan for staff members with single or multiple qualification for performing activities, each activity requiring at least a single qualification. The methods include the following operations performed by a computer: repeatedly generating a deployment plan assignment of the staff members, and assessing a quality of the assignment generated using a target function, using one of the assignments on the basis of the assessment of the quality as the assignment representing the deployment plan, wherein the target function comprises a term that determines the quality of the assignments, such that the smaller the difference is between the number of the staff members deployed to the activities and the calculated total staff member requirement of the activities the higher the quality of the assignment.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus (100) for capturing and analyzing customer interactions, the apparatus comprising a multi-segment interaction capture device (324), an initial set up and calibration device (326), a pre-processing and context extraction device (328) and a rule-based analysis engine (300).

Abstract: An architecture that is operable to predict when a selected work item will be serviced in a contact center 100 includes a service time predictor 260 operable to (a) select a plurality of successive time intervals, each of the plurality of time intervals recurring cyclically over a period of time; (b) determine a number of work items likely to be serviced during each of the plurality of time intervals; (c) select an enqueued work item waiting to be serviced, the enqueued work item having a corresponding queue position; and (d) predict a time interval of the plurality of time intervals in which the selected work item will be serviced by comparing the queue position of the selected work item with the number of work items likely to be serviced in at least some of the time intervals.

Abstract: This apparatus calculates, from the spoken dialogue data between a customer and an operator, the speech length of each speech. Then, it estimates the structure of the spoken dialogue data based on the speech length and specifies a speech-length-characteristic change time point (time) when the speaker who makes longer speeches changes. Then it extracts an information search time point (time) when the operator performs information search from operation log information about operator's operations performed during this conversation and determined both the ending time point of a part-to-elicit from the information search time point and the starting time point of the part-to-elicit from the speech length-characteristic change time point.

Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for detecting emotion using statistics. First, a database is provided. The database has statistics including human associations of voice parameters with emotions. Next, a voice signal is received. At least one feature is extracted from the voice signal. Then the extracted voice feature is compared to the voice parameters in the database. An emotion is selected from the database based on the comparison of the extracted voice feature to the voice parameters and is then output.

Abstract: Systems and methods for analyzing contact center interactions are provided. In this regard, a representative method includes: receiving information corresponding to an interaction between a contact center agent and a customer; and assessing quality of the interaction based, at least in part, on information corresponding to at least one of: a history of the customer; and an event corresponding to the customer and occurring subsequent to the interaction.

Abstract: A system receives a request for the service. The system selects an agent to deliver the service, based on an evaluation of the agent. In response to the request for service, the system evaluates the service delivered by the agent after the agent has delivered the service, and updates the evaluation of the service of the agent.

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 synchronization manager comprises an instruction execution system. The instruction execution system is configured to identify an initial master application of a plurality of workforce applications that are in communication with a contact center, identify remaining ones of the workforce applications as slave applications, determine a substitute master application hierarchy by prioritizing the slave applications, monitor the initial master application to detect changes to user data, and if changes to the user data in the initial master application are detected, update corresponding user data in the slave applications with the changes to the user data in the initial master application.

Abstract: Call features for an Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system implemented within a packet-based telephone environment are disclosed. Within a packet-based network, data messages are transferred between the ACD system and customer telephone stations while the customer waits for an attendant to become available. These data messages allow the customer to be informed of his/her current status within the priority order and further allows the customer to initiate a number of customer oriented operations. These operations include selecting music to listen to while waiting, requesting to be alerted when an attendant becomes available, and initiating a browser session for accessing data information. Overall, the status reports in combination with the initiating of one or more of the customer oriented operations can make the time spent waiting for an attendant a more productive and pleasant experience for the customer.

Abstract: Systems and methods for analyzing communication sessions using fragments are provided. In this regard, a representative method includes: delineating fragments of an audio component of a communication session, each of the fragments being attributable to a party of the communication session and representing a contiguous period of time during which that party was speaking; and automatically assessing quality of at least some of the fragments such that a quality assessment of the communication session is determined.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing unique dialogs from a dialog system to identify paths through the dialog system, each unique dialog having a corresponding identified path and generating a visual call flow representation as a function of the identified paths of the dialog system, the call flow representation including nodes and edges connected to correspond to the identified paths.

Abstract: The provision of call handling treatments in sequence to callers interacting with an automated call-handling system is managed by: (i) for each of a plurality of callers interacting with the automated call handling system: (a) providing a sequence of call handling treatments to the caller in accordance with one or more workflows; (b) monitoring a measurable performance indicator associated with that caller's behavior; (c) determining an association between the performance indicator and one or more of the call handling treatments provided to the caller; and (d) recording the association; (ii) based on the recorded associations, determining a pattern of deviation in the performance indicator attributable to one or more of the call handling treatments; and (iii) altering the or each workflow in response to the pattern of deviation by making a change in the or each workflow selected from: promoting a call handling treatment to an earlier point in the workflow; demoting a call handling treatment to a lat

Abstract: Systems and methods for analyzing contact center interactions are provided. In this regard, a representative method includes: receiving information corresponding to an interaction between a contact center agent and a customer; and assessing quality of the interaction based, at least in part, on information corresponding to at least one of: a history of the customer; and an event corresponding to the customer and occurring subsequent to the interaction.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a computer-implemented method of performing a quality evaluation. The method may include selecting from a plurality of interaction recordings at least one interaction recording according to at least one KPI. The method may include associating a selected interaction recording with a predefined evaluation form, presenting interactions selected for evaluation to an evaluator and performing a predefined action based on a result of the evaluation.

Abstract: A method and system for aggregating data associated with a plurality of interactions between at least one customer and at least one agent for generating business process analytics is provided. The method is implemented by a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of code segments and includes selecting a range of the organized plurality of agents and identifying a plurality of interactions associated with an organized plurality of agents within the selected range, receiving voice data associated with each of the identified interactions and analyzing the voice data, agent call activity data, customer call activity data, and customer history data associated with each of the identified interactions, and generating business process analytics for the identified interactions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for scheduling call center agents are provided. An exemplary system for scheduling call center agents includes an agent computing device that is capable of obtaining quality scores of agents. The quality score is a measurement of quality that the agents provide to a call center. The Agent computing device is capable of transmitting the quality scores of agents over a network. The system further includes a manager computing device that is capable of: receiving the quality scores of agents over the network, receiving a scheduled interval, receiving a quality goal for the scheduled interval, the quality goal being a desired measurement of quality that the agents collectively provide to the call center, determining a quality goal for the scheduled interval based on the received quality scores of agents, and determining a schedule for the agents based on the quality goal, the quality goal score, and the scheduled interval.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for assisting managers of a contact center is provided. The monitoring of agent communications is performed automatically and the communications are assigned to a group of supervisors for scoring. The scores assigned to the communications are then received and programmatically evaluated against predetermined criteria to determine the quality of the supervisors' performance. If the quality of performance is below an acceptable threshold, then the need for supervisor performance improvement is indicated. In one embodiment, the system automatically schedules a session for establishing/reinforcing a set of scoring guidelines in response to the indication.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system and method for linking interactions. The method includes grouping a plurality of customer-agent interactions into a category upon identifying one or more predetermined common characteristics in the customer-agent interactions and linking at least two of said customer-agent interactions to form a chain of interactions upon identifying a condition that matches a predetermined rule defining the chain.

Abstract: Systems and methods for visualization of call center performance are provided. An exemplary method includes the steps of: obtaining quality performance of agents data that includes information on the quality of service and quality characteristics of the agent, obtaining call center operations data that includes information on statistics and details of a call center, correlating the quality performance of agents data and the call center operations data, identifying correlation-based discovery, and optimizing call center performance based on the correlation-based discovery.

Abstract: The apparatus acquires retrieval history data of information retrieval to be determined, and acquires voice data of the conversation heard about information necessary for the information retrieval. A predetermined keyword dictionary is referred to from the voice data, and an expression matching a keyword indicating necessary information for information retrieval is extracted, and defined as a keyword obtained before retrieval. Then, the keyword obtained before retrieval and the retrieval history data (a retrieval key, a selected document, and an order in the retrieval result of the selected document) are compared with the best case data accumulated in the best case data storage unit, the applicability of the keyword obtained before retrieval and the applicability of the retrieval key are determined, and the applicability of the information retrieving process is obtained based on the determination.

Abstract: A system and method for automatic task prioritization comprises one or more task queues, a monitoring module, and a decision engine. The decision engine receives tasks and assigns a priority code to each task. Each task is inserted into one of the task queues according to its priority code and the priority codes of other tasks which may be present in the task queues. Agents select tasks to perform from the task queue according to priority guidelines established by a system user. The monitoring module may monitor the order of the tasks selected by the agents and each task's priority code. The monitoring module feeds this information back to the decision module. In one embodiment, the decision module is a learning system that updates stored data using feedback from the monitoring module to determine priority of each task.

Abstract: A call routing and supervising system includes an input receiving customer speech from a remote location, and a voice characteristics extractor extracting voice characteristics from the customer speech, such as language/dialect/accent, age group, gender, and eigendimension coordinates. A customer service representative selector selects one or more customer service representatives based on profiles of the customer service representatives respective of customers having voice characteristics similar to the extracted voice characteristics. In other aspects, a call monitor automatically analyzes dialogue between the customer and the customer service representative, such as detected interruptions, tracked dialogue turns, and recognized key phrases indicating frustration, polity, and/or resolution characteristics of dialogue. The call monitor records performance of the customer service representative respective of customers having the voice characteristics.

Abstract: An outbound-operation support apparatus extracts a set of materials corresponding to received contents of an operation from a material database (DB) and extracts a theme and a knowledge-level value having a success rate larger than a predetermined threshold value from a value DB. Thereafter, a set of customer identifications corresponding to each of the extracted themes and the knowledge-level values is extracted from another value DB, and customer information corresponding to each of the customer identifications is extracted from a customer DB. The extracted material and the customer information are associated with each another and transmitted to an outbound agent terminal.

Abstract: A database schema architecture and operators therefor is disclosed for storing data providing information about membership of items in one or more groups, wherein when such a group is a simulated group, access to group item data related to activities of the group items prior to creation of the simulated group is provided. When such a group is an actual group, access to group item data related to activities of the group items prior to creation of the group is constrained such that group entities have database Type 2 behavior. The architecture provides a common schema for both actual and simulated groups. The architecture provides the ability to create simulated or hypothesized groups of agents in a contact center, wherein the groups can be evaluated using agents' past performance. Such groups are represented by the same schemas as actual groups, and the data entities for the actual groups exhibit Type 2 database behavior.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing agent data synchronization in a customer center having a plurality of agents. In this regard, a representative method comprises: storing agent data on a customer center network; sending the agent data to a plurality of workforce applications that are coupled to the customer center network, at least one workforce application including agent data; and updating the agent data of the plurality of workforce applications according to the received agent data such that synchronization of the agent data is maintained among the plurality of the workforce applications.

Abstract: According to the invention, a system and method for integrating agent scripting, call routing and workforce management functions in contact centers, enabling them to work together without opposing the influence of the workforce management system against those of the other two systems, is disclosed. In an embodiment of the invention, a feedback mechanism is provided between the agent scripting engine and either the forecasting engine or the adherence module of the workforce management system, or both. This feedback mechanism is used to pass useful information dynamically between the said workforce management system and the said agent scripting engine, said information exchange being unidirectional in either direction, or bidirectional. A similar feedback mechanism is provided between the routing system and either the forecasting engine or the adherence module of the workforce management system, or both.

Abstract: A contact center is provided that includes a plurality of agents for servicing incoming contacts and a target behavior identification module operable to (i) process a set of events to yield a corresponding measure; (ii) compare the measure to a plurality of rule sets, each of the rule sets corresponding to a different type of target behavior; and (iii) when the measure is defined by the a selected rule set, associate the measure with a type of target behavior corresponding to the selected rule set.

Abstract: Systems and methods for analyzing communication sessions using fragments are provided. In this regard, a representative method includes: delineating fragments of an audio component of a communication session, each of the fragments being attributable to a party of the communication session; and automatically assessing quality of at least some of the fragments such that a quality assessment of the communication session is determined.

Abstract: A method of managing calls at a call service center is disclosed and includes monitoring a plurality of calls that are received at the call service center. Further, the method includes monitoring service transactions that are handled by a plurality of customer service agents. The method also includes determining a sales success metric of each of the plurality of customer service agents for each of a plurality of services offerings and ranking the customer service agents in terms of the service success metric for each of the plurality of service offerings. Additionally, the method includes recording the customer service agent rankings for each of the service offerings.

Abstract: A computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein agent training program in which when each agent has been performing an answer, agent identifier, and enquiry contents and contents of the answer are stored in a storage device. An enquiry pattern is extracted from enquiry contents. Respective agents' answers are evaluated, for each enquiry pattern, and by a model contents of the answer extraction section, contents of the answer of an agent with highest evaluation is extracted as model contents of the answer. The contents of the answer of a trainee agent and model contents of the answer are divided into predetermined phases, and corresponding phase of both are mutually compared to calculate ineptitude-degrees in respective phases of trainee agent.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system and computer program for handing over a communication from a first party to a second party. The method comprises the steps of analyzing an audio communication with said first party for quality; and transcribing to text said audio communication with either a speech recognition function or a shadow or a human transcription service, based on said analyzing. The method comprises the further steps of editing the transcribed text; aligning said text with visual information viewed during said audio communication; and sending said transcribed text along with said visual information to said second party. The preferred embodiment of the invention provides a tool that can be used to great effect in the “Call Handover” scenario.

Abstract: A system and method for providing online incentive programs that allows participants in the programs to access hierarchical reports detailing the current status of the incentive programs. The incentive programs include means to restrict access to the various hierarchical reports to prevent the different levels of management from accessing information relating to higher levels of management. Participants may therefore monitor their performance, as well as the performance of those individuals who are under their control.

Abstract: A method for handling contact center requests can include the step of identifying a contact center request and a resource type to handle the request, where a resource of the resource type can be selected from a multitude of contact center resources. The contact center resources can include at least one enterprise resource and at least one provider resource. The request can be handled using the selected resource.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a communication session in a contact center comprises a store of one or more defined speech events which may occur in a communication session for a contact being handled by an agent operating an agent station of the contact center, a speech event comprising at least one occurrence of at least one word in an audio stream of a communication session. A speech analyser is operable, during a communication session involving an agent station of the contact center, to detect the occurrence of one of the speech events. An event generator is responsive to detection of one of the speech events, for issuing an event notification during the communication session identifying the speech event to a reporting component of the contact center which has been configured to receive such event notifications.

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 the steps of 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 yet still further aspects of the invention, feedback in the form of voice records of portions of interactions that the agent handled deficiently, voice records containing recommended improvements to such interactions, as well as supplemental information can be transmitted to the agent.

Abstract: Studies of call center activities are performed by using a tool having timer buttons for timing call activities during a live or recorded call. Code values are assigned to specific activities and activity subtypes. The calls are assigned to a plurality of reviewers who gather data using the tool. Reviewer data is consolidated into a master database. The data is normalized with agent performance ratings. The normalized data is analyzed statistically to determine leverage points for improvement.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system for tracking a contact center operation. The system includes a tracking agent 232 operable to (a) receive a notification indicating a change in agent focus from a first work item to a second work item; (b) determine whether the first work item involves a communication medium different from the second work item; and (c) when the first work item involves a communication medium different from the second work item, cause termination of a timer with respect to the servicing of the first work item and initiation of a timer with respect to the servicing of the second work item. The first and second work items are concurrently assigned for servicing to the agent.

Abstract: A telephone switching system includes line packages and a switch unit allowing a path to be established between the line packages. At least one line package is interconnected to, e.g. a broadband-adaptive unit, and is adaptive to both of a first coding rule expected of the switch unit and a second coding rule higher in compression ratio than the first coding rule. The broadband-adaptive line package, monitoring the coding rule of another line package connected thereto, adapts itself to the first coding rule if the other line package is adaptive only to the first coding rule, or adapts itself to the second coding rule if the other line package is adaptive to both of the first and second coding rules.