Abstract: A real-time speech analytics system (“RSTA system”) detects speech during a call involving a contact center agent and a remote party. Upon detecting the speech, an event message is generated by the RTSA system and transmitted to a checkpoint and alert reporting module, which is configured to generate and update a checkpoint widget displayed to the agent. The checkpoint widget provides visual information regarding the status of the checkpoints encountered during the call. Checkpoint widgets may be stored for each call handled by an agent, and subsequently may be requested for display to a supervisor for reviewing of the agent's performance. Upon providing appropriate filter information, the selected widgets associated with the agent are displayed. By selecting a particular checkpoint indicator on a widget, audio from the call associated with that checkpoint is retrieved and streamed to the supervisor, thus allowing auditory review of that portion of the call.

Abstract: A system and method for setting agent cross skill enablement levels in a contact center. In one embodiment, a series of simulations is performed to determine optimum cross skill enablement levels for various circumstances, e.g., the number of agents, the proficiency of each agent at each of a number of skills, and the rates of incoming interaction requests requiring each of various skills. A lookup table is created which is subsequently used, during configuration of the contact center prior to operation, or in real time during operation, to adjust agent cross skill enablement levels.

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, selectively promote and demote agent skills to respond to various changes in contact center conditions. This enables the contact center to respond to unexpected changes in processing conditions without significantly impacting the overall performance of the contact center.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for recording agent activity and display information optionally redacting sensitive information from the recorded imagery prior to review by the agent's supervisor in a contact handling system are disclosed. The method can include recording image data displayed to the agent on a visual display during interaction by the agent with the contact media. The method can include audio recordings of what the agent heard and spoke that are combined with the recorded image data to simultaneously display the video and audio to a supervisor for quality assurance in the contact handling system. The method can further include modifying one or more selected pixels of the recorded image data to automatically exclude information from the recorded image data thereby creating redacted image data.

Abstract: Techniques for supporting a mobile financial service that enables a customers to enroll the customer's mobile phone number and register accounts are disclosed. A persistent authentication request is received from a customer, and the customer is authenticated based on authentication information provided by the customer. The customer enters a device identification of the communication device so that the device identification is registered and linked to the customer's profile. When the customer requests non-actionable information (e.g., account balance and transaction history information) by calling a customer service center with a registered communication device, the calling identification is provided to the customer service center by the incoming call. The customer service determines whether the calling identification corresponds to a registered number. If so, the customer service center provides the requested non-actionable information to the communication device without further authentication.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed herein. The method includes the step of receiving, with a processing device of a commerce server, a help request signal from an augmented reality device worn by a current consumer shopping in a retail store. The method also includes the step of selecting, with the processing device, a sales assistant to help the current consumer. The method also includes the step of linking, with the processing device, the augmented reality device in communication with an electronic computing device operated by the sales assistant. The method also includes the step of receiving, at the processing device, a receipt signal containing a list of items purchased by the current consumer. The method also includes the step of determining, with the processing device, if any item on the list of items was the subject of the help provided to the current consumer by the sales assistant.

Abstract: Contact centers employ agents to provide services to customers. In particular, artificial agents are provided that have a rich background and continuing life with the realm of social media. The artificial agent's profile is selected in accord with the profiles of current or prospective customers. As the customers age and progress in life, the artificial agent profile is updated in accord with the customers' changing profiles and similarly ages and progresses in life. When a customer desires to interact with artificial agent, for a purpose provided by a contact center, a human agent may be provided the profile and/or history of the artificial agent so as to impersonate the artificial agent and promote the relationship with the customer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention pertain to an apparatus, method, and a computer program configured to connect a translator located in a remote area to a conference holding area, and also connect a customer and customer service representative to the translator in order for the translator to translate between the customer service representative and the customer, when the customer services representative determines that a translator is needed.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods to provide a response to an inquiry. The systems and methods provide techniques to receive an inquiry from a party, wherein the inquiry comprises a plurality of inquiry classifiers that are provided by the party, determine a party status, translate the plurality of inquiry classifiers and the party status into a skill set, route the inquiry to a primary representative based on the skill set, and provide a inquiry response to the party.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system for routing a call to a call center may generally comprise a computer system comprising at least one processor and a storage device comprising computer-readable medium in communication with the processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to receive a call from a caller at an automated call distributor, initiate an interactive voice response interrogation session with the caller, and classify the call as one of a first type and a second type based on the interactive voice response interrogation session, when the call type is classified as the first type, route the call to at least one of a plurality of branches comprising at least one agent designated to receive calls classified as the first type, when the call type is classified as the second type, route the call to a call center comprising at least one agent designated to receive calls classified as the first type and the second type.

Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.

Abstract: A contact center is described as having the ability to simultaneously consider a plurality of different work assignment strategies. Specifically, a work assignment engine in the contact center is enabled to create merged strategies from work-finding-agent strategies and agent-finding-work strategies to determine if one such strategy contradicts the other strategy.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer-program are provided to receive a request to connect a translator to a conference call holding area, and transmit a request to the translator for a personal identification number prior to connecting the translator to the conference call holding area. Upon verification of the person identification number, the translator is connected to the conference call holding area.

Abstract: A method, system and program product, the method comprising: determining a distribution of real agent performance from previous real agent performance data; determining a set of hypothetical agents with respective hypothetical agent performances APi ranging from a worst performance to a best performance; calculating for each of the set of hypothetical agents a posterior distribution taking into account actual results of a respective actual agent in multiple skills, using the distribution of real agent performance and the set of hypothetical agents with respective hypothetical agent performances APi, to obtain a total probability for each hypothetical agent of the set of the hypothetical agents; repeating calculating the posterior distribution steps for multiple of the hypothetical agents to obtain the respective total probabilities for the respective hypothetical agents; determining one hypothetical agent with a better value of total probability as the actual agent's most probable global performance.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for routing a call to a call center may generally comprise receiving a call from a caller at an automated call distributor, initiating an interactive voice response interrogation session with the caller, and classifying the call as one of a first type and a second type based on the interactive voice response interrogation session, when the call type is classified as the first type, routing the call to at least one of a plurality of branches comprising at least one agent designated to receive calls classified as the first type, when the call type is classified as the second type, routing the call to a call center comprising at least one agent designated to receive calls classified as the first type and the second type.

Abstract: A method, information processing system, and computer program storage product for automatically generating auditory archives in a customer service environment are disclosed. A communication link with an end user is established. An information form is retrieved. The information form includes at least a category choice information set and at least one audio recoding information set. The end user is prompted to answer a set of questions based on information in the information form. A data set associated with each answer to each question in the set of questions given by the end user is stored. The data is stored under a set of fields corresponding to a question. Each data set stored under the set of fields for each question in the set of questions are combined with each other. An audio archive file is generated including the data sets that have been combined.

Abstract: A system and method for performance-based routing of interactions in a contact center. A routing server receives information on an interaction to be routed, and identifies a call reason for the interaction. The identification of the call reason may be based, for example, speech analytics. The routing server identifies one or more agents having experience in handling the topic. The routing server further determines a proficiency level of the identified agents in handling the topic, and selects one of the identified agents having at least a minimum level of proficiency. The routing server transmits a message for routing the interaction to the selected agent.

Abstract: Methods and systems for supporting the monitoring and control of an automatic call distribution system are provided. In particular, a ranked list of candidate agents that can be assigned to handle contacts for a selected queue associated with an automatic call distribution system is presented to a supervisor. The supervisor can make agent assignments from the ranked list at the discretion of the supervisor. The assignment or reassignment can be effected by the supervisor through control inputs entered through the user interface. These control inputs can include reconfiguring agent and/or queue attributes. In addition, assignments can be effected through communications to agents made by the supervisor that are initiated through the user interface.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a system and method for blended telephone network and computer network customer support interactions. The system may include a web server, one or more controllers, a telephone exchange, a monitoring server, and one or more client devices. The method may include receiving a multimedia support request, establishing a multimedia communications session, instructing a telephony application associated with the multimedia communications session to place a telephone call, routing and connecting the telephone call to an available endpoint, identifying the available endpoint when the telephone call is connected to the available endpoint, and transmitting an invitation to participate in the multimedia communications session to the available endpoint.

Abstract: A contact received by a service center from a customer may be assigned to one of a plurality of agents or representatives based on any prior experience with the customer or with the contact, any preferences of the customer or any skills required in order to address the contact. Preferably, an agent who previously handled an issue on behalf of the customer may be identified, and the contact may be assigned to that agent. Alternatively, the contact may be assigned to an agent preferred by the customer, or to a particularly skilled agent. If no preferred agents or particularly skilled agents are available to respond to the contact, the contact may be assigned at random to one or more particular agents. The contact may be initiated by way of a reply to a message containing a response to a previous contact, and the message may include metadata that associates the reply with the previous contact.

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

Abstract: System and method to select a contact handling mode in a contact center, the method including: receiving, by a communication interface, a contact from a customer; calculating, by a processor of the contact center, an expected wait time by the customer based upon historical contact information stored in a memory of the contact center; calculating an expected cost of queueing the customer for the expected wait time; and selecting the contact handling mode based upon the expected cost of queueing the customer.

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 calf 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: A contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. A ripple reduction mechanism is disclosed that provides an interval and evaluates and matches work items that come in until the interval expires. Once the interval expires, the ripple reduction mechanism in concert with a work assignment engine may finalize matches and optimally assign work items to minimize or eliminate a ripple effect.

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 (or fraction) 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. The method further includes mapping a second portion of the callers (e.g., the remaining portion or fraction of all callers) to agents differently than the first portion of the callers (e.g., mapping based on queue order or performance based), which may provide a control group for monitoring or analyzing the effect of the pattern matching algorithm. The method may further include displaying the effect of the routing on at least one outcome variable, which may include revenue generation, cost, customer satisfaction, first call resolution, cancellation, or other variable outputs from the pattern matching algorithm of the system.

Abstract: According to an example, connections may be routed in a contact center by determining if a current connection from a customer terminal to the contact center is a repeat connection or a first connection. In response to determining that the connection is a repeat connection, the repeat connection is routed to an originating agent terminal when an originating agent is verified as employed, logged-in, and available. In response to determining that the connection is a first connection, the first connection is routed to a best available agent terminal.

Abstract: A network communication node includes an audio outputter that outputs an audible representation of data to be provided to a requester. The network communication node also includes a processor that determines a categorization of the data to be provided to the requester and that varies a pause between segments of the audible representation of the data in accordance with the categorization of the data to be provided to the requester.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the assignment of calls to groups of call handlers in a call center environment. According to certain aspects, the present invention achieves an optimal balance between the level of service and overall cost by assigning a “common” pool skill to all call handlers in the system and by secondarily assigning one or more additional “rare” pool skills to each call handler. In this configuration, any call handler may receive calls (or other multiple media work assignments) from the states in the common pool while also receiving calls from the states in their additional rare pool(s). According to other aspects, a method according to the invention optimizes the selection of the skills to be included in each of the pools.

Abstract: A call-management method and system for distributing calls to agents, wherein each agent has a profile, e.g., defining agent skills, efficiency, etc. The call center management system implements an algorithm for selecting an agent to receive a call to optimize caller utility, call center efficiency, and agent training. Therefore, the algorithm does not seek to necessarily route a call to the agent having the skill set most suited to the call; rather, the call may be routed to an agent who needs experience in the area of the call, and thus serves as a training exercise. Skilled agents may be made available to shadow the training agent when available.

Abstract: The system and method enable an agent to be able to select a contact (e.g., a voice call or email from a customer) from a contact queue in a contact center. As contacts come into a contact center, the contacts are placed in the contact queue. An agent in the contact center is presented with the contacts along with a profile that is associated with each of the contacts. The profile may contain information about the contacts such as an attitude of the contact, a conversation style of the contact, a sentiment of the contact, and the like. The agent selects one of the contacts in the contact queue. The selected contact is then sent to the agent for handling.

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, mark a work item as interruptible. The work item may receive an interruptible marking when the work item is assigned to an adequately-matched agent rather than a well-matched. Processing of the work item by the adequately-matched agent may be interrupted if the well-matched agent becomes available prior to the work item being completed by the adequately-matched agent.

Abstract: A contact center, methods, and mechanisms are provided for assigning work items to resources using attributes that conditionally expand a selectable pool of resources. The work item is first analyzed for any required, preferred, and conditional attributes and then queued in multiple resource attribute sets for work assignment. Work items are assigned to resources by considering a match between the analyzed attributes of a work item and a resource while observing alternative assignment conditions. When met, the alternative assignment conditions cause the work item to be queued in additional resource attribute sets thereby expanding the pool of selectable resources. Once assigned, the work item may be removed from queues not selected in the work assignment.

Abstract: The methods, apparatus, and systems described herein are designed to route customer communications to the best agent or best available agent The methods include receiving a customer communication, predicting a personality type of the customer associated with the customer communication, and providing a routing recommendation to route the customer to an agent based on the personality type prediction and historical customer data.

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: Methods for analyzing an interactive voice response (IVR) system are disclosed. In the methods, prompts are issued from the IVR system and user input made in response to the prompts from the IVR system is received. One method involves displaying the prompts issued by the IVR system to an operator; and receiving input data from the operator, the data defining whether any change to the IVR system is recommended and/or any recommended changes to the IVR system. Another method involves detecting the occurrence of an unexpected event by comparing the user input against a predefined set of rules, each rule being associated with one or more of the unexpected events; and taking a predefined action in response to the detection of one or more of the unexpected events.

Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising: obtaining agent parameter data; percentiling agents based on the agent parameter data, to obtain an agent distribution of agent percentiles; partitioning callers based on criteria into partitions; obtaining caller propensity data; percentiling the callers based on propensity for an outcome to obtain a caller distribution; performing distribution compensation using one algorithm selected from an edge compensation algorithm applied to the distribution of agent percentiles or the distribution of the caller percentiles, near at least one distribution edge to provide edge compensation, and a topology altering algorithm applied to either or both of the agent distribution and the caller distribution to change one or more of the distributions to a different topology; and matching an agent to a caller in one of the partitions with a closest respective percentile, where one of the caller percentile or the agent percentile has been distribution compensated.

Abstract: An Estimated Wait Time (EWT) computing system for computing estimated wait time for customers in a contact center is provided. The EWT computing system includes an analysis module for analyzing each incoming contact to determine attributes corresponding to the incoming contact. The EWT computing system further includes a categorization module for categorizing the incoming contact based on the determined attributes and a past history of the incoming contact or similar contacts. The EWT computing system further includes a computing module for computing an estimated wait time for the incoming contact based on a category of the incoming contact and availability of suitable agents for handling the incoming contact. The EWT computing system further includes a reporting module for reporting the estimated wait time to the incoming contact.

Abstract: Embodiments disclose systems and methods for requesting a communication. A method may include receiving, at a computing device, a first input that corresponds to a request for one or more phone numbers, wherein the request is associated with an account. In response to receiving the first input, the method may include the computing device selecting a phone number that is pre-associated with the account. The method may also include transmitting a call request from the computing device, wherein the call request indicates the selected phone number is to be called.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for initiating a voice communication to a best-determined target includes associating a plurality of workers in a worker list with a skills profile for each worker. Upon receiving an assistance request for a task, the worker list can be searched automatically for target contacts having the skill profile best-matching the assistance request. Further search criteria can be compared between the task and the matched target contacts to facilitate the proper selection of the best-matched target contacts. Upon a match, a voice communication is automatically initiating between the requestor to the best-determined target contact.

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.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for routing callers to agents in a call-center routing environment. An exemplary method includes pooling incoming callers, and causing a caller from the pool of callers to be routed. The caller may be routed from the pool of callers to an agent, placed in another pool of callers, or placed in a queue of callers. The caller data may include demographic or psychographic data. The caller may be routed from the pool of callers based on comparing the caller data with agent data associated with an agent via a pattern matching algorithm and/or computer model for predicting a caller-agent pair outcome. Additionally, if a caller is held beyond a hold threshold (e.g., a time, “cost” function, or the like) the caller may be routed to the next available agent.

Abstract: External queue monitoring of contact center queues is provided as a means that may better service the customer and measure service level objectives. External queue monitoring provides the opportunity for real-time monitoring of the queue and modification of contact center operations, such as devices routing queue members, in response to queuing or enqueued customers.

Abstract: Techniques for message forwarding based on a relationship between a sender and a recipient are described herein. In one embodiment, a process includes, but is not limited to, in response to a message from a sender over a network, identifying a list of candidate recipients to handle the message based on roles of the candidate recipients within an organization in view of the sender, and forwarding the message to a recipient selected from the list of the candidate recipient to enable the selected recipient to handle the message. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: A system and method for setting agent cross skill enablement levels in a contact center. In one embodiment, a series of simulations is performed to determine optimum cross skill enablement levels for various circumstances, e.g., the number of agents, the proficiency of each agent at each of a number of skills, and the rates of incoming interaction requests requiring each of various skills. A lookup table is created which is subsequently used, during configuration of the contact center prior to operation, or in real time during operation, to adjust agent cross skill enablement levels.

Abstract: An enhanced mechanism for intelligently routing a call and providing a supporting computer interface on a screen of one or more computers connected to a network. In an embodiment, a service request form is provided on a customer's computer by which a customer provides customer-input information. A data file (e.g., an XML file) is generated with the customer-input information and transmitted over a data network. A service routing, integration, mining and personalization (SRIMP) engine receives, via the data network, the data file. The SRIMP engine routes a call (e.g., a VoIP call) to a customer care agent selected based on the data file. In addition, the SRIMP engine creates an agent's view computer interface the content of which is based on the data file. The SRIMP engine may, for example, send personalized information and portlets to the selected agent's browser that are needed to address the customer's question.

Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.

Abstract: A process and system for capturing site maintenance and repair information and creating a closeout package in near real time. The process involves an on-site technician calling into a call center to establishing voice communication with the call center personnel. The personnel connect to the cloud to access photos that are to be taken by and automatically uploaded to the cloud using the technician's smart device. The technician then goes through a predetermined list of work items or actions while verbally describing to the call center personnel each item and while taking photos of key items. The call center personnel record in their computer item descriptions, information and photos in real time as the work is completed. Upon finishing the on-site work, the technician signs out and the call center personnel trigger the auto-generation of a closeout package that is immediately available to the customer via web access.

Abstract: The methods, apparatus, and systems described herein are designed to route customer communications to the best available agent. The methods include predicting a personality type of the customer, determining the occupancy level of agents to provide a list of available agents, providing a routing recommendation based on the predicted personality type of the customer and agent data such as proficiency in handling customers with the predicted personality type, and/or analyzing real-time customer-agent interactions.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable storage media for managing customer service agent workload in a customer service environment. In some implementations, one or more servers receive a communication associated with a customer case item. The one or more servers determine one or more case attributes associated with the customer case item and identify a first customer service agent having one or more agent attributes that match the one or more case attributes of the customer case item. The one or more servers assign the customer case item to the first customer service agent and provide first data of the customer case item to a first display device associated with the first customer service agent, the first display device configured to display a user interface including a first component indicating the first data of the customer case item.

Abstract: A method for informing a caller of the availability of a call-center agent who can assist the caller without some of the disadvantages of the prior art is disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, when a caller accesses the address book in the memory of his or her telecommunications terminal (such as a telephone) the caller will see both the contact information for the call center and the availability of a call-center agent.