Abstract: A system for assuring agent connection for outbound calls placed in an automated outbound calling campaign includes an outbound dialing server, a digital data repository coupled to the outbound dialing server, the data repository storing outbound dialing records for automated outbound dialing, and software executing on the outbound dialing server from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a first function for determining for a specific outbound dialing record if the connection to a live agent must be an assured connection, a second function for dialing and engaging an agent via an internal call for reservation of the agent, and a third function for bridging the call connections forged between the system and the agent and the system and the outbound party upon answer of the outbound call.

Abstract: A method for determining a number of calls to generate in an automated contact center based upon a prediction of agent occupancy in a future time period. The automated contact center comprises a dialer for dialing generated calls, a queue where successfully connected dialed calls await agent handling, and an agent pool where calls are handled by agents. The method estimates a number of calls presently in the dialer, the queue, and the agent pool that would be in the agent pool in the future time period. Based upon the estimations, the method predicts a future agent occupancy in the future time period, which is used to determine the number of calls to generate in the automated contact center. Calls are generated based upon the number of calls to generate.

Abstract: A system and method for providing customer activities while in queue allows for one or more customers to interact with one or more customer activities while waiting to speak with a live agent. The customers engage the customer activities while holding in a queue where the customer activities reduce the boredom, frustration, and perceived hold duration associated with holding to speak to a live agent. The customers are offered one or more options of the customer activities to interact with and the system and method monitors the customers' selections and interaction with the customer activities. As agents become available, each customer is transferred to an agent along with information regarding the customer's interaction with a selected customer activity. Upon completion of the interaction between the agent and the customer, the customer has the option to return to the selected customer activity and continue interacting with the selected customer activity.

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, assess contextual information and adjust an outbound dialer's pacing algorithm based on the assessment thereof. The contextual information may be obtained from sources that are inside the contact center and outside the contact center.

Abstract: When a customer communicates with a contact center, a history of the communication is stored. The communication from the customer can be in various media, such as a voice call, a video call, an email, an Instant Message (IM), a text message, and/or a blog posting. The history includes a context such as a reason for the communication and a time of the communication. The history of the communication is used to determine a pattern of the communication based on the context. Using the pattern, a time that the customer will communicate with the contact center is predicted. An agent associated with the customer is scheduled to be available at the predicted time. The predicted time can also be based on future events such as a product release or an event such as a political event, a sports event, and/or a convention.

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: 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: Methods are disclosed for routing callers to agents in a contact center, along with an intelligent routing system. One or more agents are graded on achieving an optimal interaction, such as increasing revenue, decreasing cost, or increasing customer satisfaction. Callers are then preferentially routed to a graded agent to obtain an increased chance at obtaining a chosen optimal interaction. In a more advanced embodiment, caller and agent demographic and psychographic characteristics can also be determined and used in a pattern matching algorithm to preferentially route a caller with certain characteristics to an agent with certain characteristics to increase the chance of an optimal interaction.

Abstract: A method for controlling and correcting abandonment rate in an automated contact center that uses a predictive dialing method for determining a number of calls to generate for dialing. When abandonment rate is close to zero, the method determines a mean agent occupancy that is used by the predictive dialing method. Empirical data is collected on agent occupancy while the predictive dialing method uses the mean agent occupancy to determine a number of calls to generate. The method determines a target abandonment rate and a target agent occupancy, wherein a proportion of the agent occupancy empirical data having an agent occupancy equal to or higher than the target agent occupancy is within a predetermined range of the target abandonment rate. The target agent occupancy is used to adjust the mean agent occupancy used by the predictive dialing method.

Abstract: A management server 10 stores past record data regarding the call volume by collecting from an exchanger, classifies the past record data in accordance with segments: a 7-day period in a month starting from the beginning of a month; a day of the week; and a predetermined period of time in a day, for a predetermined term in the past, obtains a multiple regression equation having the call volume as an objective variable, based upon the past record data thus classified, by performing a multivariate analysis for each day of the week, and calculates the call volume in a term that is specified by a user based upon the multiple regression equation.

Abstract: A distributed contact center and method of managing tasks within such a contact center is provided. The various sites of the distributed contact center are adapted to bid on contacts by transmitting bids to a work item distribution mechanism via RTP streams, thereby enabling the work item distribution mechanism to analyze the bids in real-time and route the contact accordingly.

Abstract: A system for optimized and distributed resource management, comprising a plurality of media servers, a statistics server, a historical statistics database, a forecasting engine, a scheduling engine, and an activity manager. The forecasting engine generates a forecast of estimated volume of imperative demand and determines a required volume of contingent demand to be handled based on managing a backlog of contingent demand. The scheduling engine generates a schedule that provides an adequate number of resources to handle the forecasted imperative demand and to handle the required volume of contingent demand over an aggregated time. The activity manager monitors statistical data, compares actual staffing and imperative demand to scheduled staffing and forecasted imperative demand, and determines activity switches needed to reallocate available resources, the activity switches only occurring switched after a configured minimum activity switching time.

Abstract: A method for determining a number of calls to generate in an automated contact center, wherein the automated contact center comprises a dialer for dialing generated calls and an agent pool where successfully connected dialed calls are handled by agents. The method collects empirical data on durations in which calls spend in the dialer and agent handling times. The collected data is used to generate discrete density or discrete distribution functions. Using the discrete density or distribution functions, an individual impact is calculated for each call presently in the dialer. The method uses the individual impacts to calculate a dialer impact, which is used to predict a future agent occupancy. Based upon the prediction, a number of calls to generate is determined. Calls are generated based upon the number of calls to generate.

Abstract: The optimum number of agents necessary for contact-center jobs is dynamically calculated in accordance with actual operations. A method of making the same controllable and a computer program to realize such calculation and method are provided. A necessary number-of-people calculating means (4) theoretically calculates the necessary number of people in response to the number of calls varying from time to time and average handling time (“AHT”) for agents by using the well known Erlang C equation. Further, an operation-rate adjusting means (6) adjusts such theoretically calculated data of the necessary number of people by using a predicted operation data based on managers' practically experienced data and a control means (9) provides the calculated result to an output means (7).

Abstract: Various systems and methods provide techniques for providing a communication center comprising a plurality of representatives, receiving a request for communication from a first party, determining an available representative from the plurality of representatives and a representative available time period for the request for communication, preventing the available representative from communicating with a second party during the representative available time period, providing the first party with communication information, and connecting the first party to the available representative during the representative available time period.

Abstract: A contact center establishes a communication with a user. The communication is placed into a position in a wait queue that has other position(s) with other communication(s) that are waiting to be serviced by contact center agents. An offer is made to the user to change an amount of time to wait in the wait queue before being connected to a contact center agent. The offer can be based on a commodity such as money, frequent flyer miles, willingness to listen to an advertisement while holding, completing a survey, and the like. In response to the user accepting the offer, the position of the communication in the wait queue is changed to a different position. This allows the user to interactively adjust their wait time.

Abstract: A campaign strategy manager (CSM) component for a hosted communications campaign system allows users to define more granular and specific campaign strategies, including pass escalation for alternative channels (e.g., text and email) and/or based upon attempt results, contact attributes and response group data. The campaign strategy manager allows users to define pass strategies statically and dynamically, to manage lists across multiple campaigns, and to view results in real-time. A defined strategy is a static strategy created by a user for a particular campaign that, once created, typically is not modified. A dynamic strategy is one where, during the course of a day (e.g., as a sub-campaign is running), a user may alter the defined strategy, preferably just for that day (or portion thereof). The CSM may be used to implement a recovery strategy using a dialer pass.

Abstract: A contact center is described and systems, methods, and devices for processing work items within the contact center are provided. An Estimated Contact Handling Time (ECHT) is computed for one or more work items in the contact center and work items are distributed within the contact center at least partially based on the ECHT calculations. Thus, a time-based contact routing mechanism is provided to increase the efficiency with which a contact center operates.

Abstract: A web-based hosted solution (a managed service or system) through which business entities create and manage communications campaigns, such as interactive campaigns that afford target recipients an opportunity to be connected to a call center. To reduce latency of customer-to-agent connections, the system implements an agent stay-on-line function by which a persistent telephony connection is established and maintained between the system infrastructure and an available agent. In this manner, the agent may handle multiple customers while avoiding an ACD hold queue. In addition, preferably a service-side hold queue also is established and maintained on the service-side of the infrastructure. This hold queue maintains calls that are waiting to be connected to available agents. It ensures that any customer abandons (on the service side) do not impair the connections that are being established and maintained to the agents. The managed service carries out a communications campaign on behalf of a client.

Abstract: A web-based hosted solution (a managed service or system) through which business entities create and manage communications campaigns, such as interactive campaigns that afford target recipients an opportunity to be connected to a call center. To reduce latency of customer-to-agent connections, the system implements an agent stay-on-line function by which a persistent telephony connection is established and maintained between the system infrastructure and an available agent. In this manner, the agent may handle multiple customers while avoiding an ACD hold queue. In addition, preferably a service-side hold queue also is established and maintained on the service-side of the infrastructure. This hold queue maintains calls that are waiting to be connected to available agents. It ensures that any customer abandons (on the service side) do not impair the connections that are being established and maintained to the agents. The managed service carries out a communications campaign on behalf of a client.

Abstract: A system for communicating service information to a potential customer is provided. The system includes one or more potential customer devices, one or more session initiation protocol (SIP) client devices, and a SIP server. The SIP server is operable to determine an estimated service wait time based on information received from the one or more SIP client device and communicate the estimated wait time to the one or more potential customer devices.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing calls, both inbound and outbound, for available agents over a plurality of lines, where each call received or placed is pre-identified to be connected to one specific agent and upon the automatic detection of the call being received or answered, the call is either connected to the specific agent or placed in a queue for that specific agent.

Abstract: A system for making outbound calls includes a first node connected to a network for placing outbound telephone calls, a second node connected to the network and accessible to the first node for reporting agent status relative to busy, ready, and time to ready, a number of agent appliances connected to the network and accessible to the second node, and a number of agent activity applications installed one per on the agent appliances. In a preferred embodiment outbound calls are predicted based on the number of agents reported ready to accept a call plus the number of agents predicted to be ready to accept a call within a specified time window.

Abstract: A system for making outbound calls includes a first node connected to a network for placing outbound telephone calls, a second node connected to the network and accessible to the first node for reporting agent status relative to busy, ready, and time to ready, a number of agent appliances connected to the network and accessible to the second node, and a number of agent activity applications installed one per on the agent appliances. In a preferred embodiment outbound calls are predicted based on the number of agents reported ready to accept a call plus the number of agents predicted to be ready to accept a call within a specified time window.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing calls, both inbound and outbound, for available agents over a plurality of lines, where each call received or placed is pre-identified to be connected to one specific agent and upon the automatic detection of the call being received or answered, the call is either connected to the specific agent or placed in a queue for that specific agent.

Abstract: A system and method for providing customer activities while in queue allows for one or more customers to interact with one or more customer activities while waiting to speak with a live agent. The customers engage the customer activities while holding in a queue where the customer activities reduce the boredom, frustration, and perceived hold duration associated with holding to speak to a live agent. The customers are offered one or more options of the customer activities to interact with and the system and method monitors the customers' selections and interaction with the customer activities. As agents become available, each customer is transferred to an agent along with information regarding the customer's interaction with a selected customer activity. Upon completion of the interaction between the agent and the customer, the customer has the option to return to the selected customer activity and continue interacting with the selected customer activity.

Abstract: A system of remote computer service including a call center, the Internet and a computer service supporting system. The computer service supporting system receives the requests from the computer and allocates and/or designates corresponding call center for the computer; the present invention also provides a method that the computer sends service request to the computer service supporting system by Internet; the computer service supporting system allocates and/or designates a call center for the computer and relates the computer and the call center by service ID; then, returns the communication means information and the service ID of the call center to the computer; the computer contacts with the call center by the communication means information, and the call center provides the service applied to the computer by using the service ID.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a call center system and a method for obtaining interface invoke information to realize automatic analysis of the user behaviors. The method includes steps of sending a connection establishment request message to a user interface server by a call center client after a service is activated; allocating a connection identification for the activated service and sending a response message after the user interface server receives the connection request message; performing interactions between the call center client and the user interface server and recording the interaction message according to the connection identification attached in the interaction message; and decomposing the recorded interaction message and obtaining the information on the application programming interface invoked by each service according to the name of the application programming interface corresponding to the interface identification obtained from each message.

Abstract: Call center queue management includes a method for calculating an average capability for each of a plurality of agents obtaining all completion data for each agent. The call completion data is used to calculate a historical average for each agent. The historical average is used to calculate an average capability for each agent.

Abstract: Systems and methods that employ contact escalation periods as criterion for managing routing procedures of a contact center. A prediction component can predict when a customer is likely to escalate a contact that is forwarded to a contact center, and hence facilitate resource matching based on such prediction. Accordingly, proactive and anticipatory contact interaction is enabled, wherein routing of contacts occur in-part based on predicted likelihood of escalations.

Abstract: In a call center, a plurality of agents comprises at least a first group associated with a first skill and a second group associated with a second skill. The second group may have a substantially larger number of agents than the first group, and accordingly the first and second groups may be referred to as small and large groups, respectively, and the first and second skills may be referred to as small and large skills, respectively. In one embodiment, if a service level target for the small skill is being met, and a number of available agents in the small group exceeds a specified minimum available agent requirement, at least one of the available agents in the small group is selected and designated as eligible for handling a communication involving the large skill, without assigning that agent to the large group or removing that agent from the small group.

Abstract: A call center system that routes calls to geographically dispersed agents based on agent skill-set, agent location and caller location that results in the 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. A 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 the like. 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 priority routing process is provided for routing calls received via a call routing system to a live call center agent. Routing is determined through collection of Automated Call Distribution (“ACD”) real-time performance based data and subjective non-ACD data, normalization and weighting of the ACD and non-ACD data through application of certain algorithms resulting in a derived priority score for each call center, and selection of a call center based upon the highest priority score.

Abstract: A method and system for providing automated call center services, operating by identifying a caller, accessing the caller's account information, determining the likely reason for the call, identifying an agent skill group based on the likely reason for the call, and providing an available agent with access to the caller's account information, together with a script based on the likely reason for the call. Data and voice access to agents is combined with specialized methods and systems for determining agent optimization capabilities, thereby allowing multiple call centers located in geographically different areas to operate as a seamless virtual call center, having the capability to dynamically reorganize the structure of available agents, regardless of where located. Real time statistics allow determination of how many agents should be available and what skill sets those agents should have, thereby facilitating management decisions.

Abstract: A method and computer readable medium for routing a call to geographically dispersed agents based on agent skill-set, agent location and caller location that results in the call being delivered to the best available agent. The computer readable medium and method are utilized with a system comprised of a call center application module coupled to a database module with a communications network being used to couple incoming calls from customers with the best available agent. A 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 the like. The method 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 method, system, computer system and computer program product to interact with a user of a computer system or service via more than one communication channel, such as a telephone channel and a web channel. A determination can be made based upon information gathered via the multiple communication channels that communication between a server and one communication channel is related to communication between the server and another communication channel. Related information gathered via the multiple communication channels can be identified to form a more complete picture of information about the user's problem with a problem entity. A potential action to help the user find a solution can be determined from information gathered from all communication channels. An automated option can be provided via one of the communication channels, and an automated suggestion to select the option can be made via a coordinated communication channel.

Abstract: A method, system, computer system, and computer program product provide a context-sensitive user interface. The context in which the user interface operates is used to predict a media type of a communication channel that can be used for communicating via the user interface. Examples of media types include telephone, web chat, and web collaboration. The communication is facilitated according to the media type predicted. For example, an object of the user interface can be activated to enable communication according to the media type, or the user interface can initiate the communication via the communication channel. The user interface can be used for communicating with multiple communication channels of different media types. The context can include data presented by the user interface, data entered using the user interface, data selected using the user interface, and an action performed using the user interface.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a contact center using presence information to direct work items to experts. More specifically, a system is provided that includes a feature that allows for subject matter experts, which are individuals other than customer service agents, to assist in incoming calls in at least three different modes: an assist mode, an intercept mode and an overflow mode. Thus, customer service efficiency and customer satisfaction are increased. In addition, it is contemplated that subject matter experts may either selectively accept or deny the request for assistance.

Abstract: A method for network denial case generation includes receiving a plurality of third-party carrier call records associated with a plurality of subscriber telematics units at a call center wherein each call record includes a call status, determining at least one call record having a failure condition based on the call status, determining a subscriber telematics unit associated with the call record having the failure condition, and determining a network denial case action for the subscriber telematics unit based on the failure condition. A computer usable medium with suitable computer program code is employed for network denial case generation.

Abstract: A call center includes a plurality of agent workstations, each agent workstation comprising means for entering information obtained from a telephone respondent in response to questions prompted by a script displayed on the display of the workstation, and means for producing status signals indicative of the progression of the agent through the script. A predictive dialling system receives status signals from each agent station and predicts from the status signals and statistical information regarding the number of calls previously made, how many new calls should be dialled to enable agents who have finished their previous call by the time the calls are answered to take the new calls.

Abstract: A method and apparatus route telecommunication calls in a telecommunication switching system by receiving visual information for a caller of one of the telecommunication calls; analyzing the received visual information for characteristics of the telecommunication calls; and routing the one of the telecommunication calls based on the analyzed visual information.

Abstract: A first sales pitch appropriate for a particular telephone caller of a telephone call center may be selected by receiving a call from a caller to the telephone call center, accessing information about the caller including an indication of past misbehavior or a sales pitch preference of the caller that includes a preference not to receive one or more undesired sales pitches, and automatically selecting the first sales pitch based upon the sales pitch preference of the caller, for example, if there is no indication of past misbehavior. The call may be transferred to a human operator, and the human operator may be assisted in presenting the first sales pitch to the caller, for example, by displaying at least a portion of the first sales pitch to the human operator.

Abstract: A method of routing calls of an automatic call distributor system that includes receiving a first workflow, comprising a desired behavior, associated with a first agent of a plurality of agents and receiving at least one request from a respective user for connection with one of the agents. The method also includes monitoring system information and executing the first workflow after the first agent becomes available for connection with one of the requests. The method includes selecting a first request of the at least one request, wherein the first request is selected based on the first agent's desired behavior and the monitored system information, and connecting the first request to the first agent. The method may also include receiving a notification that the first agent is available for connection with one of the respective users, and executing the first workflow after receiving the notification that the first agent is available.

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 routing a caller from a set of callers to an agent from a set of agents based on a pattern matching algorithm utilizing caller data associated with the caller from the set of callers and agent data associated with the agent from the set of agents. One or both of the caller data and agent data includes personality data, e.g., from a personality profile, associated with the caller or agent. The personality data and profile may be generated from administration of a personality test such as a Myers-Brigg Type Indicator questionnaire.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for disposing of calls. The apparatus includes a call initiation module, a transfer module, and a presentation module. The call initiation module initiates a plurality of calls. The transfer module transfer a plurality of calls to at least one agent. The presentation module simultaneously presents a plurality of transferred calls to an agent for disposition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a telephony-accessed application system for providing a service, such as voicemail, in accordance with a switching interface such as in the ITU-T H.323 or IETF SIP recommendation. Queuing functionality is made possible in a system which employs a switch which does not support queuing. The queuing functionality is made possible by a queue means which is provided within an application means, i.e. the voicemail means itself. Consequently, the switch itself is relieved of the burden of having to keep track of the exact status of each of its ports at all times. The high-level queuing is performed at a logical level rather than at the physical level, and therefore affords a cleaner interface. Furthermore, the implementation of the queuing functions in the terminating application means allows for the use of a wider variety of intermediate switch means in a network.

Abstract: A system for communicating service information to a potential customer is provided. The system includes one or more potential customer devices, one or more session initiation protocol (SIP) client devices, and a SIP server. The SIP server is operable to determine an estimated service wait time based on information received from the one or more SIP client device and communicate the estimated wait time to the one or more potential customer devices.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for routing callers to agents in a call-center routing environment. An exemplary method includes identifying caller data for at least one caller in a queue of callers, and skipping a caller at the front of the queue of callers for another caller based on the identified caller data. The caller data may include one or both of demographic data and psychographic data. Skipping the caller may be further based on comparing caller data with agent data associated with an agent via a pattern matching algorithm such as a correlation algorithm. In one example, if the caller at the front of the queue has been skipped a predetermined number of times the caller at the front is the next routed (and cannot be skipped again).

Abstract: A method for routing contacts to resources comprises receiving a contact to be routed to one of a plurality of resources. The method then proceeds by determining a reliability score for at least one of the plurality of resources. The reliability score is based at least in part upon connection statistics for at least one of the plurality of resources. The method continues by determining a particular resource of the plurality of resources to which to route the contact. This determination is based at least in part upon the reliability scores that were determined. The method concludes by routing the contact to the particular resource.

Abstract: A method including determining a current rate of satisfying a service level agreement constraint, wherein the service level agreement constraint is associated to selected ones of each incoming contact within a contact center, comparing the current rate to a target rate associated with the service level agreement constraint to calculate a satisfaction value, measuring a size of a queue associated with the service level agreement constraint, and calculating a potential value associated with the service level agreement constraint based on the satisfaction value, the queue size and a weighted priority level associated with the service level agreement constraint.