Telephonic communications – Centralized switching system – Call distribution to operator
Reexamination Certificate
1994-09-12
2001-04-24
Matar, Ahmad (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Centralized switching system
Call distribution to operator
C379S309000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06222919
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to automatic call distribution systems and, more particularly, to an automatic call distribution system and method for grouping available agents by individual skills in such a call distributor to expeditiously connect an incoming telephone caller with an available agent having one or more skills deemed useful in handling the specific needs of the caller.
Automatic call distributors (ACDs) are becoming increasingly utilized by businesses to automatically route incoming customer calls to available agents. Some ACDs route incoming telephone calls based on the skills of the agents and the needs of the incoming callers. When agents having the necessary skills are unavailable, the customer is typically placed in one or more queues to await an available agent or is connected to an agent having somewhat related skills.
One method for automatic call distribution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,903 issued to Kohler et al. In the Kohler method, each incoming call is initially assigned up to three prioritized skill numbers representative of the estimated skill requirements of the calling party. Each agent possesses up to four skill numbers that represent various skills of the agent. For an agent having more than four skills, artificial skill numbers are used. In a travel agency, for example, agents may have knowledge of the cities, sites, etc. of one or more states. To accommodate agents having knowledge of more than four states, the Kohler method provides for the assignment of artificial skill numbers representing a group of states, such as the New England states.
Upon arrival of an incoming call, a first group of agents are searched in an attempt to match the first prioritized skill number of the call with an available agent having that skill number. Failing to find a match of the first skill number, a second search is conducted for an available agent having either the first or second skill number. If a match still has not been found, a search of the first group of agents is made for an available agent having either the first, second or third skill number. If after the third search the incoming caller is not yet connected with an agent, a second group of agents is searched for a predetermined, artificial skill number designating general knowledge in the desired area while the first group of agents continues to be searched for either the first, second or third skill number.
As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the agent selection process disclosed in Kohler et al. may result in undesirable time delays as the agents are searched for a correct match. Since the Kohler invention searches all of the agents in a group at each level of searching, the system may take an inordinately long time to match caller skill requirements to agent skills, especially if each group has a large number of agents. The Kohler method will search all agents in the first group for all three skill numbers even if all agents in the group are unavailable. Further, even after this extended time period, the caller may be connected to an agent having an artificial skill number and, therefore, possibly only a cursory knowledge of the subject matter of the call.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved automatic call distribution system and method for grouping available agents in which the incoming caller is connected, in a timely fashion, to an available agent having one or more specific skills deemed necessary to handle the call.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This need is met by the method and automatic call distribution (ACD) system of the present invention wherein available agents are arranged in skill groups based on agent skills. Each skill group has a common agent-skill indicator representative of a skill common to all of the agents in the skill group. The agents in a skill group are further arranged by length of time each agent has been available. Consequently, the agent in a skill group having been available for the longest time will receive the next incoming telephone call routed to that skill group.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, when an incoming call is received by the ACD system of the present invention, computer means identifies a skill, or skills, deemed useful in satisfying the needs of a caller and matches the caller's need to a common agent-skill indicator of one of the skill groups. The computer means groups available agents into the above described skill groups. The computer means then checks the matched skill group for an available agent. If an available agent is found, the computer means routes the call to the available agent via connecting means. If no available agents are found, the computer means places the call in queue and waits for an available agent to be placed in the matched skill group.
The computer means further detects when an available agent becomes unavailable, either by accepting a telephone call or otherwise, and removes the agent from all skill groups in which the agent was a member. Unavailable agents are stored in memory means until they become available. When an unavailable agent becomes available, the computer means places the agent in its one or more corresponding skill groups to wait incoming telephone calls.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an automatic call distribution system for matching skill requirements of an incoming telephone caller with skills of one of a plurality of agents is provided. Some of the agents being available to accept an incoming telephone call. The system comprises computer means for detecting the skill requirements of the caller, for specifying skills possessed by each of the plurality of agents, for creating at least one skill group each comprised of available agents having a common skill, and for selecting one of the at least one skill group comprised of available agents having the common skill which matches the skill requirements of the caller. Connecting means connects the caller to one of the available agents within the selected skill group.
Preferably, the computer means comprises timing means for detecting a length of time during which each of the available agents have been available. The connecting means then connects the caller to one of the available agents within the selected skill group based on the length of time each of the available agents has been available.
The computer means may also detect when each of the available agents becomes unavailable. A memory device stores the detected unavailable agents until the unavailable agents become available. The computer means then retrieves available agents from the storing means and inserts the available agents into appropriate ones of the skill groups.
The computer means may comprise calling means for detecting a destination telephone number called by the caller. The calling means preferably identifies the destination telephone number called by the caller based on dialed number identification system information. The computer means thereafter determines the skill requirements of the caller based on the destination telephone number.
To provide further information regarding an incoming telephone call, the computer means comprises dialed means for detecting an origin telephone number indicative of telecommunications equipment used by the external caller to place the incoming telephone call. The computer means may then determine the skill requirement of the caller based solely on the origin telephone number or in conjunction with the destination telephone number. Further, the computer means may comprise prompting means for prompting the caller to provide predetermined information. The predetermined information is used by the computer means to detect the skill requirements of the caller.
By arranging the agents in the present invention by skill group and time of availability, the computer means is able to efficiently find an available agent with the desired skill. The computer means does not have waste time searching for agents who are available or have des
Baker Daniel F.
Hollatz Michael C.
Michelson Mark J.
Steinlicht Joseph C.
Sunderman Kurt E.
Christensen Jon P.
Matar Ahmad
Rockwell International Corporation
Scheer James A.
Welsh & Katz Ltd.
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