Granted Patent B2

US 8,374,327 · App. 12/504,830 · Granted Feb 12, 2013

Abstract

Claims (86)

1. A computer-implemented method of managing the provision of call handling treatments in sequence to callers interacting with an automated call-handling system, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) for each of a plurality of callers interacting with said 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 said performance indicator and one or more of said call handling treatments provided to said caller; and

(d) recording said association;

(ii) based on said recorded associations, determining a pattern of deviation in said performance indicator attributable to one or more of said call handling treatments; and

(iii) altering the or each workflow in response to said 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 later point in the workflow;

adding a call handling treatment to the workflow; and

removing a call handling treatment from the workflow.

2. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein said workflow is stored in a memory associated with said call handling system.

3. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the measurable performance indicator is a time at which a call termination event is detected.

4. A computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the performance indicator is a metric received from an associated computerised system which interfaces with the call handling system, whereby an event within that associated system is notified to the call handling system and is monitored as a performance indicator.

5. A computer-implemented method according to claim 4 , wherein said associated computerised system is a contact center agent application operated by agents of a contact center to record details of an interaction with a caller.

6. A computer program product comprising instructions recorded on a non-transitory program carrier which, when executed in a computerised call handling system, are effective to cause said system to:

(i) for each of a plurality of callers interacting with said automated call handling system:

(a) provide a sequence of call handling treatments to the caller in accordance with one or more workflows;

(b) monitor a measurable performance indicator associated with that caller's behavior;

(c) determine an association between said performance indicator and one or more of said call handling treatments provided to said caller; and

(d) record said association;

(ii) based on said recorded associations, determine a pattern of deviation in said performance indicator attributable to one or more of said call handling treatments; and

(iii) alter the or each workflow in response to said 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 later point in the workflow;

adding a call handling treatment to the workflow; and

removing a call handling treatment from the workflow.

7. A computerised call-handling system for providing call handling treatments in sequence to callers interacting with said system, the system comprising:

(a) a memory storing one or more workflows specifying a sequence of call handling treatments to be provided to each of a plurality of callers interacting with said system;

(b) a call handling treatment server for serving said treatments from storage to said callers in accordance with the one or more workflows;

(c) a performance indicator monitor for monitoring a measurable performance indicator associated with the behavior of the callers;

(d) processing means programmed to determine an association between said performance indicator and one or more of said call handling treatments provided to the callers;

(d) a record for recording said association;

(e) processing means programmed to determine from said record a pattern of deviation in said performance indicator attributable to one or more of said call handling treatments; and

(f) a workflow manager operable to alter the or each workflow in response to said 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 later point in the workflow;

adding a call handling treatment to the workflow; and

removing a call handling treatment from the workflow.

8. A computerised call-handling system according to claim 7 , wherein said call-handling system provides an interface to callers interacting with a contact center.

9. A computer-implemented method of managing the provision of call handling treatments in sequence to callers interacting with an automated call-handling system, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) for each of a plurality of callers interacting with said automated call handling system:

(a) providing a sequence of call handling treatments, selected from among a plurality of available sequences of call handling treatments, to the caller;

(b) monitoring a measurable performance indicator associated with that caller's behavior;

(c) determining an association between said performance indicator and one or more of said call handling treatments provided to said caller; and

(d) recording said association;

(ii) based on said recorded associations, determining a pattern of deviation in said performance indicator attributable to one or more of said sequences of call handling treatments; and

(iii) altering the plurality of available sequences of call handling treatments by making a change in the available sequences of treatments selected from:

promoting a call handling treatment to an earlier point in one or more of said available sequences;

demoting a call handling treatment to a later point in one or more of said available sequences;

removing a sequence of call handling treatments from the available sequences;

adding a call handling treatment to one of said available sequences; and

altering a weighting associated with a sequence of call handling treatments to thereby influence the frequency with which that sequence is selected from among the available sequences.

10. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9 , wherein said sequences of treatments are provided as a closed set of treatments, with each caller being provided with a sequence from among said closed set.

11. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9 , wherein the selection of a sequence of call handling treatments for a particular caller is determined in accordance with a schedule.

12. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9 , wherein the selection of a sequence of call handling treatments for a particular caller is determined at random.

13. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9 , wherein the selection of a sequence of call-handling treatments for a caller is made subject to weightings according to which certain sequences are selected more frequently than others.

14. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9 , wherein the sequences of treatments are constructed dynamically by amalgamating a number of treatments according to predetermined constraints.

15. A computer-implemented method according to claim 14 , wherein the frequency with which treatments are selected for amalgamation is made subject to weightings assigned to such treatments.

16. A computer program product comprising instructions recorded on a non-transitory program carrier which, when executed in a computerised call handling system, are effective to cause said system to:

(i) for each of a plurality of callers interacting with said automated call handling system:

(a) provide a sequence of call handling treatments, selected from among a plurality of available sequences of call handling treatments, to the caller;

(b) monitor a measurable performance indicator associated with that caller's behavior;

(c) determine an association between said performance indicator and one or more of said call handling treatments provided to said caller; and

(d) record said association;

(ii) based on said recorded associations, determine a pattern of deviation in said performance indicator attributable to one or more of said sequences of call handling treatments; and

(iii) alter the plurality of available sequences of call handling treatments by making a change in the available sequences of treatments selected from:

promoting a call handling treatment to an earlier point in one or more of said available sequences;

demoting a call handling treatment to a later point in one or more of said available sequences;

removing a sequence of call handling treatments from the available sequences;

adding a call handling treatment to one of said available sequences; and

altering a weighting associated with a sequence of call handling treatments to thereby influence the frequency with which that sequence is selected from among the available sequences.

17. A computerised call-handling system for providing call handling treatments in sequence to callers interacting with said system, the system comprising:

(a) a set of rules stored in memory for selecting a sequence of call handling treatments, from among a plurality of available sequences of call handling treatments, to be provided to each of a plurality of callers interacting with said system;

(b) a call handling treatment server for serving said treatments from storage to said callers in accordance with the one or more workflows;

(c) a performance indicator monitor for monitoring a measurable performance indicator associated with the behavior of the callers;

(d) processing means programmed to determine an association between said performance indicator and one or more of said call handling treatments provided to the callers;

(d) a record for recording said association;

(e) processing means programmed to determine from said record a pattern of deviation in said performance indicator attributable to one or more of said sequences of call handling treatments; and

(f) a workflow manager operable to alter the plurality of available sequences of call handling treatments by making a change in the available sequences of treatments selected from:

promoting a call handling treatment to an earlier point in one or more of said available sequences;

demoting a call handling treatment to a later point in one or more of said available sequences;

removing a sequence of call handling treatments from the available sequences;

adding a call handling treatment to one of said available sequences; and

altering a weighting associated with a sequence of call handling treatments to thereby influence the frequency with which that sequence is selected from among the available sequences.

Assignments (15)