Granted Patent B1

US 8,411,844 · App. 13/332,503 · Granted Apr 2, 2013

Abstract

Claims (64)

1. A method for controlling abandonment rate in an automated contact center that uses a predictive dialing method for determining a number of calls to generate for dialing, wherein the automated contact center comprises a queue where successfully connected dialed calls await agent handling and an agent pool where calls are handled by agents, and wherein an abandonment rate is a proportion of calls in the queue that are abandoned, the method comprising:

determining a mean agent occupancy, wherein the mean agent occupancy is used by the predictive dialing method to determine a number of calls to generate, wherein the abandonment rate is close to zero when the predictive dialing method uses the mean agent occupancy, and wherein agent occupancy is a proportion of agents in the agent pool that are occupied by calls;

collecting empirical data on agent occupancy while the predictive dialing method uses the mean agent occupancy to determine a number of calls to generate;

determining a target abandonment rate;

determining 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;

collecting and using empirical data on agent handling time to determine an average agent handling time, wherein agent handling time is a duration during which a call is in the agent pool;

adjusting the mean agent occupancy used by the predictive dialing method by using the target agent occupancy, the average agent handling time, and a predetermined maximum duration that a call can be in the queue before it is abandoned;

using the adjusted predictive dialing method to determine a number of calls to generate for dialing; and

generating calls based upon the number of calls to generate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a call is in the agent pool while the call occupies an agent.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein an agent is occupied by a call while the agent processes the call and the wrap-up work for the call.

4. A method for correcting abandonment rate in an automated contact center that uses a predictive dialing method for determining a number of calls to generate for dialing, wherein the automated contact center comprises a queue where dialed calls that successfully connected await agent handling and an agent pool where calls are handled by agents, and wherein an abandonment rate is a proportion of calls in the queue that are abandoned, the method comprising:

collecting empirical data on agent occupancy and on abandonment rate while using the predictive dialing method, wherein agent occupancy is a proportion of agents in the agent pool that are occupied by calls;

determining a normal mean agent occupancy, wherein the normal mean agent occupancy is used by the predictive dialing method to determine a number of calls to generate;

determining a normal abandonment rate using the abandonment rate empirical data;

monitoring a current abandonment rate while using the predictive dialing method;

calculating a correcting abandonment rate when the current abandonment rate reaches a threshold;

determining a correcting agent occupancy using the correcting abandonment rate, wherein a proportion of the agent occupancy empirical data having an agent occupancy equal to or higher than the correcting agent occupancy is within a predetermined range of the correcting abandonment rate;

modifying the predictive dialing method to use the correcting agent occupancy instead of the normal mean agent occupancy;

monitoring a correction-period current abandonment rate while using the modified predictive dialing method;

resetting the modified predictive dialing method to use the normal mean agent occupancy instead of the correcting agent occupancy when the correction-period current abandonment rate is within a predetermined range of the normal abandonment rate;

using the reset predictive dialing method to determine a number of calls to generate for dialing; and

generating calls based upon the number of calls to generate;

wherein calculating the correcting abandonment rate includes:

collecting empirical data on agent handling time while using the predictive dialing method, wherein agent handling time is a duration during which a call is in the agent pool;

determining an average agent handling time using the empirical data on agent handling time;

determining a number of calls generated before the current abandonment rate reached the threshold; and

using the average agent handling time, the number of calls generated, the normal abandonment rate, the current abandonment rate, the normal mean agent occupancy, a number of total agents, and a predetermined time period to calculate the correcting abandonment rate.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a call is in the agent pool while the call occupies an agent.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein an agent is occupied by a call while the agent processes the call and the wrap-up work for the call.

7. A system for controlling abandonment rate in an automated contact center that uses a predictive dialing method for determining a number of calls to generate for dialing, wherein the automated contact center comprises a queue where successfully connected dialed calls await agent handling and an agent pool where calls are handled by agents, and wherein an abandonment rate is a proportion of calls in the queue that are abandoned, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

determining a mean agent occupancy, wherein the mean agent occupancy is used by the predictive dialing method to determine a number of calls to generate, wherein the abandonment rate is close to zero when the predictive dialing method uses the mean agent occupancy, and wherein agent occupancy is a proportion of agents in the agent pool that are occupied by calls;

collecting empirical data on agent occupancy while the predictive dialing method uses the mean agent occupancy to determine a number of calls to generate;

determining a target abandonment rate;

determining 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;

collecting and using empirical data on agent handling time to determine an average agent handling time, wherein agent handling time is a duration during which a call is in the agent pool;

adjusting the mean agent occupancy used by the predictive dialing method by using the target agent occupancy, the average agent handling time, and a predetermined maximum duration that a call can be in the queue before it is abandoned;

using the adjusted predictive dialing method to determine a number of calls to generate for dialing; and

generating calls based upon the number of calls to generate.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein a call is in the agent pool while the call occupies an agent.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein an agent is occupied by a call while the agent processes the call and the wrap-up work for the call.

10. A system for correcting abandonment rate in an automated contact center that uses a predictive dialing system for determining a number of calls to generate for dialing, wherein the automated contact center comprises a queue where dialed calls that successfully connected await agent handling and an agent pool where calls are handled by agents, and wherein an abandonment rate is a proportion of calls in the queue that are abandoned, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

collecting empirical data on agent occupancy and on abandonment rate while using the predictive dialing system, wherein agent occupancy is a proportion of agents in the agent pool that are occupied by calls;

determining a normal mean agent occupancy, wherein the normal mean agent occupancy is used by the predictive dialing system to determine a number of calls to generate;

determining a normal abandonment rate using the abandonment rate empirical data;

monitoring a current abandonment rate while using the predictive dialing system;

calculating a correcting abandonment rate when the current abandonment rate reaches a threshold;

determining a correcting agent occupancy using the correcting abandonment rate, wherein a proportion of the agent occupancy empirical data having an agent occupancy equal to or higher than the correcting agent occupancy is within a predetermined range of the correcting abandonment rate;

modifying the predictive dialing system to use the correcting agent occupancy instead of the normal mean agent occupancy;

monitoring a correction-period current abandonment rate while using the modified predictive dialing system;

resetting the modified predictive dialing system to use the normal mean agent occupancy instead of the correcting agent occupancy when the correction-period current abandonment rate is within a predetermined range of the normal abandonment rate;

using the reset predictive dialing system to determine a number of calls to generate for dialing; and

generating calls based upon the number of calls to generate;

wherein calculating the correcting abandonment rate includes:

collecting empirical data on agent handling time while using the predictive dialing system, wherein agent handling time is a duration during which a call is in the agent pool;

determining an average agent handling time using the empirical data on agent handling time;

determining a number of calls generated before the current abandonment rate reached the threshold; and

using the average agent handling time, the number of calls generated, the normal abandonment rate, the current abandonment rate, the normal mean agent occupancy, a number of total agents, and a predetermined time period to calculate the correcting abandonment rate.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein a call is in the agent pool while the call occupies an agent.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein an agent is occupied by a call while the agent processes the call and the wrap-up work for the call.

Assignments (8)