IP Library Granted Patent US 10,320,985
Granted Patent B2
US 10,320,985 · App. 15/687,000 · Granted Jun 11, 2019

Techniques for hybrid behavioral pairing in a contact center system

Inventors: Zia Chishti (Washington, DC); Vikash Khatri (Arlington, VA)
Assignee: Afiniti Europe Technologies Limited
H04M3/5232H04M3/5233H04M3/5235H04M2201/18H04M2201/36
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,320,985
App. No.
15/687,000
Granted
Jun 11, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques for hybrid behavioral pairing in a contact center system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for hybrid behavioral pairing in a contact center system comprising: determining a first ordering of a plurality of agents according to a behavioral pairing strategy with a balanced agent utilization; determining a second ordering of the plurality of agents according to a performance-based routing strategy with an unbalanced agent utilization; determining a third ordering of the plurality of agents according to a combination of the first ordering and the second ordering having a skewed agent utilization between the balanced agent utilization and the unbalanced agent utilization; and outputting a hybrid behavioral pairing model based on the third ordering for connecting a contact to an agent of the plurality of agents in the contact center system.

Claims (49)

1. A method for hybrid behavioral pairing in a contact center system comprising:

determining, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to perform behavioral pairing operations in the contact center system, a first ordering of a plurality of agents according to a behavioral pairing strategy with a balanced agent utilization;

determining, by the at least one computer processor, a second ordering of the plurality of agents according to a performance-based routing strategy with an unbalanced agent utilization;

determining, by the at least one computer processor, a third ordering of the plurality of agents according to a combination of the first ordering and the second ordering having a skewed agent utilization between the balanced agent utilization and the unbalanced agent utilization;

outputting, by the at least one computer processor, a hybrid behavioral pairing model based on the third ordering for connecting a contact to an agent of the plurality of agents in the contact center system; and

establishing, by the at least one computer processor, in a switch of the contact center system, a connection between the contact and the agent based upon the output hybrid behavioral pairing model.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the behavioral pairing strategy is a diagonal pairing strategy.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the at least one computer processor, a target amount of skew for the skewed agent utilization.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the combination of the first ordering and the second ordering is a weighted sum according to the target amount of skew.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first ordering can be expressed as percentiles or percentile ranges.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third ordering can be expressed as percentiles or percentile ranges adjusted according to the combination of the first ordering and the second ordering.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid behavioral pairing model preferably pairs a higher-performing agent more frequently than a lower-performing agent.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid behavioral pairing model preferably pairs a higher-performing agent with a greater number of contact types than a lower-performing agent.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid behavioral pairing model preferably pairs a higher-performing agent with a higher-frequency contact type than a lower-performing agent.

10. A system for hybrid behavioral pairing in a contact center system comprising:

at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to perform behavioral pairing operations in the contact center system, wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to:

determine a first ordering of a plurality of agents according to a behavioral pairing strategy with a balanced agent utilization;

determine a second ordering of the plurality of agents according to a performance-based routing strategy with an unbalanced agent utilization;

determine a third ordering of the plurality of agents according to a combination of the first ordering and the second ordering having a skewed agent utilization between the balanced agent utilization and the unbalanced agent utilization;

output a hybrid behavioral pairing model based on the third ordering for connecting a contact to an agent of the plurality of agents in the contact center system; and

establish, in a switch of the contact center system, a connection between the contact and the agent based upon the output hybrid behavioral pairing model.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the behavioral pairing strategy is a diagonal pairing strategy.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

determine a target amount of skew for the skewed agent utilization.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the combination of the first ordering and the second ordering is a weighted sum according to the target amount of skew.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first ordering can be expressed as percentiles or percentile ranges.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the third ordering can be expressed as percentiles or percentile ranges adjusted according to the combination of the first ordering and the second ordering.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the hybrid behavioral pairing model preferably pairs a higher-performing agent more frequently than a lower-performing agent.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the hybrid behavioral pairing model preferably pairs a higher-performing agent with a greater number of contact types than a lower-performing agent.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the hybrid behavioral pairing model preferably pairs a higher-performing agent with a higher-frequency contact type than a lower-performing agent.

19. An article of manufacture for hybrid behavioral pairing in a contact center system comprising:

a non-transitory processor readable medium; and

instructions stored on the medium;

wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the medium by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to perform behavioral pairing operations in the contact center system and thereby cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to:

determine a first ordering of a plurality of agents according to a behavioral pairing strategy with a balanced agent utilization;

determine a second ordering of the plurality of agents according to a performance-based routing strategy with an unbalanced agent utilization;

determine a third ordering of the plurality of agents according to a combination of the first ordering and the second ordering having a skewed agent utilization between the balanced agent utilization and the unbalanced agent utilization;

output a hybrid behavioral pairing model based on the third ordering for connecting a contact to an agent of the plurality of agents in the contact center system; and

establish, in a switch of the contact center system, a connection between the contact and the agent based upon the output hybrid behavioral pairing model.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein the behavioral pairing strategy is a diagonal pairing strategy.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein the at least one computer processor is caused to operate further so as to:

determine a target amount of skew for the skewed agent utilization.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21 , wherein the combination of the first ordering and the second ordering is a weighted sum according to the target amount of skew.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein the first ordering can be expressed as percentiles or percentile ranges.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein the third ordering can be expressed as percentiles or percentile ranges adjusted according to the combination of the first ordering and the second ordering.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein the hybrid behavioral pairing model preferably pairs a higher-performing agent more frequently than a lower-performing agent.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein the hybrid behavioral pairing model preferably pairs a higher-performing agent with a greater number of contact types than a lower-performing agent.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein the hybrid behavioral pairing model preferably pairs a higher-performing agent with a higher-frequency contact type than a lower-performing agent.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE AND TERMINATION OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 16, 2025
From: VCP CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC
To: AFINITI, LTD.
Reel/Frame 070866/0614 →
PATENT ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 3, 2025
From: AFINITI, LTD.
To: AFINITI AI HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 069816/0656 →
PATENT ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 3, 2025
From: AFINITI AI HOLDINGS LLC
To: AFINITI AI LIMITED
Reel/Frame 069817/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 3, 2025
From: AFINITI AI LIMITED
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 069816/0858 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 26, 2024
From: AFINITI, LTD.
To: VCP CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC
Reel/Frame 068793/0261 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ON PAGE ONE OF THE ASSIGNMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 054204 FRAME: 0387. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Nov 24, 2020
From: AFINITI EUROPE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
To: AFINITI, LTD.
Reel/Frame 054700/0324 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 8, 2020
From: AFINITI EUROPE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
To: AFINITI, LTD.
Reel/Frame 054204/0387 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2018
From: AFINITI INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD.
To: AFINITI EUROPE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
Reel/Frame 044872/0937 →
Continuity (9)
Continuation 14956086 · Dec 1, 2015
Continuation In Part 14871658 · Sep 30, 2015
Continuation In Part 12021251 · Jan 28, 2008
Continuation In Part 14530058 · Oct 31, 2014
Continuation 13843724 · Mar 15, 2013
Provisional Application 61615779 · Mar 26, 2012
Provisional Application 61615772 · Mar 26, 2012
Provisional Application 61615788 · Mar 26, 2012
Related Publication 20170353607A1 · Dec 7, 2017