Queueing communications for a contact center
View Patent ↗Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for routing a communication in a contact center. Specifically, a treatment is selected for a communication from a plurality of treatments supported by the contact center. Here, each treatment includes a set of sub-queues and is applicable to a reason and/or opportunity for conducting a communication with a party. Each sub-queue includes a value range and a plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in the sub-queue. Accordingly, in particular embodiments, a communication value is determined for the communication based on a computation specific to the selected treatment and a sub-queue is selected from the set of sub-queues based on the communication value falling within the value range for the sub-queue. The communication is then placed in the selected sub-queue so that it can be connected to an agent assigned to handle communications placed in the sub-queue.
1. A method for routing a communication in a contact center comprising:
selecting a treatment for the communication by a computer processor from a plurality of treatments supported by the contact center, in which each treatment in the plurality of treatments is applicable to at least one of a reason and an opportunity for conducting a communication with a remote party and comprises a set of sub-queues, each sub-queue in the set of sub-queues comprising a value range and a plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in the sub-queue, and at least one sub-queue in the set of sub-queues comprises a service level requirement identifying a level of service that is to be maintained by the plurality of agents assigned to handle the communications placed in the at least one sub-queue;
determining a communication value for the communication by the computer processor based on a computation that is specific to the selected treatment;
selecting a sub-queue from the set of sub-queues for the selected treatment by the computer processor based on the communication value falling within the value range for the sub-queue;
placing the communication in the selected sub-queue so that the communication is connected to an agent of the plurality of agents assigned to handle the communications placed in the sub-queue; and
upon the agent becoming available to handle the communication, connecting the communication with the agent.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the value range for each sub-queue of the set of sub-queues for the selected treatment is sequentially positioned to the value range for another sub-queue of the set of sub-queues for the selected treatment.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning the value range for the at least one sub-queue based on an empirical communication value distribution derived from communication values for a set of communications that was applied the selected treatment and a percentage of communication volume to be handled by the at least one sub-queue.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising replacing an oldest communication found in the set of communications with a new communication that was applied the selected treatment in response to the new communication being applied the selected treatment.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service level requirement for the at least one sub-queue comprises a number of communications or a percentage of communications that remain in the at least one sub-queue for no longer than a pre-defined length of time.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning the plurality of agents to the at least one sub-queue based on a ranking of each agent in the plurality of agents with respect to the selected treatment and the service level requirement for the at least one sub-queue.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising re-establishing at least one of the set of sub-queues, the value range for each sub-queue in the set of sub-queues, and the plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in each sub-queue in the set of sub-queues in response to a change in a current condition of the contact center that affects a performance of the selected treatment.
8. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for routing a communication in a contact center, that when executed, cause at least one computer processor to:
select a treatment for the communication from a plurality of treatments supported by the contact center, in which each treatment in the plurality of treatments is applicable to at least one of a reason and an opportunity for conducting a communication with a remote party and comprises a set of sub-queues, each sub-queue in the set of sub-queues comprising a value range and a plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in the sub-queue, and at least one sub-queue in the set of sub-queues comprises a service level requirement identifying a level of service that is to be maintained by the plurality of agents assigned to handle the communications placed in the at least one sub-queue;
determine a communication value for the communication based on a computation that is specific to the selected treatment;
select a sub-queue from the set of sub-queues for the selected treatment based on the communication value falling within the value range for the sub-queue;
place the communication in the selected sub-queue so that the communication is connected to an agent of the plurality of agents assigned to handle the communications placed in the sub-queue upon the agent becoming available to handle the communication.
9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the value range for each sub-queue of the set of sub-queues for the selected treatment is sequentially positioned to the value range for another sub-queue of the set of sub-queues for the selected treatment.
10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the value range for the at least one sub-queue is assigned based on an empirical communication value distribution derived from communication values for a set of communications that was applied the selected treatment and a percentage of communication volume to be handled by the at least one sub-queue.
11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein an oldest communication found in the set of communications is replaced with a new communication that was applied the selected treatment in response to the new communication being applied the selected treatment.
12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the service level requirement for the at least one sub-queue comprises a number of communications or a percentage of communications that remain in the at least one sub-queue for no longer than a pre-defined length of time.
13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of agents is assigned to the at least one sub-queue based on a ranking of each agent in the plurality of agents with respect to the selected treatment and the service level requirement for the at least one sub-queue.
14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the set of sub-queues, the value range for each sub-queue in the set of sub-queues, and the plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in each sub-queue in the set of sub-queues is re-established in response to a change in a current condition of the contact center that affects a performance of the selected treatment.
15. A system for routing a communication in a contact center comprising:
at least one computer processor configured to:
select a treatment for the communication from a plurality of treatments supported by the contact center, in which each treatment in the plurality of treatments is applicable to at least one of a reason and an opportunity for conducting a communication with a remote party and comprises a set of sub-queues, each sub-queue in the set of sub-queues comprising a value range and a plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in the sub-queue, and at least one sub-queue in the set of sub-queues comprises a service level requirement identifying a level of service that is to be maintained by the plurality of agents assigned to handle the communications placed in the at least one sub-queue;
determine a communication value for the communication based on a computation that is specific to the selected treatment;
select a sub-queue from the set of sub-queues for the selected treatment based on the communication value falling within the value range for the sub-queue;
place the communication in the selected sub-queue so that the communication is connected to an agent of the plurality of agents assigned to handle the communications placed in the sub-queue upon the agent becoming available to handle the communication.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the value range for each sub-queue of the set of sub-queues for the selected treatment is sequentially positioned to the value range for another sub-queue of the set of sub-queues for the selected treatment.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the value range for the at least one sub-queue is assigned based on an empirical communication value distribution derived from communication values for a set of communications that was applied the selected treatment and a percentage of communication volume to be handled by the at least one sub-queue.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein an oldest communication found in the set of communications is replaced with a new communication that was applied the selected treatment in response to the new communication being applied the selected treatment.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the service level requirement for the at least one sub-queue comprises a number of communications or a percentage of communications that remain in the at least one sub-queue for no longer than a pre-defined length of time.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of agents is assigned to the at least one sub-queue based on a ranking of each agent in the plurality of agents with respect to the selected treatment and the service level requirement for the at least one sub-queue.
21. The system medium of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the set of sub-queues, the value range for each sub-queue in the set of sub-queues, and the plurality of agents assigned to handle communications placed in each sub-queue in the set of sub-queues is re-established in response to a change in a current condition of the contact center that affects a performance of the selected treatment.