Limited derogation of contact center agent skill levels
A call handler in a contact center is configured to temporarily derogate the skill level of one or more agents in a group having a common skill. During the time period of derogation, incoming calls will be routed to agents with the highest skill level, such that the normally lower skill level agents will be selected to receive calls. If there are more than one agent meeting this criteria, then the agent that has been waiting the longest to receive a call is selected. This allows the lower skill level agents to gain experience in handling calls and improving their call handling capabilities. After a set threshold, the derogation of the agents is terminated, and their skill level is restored to the pre-derogation level. In this manner the lower skill level agents are given limited opportunities for improvement by handling calls.
1. A call handler in a contact center configured to route an incoming call:
maintain a skill level for each agent in a group of agents, wherein the skill level is used in call routing, and wherein a first agent has a first skill level that is higher than a second skill level of a second agent;
determine the first agent has met a derogation threshold;
derogate, in response to the first agent meeting the derogation threshold, the first skill level to obtain a derogated first skill level, wherein the derogated first skill level is lower than the second skill level;
receive an incoming call;
determine the first agent and the second agent are available;
route the incoming call to the second agent based on the second skill level being higher than the derogated first skill level;
determine the second agent has met a restoration threshold; and
restore, in response to the second agent meeting the restoration threshold, the first skill level of the first agent.
2. The call handler of claim 1 , wherein the derogation threshold is based on a number of prior incoming calls routed to the first agent since a point in time.
3. The call handler of claim 1 , wherein the derogation threshold is a time determined from a beginning of a shift of the first agent.
4. The call handler of claim 1 , wherein the restoration threshold is met by the second agent handling a defined number of calls.
5. The call handler of claim 1 , wherein the derogated first skill level is based on reducing the first skill level by a first integer number.
6. The call handler of claim 1 , wherein a third agent has the second skill level, and the incoming call is routed to the second agent over the third agent based on the second agent having a longer time period since handling a prior voice call compared to the third agent.
7. The call handler of claim 1 , wherein the restoration threshold is met by the second agent handling a defined number of calls.
8. A method for routing voice calls to an agent in a contact center, comprising:
defining a group of agents, wherein each agent in the group of agents has a skill;
assigning a skill level to each agent in the group of agents, wherein a first agent has a first skill level that is higher than a second skill level of a second agent in the group of agents;
determining the first agent has met a derogation threshold;
derogating, in response to the first agent meeting the derogation threshold, the first skill level to obtain a derogated first skill level, wherein the derogated first skill level is lower than the second skill level;
receiving an incoming call at a call handler;
determining the first agent and the second agent are available;
routing, by the call handler, the incoming call to the second agent based on the second skill level being higher than the derogated first skill level;
determining the second agent has met a restoration threshold; and
restoring, in response to the second agent meeting the restoration threshold, the first skill level of the first agent.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the derogation threshold is based on a number of prior incoming calls routed to the first agent by the call handler since a point in time.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the derogation threshold is a time determined from a beginning of a shift of the first agent.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the derogated first skill level is based on reducing the first skill level by a first integer number.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first skill level is associated with a second integer number less than ten.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein a third agent has the second skill level, and the incoming call is routed to the second agent over the third agent based on the second agent having a longer time period since handling a prior voice call compared to the third agent.
14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed cause one or more computer processors to:
maintain a skill level for each agent in a group of agents, wherein the skill level is used in call routing, wherein a first agent has a first skill level that is higher than a second skill level of a second agent;
determine the first agent has met a derogation threshold;
derogate, in response to the first agent meeting the derogation threshold, the first skill level to obtain a derogated first skill level, wherein the derogated first skill level is a lower skill level than the second skill level;
receive an incoming call;
determine the first agent and the second agent are available;
route the incoming call to the second agent based on the second skill level being higher than the derogated first skill level;
determine the second agent has met a restoration threshold; and
restore, in response to the second agent meeting the restoration threshold, the first skill level of the first agent.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the derogation threshold is based on a number of prior incoming calls routed to the first agent since a point in time during a shift of the first agent.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the derogation threshold is a time determined from a beginning of a shift of the first agent.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim of claim 14 , wherein a third agent has the second skill level, and the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises instructions causing the one or more computer processors to:
select the second agent to receive the incoming call over the third agent based on the second agent having a longer time period since handling a prior voice call compared to the third agent.