Computer-implemented system and method for efficiently facilitating appointments within a call center via an automatic call distributor

1. A computer-implemented system for facilitating appointments with agents within a call center, comprising:

an automatic call distributor (ACD) to receive incoming calls to the call center and to transfer each incoming call to one of the agents who is signed in to a call queue within the call center;

a list of at least two of the agents within the call center with whom a supervisor wants to schedule a meeting and times at which the supervisor is available to meet with the at least two agents; and

a computer readable storage medium, storing executable instructions; and

a processor in communication with the computer readable storage medium, the processor when executing the executable instructions:

initiates a meeting between the supervisor and one of the at least two agents at each of the available times provided by the supervisor, comprising:

determines an availability of each of the at least two agents on the list by calculating years of experience for each such agent, determining a speed of each such agent resolving open tickets, and assigning a quantitative value based on the years of experience and speed resolving open tickets;

selects one of the at least two agents from the list as a most available agent for meeting with the supervisor at that available time;

provides the supervisor with records for the most available agent;

the ACD to automatically remove at the available time the most available agent on the list received from the supervisor from the call queue, wherein the most available agent is removed from the call queue with a least amount of disruption to callers of the incoming calls; and

the processor when executing the executable instructions:

connects the supervisor with the most available agent removed from the call queue for the meeting at that available time.

2. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1 , the processor when executing the executable instructions:

returns the most available agent to the call queue upon termination of a supervisor-agent connection.

3. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1 , the processor when executing the executable instructions:

analyzes availability of the agents, comprising:

selecting agent criteria;

calculating an availability measure based on the agent criteria;

applying a threshold to the availability measure; and

identifying one or more of the agents as available when the availability measure satisfies the threshold.

4. A computer-implemented system according to claim 3 , wherein the agent criteria comprises one or more of skill level, seniority, queue length, and open tickets.

5. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1 , the processor when executing the executable instructions:

transmits a notification to at least one of the most available agent or the supervisor prior to the connection.

6. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1 , the processor when executing the executable instructions:

tracks the availability of remaining agent(s) on the list.

7. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1 , the processor when executing the executable instructions:

represents each agent as a tile for display to the supervisor;

assigns, to at least one of the agents, a status comprising one of a “selected for scheduling a meeting” status, a “talked to” status, or a “need to talk to” status; and

changes a characteristic of the tile associated with that agent, wherein the characteristics comprise one or more of color, highlighting, shape, or size of the tiles.

8. A computer-implemented system according to claim 6 , the processor when executing the executable instructions:

identifies one of the remaining agent(s) as a subsequent most available agent;

provides the supervisor with records for the subsequent most available agent; and

connects the supervisor with the subsequent most available agent.

9. A computer-implemented system according to claim 1 , the processor when executing the executable instructions:

schedules appointments with the supervisor for one or more of the remaining agents on the list.

10. A computer-implemented system according to claim 9 , the processor when executing the executable instructions:

determines that one of the remaining agents is busy at a time of the scheduled appointment;

automatically cancels the scheduled appointment; and

notifies at least one of the one remaining agent or the supervisor of the canceled scheduled appointment.

11. A computer-implemented system according to claim 10 , the processor when executing the executable instructions:

reschedules the appointment between the one remaining agent and the supervisor.

12. A computer-implemented method for facilitating appointments with agents within a call center, comprising:

receiving incoming calls to the call center via an automatic call distributor (ACD);

transferring via the ACD, each incoming call to one of the agents who is signed in to a call queue within the call center;

receiving from a supervisor, a list of at least two of the agents within the call center with whom the supervisor wants to schedule a meeting and times at which the supervisor is available to meet with the at least two agents; and

at each of the available times provided by the supervisor, automatically initiating a meeting between the supervisor and one of the at least two agents, comprising:

determining, by a processor, an availability of each of the at least two agents on the list, comprising:

calculating, by the processor, years of experience for each such agent;

determining, by the processor, a speed of each such agent resolving open tickets; and

assigning, by the processor, a quantitative value based on the years of experience and speed resolving open tickets;

selecting, by the processor, one of the at least two agents from the list as a most available agent for meeting with the supervisor at that available time based on the quantitative value;

providing, by the processor, the supervisor with records for the most available agent;

automatically removing via the ACD at the available time, the most available agent on the list received from the supervisor from the call queue, wherein the most available agent is removed from the call queue with a least amount of disruption to callers of the incoming calls; and

connecting, by the processor the supervisor with the most available agent removed from the call queue for the meeting at that available time.

13. A computer-implemented method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

returning, by the processor, the most available agent to the call queue upon termination of a supervisor-agent connection.

14. A computer-implemented method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

calculating, by the processor, availability of the agents, comprising:

selecting agent criteria;

calculating an availability measure based on the agent criteria;

applying a threshold to the availability measure; and

identifying one or more of the agents as available when the availability measure satisfies the threshold.

15. A computer-implemented method according to claim 14 , wherein the agent criteria comprises one or more of skill level, seniority, queue length, or open tickets.

16. A computer-implemented method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the processor, a notification to at least one of the most available agent or the supervisor prior to the connection.

17. A computer-implemented method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

tracking, by the processor, the availability of remaining agent(s) on the list.

18. A computer-implemented method according to claim 17 , further comprising:

identifying, by the processor, one of the remaining agent(s) as a subsequent most available agent;

providing, by the processor, the supervisor with records for the subsequent most available agent; and

connecting, by the processor, the supervisor with the subsequent most available agent.

19. A computer-implemented method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

scheduling, by the processor, appointments with the supervisor for one or more remaining agents on the list.

20. A computer-implemented method according to claim 19 , further comprising:

determining, by the processor, that one of the remaining agents is busy at a time of the scheduled appointment;

automatically canceling, by the processor, the scheduled appointment; and

notifying, by the processor, at least one of the one remaining agent or the supervisor of the canceled scheduled appointment.