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Claims  |
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I claim:
1. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of
telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:
means responsive to an agent's schedule which includes predetermined events
scheduled for predetermined times, for communicating each said event at
its scheduled time to the agent via the agent's corresponding terminal;
and
means cooperative with the communicating means, for monitoring the agent's
performance of the communicated event at the scheduled time via the
agent's input into the agent's corresponding terminal.
2. The arrangement of claim 1 implemented in a call-management system of
the call center.
3. The arrangement of claim 1 for a call center having a
processor-implemented call management system, wherein:
the communicating means and the monitoring means both comprise a program
stored for execution on the call management system processor.
4. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:
the means for communicating each said event comprise
means for causing at least one of an audio signal generator and a visual
signal generator of the agent's corresponding terminal to generate at
least one of an audio signal and a visual signal, respectively, to alert
the agent to occurrence of the scheduled time for each said event.
5. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:
the means for communicating each said event comprise
means for sending a display message indicating each said event at its
scheduled time to a display of the agent's corresponding terminal.
6. The arrangement of claim 5 wherein:
the means for communicating each said event further comprise
means for causing a speaker of the agent's corresponding terminal to
produce an auditory signal when the display message is displayed on the
display of the terminal.
7. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:
the means for communicating each said event comprise:
means for selectively causing the call center to place the agent in a
non-work state substantially at the scheduled time.
8. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:
the means for monitoring comprise
means responsive to detection of the agent's performance of the
communicated event for selectively causing the call center to place the
agent in a work state.
9. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:
the means for monitoring comprise
means responsive to detection of the agent's failure to perform the
communicated event substantially at the scheduled time for causing the
call center to register an exception against the agent.
10. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of
telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:
means for communicating an agent's schedule to the agent via the agent's
corresponding terminal;
means cooperative with the communicating means, for monitoring the agent's
adherence to the communicated schedule via the agent's corresponding
terminal; and
means responsive to receipt of a message and an identification of at least
one agent intended to receive the message, for sending the received
message to the identified at least one agent via the identified at least
one agent's corresponding terminal.
11. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of
telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:
means for communicating an agent's schedule to the agent via the agent's
corresponding terminal;
means cooperative with the communicating means, for monitoring the agent's
adherence to the communicated schedule via the agent's corresponding
terminal;
means responsive to receipt of criteria for moving an agent from one agent
split to another, for monitoring the call center for occurrence of the
received criteria; and
means responsive to detection of occurrence of the received criteria, for
moving an agent from the one split to the other split.
12. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of
telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:
means for communicating an agent's schedule to the agent via the agent's
corresponding terminal;
means cooperative with the communicating means, for monitoring the agent's
adherence to the communicated schedule via the agent's corresponding
terminal;
means responsive to detection of the agent's failure to adhere to the
communicated schedule, for causing the call center to register an
exception against the agent;
means responsive to receipt of information characterizing exceptions
meriting disablement of an agent, for monitoring the call center for
registration of the characterized exceptions; and
means responsive to detection of registration of the characterized
exceptions, for causing the call center to place in a non-work state an
agent against whom the characterized exceptions were registered.
13. An arrangement for a call center having a plurality of
telecommunications terminals staffed by agents, comprising:
means responsive to an agent's schedule which includes predetermined breaks
scheduled for predetermined times, for determining at each scheduled break
time whether an agent split to which the agent belongs is overloaded with
work;
means responsive to a first determination at an individual predetermined
time that the agent split is overloaded, for rescheduling the
corresponding break to another time;
means responsive to said first determination for sending a message to the
agent via a display of the agent's corresponding terminal that the break
has been rescheduled;
means responsive to a second determination at an individual predetermined
time that the agent split is not overloaded, for causing the call center
to place the agent in a non-work state;
means responsive to the second determination for sending a message to the
agent via the display informing the agent to go on break;
means responsive to the second determination and to expiration of a
predetermined break period following the individual predetermined time,
for sending a message to the agent via the display informing the agent to
go off break;
means responsive to detection, from the agent's input on the agent's
corresponding terminal, that the agent has gone off break within a
predetermined time period following expiration of the predetermined break
period, for causing the call center to place the agent in a work state;
and
means responsive to detection, from lack of the agent's said input on the
agent's corresponding terminal, that the agent has not gone off break
within the predetermined time period following expiration of the
predetermined break period, for causing the call center to register an
exception against the agent.
14. A method of communicating with agents in a call center having a
plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by the agents,
comprising the steps of:
in response to an agent's schedule which includes predetermined events
scheduled for predetermined times, communicating each said event at its
scheduled time to the agent via the agent's corresponding terminal; and
monitoring the agent's performance of the communicated event at the
scheduled time via the agent's input into the agent's corresponding
terminal.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein:
the step of communicating comprises the step of
communicating the agent's schedule to the agent from a call-management
system of the call center; and
the step of monitoring comprises the step of
monitoring the agent's adherence to the communicated schedule at the
call-management system.
16. The method of claim 14 in a call center having a processor-implemented
call management system, wherein:
the step of communicating comprises the step of
executing a stored program on the call-management system processor to
communicate each said event at its scheduled time to the agent; and
the step of monitoring comprises the step of
executing a stored program on the call management system processor to
monitor the agent's performance of the communicated event at the scheduled
time.
17. The method of claim 14 wherein:
the step of communicating each said event comprises the step of
causing at least one of an audio signal generator and a visual signal
generator of the agent's corresponding terminal to generate at least one
of an audio signal and a visual signal, respectively, to alert the agent
to occurrence of the scheduled time for each said event.
18. The method of claim 14 wherein:
the step of communicating each said event comprises the step of
sending a display message indicating each said event at its scheduled time
to a display of the agent's corresponding terminal.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein:
the step of communicating each said event further comprises the step of
causing a speaker of the agent's corresponding terminal to produce an
auditory signal when the display message is displayed on the display of
the terminal.
20. The method of claim 14 wherein:
the step of communicating each said event comprises the step of
selectively causing the call center to place the agent in a non-work state
substantially at the scheduled time.
21. The method of claim 14 wherein:
the step of monitoring comprises the step of
in response to detection of the agent's performance of the communicated
event, selectively causing the call center to place the agent in a work
state.
22. The method of claim 14 wherein:
the step of monitoring comprises the step of
in response to detection of the agent's failure to perform the communicated
event substantially at the scheduled time, causing the call center to
register an exception against the agent.
23. A method of communicating with agents in a call center having a
plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by the agents,
comprising the steps of:
communicating an agent's schedule to the agent via the agent's
corresponding terminal;
monitoring the agent's adherence to the communicated schedule via the
agent's corresponding terminal; and
in response to receipt of a message and an identification of at least one
agent intended to receive the message, sending the received message to the
identified at least one agent via the identified at least one agent's
corresponding terminal.
24. A method of communicating with agents in a call center having a
plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by the agents,
comprising the steps of:
communicating an agent's schedule to the agent via the agent's
corresponding terminal;
monitoring the agent's adherence to the communicated schedule via the
agent's corresponding terminal;
in response to receipt of criteria for moving an agent from one agent split
to another, monitoring the call center for occurrence of the received
criteria; and
in response to detection of occurrence of the received criteria, moving an
agent from the one split to the other split.
25. A method of communicating with agents in a call center having a
plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by the agents,
comprising the steps of:
communicating an agent's schedule to the agent via the agent's
corresponding terminal;
monitoring the agent's adherence to the communicated schedule via the
agent's corresponding terminal;
is response to detection of the agent's failure to adhere to the
communicated schedule, causing the call center to register an exception
against the agent;
in response to receipt of information characterizing exceptions meriting
disablement of an agent, monitoring the call center for registration of
the characterized exceptions; and
in response to detection of registration of the characterized exceptions,
causing the call center to place in a non-work state an agent against whom
the characterized exceptions were registered.
26. A method of communicating with agents in a call center having a
plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by the agents,
comprising:
in response to an agent's schedule which includes predetermined breaks
scheduled for predetermined times, determining at each scheduled break
time whether an agent split to which the agent belongs is overloaded with
work;
in response to a first determination at an individual predetermined time
that the agent split is overloaded, rescheduling the corresponding break
to another time;
in response to said first determination, sending a message to the agent via
a display of the agent's corresponding terminal that the break has been
rescheduled;
in response to a second determination at an individual predetermined time
that the agent split is not overloaded, causing the call center to place
the agent in a non-work state;
in response to the second determination, sending a message to the agent via
the display informing the agent to go on break;
in response to the second determination and to expiration of a
predetermined break period following the individual predetermined time,
sending a message to the agent via the display informing the agent to go
off break;
in response to detection, from the agent's input on the agent's
corresponding terminal, that the agent has gone off break within a
predetermined time period following expiration of the predetermined break
period, causing the call center to place the agent in a work state; and
in response to detection, from lack of the agent's said input on the
agent's corresponding terminal, that the agent has not gone off break
within the predetermined time period following expiration of the
predetermined break period, causing the call center to register an
exception against the agent. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to call-center operations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Call centers, such as emergency-services dispatch centers, telemarketing
sales centers, customer-service centers, and other automatic
call-distribution centers, employ large numbers of human agents to place
and/or answer calls. For proper, efficient, and smooth center operation,
work schedules must be developed for agents, the schedules must be
communicated to the agents, and the agents' adherence to the schedules
must be monitored. Presently, some or all of these activities are done
manually, by center supervisors. This is slow, inefficient, and consumes
an inordinate amount of the supervisors' time which could be better-spent
on other activities.
Call centers are typically low-margin, high-volume operations, and
therefore even small improvements in efficiency can have a significant
effect on the centers' commercial viability. Realizing this, suppliers of
call-center systems have automated some of these activities to make them
more efficient and to unload the supervisors of their burden. Thus,
call-management systems, which monitor call-center activity and issue
reports thereon to the supervisor, have been introduced. Also introduced
have been scheduling systems, which generate agent schedules based upon
the reports generated by the call-management systems. While these advances
have considerably improved the efficiency of call-center operations,
further advances continue to be sought.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to meeting these and other needs of the prior
art. I have recognized that a significant hindrance to the efficiency of
call-center operations is the fact that the tasks of communicating agent
schedules to the agents and of monitoring the agents' adherence to these
schedules continue to be performed by human call-center supervisors in
largely a manual manner. Therefore, according to the invention, there is
provided an arrangement which automates these functions. Specifically
according to the invention, there is provided an arrangement which
communicates with the agents via their telecommunication terminals to
advise them of their schedules and to monitor their adherence thereto.
Illustratively, the arrangement is incorporated into the call-management
system of the call-center, in order to share therewith, and thereby avoid
unnecessary duplication of, the call-management system's existing
capabilities.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the invention, in a call center
that has a plurality of telecommunications terminals staffed by agents,
each event of an agent's schedule which includes predetermined
events--such as breaks--scheduled for predetermined times is communicated
at its scheduled time to the agent via that agent's corresponding
terminal. Then the agent's performance of the communicated event at the
scheduled time is monitored via the agent's input--such as pressing of the
appropriate key--into that agent's corresponding terminal. Preferably,
this functionality is obtained by means of execution of stored programs in
a call-management system of the call center. Also preferably, other
programs that facilitate communications between a call center supervisor
and the agents are likewise stored and executed in the call-management
system.
The invention frees the call center supervisor from having to communicate
schedules and schedule events to agents and from monitoring the agents'
adherence to the schedules. It automatizes these functions, making their
performance more exact and efficient. It provides the supervisor with a
capability to communicate with the agents through their terminals. And
when implemented as programs executing in the call center's
call-management system, the invention is easy and inexpensive to implement
and to retrofit, adds no additional hardware to the call center, and
advantageously makes use of capabilities already provided by the
call-management center so as to avoid their duplication.
These and other advantages and features of the invention will become more
apparent from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of
the invention taken together with the drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an automatic call-distribution (ACD) system
that includes an illustrative embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an agent schedule-notification and
schedule-adherence-monitoring program of a CMS system of the ACD system of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an agent-move program of the CMS system of the
ACD system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an agent-disable program of the CMS system of
the ACD system of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an agent-messaging program of the CMS system of
the ACD system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 shows an automatic call-distribution (ACD) system having a
conventional architecture. It comprises an ACD private branch exchange
(PBX) 10, such as an AT&T DEFINITY.RTM. G1 or G2 executing conventional
AT&T ACD software. PBX 10 is connected to the outside world, e.g., the
public telephony network, by a plurality of trunks 11. PBX 10 serves a
plurality of ACD agent terminals 12 staffed by ACD agents 13. PBX 10 is
connected to each terminal 12 by a digital link 16, such as an ISDN or an
AT&T DCP link, which carries both voice and data communications. Also
connected to PBX 10 is a call-management system (CMS) 14, such as an AT&T
CMS. The connection is via a control communications link 17, such as an
AT&T DCIU or ASAI link. An administration terminal 18 is connected to CMS
14. An ACD system supervisor 19 interfaces with CMS 14 via terminal 18.
CMS 14 is a computer-implemented system. It comprises a processor 20
executing programs out of a memory 21. Included among the programs in
memory 21 are conventional CMS programs 22, optionally a conventional
scheduler (SCH.) 23, and--according to the invention--a schedule
notification and adherence monitoring program 24 and other
agent-interaction programs 25-27. Programs 24-27 are diagramed in FIGS.
2-5, respectively.
Illustratively, CMS 14 runs a copy of program 24 of FIG. 2 as a separate
process for each agent 13. Execution of a program 24 is invoked in
response to receiving the schedule of an agent 13, either from supervisor
19 via administrative terminal 14 or from scheduler 23, at step 200.
Executing program 24 records, for example in the form of scheduled
interrupts or wakeup calls, the action points of this schedule, such as
starting time, break times, and quitting times, at step 204. Program 24
then check whether the corresponding agent 13 is due to start, at step
208, and if not, program 24 returns to step 208. Alternatively, the check
of step 208 is replaced by a wakeup call or interrupt at the agent's
starting time.
If it is determined at step 208 that agent 13 is due to start, program 24
queries CMS programs 22 whether they have a record of agent 13 having
logged in yet, at step 212. If not, program 24 checks whether agent 13 is
more than a predetermined number (Y) of minutes overdue, at step 216. If
not, program 24 returns to step 212; if so, program 24 causes CMS programs
22 to generate an exception reporting that agent 13 is overdue, at step
220, and then returns to step 212.
If and when agent 13 is found at step 212 to have logged in, program 24
sends a request to PBX 10 via CMS programs 22 to place agent 13 in work
mode, at step 222. Program 24 then checks whether agent 13 is due to quit,
at step 224, and if not, checks whether agent 13 is due to break, at step
228. If agent 13 is not scheduled to break, program 24 returns to step
224. Alternatively, the check of each step 224 and 228 is replaced by a
wakeup call or interrupt at the quitting and break times, respectively.
When agent 13 is determined to be due to go on break at step 228, program
24 requests PBX 10 via CMS programs 22 to place agent 13 in non-work mode
after completion of any call which agent 13 is presently handling, at step
232. Program 24 then queries CMS programs 22 to determine whether agent 13
has yet been placed in non-work mode, at step 236, and if not, program 24
returns to step 236. Alternatively, the check of step 236 is replaced by a
wakeup call or interrupt issued by CMS programs 22 upon agent 13 being
placed in non-work mode.
When agent 13 is determined at step 236 to have been placed in non-work
mode, program 24 checks with CMS programs 22 to determine if the agent
split of which agent 13 is a part is presently overloaded with work, at
step 240. If so, program 24 sends a display message to agent 13, via CMS
programs 22, PBX 10, and display 30 of that agent's terminal 12, informing
agent 13 that his or her break has been delayed by a predetermined number
(X) of minutes, at step 244. Program 24 then requests PBX 10 via CMS
program 22 to place agent 13 back in work mode, at step 248, and also
adjusts the recorded break schedule for agent 13 to reflect the new
scheduled break time, at step 252. Program 24 then returns to step 224.
Returning to step 240, if it is there determined that the agent's split is
not overloaded, program 24 sends a voice and/or display message to agent
13, via CMS programs 22 and PBX 10, that the agent's break has begun. The
message is either displayed to agent 13 on display 30 of his or her
terminal 12 or voiced to agent 13 via his or her headphone 32. Program 24
then checks whether agent 13 is due back from break, at step 260, and if
not, program 24 returns to step 260. Alternatively, the check of step 260
is replaced by a wakeup call or an interrupt issued when the scheduled
break period expires.
When agent 13 is found at step 260 to be due back from break, program 24
sends a display message to agent 13 via CMS programs 22 and PBX 10
informing him or her that the break is over, at step 264. Program 24
further causes PBX 10 via CMS programs 22 to send a tone to speaker 31 of
agent terminal 12 to alert agent 13 to the incoming display message, at
step 268. Program 24 then checks with CMS programs 22 to determine whether
agent 13 has returned from break, at step 272. Illustratively, program 24
checks whether CMS programs 22 have received an indication that an
non-work button has been depressed on that agent's terminal 12 which
cancels a previous activation of the non-work feature. If it is determined
at step 272 that agent 13 has not returned to work, program 24 determines
whether agent 13 is more than a predetermined number (Y) of minutes
overdue, at step 276. If not, program 24 returns to step 272; if so,
program 24 causes CMS programs 22 to generate an exception to record this
fact, at step 280, and then returns to step 272.
If and when it is determined at step 272 that agent 13 has returned to
work, program 24 requests PBX 10 via CMS programs 22 to place agent 13
back in work mode, at step 284. Program 24 then returns to step 224.
When it is determined at step 224 that agent 13 is due to quit, program 24
requests PBX 10 to place agent 13 in non-work mode upon completion of any
call presently being handled by agent 13, at step 288. Program 24 then
queries CMS programs 22 to determine whether agent 13 has yet been placed
in non-work mode, at step 292, and if not, program 24 returns to step 292.
Alternatively, the check at step 292 is replaced by a wakeup call or
interrupt issued by CMS programs 22 upon agent 13 being placed in non-work
mode.
When agent 13 is detected at step 292 to have been placed in non-work mode,
program 24 causes a display message to be sent to terminal 12 of agent 13
informing him or her that it is quitting time; at step 296. Program 24
then exists execution, at step 299.
When a need arises to move an agent 13 from one ACD agent split to another,
program 25 of FIG. 3 is executed. Program 25 is invoked in response to
supervisor 19 entering, via administration terminal 14, the conditions
upon the occurrence of which one or more agents 13 should be moved from
one split (A) to another split (B) and how many (C) agents 13 should be
moved. Program 25 receives these conditions, at step 300, and begins to
monitor output of CMS programs 22 to determine if these conditions are
met, at step 304. When it determines that the conditions have been met,
program 25 sends a message via CMS programs 22 to PBX 10 requesting it to
log C agents 13 out of split A at the completion of any calls presently
being handled by those agents 13, at step 308. It then monitors CMS
programs 22 to obtain the identity of the C agents 13 which PBX 10 has
logged out of split A at step 312. When it determines, at step 316, that
it has the identity of C agents 13, program 25 causes a visual message to
be sent to each one of those agents 13 informing them that they are being
moved to split B, at step 320. Program 25 then requests PBX 10 to log
those C agents 13 into split B, at step 324, and exits execution, at step
328.
Program 26 of FIG. 4 is invoked when supervisor 19 decides that certain
exceptions to proper operation should disable any offending agent 13 from
handling calls. Supervisor 19 enters, via terminal 14, the conditions that
define which, and how many, exceptions should disable an agent 13. Program
26 receives these conditions, at step 300, and begins to monitor the
output of CMS programs 22 for occurrence of these conditions, at step 404.
When it determines that the conditions have been met by an agent 13,
program 26 requests PBX 10 to place the offending agent 13 in non-work
mode following completion of any call presently being handled by offending
agent 13, at step 408. When the offending agent 13 has been placed in
non-work mode, as determined at step 412, program 26 sends a visual
message to offending agent 13, at step 416, informing him or her of the
fact that he or she has been disabled. Optionally, the message also
informs offending agent 13 of the exceptions which caused the disablement,
and directs offending agent 13 to report to supervisor 19. Program 26 then
returns to step 404.
Program 27 of FIG. 5 is executed when supervisor 19 unconditionally wishes
to send a message to one or more agents 13. Supervisor 19 inputs the
message on terminal 14, identifies the one or more agents 13 to whom it
should be sent, and specifies the time at which it should be sent. In
response to receiving this input, at step 500, program 27 begins to
monitor real time for occurrence of the sending time, at step 504.
Alternatively to the check of step 504, program 27 is issued a wakeup call
at the sending time. When the sending time occurs, program 27 sends a
request to PBX 10 to place the designated one or more agents 13 in
non-work mode at completion of any calls presently being handled by those
agents 13, at step 508. When all designated agents 13 have been placed in
non-work mode, as determined at step 512, program 27 sends the
supervisor's message in visual form to display 30 of terminals 12 of the
designated agents 13, at step 516. Program 27 then exits execution, at
step 520.
Of course, it should be understood that various changes and modifications
to the illustrative embodiment described above will be apparent to those
skilled in the art. For example, these flow chaffs of the figures are only
a representation of an illustrative implementation; an actual
implementation in a CMS architecture or another multi-tasked programming
environment may be different. Such changes and modifications can be made
without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention and
without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intended
that all such changes and modifications be covered by the following
claims.
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Description |
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