Call management system using dynamic threshold adjustment

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 , further comprising: (i) removing an agent from the first subgroup of agents when the first wait time is less than the first threshold value.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of reserve agents, each of said plurality of reserve agents being assignable to any of a plurality of sets of call types, and wherein, in step (i), the removed agent is assigned to the plurality of reserve agents.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of reserve agents, each of said plurality of reserve agents being assignable to any of a plurality of sets of call types, and wherein, in step (h), the additional agent is a reserve agent.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 , wherein the service level target specifies a quantity of calls to be routed to an agent for servicing within a specified time period.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5 , wherein the level of service is computed using an exponential moving average based on a ratio of the first wait time and the quantity of calls specified in the service level target.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wait time is an expected wait time associated with a first call in the first set of call types.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 , wherein step (d) is performed only when the the first level of service exceeds the first service level target by a predetermined amount.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 , wherein step (e) is performed only when the the first level of service is less than the first service level target by a predetermined amount.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1 , wherein, in step (d), the first threshold value is increased by a selected amount, and, in step (e), the first threshold value is decreased by the selected amount.

Claim 12

The method of claim 1 , wherein steps (b) and (f) are each performed one of periodically and continually.

Claim 13

A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions to perform the steps of claim 1 .

Claim 14

The method of claim 1 , wherein each agent has a corresponding set of skills and wherein each agent in the first subgroup of agents has a common first skill and each agent in the second subgroup of agents has a common second skill different from the first skill and wherein the first set of call types corresponds to the first skill and the second set of call types corresponds to the second skill.

Claim 17

The method of claim 14 , further comprising: (i) removing an assigned agent from the first subgroup of agents and assigning the assigned agent to the plurality of reserve agents, when the first wait time is less than the first threshold value.

Claim 18

The method of claim 14 , wherein the service level target specifies a quantity of calls to be routed to an agent for servicing within a specified time period.

Claim 19

The method of claim 16 , wherein the level of service is computed using an exponential moving average based on a ratio of the first wait time and the quantity of calls specified in the service level target.

Claim 20

The method of claim 14 , wherein the first wait time is an expected wait time associated with a first call in the first set of calltypes.

Claim 21

The method of claim 14 , wherein step (d) is performed only when the the first level of service exceeds the first service level target by a predetermined amount.

Claim 22

The method of claim 14 , wherein step (e) is performed only when the the first level of service is less than the first service level target by a predetermined amount.

Claim 23

The method of claim 14 , wherein, in step (d), the first threshold value is increased by a selected amount, and, in step (e), the first threshold value is decreased by the selected amount.

Claim 24

The method of claim 14 , wherein steps (b) and (f) are each performed one of periodically and continually.

Claim 25

A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions to perform the steps of claim 14 .

Claim 26

The method of claim 14 , wherein each assigned agent has a corresponding set of skills and wherein each assigned agent in the first subgroup of agents has a common first skill and each assigned agent in the second subgroup of agents has a common second skill different from the first skill and wherein the first set of call types corresponds to the first skill and the second set of call types corresponds to the second skill.

Claim 27

A call center comprising: (a) a call processing unit operable to receive and distribute calls among a plurality of agent stations based on call type, wherein a first subgroup of agent stations is assigned to service call types in a first set of call types and a second subgroup of agent stations is assigned to service call types in a second set of call types, wherein at least one member of the first and second subgroup of agents is different, and wherein each of the first and second sets of call types has a corresponding predetermined service level target value indicating a desired service level to be achieved for a corresponding call type; (b) a service level target table associated with said call processing unit operable to store the service level target value for each of said plurality of call types, wherein the first set of call types corresponds to a first service level target value; (c) a service level measurement unit operable to measure a level of service being provided by said call center for each of said plurality of call types, wherein the first set of call types corresponds to a first level of service; (d) a comparison unit, coupled to the service level measurement unit and the service level target table, operable to compare the first level of service with the first service level target value; (d) a threshold generation unit operable to (i), when the first level of service exceeds the first service level target value, increase a first threshold value associated with the first set of call types and (ii), when the first level of service does not exceed the first service level target value, decrease the first threshold value, wherein the call processing unit is further operable to compare the first wait time with the first threshold value and assign an additional agent to the first subgroup of agents when the first wait time exceeds the first threshold value.

Claim 28

A call center comprising: (a) a call processing unit operable to receive and distribute calls among a plurality of agent stations based on call type, wherein a first subgroup of agent stations is assigned to service call types in a first set of call types and a second subgroup of agent stations is assigned to service call types in a second set of call types, wherein at least one member of the first and second subgroup of agents is different, and wherein each of the first and second sets of call types has a corresponding predetermined service level target value indicating a desired service level to be achieved for a corresponding call type; (b) a service level target table associated with said call processing unit operable to store the service level target value for each of said plurality of call types, wherein the first set of call types corresponds to a first service level target value; (c) a service level measurement unit operable to measure a level of service being provided by said call center for each of said plurality of call types, wherein the first set of call types corresponds to a first level of service; (d) a comparison unit, coupled to the service level measurement unit and the service level target table, operable to compare the first level of service with the first service level target value; (d) a threshold generation unit operable to (i), when the first level of service exceeds the first service level target value, increase a first threshold value associated with the first set of call types and (ii), when the first level of service does not exceed the first service level target value, decrease the first threshold value, wherein the call processing unit is further operable to compare the first wait time with the first threshold value and assign an additional agent to the first subgroup of agents when the first wait time exceeds the first threshold value.

Claim 29

The call center of claim 25 , wherein the call processing unit is further operable to remove an agent to the first subgroup of agents when the first wait time is less than the first threshold value.

Claim 30

The call center of claim 26 , wherein the agent is removed only when the first level of service is less than the first service level target by a predetermined amount.

Claim 31

The call center of claim 25 , further comprising a plurality of reserve agents, each of said plurality of reserve agents being assignable to any of a plurality of sets of call types, and the assigned additional agent is a reserve agent.

Claim 32

The call center of claim 26 , further comprising a plurality of reserve agents, each of said plurality of reserve agents being assignable to any of a plurality of sets of call types, and wherein the call processing unit assigns the removed agent to the plurality of reserve agents.

Claim 33

The call center of claim 25 , wherein the service level target value specifies a quantity of calls to be routed to an agent for servicing within a specified time period.

Claim 34

The call center of claim 30 , wherein the level of service is computed using an exponential moving average based on a ratio of the first wait time and the quantity of calls specified in the service level target value.

Claim 35

The call center of claim 25 , wherein the first wait time is an expected wait time associated with a first call in the first set of call types.

Claim 36

The call center of claim 25 , wherein the additional agent is assigned only when the first level of service exceeds the first service level target by a predetermined amount.

Claim 37

The call center of claim 25 , wherein in operation (i) the first threshold value is increased by a selected amount, and in operation (ii) the first threshold value is decreased by the selected amount.

Claim 38

The call center of claim 25 , wherein operations (i) and (ii) are performed one of periodically and continually.

Claim 39

The call center of claim 25 , wherein said service level measurement unit includes an agent operable to generate an exponential moving average for each of said plurality of call types based on an expected wait time of each corresponding call type to generate a weighted service level for each of said plurality of call types.

Claim 40

The call center of claim 25 , wherein said comparison unit is operable to determine a ratio between said measured service level and said service level target value for each of said plurality of call types.

Claim 41

The call center of claim 25 , wherein each agent has a corresponding set of skills and wherein each agent in the first subgroup of agents has a common first skill and each agent in the second subgroup of agents has a common second skill different from the first skill and wherein the first set of call types corresponds to the first skill and the second set of call types corresponds to the second skill.