Immediate reconnection of a call to an agent in a contact center

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10135985-B1
Application number	US-201815886697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 1, 2018
Priority date	Feb 1, 2018
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

The technology disclosed herein enables a call to be immediately reconnected to an agent of a contact center after the agent has been disconnected. In a particular embodiment, a method provides, determining that a first agent system, operated by a first agent of a plurality of agents for the contact center, has been disconnected from a call between the first agent system and a first caller system operated by a first caller. The first caller system remains connected to the contact center. If the first agent system was disconnected due to a recoverable error, the method provides reconnecting the call to the first agent system once the first agent system has recovered. If the first agent system was disconnected due to a non-recoverable error, the method provides prioritizing the reconnection of the call to another one of the plurality of agents.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for reconnecting a call to an agent of a contact center, the method comprising:
determining that a first agent system, operated by a first agent of a plurality of agents for the contact center, has been disconnected from a call between the first agent system and a first caller system operated by a first caller, wherein the first caller system remains connected to the contact center;
before attempting to reconnect the call, determining whether the first agent system notifies a call routing system that the first agent system was disconnected due to a recoverable error within a predetermined period of time;
if the first agent system was disconnected due to a recoverable error, reconnecting the call to the first agent system once the first agent system has recovered; and
if the first agent system was disconnected due to a non-recoverable error, prioritizing reconnection of the call to another one of the plurality of agents.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first agent system indicated that the first agent system was disconnected due to a recoverable error comprises:
receiving a first notification from the call routing system facilitating exchange of media for the call, wherein the first notification indicates whether the call was disconnected due to a recoverable error, as indicated by the first agent system, or a non-recoverable error.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein for the first routing agent system to notify that the call was disconnected due to a recoverable error, a call client executing on the first agent system notifies the call routing system when the first agent system has been disconnected due to a recoverable error.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of agents are separated into a plurality of groups and wherein prioritizing the reconnection of the call comprises:
if a second agent of the plurality of agents in the same group of the plurality of groups as the first agent is available, reconnecting the call to a second agent system operated by the second agent.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein prioritizing the reconnection of the call further comprises:
if the second agent is not available but a supervisor of the same group is available, reconnecting the call to a first supervisor system operated by the supervisor of the same group.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein prioritizing the reconnection of the call further comprises:
if the second agent and the supervisor of the same group are not available but a third agent from a fallback group of the plurality of groups is available, reconnecting the call to a third agent system operated by the third agent.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein prioritizing the reconnection of the call further comprises:
if the second agent, the supervisor of the same group, and the third agent are not available but a supervisor of the fallback group is available, reconnecting the call to a second supervisor system operated by the supervisor of the fallback group.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein prioritizing the reconnection of the call further comprises:
if the second agent, the supervisor of the same group, the third agent, and the supervisor of the fallback group are not available, transferring a second notification to the first caller system indicating an estimated amount of time until the call will be reconnected.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein prioritizing the reconnection of the call further comprises:
reconnecting the call to a system operated by an agent or supervisor of the same group or the fallback group to first come available.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second notification further provides the first caller with an option to convert the call to a text chat and the method further comprising:
upon receiving an indication that the first caller has selected the option, converting the call to a text chat and connecting the text chat to a fourth agent system operated by a fourth agent.

11. An apparatus for reconnecting a call to an agent of a contact center, the apparatus comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media;
a processing system operatively coupled with the one or more computer readable storage media; and
program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media that, when read and executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:
determine that a first agent system, operated by a first agent of a plurality of agents for the contact center, has been disconnected from a call between the first agent system and a first caller system operated by a first caller, wherein the first caller system remains connected to the contact center;
before attempting to reconnect the call, determine whether the first agent system notifies a call routing system that the first agent system was disconnected due to a recoverable error within a predetermined period of time;
if the first agent system was disconnected due to a recoverable error, reconnect the call to the first agent system once the first agent system has recovered; and
if the first agent system was disconnected due to a non-recoverable error, prioritize reconnection of the call to another one of the plurality of agents.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein to determine whether the first agent system indicated that the first agent system was disconnected due to a recoverable error, the program instructions direct the processing system to:
receive a first notification from the call routing system facilitating exchange of media for the call, wherein the first notification indicates whether the call was disconnected due to a recoverable error, as indicated by the first agent system, or a non-recoverable error.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein for the first agent system to indicate that the call was disconnected due to a recoverable error, a call client executing on the first agent system notifies the call routing system when the first agent system has been disconnected due to a recoverable error.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of agents are separated into a plurality of groups and wherein to prioritize the reconnection of the call, the program instructions direct the processing system to:
if a second agent of the plurality of agents in the same group of the plurality of groups as the first agent is available, reconnect the call to a second agent system operated by the second agent.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein to prioritize the reconnection of the call, the program instructions further direct the processing system to:
if the second agent is not available but a supervisor of the same group is available, reconnect the call to a first supervisor system operated by the supervisor of the same group.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein to prioritize the reconnection of the call, the program instructions further direct the processing system to:
if the second agent and the supervisor of the same group are not available but a third agent from a fallback group of the plurality of groups is available, reconnect the call to a third agent system operated by the third agent.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein to prioritize the reconnection of the call, the program instructions further direct the processing system to:
if the second agent, the supervisor of the same group, and the third agent are not available but a supervisor of the fallback group is available, reconnect the call to a second supervisor system operated by the supervisor of the fallback group.

Assignees

• Avaya Inc

Inventors

• Deole Pushkar
• George Jibin

Classifications

• H04M3/5183

  Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements · CPC title

• H04M3/5231 Primary

  with call back arrangements · CPC title

• H04M3/523 Primary

  with call distribution or queueing · CPC title

• H04M2203/2088

  Call or conference reconnect, e.g. resulting from isdn terminal portability · CPC title

• H04M3/5238

  with waiting time or load prediction arrangements · CPC title