Dynamic resource allocation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10757263-B1
Application number	US-201916593333-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 4, 2019
Priority date	May 30, 2017
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media are used for coordinating callers with customer service representatives. One of the methods includes identifying a number of callers. The method also includes dynamically adjusting a number of customer service representatives based on the number of callers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
adjusting a number of customer service representatives available at a given time relative to a number of customer service representatives at a prior time based on a number of callers at the given time, comprising adjusting, at the given time and relative to a price to pay at the prior time, a price to pay at least one customer service representative for a call between at least one caller of the number of callers and the at least one customer service representative; and
identifying a customer service representative to be matched with the at least one caller of the number of callers.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising predicting the number of callers at the given time.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising assigning data representing the number of callers to a demand block of a block chain.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising matching, based on retrieval from the demand block of data representing at least one caller of the number of callers, the at least one caller with a customer service representative.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the number of customer service representatives comprises:
establishing a price for a call between one of the callers of the number of callers and one of the customer service representatives at the given time;
determining the number of customer service representatives is insufficient for the number of callers at the given time; and
increasing the price in accordance with the determining that the number of customer service representatives is insufficient for the number of callers.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising organizing a plurality of customer service representatives into a supply block of a block chain based at least partially on the time the customer service representative indicated a willingness to receive calls.

7. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with computer program instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
adjusting a number of customer service representatives available at a given time relative to a number of customer service representatives at a prior time based on a number of callers at the given time, comprising adjusting, at the given time and relative to a price to pay at the prior time, a price to pay at least one customer service representative for a call between at least one caller of the number of callers and the at least one customer service representative; and
identifying a customer service representative to be matched with the at least one caller of the number of callers.

8. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7 , the operations further comprising predicting the number of callers at the given time.

9. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7 , the operations further comprising assigning data representing the number of callers to a demand block of a block chain.

10. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 9 , the operations further comprising matching, based on retrieval from the demand block of data representing at least one caller of the number of callers, the at least one caller with a customer service representative.

11. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7 , wherein adjusting the number of customer service representatives comprises:
establishing a price for a call between one of the callers of the number of callers and one of the customer service representatives at the given time;
determining the number of customer service representatives is insufficient for the number of callers at the given time; and
increasing the price in accordance with the determining that the number of customer service representatives is insufficient for the number of callers.

12. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7 , the operations further comprising organizing a plurality of customer service representatives into a supply block of a block chain based at least partially on the time the customer service representative indicated a willingness to receive calls.

13. A system comprising:
one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
adjusting a number of customer service representatives available at a given time relative to a number of customer service representatives at a prior time based on a number of callers at the given time, comprising adjusting, at the given time and relative to a price to pay at the prior time, a price to pay at least one customer service representative for a call between at least one caller of the number of callers and the at least one customer service representative; and
identifying a customer service representative to be matched with the at least one caller of the number of callers.

14. The system of claim 13 , the operations further comprising predicting the number of callers at the given time.

15. The system of claim 13 , the operations further comprising assigning data representing the number of callers to a demand block of a block chain.

16. The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising matching, based on retrieval from the demand block of data representing at least one caller of the number of callers, the at least one caller with a customer service representative.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein adjusting the number of customer service representatives comprises:
establishing a price for a call between one of the callers of the number of callers and one of the customer service representatives at the given time;
determining the number of customer service representatives is insufficient for the number of callers at the given time; and
increasing the price in accordance with the determining that the number of customer service representatives is insufficient for the number of callers.

18. The system of claim 13 , the operations further comprising organizing a plurality of customer service representatives into a supply block of a block chain based at least partially on the time the customer service representative indicated a willingness to receive calls.

Assignees

• United Services Automobile Ass (Usaa)

Inventors

• Smith Eric J
• Teneyck Jr John Mcchesney
• Yarbrough Gregory
• Jayapalan Vijay

Classifications

• H04M2203/402

  Agent or workforce management · CPC title

• H04M3/5232 Primary

  Call distribution algorithms · CPC title

• H04M3/5125

  with remote located operators · CPC title