Techniques for hybrid behavioral pairing in a contact center system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11509768-B2
Application number	US-202016996669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2020
Priority date	Jan 28, 2008
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

Techniques for hybrid behavioral pairing in a contact center system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for hybrid behavioral pairing in a contact center system comprising: determining a first ordering of a plurality of contacts according to a behavioral pairing strategy with a balanced contact utilization; determining a second ordering of the plurality of contacts according to a performance-based routing strategy with an unbalanced contact utilization; determining a third ordering of the plurality of agents according to a combination of the first ordering and the second ordering having a skewed contact utilization between the balanced contact utilization and the unbalanced contact utilization; and outputting a hybrid behavioral pairing model based on the third ordering for connecting an agent to a contact of the plurality of contacts in the contact center system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for behavioral pairing in a contact center system comprising:
ordering, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to perform behavioral pairing operations in the contact center system, a plurality of agents available for connection to a contact according to a respective value or range of values representing how each agent of the plurality of agents contributes to a higher performance of the contact center system;
ordering, by the at least one computer processor, a plurality of contacts available for connection to an agent according to at least one performance metric to be optimized in the contact center system;
applying, by the at least one computer processor, a hybridization function to the ordering of the plurality of contacts to bias a contact-agent pairing strategy toward a skewed contact selection;
selecting, by the at least one computer processor, a contact-agent pairing from the plurality of contacts and the plurality of agents based at least in part on the biased contact-agent pairing strategy; and
establishing, by the at least one computer processor, in a switch of the contact center system, a connection between the contact and the agent in the contact-agent pairing based upon the selecting.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ordering of the plurality of agents comprises determining, by the at least one computer processor, a bandwidth for each agent of the plurality of agents proportionate to a relative performance of the respective agent.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the hybridization function comprises controllably targeting, by the at least one computer processor, an unbalanced contact selection.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein applying the hybridization function comprises determining, by the at least one computer processor, disproportionate bandwidth for each of the plurality of contacts.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected contact-agent pairing results in a worse expected instant outcome than other non-selected contact-agent pairings.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each successively higher-ordered contact of the plurality of contacts is more likely to be selected than respectively lower-ordered contacts.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each successively higher-ordered contact of the plurality of contacts is targeted to have a lower average waiting time than respectively lower-ordered contacts.

8. A system for behavioral pairing in a contact center system comprising:
at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to perform behavioral pairing operations in the contact center system, wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to:
order a plurality of agents available for connection to a contact according to a respective value or range of values representing how each agent of the plurality of agents contributes to a higher performance of the contact center system;
order a plurality of contacts available for connection to an agent according to at least one performance metric to be optimized in the contact center system;
apply a hybridization function to the ordering of the plurality of contacts to bias a contact-agent pairing strategy toward a skewed agent utilization;
select a contact-agent pairing from the plurality of contacts and the plurality of agents based at least in part on the biased contact-agent pairing strategy; and
establish, in a switch of the contact center system, a connection between the contact and the agent in the contact-agent pairing based upon the selecting.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the ordering of the plurality of agents comprises determining a bandwidth for each agent of the plurality of agents proportionate to a relative performance of the respective agent.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein applying the hybridization function comprises controllably targeting an unbalanced contact selection.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein applying the hybridization function comprises determining disproportionate bandwidth for each of the plurality of contacts.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the selected contact-agent pairing results in a worse expected instant outcome than other non-selected contact-agent pairings.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein each successively higher-ordered contact of the plurality of contacts is more likely to be selected than respectively lower-ordered contacts.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein each successively higher-ordered contact of the plurality of contacts is targeted to have a lower average waiting time than respectively lower-ordered contacts.

15. An article of manufacture for behavioral pairing in a contact center system comprising:
a non-transitory processor readable medium; and
instructions stored on the medium;
wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the medium by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to perform behavioral pairing operations in the contact center system and thereby cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to:
order a plurality of agents available for connection to a contact according to a respective value or range of values representing how each agent of the plurality of agents contributes to a higher performance of the contact center system;
order a plurality of contacts available for connection to an agent according to at least one performance metric to be optimized in the contact center system;
apply a hybridization function to the ordering of the plurality of contacts to bias a contact-agent pairing strategy toward a skewed agent utilization;
select a contact-agent pairing from the plurality of contacts and the plurality of agents based at least in part on the biased contact-agent pairing strategy; and
establish, in a switch of the contact center system, a connection between the contact and the agent in the contact-agent pairing based upon the selecting.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 , wherein the ordering of the plurality of agents comprises determining a bandwidth for each agent of the plurality of agents proportionate to a relative performance of the respective agent.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15 , wherein applying the hybridization function comprises controllably targeting an unbalanced contact selection.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15 , wherein the selected contact-agent pairing results in a worse expected instant outcome than other non-selected contact-agent pairings.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15 , wherein each successively higher-ordered contact of the plurality of contacts is more likely to be selected than respectively lower-ordered contacts.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15 , wherein each successively higher-ordered contact of the plurality of contacts is targeted to have a lower average waiting time than respectively lower-ordered contacts.

Assignees

• Afiniti Ltd

Inventors

• Chishti Zia
• Khatri Vikash

Classifications

• H04M3/5233

  Operator skill based call distribution · CPC title

• H04M2201/36

  Memories · CPC title

• H04M3/5234

  Uniform load distribution · CPC title

• H04M3/5235

  Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS] · CPC title

• H04M3/5232 Primary

  Call distribution algorithms · CPC title