Method and system for routing incoming telephone calls to available agents based on agent skills
US6222919A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 12, 1994 |
| Grant date | Apr 24, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 12, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M3/5233
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and automatic call distribution system 100 for routing incoming telephone calls 206 from external telephonic units 102 to selected ones of a plurality of agents A1001-A1007 wherein the agents A1001-A1007 are grouped into skill groups 110a-110n are provided. Each of the skill groups 110a-110n is comprised of agents having a common agent-skill indicator. An agent-skill indicator being representative of a skill of the agent. Further, the agents in a skill group are arranged by length of time the agent has been available. An incoming telephone call 206 is initially assigned a call-skill indicator representative of a skill deemed useful in satisfying a need of the external caller. The call-skill indicator is then matched to a common agent-skill indicator of one of the skill groups. The telephone call is routed to the available agent in the matched skill group having been available the longest time. If no agents are available, the external caller is placed in queue until an available agent enters the matched skill group. Unavailable agents are stored in an unavailable group 200 and are inserted into corresponding skill groups 110a-110n when they become available.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.