Agent-Driven Contact Routing via Attribute Matching
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Contact centers face challenges in efficiently routing customer calls to the most suitable agents based on specific case details, often relying on generalizations rather than agent expertise or previous interactions, leading to suboptimal handling of customer inquiries.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allow agents to register their interest in specific contact attributes, enabling the routing of incoming contacts to available agents with matching attributes, and if unavailable, to alternative agents with relevant expertise, while predicting wait times to minimize customer wait periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If contact centers route calls based on generalizations about the whole data set, then routing simplicity is maintained, but customer service quality deteriorates due to lack of agent expertise matching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the contact center routing system into multiple dimensions: agent attributes (skills, expertise, language), contact attributes (type, complexity, customer tier), and contextual factors (agent availability, current workload). This segmentation allows the system to move from simple generalization-based routing to sophisticated multi-criteria matching while maintaining operational clarity through structured data organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes routing parameters based on real-time conditions. Instead of static routing rules, the system adjusts matching criteria by weighing different agent attributes and contact characteristics according to current operational needs, customer preferences, and agent availability, thereby improving service quality without sacrificing routing efficiency.
2Speed
If contact centers use coarse information about caller purpose for routing, then routing speed is maintained, but service precision deteriorates due to inability to identify preferred agents
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-collecting and organizing agent attribute data (skills, certifications, expertise areas) and contact history information before routing decisions are needed. This pre-processing creates a ready-to-use matching framework that enables rapid yet precise routing when contacts arrive, eliminating the need to analyze all data from scratch for each routing decision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical routing systems (simple round-robin or least-occupied agent allocation) with an intelligent matching system that uses automated attribute comparison and scoring. This substitution enables precise agent-contact matching based on multiple criteria while maintaining high routing speed through algorithmic efficiency and real-time data processing.
3Productivity
If contact centers assign any qualified agent to a contact, then agent utilization efficiency is improved, but customer satisfaction deteriorates due to lack of agent expertise or previous interaction continuity
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by analyzing customer satisfaction data, contact resolution outcomes, and agent performance metrics. This feedback continuously refines the routing matching algorithm, learning which agent-contact pairings lead to successful resolutions and high customer satisfaction. The system uses this feedback to adjust matching criteria and weights, improving both customer satisfaction and agent utilization over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The routing system is dynamically adaptive, adjusting agent availability, skill matching weights, and routing priorities based on real-time conditions. When preferred agents become unavailable, the system dynamically recalculates routing options considering agent expertise, current workload, and contact urgency, thereby maintaining high customer satisfaction while optimizing agent utilization across the contact center.
4Reliability
If contact centers prioritize preferred agents for specific contacts, then service quality is improved, but system complexity increases due to need to track agent availability and expertise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal routing framework that handles multiple routing scenarios (skill-based routing, language matching, customer preference, agent availability) through a single integrated system. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate routing systems into one cohesive platform, managing complexity through standardized data structures and unified decision logic while delivering high-quality service across diverse contact types.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of routing contacts in a contact center includes receiving a registration from an agent of the contact center, wherein the registration identifies at least one attribute of a future contact the agent has an interest in receiving, receiving an incoming contact to the contact center; and identifying a context of the incoming contact comprising a plurality of contact attributes. Thus, it can be determined that the at least one attribute of the future contact matches at least one of the plurality of contact attributes; and whether the agent of the contact center is available to receive the incoming contact. When the agent of the contact center is available the incoming contact is routed to a first agent device associated with the agent of the contact center.