Call Routing System with Agent Availability Confirmation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing call routing systems often incorrectly direct calls to agents' voice mail instead of live agents, especially when agents are available but receive non-system related calls or are in situations where they cannot accept calls.
Innovation Solution
A method that prompts agents to confirm their availability before connecting calls, ensuring that transactions are only routed to agents who are actively available and able to receive calls, using confirmed availability status for agent selection and call distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the system routes calls to agents based on availability status without confirmation, then call distribution efficiency is improved, but calls may be directed to voice mail instead of live agents
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by prompting the agent to confirm availability before the call is routed. The agent receives a preliminary call from the system, is prompted to press a key to confirm availability, and only after this confirmation is the actual customer call routed to the agent. This preliminary confirmation step ensures call routing accuracy while maintaining efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediary confirmation mechanism where the agent must actively respond to a preliminary system call before being connected to the actual customer call. This intermediary step acts as a mediator to verify agent availability, ensuring that calls are routed to live agents rather than voice mail systems.
2Reliability
If the system waits for agent confirmation before routing calls, then call routing accuracy is improved, but call handling time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The availability confirmation process is performed as a preliminary action before the actual customer call arrives or is routed. By completing the confirmation step in advance through a brief system-initiated prompt, the system minimizes the time impact on actual call handling while ensuring accurate routing.
Solution Approach 2:
The confirmation process is designed to be rapid - the agent receives a preliminary call and is prompted to press a simple key to confirm availability. This rushed-through confirmation minimizes the time investment required while still achieving the goal of accurate call routing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If agents can receive calls from any location without confirmation, then agent flexibility is improved, but system cannot verify if agent is actually available
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by requiring agents to actively respond to availability prompts regardless of their location. The agent receives a preliminary call from the system, must press a key to confirm availability, and this feedback mechanism allows the system to verify actual availability even when agents are working from remote locations or mobile devices.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary confirmation call serves as a mediator between the system's need to verify availability and the agent's flexibility to work from any location. This intermediary step provides a reliable verification mechanism that works independently of the agent's physical location or device type.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for distribution and assignment of calls to an agent that has confirmed its current availability status. In one embodiment an agent is selected by the system and prompted for its current availability. If the agent is available, the call is routed to the agent. If the agent is not available the system selects another agent and the process is repeated. Then, a call is assigned to an available agent based on current availability information.