Outbound Dialer Scheduling via Customer Preference Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Outbound contact centers face inefficiencies in maximizing human agent utilization and minimizing nuisance calls due to lack of consideration for individual customer preferences in contact mode and timing, leading to ineffective and costly campaigns.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an anachronistic pacing algorithm that determines the optimal contact mode and time for each customer based on historical interaction data, metadata analysis, and resource availability, allowing for flexible scheduling and resource allocation to avoid nuisance calls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the dialer processes contact lists in chronological order to maximize agent utilization, then agent productivity is improved, but individual customer contact preferences are ignored leading to nuisance calls
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of customer contact preferences and historical interaction data before the actual contact process. Contact lists are pre-processed to identify optimal contact times and modes for each customer, allowing the dialer to schedule contacts in advance while respecting individual preferences. This preliminary action enables both high agent utilization and reduced nuisance calls by preparing the contact schedule beforehand.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts contact scheduling based on real-time agent availability and pre-analyzed customer preferences. Rather than following a fixed chronological order, the dialer flexibly sequences contacts to match both agent capacity and customer preferred contact windows. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize agent utilization while avoiding contacts outside preferred times that would result in nuisance calls.
2Device complexity
If the dialer uses a fixed contact strategy for all customers, then system complexity is reduced, but contact effectiveness decreases due to lack of personalization
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by customizing contact strategies for individual customers based on their specific preferences and historical data. Each customer receives a tailored contact approach (time, mode, frequency) rather than a uniform strategy. This localized personalization significantly improves contact effectiveness while the system manages complexity through automated preference analysis and template-based strategy generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes contact parameters (time, mode, frequency) based on analyzed customer preferences and historical interaction data. Rather than using fixed parameters for all contacts, the dialer dynamically adjusts these parameters for each customer segment or individual, improving effectiveness. The system manages the resulting complexity through automated parameter optimization algorithms and preference tracking.
3Productivity
If the dialer places calls at high volume to maximize productivity, then agent utilization improves, but the likelihood of nuisance calls increases due to insufficient timing consideration
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of customer contact preferences and historical interaction data before the actual contact process. Contact lists are pre-processed to identify optimal contact times and modes for each customer, allowing the dialer to schedule contacts in advance while respecting individual preferences. This preliminary action enables both high agent utilization and reduced nuisance calls by preparing the contact schedule beforehand.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback loops that monitor contact outcomes and adjust scheduling parameters accordingly. By analyzing successful and unsuccessful contact patterns, the dialer refines its timing predictions and avoids scheduling high-volume contacts during periods or for customers likely to result in nuisance calls. This feedback mechanism maintains high productivity while filtering out potentially harmful contacts.
Data Source
AI summary
Contact centers, such as outbound call centers, are provided with means by which they may attempt to contact individuals at a time and via a channel preferred by the contact. A history of prior contact interactions is used as one means to establish a preferred contact time and channel. With a preferred contact time and/or channel established, the contact center may attempt to reach the contact with a decreased likelihood of the attempt being consider a nuisance.