Dynamic Agent Workflow for Contact Center Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Contact centers face challenges in managing service levels due to unpredictable traffic spikes, often resulting in customers being handled by untrained or undertrained agents, which affects customer satisfaction and misses opportunities for upselling/cross-selling.
Innovation Solution
A system that dynamically selects customer agent workflows based on current contact center load, integrating routing systems with CRM to adjust agent tasks according to workload, ensuring trained agents handle customers and maximizing upselling/cross-selling opportunities without compromising service levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If overflow handling is deployed to manage traffic spikes, then service level coverage is improved, but customer satisfaction deteriorates due to untrained agents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic workflow selection that adapts to real-time contact center load conditions. The system monitors traffic patterns and automatically adjusts agent workflows, transitioning between standard service procedures and overflow handling protocols based on current capacity, ensuring trained agents remain available during spikes while maintaining service coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by adjusting workflow selection based on load thresholds. When traffic exceeds certain levels, the system modifies agent behavior parameters from standard troubleshooting to escalation protocols, and changes routing parameters to distribute overflow appropriately without compromising customer experience
2Reliability
If agents handle all customer contacts during high load, then service coverage is maintained, but productivity of trained agents deteriorates due to handling simple queries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments customer contacts into different categories based on complexity and load conditions. The system divides handling responsibilities between trained agents for complex issues and overflow handlers for routine queries, creating distinct service pathways that optimize agent utilization and maintain comprehensive coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by having agents perform only the necessary troubleshooting steps before escalation during high load, rather than completing full troubleshooting sequences. This allows trained agents to quickly assess and redirect simple cases, maintaining service coverage while preserving their capacity for complex problems
3Reliability
If standard troubleshooting workflow is used during high load, then service level is maintained, but loss of revenue opportunities increases due to missed upselling/cross-selling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic workflow adjustments based on load conditions. During lower load periods, the system periodically introduces upselling and cross-selling interactions into the agent workflow, while maintaining standard troubleshooting procedures during high load to ensure service levels are met
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates multi-functional workflows that can serve both troubleshooting and revenue generation purposes. The selected workflow incorporates conditional branches that allow agents to transition from problem-solving to commercial opportunities when appropriate, making the same interaction serve dual functions under different load conditions
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for dynamically selecting a customer agent workflow for handling a customer contact in a contact center based on current contact center load. According to one embodiment, managing agent workflows in a contact center can comprise receiving a customer contact and selecting an agent from a plurality of agents to handle the customer contact. A current load of the contact center can be determined and a workflow for the selected agent to handle the customer contact can be dynamically selected from a plurality of workflows based on the determined current contact center load.