Language-Based Call Routing for At-Home Agents
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Solution Overview
Problem
Call centers face challenges in managing a large volume of inquiries across multiple languages and locations, with limited physical space and the need for at-home agents to lack high-speed internet access, making traditional call routing systems ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A call management system that detects the caller's preferred language and assigns an available at-home agent with the necessary language skills using Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) and Automated Number Identification (ANI) numbers, enabling language-based call routing and supporting at-home agents with basic phone access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional high speed internet, PC, VPN & IP phone approaches are used for at-home agents, then call routing capability is improved, but accessibility for agents without computer or high speed internet access deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical requirement of high-speed internet, PC, and VPN infrastructure with a simplified telephone-based access system. At-home agents use only a standard telephone to connect to the call center system, eliminating the need for complex computer hardware and high-speed network connections while maintaining full call routing and agent management capabilities.
2Reliability
If separate call centers are established for each language, then language service quality is improved, but operational complexity and cost deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal call center system that handles multiple languages within a single facility. The system uses language detection technology to automatically identify the caller's language and routes the call to an appropriate bilingual or multilingual agent, allowing one call center to perform the functions previously requiring multiple separate language-specific centers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an automated language detection and routing intermediary system that sits between the incoming call and the human agents. This intermediary automatically detects the caller's language, determines the appropriate language group, and routes the call accordingly, eliminating the need for manual language identification and simplifying the overall call center structure.
3Productivity
If more agents are hired to handle increased call volume, then customer service capacity is improved, but physical space requirements deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the agent workforce into two distinct segments: in-center agents who work from the physical call center location and at-home agents who work remotely from their homes. This segmentation allows the organization to expand its agent workforce without proportionally increasing physical office space requirements, as at-home agents perform their duties from remote locations using only telephone access.
Data Source
AI summary
Call center management with at home agent access based on caller language is provided herein. Calls from customers of a client are received at an interactive voice recognition (IVR) system, which determines a language of the caller by detecting the language or language selection by keypad entry. The IVR system determines an available at home agent with the proper language skills and forwards the call to be processed by the at home agent. The at home agents can call the call center to set their status. Information associated with the call may be collected and used by associated system(s) such as quality control, status monitoring, financial processing, and the like.