Contact Center Queue Reconnection Across Communication Channels

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Solution Overview

Problem

Customers waiting in long contact center queues often experience prolonged hold times, and existing systems do not provide efficient alternatives for managing queue positions or status updates across different communication channels.

Innovation Solution

A system that allows users to terminate their current communication channel while maintaining their queue position, receiving status updates via a different channel, and reconnecting when they are near the front of the queue, utilizing AI/ML to manage queue positions and notify users when to rejoin.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If customers wait on hold in the contact center queue, then they maintain their queue position, but their perceived wait time increases and user experience deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveperceived wait timeVSAvoiduser experience

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a second communication channel (e.g., SMS, email, push notification) as an intermediary to deliver queue status updates to customers. This allows the original voice channel to be terminated while maintaining queue position, as the intermediary channel provides the necessary information feedback without requiring continuous hold time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the communication process into two distinct channels: the original communication channel (voice call) and a secondary notification channel (SMS, email, or push notification). This segmentation allows the customer to terminate the voice call while still receiving queue status updates through the secondary channel, thereby reducing perceived wait time without losing queue position.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If customers terminate their communication to avoid long hold times, then their perceived wait time decreases, but they lose their queue position

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser experienceVSAvoidqueue position

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where queue status updates are actively pushed to customers through the secondary communication channel. This feedback loop informs customers of their current queue position and estimated wait time without requiring them to remain on hold, allowing them to terminate communication while maintaining awareness of their queue status.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a secondary communication channel and configuring it to receive and transmit queue status information before the customer terminates their original communication. This preliminary setup ensures that queue position information is already available and can be delivered immediately upon termination, preventing loss of queue position.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If the system provides continuous queue status updates over the original communication channel, then customers maintain awareness of their position, but hold time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequeue status awarenessVSAvoidhold time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions queue status communication from a single dimension (voice channel) to multiple dimensions by introducing alternative communication channels such as SMS, email, or push notifications. This dimensional change allows queue status information to be delivered effectively without requiring continuous voice channel engagement, thereby reducing hold time while maintaining information delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20260025463A1System and method to reconnect communication to the same queue and provide queue status on a different channel

Publication Date: 2026.01.22 AVAYA MANAGEMENT LP

AI summary

A system, device, and method to reconnect a terminated communication to the original queue and provide queue status over a different communication channel. The method includes receiving a first communication over a first communication channel and placing the first communication in a contact center queue. The method also includes providing a user with an option to terminate the first communication over the first communication channel and receive queue status information over a second communication channel, and in response to the user selecting the option: terminating the first communication while maintaining a queue status in the contact center queue for the first communication; providing the queue status information; in response to the queue status of the first communication being within a threshold, notifying the user to initiate a second communication over the first communication channel; and replacing the first communication in the contact center queue with the second communication.