Repeat Call Routing via Action-Object Tables
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated call processing systems often inefficiently handle repeat calls, leading to frustration for callers and inefficient use of live agents, as they require repeat callers to navigate interactive voice response systems or receive assistance from live agents for tasks that could be handled more cost-effectively through self-service.
Innovation Solution
An automated call processing system that determines if a call is a repeat call based on a threshold time period and compares the call's task to a prior call's task using action-object tables to route repeat calls with unresolved issues to live agents for special treatment, while routing non-repeat or less urgent calls to self-service systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If repeat callers are routed to live agents for all calls, then service quality for callers with unresolved issues is improved, but operational costs and agent utilization efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments repeat callers into different groups based on their call history and issue resolution status. Callers with unresolved issues are identified and routed to live agents, while those without unresolved issues are routed to self-service options. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing high-quality service only to those who need it while reducing costs for others.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different service qualities to different segments of repeat callers based on their specific needs. Rather than providing uniform high-quality live agent service to all repeat callers, the system provides localized quality enhancement only to those with unresolved issues, thereby improving service quality where needed while controlling operational costs.
2Loss of energy
If repeat callers are routed to self-service systems, then operational costs are reduced, but service quality and caller satisfaction deteriorate for those with unresolved issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments repeat callers to identify which ones have unresolved issues versus those who do not. This segmentation enables the system to apply self-service routing only to appropriate callers, maintaining cost efficiency while preserving service quality for those who need human assistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary classification mechanism that acts as a mediator between repeat callers and service channels. This intermediary system analyzes call history and unresolved issues to determine the appropriate routing, ensuring that self-service routing does not degrade service quality for callers who require live agent assistance.
3Extent of automation
If all callers navigate the interactive voice response system, then automation efficiency is improved, but caller frustration and service effectiveness deteriorate for repeat callers with unresolved issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments callers based on their repeat call status and unresolved issues, allowing the system to apply different routing strategies. This segmentation enables automation to be applied efficiently to appropriate callers while providing manual assistance to those who need it, thereby maintaining automation efficiency without degrading caller experience for those who require human help.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than routing all repeat callers through the automated system and then providing escalation options, the patent inverts the approach by identifying callers who need live agents first and routing them directly to human assistance, while routing only those who don't need human help to self-service options.
4Ease of operation
If live agents assist all repeat callers, then caller frustration is reduced, but resource allocation efficiency and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments repeat callers to identify which ones have unresolved issues that require live agent assistance. This segmentation enables live agents to focus their efforts on callers who will benefit most from their expertise, thereby improving caller satisfaction for those callers while maintaining high agent utilization efficiency by avoiding assistance to callers who can resolve their issues through self-service.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies live agent assistance locally and selectively to repeat callers with unresolved issues rather than uniformly to all repeat callers. This localized application of human assistance improves caller satisfaction where needed while preserving agent productivity by directing agents only to cases requiring their expertise.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system of handling a call received at a call center is disclosed. The method includes determining that the call is a repeat call, determining whether the repeat call is to receive a first treatment type and servicing the repeat call with the first treatment type when the repeat call is determined to receive the first treatment type. The system includes an automated call processing system, a first computer readable memory including a repeat caller definition table, a second computer readable memory including a repeat caller action-object table, and a third computer readable memory including a special treatment resolution table. The automated call processing system has access to the repeat call definition table to identify a repeat call request and has access to the action-object table and the special treatment resolution table to determine whether the identified repeat call is to receive a first treatment type.