System, method and program for setting wage for call center personnel

Abstract

System, method and program product for dynamically setting a wage offered to a multiplicity of inactive call center personnel. First program instructions automatically estimate a wait time for calls to a call center. The calls are handled by a plurality of active call center personnel. Second program instructions automatically determine and set a wage, based in part on the estimated wait time, offered to inactive call center personnel to induce them to become active call center personnel to handle calls. Third program instructions, responsive to a request by an inactive call center person to become active at said wage, automatically designate the requesting inactive call center person as active at the wage and assign a call to the requesting inactive call center personnel that was designated as active. Program instructions also set a renewal wage paid to active call center personnel, based in part on the estimated wait time, to induce the active call center personnel to remain active.

1 . A computer program product for dynamically setting a wage offered to a multiplicity of active-status call center personnel, the computer program product comprising:
 a computer-readable, tangible storage device;   first program instructions to automatically estimate a wait time for a plurality of active-status call center personnel to handle calls to a call center;   second program instructions to automatically determine and set a renewal wage, based in part on the estimated wait time, offered to the active-status call center personnel to renew their active status and thereby continue to handle calls after expiration of respective period(s) for the active-status call center personnel in which wages paid to the active call center personnel are fixed; and   third program instructions, responsive to expiration of the respective period(s) and explicit or implicit indications by the respective active-status call center personnel to renew their active-status at the expiration of respective period(s), to automatically set the renewal wage for the renewing active-status call center personnel and assign calls to the renewing active-status call center personnel at the renewal wage; and wherein:   the second program instructions are responsive to the estimated wait time being greater than a predetermined, upper threshold to determine and set the renewal wage offered to the active-status call center personnel to be higher than a wage offered to active-status and inactive-status call center personnel during a prior interval in which the estimated wait time was lower than the upper threshold; and   the first, second and third program instructions are stored on the computer-readable, tangible storage device.   
     
     
         2 . A computer program product for dynamically setting a wage offered to a multiplicity of active-status call center personnel, the computer program product comprising:
 a computer-readable, tangible storage device;   first program instructions to automatically estimate a wait time for a plurality of active-status call center personnel to handle calls to a call center;   second program instructions to automatically determine and set a renewal wage, based in part on the estimated wait time, offered to the active-status call center personnel to renew their active status and thereby continue to handle calls after expiration of respective period(s) for the active-status call center personnel in which wages paid to the active call center personnel are fixed; and   third program instructions, responsive to expiration of the respective period(s) and explicit or implicit indications by the respective active-status call center personnel to renew their active-status at the expiration of respective period(s), to automatically set the renewal wage for the renewing active-status call center personnel and assign calls to the renewing active-status call center personnel at the renewal wage; and wherein:   the second program instructions are responsive to the estimated wait time being less than a predetermined, lower threshold to determine and set the renewal wage offered to the active-status and inactive-status call center personnel to be lower than a wage offered to active-status and inactive call center personnel during a prior interval in which the estimated wait time was greater than the lower threshold; and   the first, second and third program instructions are stored on the computer-readable, tangible storage device.   
     
     
         3 . A computer program product for dynamically setting a wage offered to a multiplicity of active-status call center personnel, the computer program product comprising:
 a computer-readable, tangible storage device;   first program instructions to automatically estimate a wait time for a plurality of active-status call center personnel to handle calls to a call center;   second program instructions to automatically determine and set a renewal wage, based in part on the estimated wait time, offered to the active-status call center personnel to renew their active status and thereby continue to handle calls after expiration of respective period(s) for the active-status call center personnel in which wages paid to the active call center personnel are fixed; and   third program instructions, responsive to expiration of the respective period(s) and explicit or implicit indications by the respective active-status call center personnel to renew their active-status at the expiration of respective period(s), to automatically set the renewal wage for the renewing active-status call center personnel and assign calls to the renewing active-status call center personnel at the renewal wage; and wherein   the program instructions to automatically determine and set a renewal wage are responsive to the estimated wait time being less than a predetermined, lower threshold to determine and set the renewal wage offered to the active-status and inactive-status call center personnel to be lower than a wage offered to active-status and inactive call center personnel during a prior interval in which the estimated wait time was greater than the lower threshold; and   the first, second and third program instructions are stored on the computer-readable, tangible storage device.