System for indicating priority levels for transaction and task engagement in a call center

Abstract

A call center system has a computerized server executing software (SW) from a machine-readable medium, a data collection function of the SW enabled for collecting data regarding incoming transactions, a data processing function coupled to the data collection engine and enabled for processing the data collected against a set of business rules, the data processing function determining a priority level for individual ones of the incoming transactions, and a distribution function enabled for distributing a priority indication determined by the data processing function to one or more presentation interfaces accessible to agents, at or near the time the associated transaction is engaged by the agent.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A call center system, comprising:
 a computerized server executing software (SW) from a machine-readable medium;   a data collection function of the SW enabled for collecting data regarding incoming transactions;   a data processing function coupled to the data collection engine and enabled for processing the data collected against a set of business rules, the data processing function determining a priority level for individual ones of the incoming transactions; and   a distribution function enabled for distributing a priority indication determined by the data processing function to one or more presentation interfaces accessible to agents, at or near the time the associated transaction is engaged by the agent.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the priority indication is distributed to the associated agent before the transaction is engaged by the agent. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein priority levels are determined for call center tasks to which agents may be assigned or invited as well as for transactions, and wherein priority indicators for such tasks are distributed to associated agents at or near the time that the agents are assigned or invited to engage in the tasks. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the tasks include one or more of text message processing, email processing, order processing, chat hosting and participation in prepared campaigns. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the data collection engine collects information regarding selected agents as well as regarding transactions, and the agent information is used along with the transaction information in determining priority levels for transactions. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the data collection engine collects information regarding selected agents and tasks as well as regarding transactions, and the agent and task information is used along with the transaction information in determining priority levels for transactions. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the information relevant to each agent includes skills information regarding the agent. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the information includes workload projection data relevant to each agent. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the priority indication comprises a display indicating priority level by color. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the priority indication further comprises one or more specific suggestions formulated by the system and related to the priority indication, to guide the agent that engages an associated transaction. 
     
     
         11 . A method for call center management, comprising the steps of:
 (a) collecting data regarding incoming transactions by executing software (SW) from a machine-readable medium by a computerized server;   (b) processing the data collected against a set of business rules by a data processing function, determining a priority level for individual ones of the incoming transactions; and   (c) distributing a priority indication determined by processing the data to one or more presentation interfaces accessible to agents, at or near the time the associated transaction is engaged by the agent.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the priority indication is distributed to the associated agent before the transaction is engaged by the agent. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein priority levels are determined for call center tasks to which agents may be assigned or invited as well as for transactions, and wherein priority indicators for such tasks are distributed to associated agents at or near the time that the agents are assigned or invited to engage in the tasks. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the tasks include one or more of text message processing, email processing, order processing, chat hosting and participation in prepared campaigns. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the data collection engine collects information regarding selected agents as well as regarding transactions, and the agent information is used along with the transaction information in determining priority levels for transactions. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the data collection engine collects information regarding selected agents and tasks as well as regarding transactions, and the agent and task information is used along with the transaction information in determining priority levels for transactions. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the information relevant to each agent includes skills information regarding the agent. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the information includes workload projection data relevant to each agent. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the priority indication comprises a display indicating priority level by color. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the priority indication further comprises one or more specific suggestions formulated by the system and related to the priority indication, to guide the agent that engages an associated transaction.