Techniques for behavioral pairing in a dispatch center system

Abstract

Techniques for behavioral pairing in a dispatch center system are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for behavioral pairing in a dispatch center system comprising determining, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the dispatch center system, a dispatch request for a customer; determining, by the at least one computer processor, a plurality of field agents available to service the customer's dispatch request; determining, by the at least one computer processor, a model of preferred field agent—customer pairings based at least in part on historical field agent—customer interaction outcome data; selecting, by the at least one computer processor, one of the plurality of field agents based on the model; and outputting, by the at least one computer processor, the selection to facilitate dispatching the selected field agent to the customer.

1 . A method for behavioral pairing in a dispatch center system comprising:
 processing, by at least one dispatch center communicatively coupled to and configured to support behavioral pairing operations in the dispatch center system, a dispatch request for a customer based upon a customer request received at the dispatch center, wherein the dispatch center is configured to route the dispatch request to at least one queueing or switching component in the dispatch center system;   receiving, at the at least one dispatch center, a plurality of field agents comprising a first field agent, a second field agent, and a third field agent available to service the dispatch request;   selecting, by at least one dispatch behavioral pairing module communicatively coupled to and configured to perform behavioral pairing operations in the dispatch center system, the first field agent for servicing the dispatch request based on a pairing strategy; and   outputting, by the at least one dispatch behavioral pairing module, the selection to facilitate routing the dispatch request to the at least one queueing or switching component in the dispatch center system and dispatching the selected field agent to the customer;   wherein the pairing strategy is configured such that if the third field agent had not been available, the second field agent would have been selected for servicing the dispatch request;   wherein the third field agent has been waiting the longest and occupied the least among the plurality of field agents.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dispatch request comprises at least one requested dispatch time, and wherein determining the plurality of field agents available to service the customer's dispatch request is constrained based on the at least one requested dispatch time. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting, by the at least one dispatch behavioral pairing module, at least one suggested dispatch time, wherein the selected field agent is available during the at least one suggested dispatch time. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising scheduling, by the at least one dispatch behavioral pairing module, the dispatching of the selected field agent to the customer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the at least one dispatch behavioral pairing module, a percentile for each field agent of the plurality of field agents, wherein the selecting is based on the determined agent percentiles. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the pairing strategy is based on a diagonal behavioral pairing strategy, wherein field agents and customers having percentile rankings with closest midpoints comprise preferred field agent—customer pairings. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the percentiles determined for the first field agent and the second field agent would have been different if the third field agent had not been available. 
     
     
         8 . A system for behavioral pairing in a dispatch center system comprising:
 at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the dispatch center system, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:   process a dispatch request for a customer based upon a customer request received at the dispatch center, wherein the dispatch center is configured to route the dispatch request to at least one queueing or switching component in the dispatch center system;   receive a plurality of field agents comprising a first field agent, a second field agent, and a third field agent available to service the dispatch request;   select the first field agent for servicing the dispatch request based on a pairing strategy; and   output the selection to facilitate routing the dispatch request to the at least one queueing or switching component in the dispatch center system and dispatching the selected field agent to the customer;   wherein the pairing strategy is configured such that if the third field agent had not been available, the second field agent would have been selected for servicing the dispatch request;   wherein the third field agent has been waiting the longest and occupied the least among the plurality of field agents.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the dispatch request comprises at least one requested dispatch time, and wherein determining the plurality of field agents available to service the customer's dispatch request is constrained based on the at least one requested dispatch time. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to select at least one suggested dispatch time, wherein the selected field agent is available during the at least one suggested dispatch time. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to schedule the dispatching of the selected field agent to the customer. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to determine a percentile for each field agent of the plurality of field agents, wherein the selecting is based on the determined agent percentiles. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the pairing strategy is based on a diagonal behavioral pairing strategy, wherein field agents and customers having percentile rankings with closest midpoints comprise preferred field agent—customer pairings. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the percentiles determined for the first field agent and the second field agent would have been different if the third field agent had not been available. 
     
     
         15 . An article of manufacture for behavioral pairing in a dispatch center system comprising:
 a non-transitory processor readable medium; and   instructions stored on the medium;   wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the medium by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the dispatch center system and thereby cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to:   process a dispatch request for a customer based upon a customer request received at the dispatch center, wherein the dispatch center is configured to route the dispatch request to at least one queueing or switching component in the dispatch center system;   receive a plurality of field agents comprising a first field agent, a second field agent, and a third field agent available to service the dispatch request;   select the first field agent for servicing the dispatch request based on a pairing strategy; and   output the selection to facilitate routing the dispatch request to the at least one queueing or switching component in the dispatch center system and dispatching the selected field agent to the customer;   wherein the pairing strategy is configured such that if the third field agent had not been available, the second field agent would have been selected for servicing the dispatch request;   wherein the third field agent has been waiting the longest and occupied the least among the plurality of field agents.   
     
     
         16 . The article of manufacture of  claim 15 , wherein the dispatch request comprises at least one requested dispatch time, and wherein determining the plurality of field agents available to service the customer's dispatch request is constrained based on the at least one requested dispatch time. 
     
     
         17 . The article of manufacture of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to select at least one suggested dispatch time, wherein the selected field agent is available during the at least one suggested dispatch time. 
     
     
         18 . The article of manufacture of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to schedule the dispatching of the selected field agent to the customer. 
     
     
         19 . The article of manufacture of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to determine a percentile for each field agent of the plurality of field agents, wherein the selecting is based on the determined agent percentiles. 
     
     
         20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19 , wherein the pairing strategy is based on a diagonal behavioral pairing strategy, wherein field agents and customers having percentile rankings with closest midpoints comprise preferred field agent—customer pairings. 
     
     
         21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19 , wherein the percentiles determined for the first field agent and the second field agent would have been different if the third field agent had not been available.