Providing work, training, and incentives to company representatives in contact handling systems

Abstract

Several of the embodiments disclosed herein relate to accessing and tracking real-time data concerning company representative performance, proficiency, training, scheduling, current work flow, and estimated work flow. Moreover, many of the improvements in contact handling systems disclosed herein automatically provide training, work, and incentives to company representatives to improve performance, proficiency, efficiency, effectiveness, automate scheduling, and automated work flow. Thus, as a result of the teachings disclosed herein, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and revenue may be improved in the contact handling industry.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling the relative rate of training completion and work completion in a contact handling system, the method comprising the following acts:
 receiving an electronic input specifying a target customer responsiveness score, the target customer responsiveness score affecting a relative priority level between work completion and training completion; and   automatically assigning training and work to a plurality of company representatives, wherein an amount of training assigned is automatically modified until the specified target customer responsiveness score is met.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising providing the training to the company representatives as assigned. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising canceling the assigned training when the target customer responsiveness score is not met. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein the target customer responsiveness score is not met when an average time spent by work in a queue exceeds a worst-allowable customer responsiveness score. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising routing work to the company representatives until the target customer responsiveness score is met. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the work includes incoming and/or outgoing communication media to be serviced by the company representatives. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the target customer responsiveness score is associated with an average response time requirement, including a length of work in a work queue, wherein the work queue length is associated with an average time on-hold for communication media in the queue. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein target customer responsiveness score is selectable by the user such that the average time on-hold for calls may be varied between a best-allowable customer responsiveness score and a worst-allowable customer responsiveness score. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein training is delivered only when the target customer responsiveness score is met. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising cancelling scheduled training when the target customer responsiveness score is not met. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising cancelling a delivered training session when the target customer responsiveness score is not met. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the work and the training is provided to the company representatives at home. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the target customer responsiveness score is received in response to an event that causes a need for training, wherein the event includes a real-life disaster, a change in agreement terms, a new client to be serviced, release of a new product, new customers, and/or new problems encountered by customers. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising limiting a range of selectable target customer responsiveness scores. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 15 , further comprising receiving administrator authentication, wherein upon receiving the administrator authentication, receiving an input defining a best allowable and worst allowable customer responsiveness score, wherein the target customer responsiveness score is restricted by the best allowable and worst allowable customer responsiveness scores. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein work completion results in changed proficiencies assigned to each company representative, wherein the changed proficiencies immediately affect the categories of work assignable to the company representatives. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the amount of training relates to a number of training sessions assigned to company representatives. 
     
     
         18 . A method for controlling completion of training and work by teams of company representatives, comprising:
 performing the method of  claim 1  for a first team of company representatives, wherein a first target customer responsiveness score is received and the first target customer responsiveness score is associated with the first team of company representatives;   performing the method of  claim 1  for a second team of company representatives, wherein a second target customer responsiveness score is received and the second target customer responsiveness score is associated with the second team of company representatives.   
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the first team is associated with a first category of work and the second team is associated with a second category of work. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein each category of work is associated with a set of proficiencies, wherein the set of proficiencies associated with the first category of work is different than the set of proficiencies associated with the second category of work. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20 , wherein upon completion of the training, additional work is assignable to each member of the teams of company representatives. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the first team is associated with servicing customers in a first geographic location and the second team is associated with servicing customers located in a second geographic location, wherein the second geographic location is a different geographic location than the first geographic location. 
     
     
         23 . A computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing the acts of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         24 . A graphical interface enabling a user to control completion of training and work by company representatives, the graphical interface comprising:
 a first display element configured to provide a visual representation of a best-allowed customer responsiveness score;   a second display element configured to provide a visual representation of a worst-allowed customer responsiveness score;   a third display element configured to provide a visual representation of a current customer responsiveness score; and   a first graphical input element configured to allow a user to specify the target customer responsiveness score, the target customer responsiveness score being a selectable relative level of priority between work completion and training completion.   
     
     
         25 . A graphical interface according to  claim 24 , the graphical interface comprising:
 a second graphical input element configured to allow a user to specify the best-allowed customer responsiveness score;   a third graphical input element configured to allow a user to specify the worst-allowed customer responsiveness score; and   a fourth graphical input element configured to allow a user to specify training and company representatives to which the training is to be delivered.   a third display element listing information identifying the company representatives and listing a status for each of the company representatives.