Limited Derogation of Contact Center Agent Skill Levels

Abstract

A call handler in a contact center is configured to temporarily derogate the skill level of one or more agents in a group having a common skill. During the time period of derogation, incoming calls will be routed to agents with the highest skill level, such that the normally lower skill level agents will be selected to receive calls. If there are more than one agent meeting this criteria, then the agent that has been waiting the longest to receive a call is selected. This allows the lower skill level agents to gain experience in handling calls and improving their call handling capabilities. After a set threshold, the derogation of the agents is terminated, and their skill level is restored to the pre-derogation level. In this manner the lower skill level agents are given limited opportunities for improvement by handling calls.

1 . A call handler in a contact center configured to route an incoming call:
 maintain a skill level for each agent in a group of agents, wherein the skill level is used in call routing, and wherein a first agent has a first skill level that is higher than a second skill level of a second agent;   determine the first agent has met a derogation threshold;   derogate, in response to the first agent meeting the derogation threshold, the first skill level to obtain a derogated first skill level, wherein the derogated first skill level is a lower than the second skill level; and   route an incoming call to the second agent based on the second skill level being higher than the derogated first skill level,   wherein a third agent has the second skill level, and the incoming call is routed to the second agent over the third agent based on the second agent having a longer time period since handling a prior voice call compared to the third agent.   
     
     
         2 . The call handler of  claim 1 , wherein the derogation threshold is based on a number of prior incoming calls routed to the first agent since a point in time. 
     
     
         3 . The call handler of  claim 1 , wherein the derogation threshold is a time determined from a beginning of a shift of the first agent. 
     
     
         4 . The call handler of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining the second agent has met a restoration threshold; and   restoring, in response to the second agent meeting the restoration threshold, the first skill level of the first agent.   
     
     
         5 . The call handler of  claim 4 , wherein the restoration threshold is met by the second agent handling a defined number of calls. 
     
     
         6 . The call handler of  claim 4 , wherein the restoration threshold is met by the second agent handling a defined number of calls. 
     
     
         7 . The call handler of  claim 1 , wherein a third agent has the second skill level, and the incoming call is routed to the second agent over the third agent based on the second agent having a longer time period since handling a prior voice call compared to the third agent. 
     
     
         8 . A method for routing voice calls to an agent in a contact center, comprising:
 maintaining a skill level for each agent in a group of agents, wherein the skill level is used in call routing, and wherein a first agent has a first skill level that is higher than a second skill level of a second agent;   determining the first agent has met a derogation threshold;   derogating, in response to the first agent meeting the derogation threshold, the first skill level to obtain a derogated first skill level, wherein the derogated first skill level is a lower than the second skill level; and   routing an incoming call to the second agent based on the second skill level being higher than the derogated first skill level,   wherein a third agent has the second skill level, and the incoming call is routed to the second agent over the third agent based on the second agent having a longer time period since handling a prior voice call compared to the third agent.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the derogation threshold is based on a number of prior incoming calls routed to the first agent since a point in time. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the derogation threshold is a time determined from a beginning of a shift of the first agent. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining the second agent has met a restoration threshold; and   restoring, in response to the second agent meeting the restoration threshold, the first skill level of the first agent.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the restoration threshold is met by the second agent handling a defined number of calls. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the restoration threshold is met by the second agent handling a defined number of calls. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a third agent has the second skill level, and the incoming call is routed to the second agent over the third agent based on the second agent having a longer time period since handling a prior voice call compared to the third agent. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed cause one or more computer processors to:
 maintain a skill level for each agent in a group of agents, wherein the skill level is used in call routing, and wherein a first agent has a first skill level that is higher than a second skill level of a second agent;   determining the first agent has met a derogation threshold;   derogating, in response to the first agent meeting the derogation threshold, the first skill level to obtain a derogated first skill level, wherein the derogated first skill level is a lower than the second skill level; and   routing an incoming call to the second agent based on the second skill level being higher than the derogated first skill level,   wherein a third agent has the second skill level, and the incoming call is routed to the second agent over the third agent based on the second agent having a longer time period since handling a prior voice call compared to the third agent.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the derogation threshold is based on a number of prior incoming calls routed to the first agent since a point in time. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising instructions to:
 determine the second agent has met a restoration threshold; and   restore, in response to the second agent meeting the restoration threshold, the first skill level of the first agent.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the restoration threshold is met by the second agent handling a defined number of calls. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the restoration threshold is met by the second agent handling a defined number of calls. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein a third agent has the second skill level, and the incoming call is routed to the second agent over the third agent based on the second agent having a longer time period since handling a prior voice call compared to the third agent.