Estimating agent performance in a call routing center system

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for estimating and assigning agent performance characteristics in a call routing center. Performance characteristics (e.g., sales rate, customer satisfaction, duration of call, etc.) may be assigned to an agent when the agent has made few calls relative to other agents or otherwise has a large error in their measure of one or more performance characteristics used for matching callers to agents (e.g., via a performance based or pattern matching routing method). A method includes identifying agents of a plurality of agents having a number of calls fewer than a predetermined number of calls (or an error in the performance characteristic exceeding a threshold), assigning a performance characteristic to the identified agents (that is different than the agent's actual performance characteristic), and routing a caller to one of the plurality of agents based on the performance characteristics of the plurality of agents.

We claim: 
     
       1. A computer implemented method for estimating agent performance in a call contact-center routing environment, the method comprising:
 identifying, by one or more computers, one agent from a plurality of agents, wherein the one agent identified agent has a number of calls contact interactions that is fewer than a predetermined number of contact interactions; 
 computingand assigning, by the one or more computers, a respective assigned an outcome performance characteristic to for the one identified agent, wherein the assigned outcome performance is different from an actual outcome performance characteristic for the identified agent, and is based at least in part on the performance of one or more other of the agents a regression between a mean performance characteristic of the plurality of agents when the number of contact interactions of the one identified agent approaches zero and an actual performance characteristic of the one identified agent when the number of contact interactions of the one identified agent approaches the predetermined number of contact interactions; 
 assigning, by the one or more computers, the outcome performance characteristic to the one identified agent; and 
 routing, by the one or more computers, a caller contact to an agent of the plurality of agents based on respective outcome performance characteristics of the plurality of agents, the respective outcome performance characteristics including the assigned outcome performance characteristicto the one identified agent. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic is an average outcome performance characteristic of the plurality of agents. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic is based at least in part on an average outcome performance characteristic of the plurality of agents. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic for the one identified agent is based at least in part on agent outcome performance data of one or more agents having similar demographic data as the respective one identified agent. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing and assigning step comprises computing, by the one or more computers, an adjustment to an the actual outcome performance characteristic of the one identified agent based on one or more criteria. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing step comprises determining an interpolation between an the actual outcome performance characteristic value of the one identified agent and an outcome performance characteristic of the plurality of agents based at least in part on the criterion of a number of calls contact interactions received by the one identified agent. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined number of calls contact interactions is determined relative to an average number of calls contact interactions for the plurality of agents. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined number of calls contact interactions is associated with an error threshold in the an outcome performance characteristic of the plurality of agents. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the agent outcome one identified agent's actual performance characteristic comprises a sales rate. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein routing the caller contact is based on an outcome a performance based matching algorithm. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein routing the caller contact is based on a pattern matching algorithm, and the assigned agent outcome performance characteristic is input into the pattern matching algorithm. 
     
     
       12. A computer implemented method for estimating agent outcome performance in a call contact-center routing environment, the method comprising:
 determining, by one or more computers, respective actual outcome performance characteristics for each of a plurality of agents; 
 determining, by the one or more computers, an outcome performance characteristic representative of the plurality of agents; 
 identifying, by the one or more computers, a respective one of the plurality of agents having an error in the respective one identified agent's actual outcome performance characteristic greater than a predetermined threshold; 
 assigning, by the one or more computers, an outcome performance characteristic for the one identified agentwhich, wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic is different from the actual outcome performance characteristic for the one identified agentand which, and wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic is based at least in part on the representative outcome performance characteristic for representative of the plurality of agents; and 
 routing, by the one or more computers, a caller contact to one of the plurality of agents based on the respective outcome performance characteristics of the plurality of agents, the respective outcome performance characteristics including the assigned outcome performance characteristicto the identified agent. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the error comprises a fractional error. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic is an average outcome performance characteristic of the plurality of agents. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic is based at least in part on an average outcome performance characteristic of the plurality of agents. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the assigning step comprises computing, by the one or more computers, an adjustment to an the actual outcome performance characteristic of the one identified agent. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the computing step comprises determining an interpolation between an the actual outcome performance characteristic value of the respective one identified agent and an average outcome performance characteristic of the plurality of agents. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined threshold is based on a fractional error of the one identified agent's actual outcome performance characteristic. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the agent one identified agent's actual outcome performance characteristic comprises a sales rate. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the routing the caller contact is based on an outcome a performance based matching algorithm. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the routing the caller contact is based on a pattern matching algorithm, and the assigned agent outcome performance characteristic is input into the pattern matching algorithm. 
     
     
       22. A system for routing callers contacts to agents in a call contact-center routing environment, the system comprising:
 one or more computers configured with computer-readable program code, that when executed, will cause performance of the steps:
 identifying, by the one or more computers, one agent from a plurality of agents, wherein the one agent identified agent has a number of calls contact interactions that is fewer than a predetermined number of contact interactions; 
 computingand assigning, by the one or more computers, a respective an outcome performance characteristic to for the one identified agent, wherein the assigned outcome performance is different from an actual outcome performance characteristic for the respective identified agent, and is based at least in part on the performance of one or more other of the agents a regression between a mean performance characteristic of the plurality of agents when the number of contact interactions of the one identified agent approaches zero and an actual performance characteristic of the one identified agent when the number of contact interactions of the one identified agent approaches the predetermined number of contact interactions; 
 
 assigning, by the one or more computers, the outcome performance characteristic to the one assigned agent; and 
 routing, by the one or more computers, a caller contact to an agent of the plurality of agents based on respective outcome performance characteristics of the plurality of agents, the respective outcome performance characteristics including the assigned outcome performance characteristicto the one identified agent. 
 
     
     
       23. A system for routing callers contacts to agents in a call contact-center routing environment, the system comprising:
 one or more computers configured with computer-readable program code, that when executed, will cause performance of the steps:
 determining, by the one or more computers, respective actual outcome performance characteristics for a plurality of agents; 
 determining, by the one or more computers, an outcome performance characteristic representative of the plurality of agents; 
 identifying, by the one or more computers, a respective one of the plurality of agents having an error in the respective one identified agent's actual outcome performance characteristic greater than a predetermined threshold; 
 assigning, by the one or more computers, an outcome performance characteristic for the identified agentwhich, wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic is different from the actual outcome performance characteristic for the one identified agentand which, and wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic is based at least in part on the representative outcome performance characteristic for representative of the plurality of agents; and 
 routing, by the one or more computers, a caller contact to one of the plurality of agents based on the respective outcome performance characteristics of the plurality of agents, the respective outcome performance characteristics including the assigned outcome performance characteristicto the identified agent. 
 
 
     
     
       24. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions for carrying out, when executed by one or more computers, the a method of:
 identifying, by the one or more computers, one agent from a plurality of agents, wherein the one agent identified agent has a number of calls contact interactions fewer than a predetermined number; 
 computingand assigning, by the one or more computers, a respective assigned an outcome performance characteristic to for the one identified agent, wherein the assigned outcome performance is different from an actual outcome performance characteristic for the identified agent, and is based at least in part on the performance of one or more other of the agents a regression between a mean performance characteristic of the plurality of agents when the number of contact interactions of the one identified agent approaches zero and an actual performance characteristic of the one identified agent when number of contact interactions of the one identified agent approaches the predetermined number of contact interactions; 
 assigning, by the one or more computers, the outcome performance characteristic to the one identified agent; and 
 routing, by the one or more computers, a caller contact to an agent of the plurality of agents based on respective outcome performance characteristics of the plurality of agents, the respective outcome performance characteristics including the assigned outcome performance characteristicto the one identified agent. 
 
     
     
       25. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions for carrying out, when executed by one or more computers, the a method of:
 determining, by the one or more computers, respective actual outcome performance characteristics for a plurality of agents; 
 determining, by the one or more computers, an outcome performance characteristic representative of the plurality of agents; 
 identifying, by the one or more computers, a respective one of the plurality of agents having an error in the respective one identified agent's actual outcome performance characteristic greater than a predetermined threshold; 
 assigning, by the one or more computers, an outcome performance characteristic for the one identified agentwhich, wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic is different from the actual outcome performance characteristic for the one identified agentand which, and wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic is based at least in part on the representative outcome performance characteristic for representative of the plurality of agents; and 
 routing, by the one or more computers, a caller contact to one of the plurality of agents based on the respective outcome performance characteristics of the plurality of agents, the respective outcome performance characteristics including the assigned outcome performance characteristicto the identified agent. 
 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined number of calls contact interactions is determined based at least in part on a conversion rate for the plurality of the agents. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 computing, by the one or more computers, a boost of performance based at least in part on a representative number for agent outcome performances of the agents that were selected and based at least in part on the representative number for the agent outcome performances of the agents that would have been selected based on their actual agent performances. 
 
     
     
       28. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the predetermined number of calls contact interactions is determined based at least in part on a conversion rate for the plurality of the agents. 
     
     
       29. The system of  claim 22 , where wherein the one or more computers are further configured with the computer-readable program code, that, when executed, will cause performance of the step:
 computing, by the one or more computers, a boost of performance based at least in part on a representative number for agent outcome performances of the agents that were selected and based at least in part on the representative number for the agent outcome performances of the agents that would have been selected based on their actual agent performances. 
 
     
     
       30. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic for the one identified agent is based at least in part on agent outcome performance data of one or more agents having similar demographic data as the respective one identified agent. 
     
     
       31. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the assigned outcome performance characteristic is based at least in part on an average outcome performance characteristic of the plurality of agents. 
     
     
       32. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the computing and assigning step comprises computing, by the one or more computers, an adjustment to an the actual outcome performance characteristic of the one identified agent based on one or more criteria. 
     
     
       33. The system of claim  32  22, wherein the computing step comprises determining an interpolation between an the actual outcome performance characteristic value of the one identified agent and an outcome performance characteristic of the plurality of agents based at least in part on the criterion of a number of calls contact interactions received by the one identified agent.