Call selection based on continuum skill levels in a call center

Abstract

A call selection process in a call center is configured to utilize a continuum of skill levels, in one or more categories, for a given multi-skill agent. In an illustrative embodiment, categories of levels are associated with skills supported by the given agent, with each of the categories including a level, e.g., a numerical value, for each of the skills. The levels are used in a call selection computation that determines which of a number of waiting calls should be delivered to the agent. The categories may include, for example, a speed category including levels indicative of the speed at which the agent can process calls for each of the corresponding skills, a yield category including levels indicative of results likely to be obtainable by the agent for each of the corresponding skills, and a preference category including levels indicative of preferences of the agent for calls requiring each of the corresponding skills. The process may involve selecting different subsets of one or more of the categories in a given set of categories for use at different times, depending on factors such as call volume. The call selection computation may involve, for example, computing a value for each of the skills, as a function of the corresponding level or levels and a wait time measure, e.g., a current wait time, a predicted wait time, or a ratio of predicted wait time to a service objective, for a call in a corresponding skill queue.