Patent ID: 8036371

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of processing at least one communication in a call center, the call center having a plurality of agents comprising at least a first group associated with a first skill and a second group associated with a second skill, the method comprising the steps of: determining a number of available agents in the first group upon detecting a service level target for the first skill is met; selecting at least one agent from the available agents in the first group upon detecting the number of available agents exceeds a minimum available agent requirement; and designating the at least one selected agent as eligible for handling at least one communication involving the second skill while maintaining the at least one selected agent's assignment to the first group currently meeting the service level target for the first skill, wherein detecting the number of available agents exceeds a minimum available agent requirement includes: identifying that a respective first group agent represents at least a predetermined percentage of all agents currently assigned to the first group; wherein designating the at least one selected agent as eligible for handling at least one communication involving the second skill includes: utilizing the respective first group agent to handle at least one communication involving the second skill due to the respective first group agent being representative of at least the predetermined percentage of all agents currently assigned to the first group, wherein the second group includes more agents than the first group.