Patent ID: 8270591

Claim:
A multi-media contact channel and agent state control method for use in a contact center having a plurality of multi-media contact channels and a plurality of agents for handling communications over said multi-media contact channels, wherein each of said agents are assigned to at least one primary operational activity corresponding to said contact channels, said method comprising the acts of: providing agent configuration data from the plurality of agents, said agent configuration data including an agent state indication, wherein said agent state indication represents a current operational activity being performed by said agent within a specific contact channel; providing contact channel configuration data from each of the plurality of multi-media contact channels, wherein said contact channel configuration data is based upon a plurality of predetermined service levels that track a relative percentage of performance within a specific contact channel, wherein said predetermined service levels include a service level measure for each of said plurality of multi-media contact channels; updating and reporting real-time contact channel state data of each of said plurality of multi-media contact channels representing contact channel states to determine if said contact channel state data has exceeded said predetermined service levels of each of said multi-media contact channels, wherein said contact channel configuration data is measured against rules governing when a particular multi-media contact channel needs reallocation; determining, based upon said real-time contact channel state data, said agent configuration data and said contact channel configuration data, that at least one of said contact channels needs a re-allocation of agent resources; continually and in real-time monitoring and assessing said agents in said contact center to determine said agent state representing said current operational activity for each of said agents; re-allocating at least one of said agents based upon said at least one contact channel needing said re-allocation of agent resources and based upon said agent state representing said current operational activity of at least one of said agents and said agent configuration data, wherein said re-allocation of at least one of said agents involves identifying an agent with a current operational activity that does not match said agent's primary operational activity and wherein said agent has been assigned with said primary operational activity needed by said contact channel in need of re-allocation; and re-assigning said agent from said agent's current operational activity to said agent's primary operational activity.