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Dynamic Call Center Routing Policies Using Call Waiting and Agent Idle Times

Author

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  • Wyean Chan

    (Département d'informatique et de recherche opérationnelle (DIRO), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada)

  • Ger Koole

    (Department of Mathematics, VU University Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Pierre L'Ecuyer

    (Département d'informatique et de recherche opérationnelle (DIRO), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada)

Abstract

We study call routing policies for call centers with multiple call types and multiple agent groups. We introduce new weight-based routing policies where each pair (call type, agent group) is given a matching priority defined as an affine combination of the longest waiting time for that call type and the longest idle time or the number of idle agents in that agent group. The coefficients in this combination are parameters to be optimized. This type of policy is more flexible than traditional ones found in practice, and it performs better in many situations. We consider objective functions that account for the service levels, the abandonment ratios, and the fairness of occupancy across agent groups. We select the parameters of all considered policies via simulation-based optimization heuristics. This requires only the availability of a simulation model of the call center, which can be much more detailed and realistic than the models used elsewhere in the literature to study the optimality of certain types of routing rules. We offer a first numerical study of realistic routing rules that takes into account the complexity of real-life call centers.

Suggested Citation

  • Wyean Chan & Ger Koole & Pierre L'Ecuyer, 2014. "Dynamic Call Center Routing Policies Using Call Waiting and Agent Idle Times," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 16(4), pages 544-560, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormsom:v:16:y:2014:i:4:p:544-560
    DOI: 10.1287/msom.2014.0493
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Ta, Thuy Anh & Chan, Wyean & Bastin, Fabian & L’Ecuyer, Pierre, 2021. "A simulation-based decomposition approach for two-stage staffing optimization in call centers under arrival rate uncertainty," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 293(3), pages 966-979.
    4. Tien Thanh Dam & Thuy Anh Ta & Tien Mai, 2022. "Joint chance-constrained staffing optimization in multi-skill call centers," Journal of Combinatorial Optimization, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 354-378, August.
    5. Merve Bodur & James R. Luedtke, 2017. "Mixed-Integer Rounding Enhanced Benders Decomposition for Multiclass Service-System Staffing and Scheduling with Arrival Rate Uncertainty," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(7), pages 2073-2091, July.
    6. Qiuzhuang Sun & Piao Chen & Xin Wang & Zhi‐Sheng Ye, 2023. "Robust condition‐based production and maintenance planning for degradation management," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 32(12), pages 3951-3967, December.
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    9. Seung Bum Soh & Itai Gurvich, 2017. "Call Center Staffing: Service-Level Constraints and Index Priorities," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 65(2), pages 537-555, April.

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