Managing communications in a call centre

• US 20030185379A1
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Moran, Thomas, OʼConnor, Neil
• Granted Patent: US 7,127,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

A communications management tool for a call center maintains a record of threads of communications of diverse media types (e.g. voice calls, emails and faxes) relating to particular issues, and analyses new communications to automatically identify possible matches with existing threads. In this way the efficiency of the agents at the center is increased and the management of the call center can be provided with data recording agent performance and efficiency in dealing with particular issues.

Claims

1. A method of managing communications in a call centre between an agent at the call centre and a customer of the centre, comprising the steps of:

a) maintaining a database of entries identifying sets of communications related by one or more common parameters;

b) analysing a new communication between the customer and the centre to determine a match between a parameter of the communication and one or more matching sets in the database;

c) upon determining said match, presenting the agent with information relating to said one or more matching sets when said new communication is active at a terminal of the agent; and

d) updating the database entry relating to the or each matching set with an identification of said new communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if more than one match is determined in step b), providing the agent in step c) with a list of matches and enabling the agent to select a match whereby in step d) said communication is identified with the set of the selected match.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of presenting the agent with the option to create a new entry in the database identifying said new communication as a new set.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said new communication is of a communication type selected from a voice call, a facsimile, an email, a web page submission, an internet chat session, a wireless message, an interactive voice response telephone session, and a voicemail message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of said sets of communications include communications of two or more of said communication types.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said new communication is of a first communication type and said match is made with a set consisting of communications of one or more of said other communication types.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said communication type is a voice call and said parameter used to determine a match is selected from the calling line identification of an incoming call to the centre, the dialled number of an outgoing call from the agent, a sequence of DTMF tones entered by the customer during the call, and the acoustic fingerprint of the customer'"'"'s voice, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said communication is a facsimile, and wherein said parameter used to determine a match is selected from the calling line identification of an incoming call to the centre, the dialled number of an outgoing call from the agent, a sequence of DTMF tones entered by the customer during the transmission of the facsimile, and a graphical recognition of information forming part of the facsimile, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein said communication is an email, and wherein said parameter used to determine a match is selected from an email address contained in the message header, an IP address in the message header, and a distinctive identifier in the subject line of the email, or in the body of the email or in an attachment to the email message, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein said communication is a web page submission, and wherein said parameter used to determine a match is selected from an IP address recorded during the web page submission process, and a distinctive identifier entered in a field of the web page submission, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein said communication is an internet chat session, and wherein said parameter used to determine a match is selected from an IP address recorded during the session, an email address recorded during the session, and a distinctive identifier entered by a party during the session, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein said communication is a wireless message, and wherein said parameter used to determine a match is selected from the originating number of an incoming message to the centre, the dialled number of an outgoing message from the agent, a message centre number included in the message, and a distinctive identifier forming part of the message, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein said communication is an interactive voice response telephone session, and wherein said parameter used to determine a match is selected from the originating number of an incoming call to the centre, the dialled number of an outgoing call from the agent, a sequence of DTMF tones entered by the customer during the session, a distinctive selection of menu choices made by the customer during the session, and the acoustic fingerprint of the customer'"'"'s voice, or a combination thereof.

14. A method of presenting communications to an agent at a terminal of a call centre, comprising the steps of:

a) providing the agent with an incoming communication;

b) providing the agent with one or more identifiers of sets of prior communications related by one or more common parameters to the incoming communication; and

c) enabling the agent to confirm or reject the association between the incoming communication and one or more of said one or more sets.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of providing the agent with the option to assign the incoming communication as the first element of a new set of communications.

16. A communications management apparatus for use in a call centre, comprising:

a) a database for recording entries identifying sets of communications related by one or more common parameters;

b) a communications analysis element for analysing a new communication between the call centre and a customer of the call centre to determine a match between a parameter of the communication and one or more matching sets in the database;

c) an agent interface provided at an agent terminal of the call centre for presenting an agent at said terminal with information relating to said one or more matching sets when said new communication is active at said terminal; and

d) a database management tool for updating the database entry relating to the or each matching set with an identification of said new communication.

17. A database comprising a plurality of entries relating to communications between one or more agents of a call centre and one or more customers of the call centre, each entry comprising:

a) an identification of a customer or group of customers involved in a set of one or more communications with the call centre;

b) a record of the communications in said set; and

c) one or more parameters relating to the thread allowing new communications involving the customer or group of customers to be compared with and matched to the set;

wherein at least some of the entries in the database include a record of a communication of a first media type and a record of a communication of a second media type.

18. A computer program product comprising instructions which when executed cause a computer to implement the steps of:

a) maintaining a database of entries identifying sets of communications related by one or more common parameters;

b) analysing a new communication between the customer and the centre to determine a match between a parameter of the communication and one or more matching sets in the database;

c) upon determining said match, presenting the agent with information relating to said one or more matching sets when said new communication is active at a terminal of the agent; and

d) updating the database entry relating to the or each matching set with an identification of said new communication.

19. A computer program product as claimed in claim 18, wherein the execution of said instructions is distributed between a plurality of connected computers.

20. A multimedia call centre comprising:

a) a plurality of agent terminals each for receiving and processing communications of two or more media types;

b) a communications distribution system for assigning or presenting communications of said two or more types to said terminals;

c) a communications channel for each of said media types enabling communications between agents at said terminals and remote customers of the call centre, and

d) a communications management apparatus, comprising;

i) a database for recording entries identifying sets of communications related by one or more common parameters;

ii) a communications analysis element for analysing a new communication between the call centre and a customer of the call centre to determine a match between a parameter of the communication and one or more matching sets in the database;

iii) an agent interface provided at one or more of said agent terminals for presenting an agent at a terminal with information relating to said one or more matching sets when said new communication is active at said terminal; and

iv) a database management tool for updating the database entry relating to the or each matching set with an identification of said new communication.