Call routing system and method

• US 20030190021A1
• Filed: 04/04/2002
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Capital One Financial Corporation
• Inventors: Hornsby, William Darin
• Granted Patent: US 7,039,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM

Abstract

System and method for providing at least one predetermined automated message to an account holder via a voice response unit based on a likely reason for the call by the account holder to be because of a recent transaction decline.

Claims

1. A call routing method, the call routing method comprising:

identifying an account holder accessing a voice response unit, the account holder having an account;

determining whether a transaction associated with the account was declined within a predetermined period of time, after determining the identity of the account holder;

determining a reason for the transaction being declined if the transaction associated with the account was determined to be declined within the predetermined period of time; and

routing the account holder to at least one predetermined automated message provided by the voice response unit based on the reason for the transaction being declined, wherein

the at least one predetermined automated message informs the account holder of the reason for the transaction being declined.

2. The call routing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

identifying the account holder accessing the voice response unit includes requesting the account holder to input an account number and matching the inputted account number to one of a plurality of account numbers stored in at least one memory unit.

3. The call routing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

determining whether the transaction associated with the account was declined within the predetermined period of time includes

determining when the account holder accessed the voice response unit,

searching at least one memory unit for first data associated with the account indicating whether the transaction was declined and, if the transaction was declined, indicting when the transaction was declined,

searching the at least one memory unit for second data indicating the predetermined period of time, and

determining according to the first data and the second data whether the transaction was declined within the predetermined period of time of when the account holder accessed the voice response unit.

4. The call routing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

determining a reason for the transaction being declined includes searching at least one memory unit for decline data includes a decline code, the decline data being associated with account data for the account holder and the decline code indicating the reason for the transaction being declined.

5. The call routing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the at least one predetermined automated message informs the account holder of at least one service related to the reason for the transaction being declined.

6. A call routing method, the call routing method comprising:

identifying an account holder accessing a voice response unit, the account holder having an account;

determining whether a transaction associated with the account was declined within a predetermined period of time, after determining the identity of the account holder, by

determining when the account holder accessed the voice response unit,

searching at least one memory unit for first data associated with the account indicating whether the transaction was declined and, if the transaction was declined, indicting when the transaction was declined,

searching the at least one memory unit for second data indicating the predetermined period of time, and

determining according to the first data and the second data whether the transaction was declined within the predetermined period of time of when the account holder accessed the voice response unit;

determining a reason for the transaction being declined if the transaction associated with the account was determined to be declined within the predetermined period of time by

searching at least one memory unit for decline data includes a decline code, the decline data being associated with account data for the account holder and the decline code indicating the reason for the transaction being declined; and

routing the account holder to at least one predetermined automated message provided by the voice response unit based on the reason for the transaction being declined, wherein

the at least one predetermined automated message informs the account holder of the reason for the transaction being declined.

7. A call routing system, comprising:

a communication device operable by an account holder having an account;

a voice response unit coupled to the communication device for interacting with the account holder when using the communication device;

a memory unit for storing account data, decline data and data indicating a predetermined period of time; and

a processing unit coupled to the voice response unit and coupled to the memory unit, the processing unit

determining the identity of the account holder according to an inputted account number and the account data stored in the memory unit,

searching the memory unit for the decline data associated with the account,

determining if a transaction associated with the account was declined within a predetermined period of time according to the decline data, determining a reason for the transaction being declined according to a decline code of the decline data, and

instructing the voice response unit to provide at least one predetermined automated message to the account holder if it is determined that the transaction was declined, wherein the at least one predetermined automated message informs the account holder of the reason for the transaction being declined.