Systems and methods for providing priority customer service
First Claim
1. A method for providing priority customer service in a telephony-based customer service environment, the method comprising:
- receiving an incoming call from a customer;
offering priority customer service to the customer;
handling the call from the customer on a normal basis if the customer declines the offered priority customer service; and
handling the call from the customer on a priority basis if the customer accepts the offered priority customer service.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for priority-based customer service. In such systems and methods, incoming calls are received from customers. For each incoming call, the customer may be provided with an offer of priority service. Priority service may be offered to all customers, either at all times or when wait times exceed a predetermined value. Alternatively, priority service may only be offered to certain customers. If the customer accepts the offer of priority service, the customer is then placed in a call queue for service based on the priority accepted. If the customer does not accept priority service, the customer is placed at the end of the queue, or otherwise handled as the call would have been had priority customer service not been offered.
119 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for providing priority customer service in a telephony-based customer service environment, the method comprising:
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receiving an incoming call from a customer;
offering priority customer service to the customer;
handling the call from the customer on a normal basis if the customer declines the offered priority customer service; and
handling the call from the customer on a priority basis if the customer accepts the offered priority customer service. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for providing priority customer service in a telephony-based customer service environment, the system comprising:
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means for receiving an incoming call from a customer;
means for offering priority customer service to the customer;
means for handling the call from the customer on a normal basis if the customer declines the offered priority customer service; and
means for placing the call from the customer on a priority basis if the customer accepts the offered priority customer service. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for providing priority customer service in a customer call center, the customer call center including a customer service department, the system comprising:
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a plurality of telephone lines for receiving incoming calls from customers;
at least one call queue for ordering calls to be taken by the customer service department; and
an automated voice response unit (VRU), connected between the plurality of telephone lines and the at least one call queue, for accepting calls from the plurality of telephone lines and placing the accepted calls in the call queue, wherein the VRU is configured to offer priority customer service to the customers. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification