Sales and service offer method and apparatus

• US 20050177525A1
• Filed: 02/06/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Inventors: Ly, Randy, Withers, Bruce, Apple, John Ray, Good, Czarina V.
• Application Number:
  US10/774,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177525A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A mechanism is provided that identifies a customer and attaches to a customer inquiry a relevant sales or service offer code. When a sales/service agent is in contact with the customer, the sales/service agent'"'"'s display illuminates a sales/service offer icon as appropriate. When the sales/service agent clicks on the icon, the system calls an associated URL and launches a browser, which then displays a description of the offer and a suggestion script. After presenting the offer to the customer, the sales/service agent selects an appropriate disposition code, which is recorded in a database with regard to offer status. One key aspect of the invention concerns passing a URL associated with an offer along with a phone call to an agent in a call center.

Claims

1. A sales and service offer apparatus, comprising:

means for identifying a customer and attaching to a customer inquiry a relevant sales or service offer code;

means for illuminating a sales/service offer icon on a sales/service agent'"'"'s display in a call center when said sales/service agent is in contact with said customer;

means for calling an associated URL and launching a browser which then displays a description of said sales/service offer and a suggestion script when said sales/service agent clicks on said sales/service offer icon; and

means for said sales/service agent selecting an appropriate disposition code, which is recorded in a database with regard to said sales/service offer status after presenting, said sales/service offer to said customer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said means for identifying a customer and attaching to a customer inquiry a relevant sales or service offer code further comprising:

means for passing a URL associated with an offer along with a phone call to an sales/service agent.

3. A sales and service offer method, comprising the steps of:

identifying a customer during a customer phone call; and

passing a URL linked to a sales/service offer, along with said customer phone call, to a sales/service agent in a call center.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

illuminating a sales/service offer icon on a sales/service agent'"'"'s display in said call center when said sales/service agent is in contact with said customer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

calling said URL and launching a browser which then displays a description of said sales/service offer and a suggestion script when said sales/service agent clicks on said sales/service offer icon.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

said sales/service agent selecting an appropriate disposition code, which is recorded in a database with regard to said sales/service offer status after presenting, said sales/service offer to said customer.

7. An apparatus for presenting targeted sales offers and/or customer service to customers, comprising:

means for identifying a customer during a service related customer phone call;

means for passing a URL linked to said sales offers and/or customer service, along with said customer phone call, to a sales/service agent in a call center and

means for alerting said call center agent to said sales offers and/or customer service via a call center desktop application during said customer call.

8. A customer service method, comprising the steps of:

attaching a URL and OfferID to a customer voice call as computer telephony integration (CTI) data;

when a call center agent desktop receives said CTI data, said OfferID acting as a trigger causing an offer icon on said desktop to illuminate;

when said call center agent clicks on said offer icon, said desktop opening a browser and calling said URL which was previously passed as CTI data; and

displaying a sales script and a set of disposition codes on said desktop.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein customer and/or account specific information or scripts are presented to said call center agent via said desktop after learning of a critical service failure impacting a customer.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

attaching pieces of data to an agent initiated database query, where such pieces of data are gathered either directly by customer entered digits (CED'"'"'s) or following a database lookup based upon CED'"'"'s.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said data are organized as key value pairs.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

calling a stored procedure using a customer account number and SSN, wherein said stored procedure performs a database lookup using said account number and SSN as input arguments.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

when matching on an SSN, attaching a sales offer code and sales offer URL to a response as key value pairs.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

when matching on an account number, attaching a service offer code and service offer URL to a response as key value pairs.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

interrogating a string of key value pairs; and

when an offer code and URL are present, illuminating said offer icon and/or a service offer icon.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

once said call center agent clicks on an icon, calling said URL and launching a browser; and

displaying a page within said browser containing a description of said offer and a suggested script for said sales agent to follow when presenting said offer to a customer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

after presenting said offer to said customer, said call center agent selecting an appropriate disposition code; and

returning said disposition code is returned to a database where offer status is updated.