System, method and software for delivering targeted content to queued users

• US 20050195961A1
• Filed: 03/04/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Pasquale, Theodore B., Bushey, Robert R., Knott, Benjamin A., Joseph, Kurt M.
• Application Number:
  US10/793,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20050195961A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms

Abstract

A system, method and software for delivering targeted queue-time content are provided. In response to user selection of a transaction or information from a call center, content matched between the selected transaction and one or more items of information concerning the user are preferably compiled. During the period in which the user awaits service in a queue associated with a transaction agent or service module for the selected transaction, the matched data relating user specific information to the selected transaction is presented for user consumption and/or selection therefrom. The selection of an alternate transaction from within one queue may be enhanced by a repetition of the matching of user specific information with one or more aspects of the alternate transaction selection being compiled and presented to the user during a subsequent queued period associated with the alternate transaction selection.

Claims

1. A method for delivering targeted content to a queued call center user, comprising:

establishing a communication connection with a user;

prompting the user for selection of an available call center transaction;

obtaining one or more items of user identification information;

analyzing a user utterance to ascertain a user selected call center transaction;

identifying a call center routing destination based on the user selected call center transaction;

determining whether call center transaction support is available at the identified call center routing destination or whether the user is to be placed in a queue associated with the identified call center routing destination;

routing the user to the identified routing destination;

if the user is to be placed in a queue associated with the identified call center routing destination, compiling information related to the identified call center routing destination associated with the user selected call center transaction and the one or more items of user identification information;

communicating the compiled information to the queued user while the user is queued at the identified call center routing destination; and

responding to user selection of a selectable option presented to the queued user by repeating the identifying, determining, routing, compiling and communicating operations.

2. Software for delivering content targeted to a queued user, the software embodied in computer readable media and when executed operable to:

gather content for presentation to a user based on a user selected call center transaction and one or more items of information identifying the user; and

present the content to the user during a period in which the user is placed in a queue associated with a transaction service routing destination associated with the user selected call center transaction.

3. The software of claim 2, further operable to match content from a transaction content database with the information identifying the user to provide customized content to the user while queued.

4. The software of claim 2, further operable to analyze a user utterance responsive to a prompt for user selection of a call center transaction.

5. The software of claim 2, further operable to identify the user using one or more automatic number identification (ANI) services.

6. The software of claim 2, further operable to permit user selection of an option included in the content presented to the queued user, the option operable to enable user performance of an alternate call center transaction.

7. The software of claim 6, further operable to:

gather alternate content for presentation to the user based on the alternate call center transaction selected by the user and the information identifying the user; and

present the alternate content to the user during a period in which the user is placed in a queue associated with the transaction service routing destination associated with the alternate call center transaction selection.

8. The software of claim 2, further operable to:

identify the transaction service routing destination associated with the selected call center transaction; and

determine whether the user will be queued when routed to identified call center transaction service routing destination.

9. A system for delivering targeted content to a queued call center user, comprising:

at least one processor;

memory operably associated with the processor;

a communication interface operably associated with the processor and the memory; and

a program of instructions storable in the memory and executable by the processor, the program of instructions operable to present targeted content to a user waiting in a transaction service queue, the targeted content selected in accordance with the transaction service queue in which the user is queued and one or more aspects of user identification information.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising the program of instructions operable to:

prompt the user for selection of a call center transaction; and

evaluate a user utterance responsive to the prompt to identify a transaction selection.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising the program of instructions operable to access a routing table to identify a routing destination for a transaction service associated with a user transaction selection.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising the program of instructions operable to:

determine availability of support at the routing destination; and

compile the targeted content if the user is expected to be queued for support when routed to the identified routing destination.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising the program of instructions operable to analyze the user identification information and one or more aspects of the transaction service queue to extract user and transaction targeted content from an associated task content database.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising an automated number identification (ANI) module operably associated with the communication interface, the ANI module operable to ascertain one or more items of information identifying the user from a communication connection between the user and the call center.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising the program of instructions operable to:

acknowledge user selection of an option included in the targeted content;

access a routing table to identify a transaction service associated with the user selected option; and

present targeted content to the user based on the option selection and the transaction service associated with the selected option while the user is queued for support from the option transaction service.

16. A method for delivering queue related content to a waiting user, comprising:

accessing information associated with one or more user accounts;

identifying a transaction service operable to assist a user in performing one or more selected transactions;

queuing the user in a queue associated with the identified transaction service; and

presenting to the queued information concerning the one or more user accounts and the identified transaction service.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

permitting user selection of an option included in the information presented to the waiting user, the option operable to enable user performance of an alternate call center transaction;

gathering alternate information for presentation to the user based on the alternate call center transaction selected by the user and information associated with one or more user accounts; and

presenting the alternate information to the user during a period in which the user is placed in a queue of a transaction service routing destination associated with the alternate call center transaction selection.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising analyzing a user utterance or DTMF response to a call center system prompt to identify a user selected transaction.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising matching content from a task content database to one or more aspects of the user account information and the transaction queue associated with the identified service.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining whether support available from the transaction service will be available substantially immediately or whether the user is expected to be queued when routed to a routing destination associated with the transaction service.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a user utterance or DTMF input selecting a transaction option presented in the targeted content; and

evaluating the user selection to identify the selected transaction option;

identifying a call center routing destination for the selected transaction option;

routing the user to a queue associated with the selected transaction option routing destination; and

presenting targeted content to the user while queued, the targeted content including information from a task content database matching the transaction option selection and one or more aspects of the user account information.