Customer automated response system

• US 20060023866A1
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Electronics Commerce Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Dezonno, Anthony J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for prompting an agent of an automatic contact distributor during a customer service contact with a client. The method includes the steps of detecting a state of the customer service contact with the client via operation of a terminal of the agent; selecting a set of possible responses for use by the agent from a plurality of sets of possible responses that are appropriate to the detected state of the customer service contact and visually prompting the agent with the selected set of possible responses.

Claims

1. A method of prompting an agent of an automatic contact distributor during a customer service contact with a client, such method comprising the steps of:

detecting a state of the customer service contact with the client via operation of a terminal of the agent;

selecting a set of possible responses for use by the agent from a plurality of sets of possible responses that are appropriate to the detected state of the customer service contact; and

visually prompting the agent with the selected set of possible responses.

2. The method of prompting the agent as in claim 1 further comprising defining the state as a greeting state.

3. The method of prompting the agent as in claim 1 further comprising defining the state as a farewell state.

4. The method of prompting the agent as in claim 1 further comprising defining the state as a problem resolution state.

5. The method of prompting the agent as in claim 1 further comprising defining the state as a solution acceptance state.

6. The method of prompting the agent as in claim 1 wherein the step of detecting the state of the customer service contact further comprises the terminal detecting activation by the agent of a softkey of a problem statement menu.

7. The method of prompting the agent as in claim 1 wherein the step of detecting the state of the customer service contact further comprises a word recognition application within the terminal of the agent recognizing a set of words of the client.

8. The method of prompting the agent as in claim 7 wherein the step of detecting the state of the customer service contact further comprises matching the recognized words with a predetermined set of words that define each state.

9. The method of prompting the agent as in claim 1 further comprising measuring a time of each state.

10. The method of prompting the agent as in claim 9 further comprising scheduling an agent for re-training when the measured time of each state exceed a predetermined threshold value.

11. An apparatus for prompting an agent of an automatic contact distributor during a customer service contact with a client, such apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a state of the customer service contact with the client via operation of a terminal of the agent;

means for selecting a set of possible responses for use by the agent from a plurality of sets of possible responses that are appropriate to the detected state of the customer service contact; and

means for visually prompting the agent with the selected set of possible responses.

12. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 11 further comprising defining the state as a greeting state.

13. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 11 further comprising defining the state as a farewell state.

14. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 11 further comprising defining the state as a problem resolution state.

15. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 11 further comprising defining the state as a solution acceptance state.

16. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 11 wherein the means for detecting the state of the problem further comprises means within the terminal for detecting activation of a softkey of a problem statement menu.

17. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 11 wherein the means for detecting the state of the customer service contact further comprises means within the terminal of the agent for recognizing a set of words of the client.

18. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 17 wherein the means for detecting the state of the customer service contact further comprises means for matching the recognized words with a predetermined set of words that define each state.

19. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 11 further comprising means for measuring a time of each state.

20. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 19 further comprising means for scheduling an agent for re-training when the measured time of each state exceed a predetermined threshold value.

21. An apparatus for prompting an agent of an automatic contact distributor during a customer service contact with a client, such apparatus comprising:

a plurality of prompting files where each prompting file of the plurality of prompting files corresponds to a respective state of a plurality of states of the customer service contact and each file of the plurality of prompting files contains a plurality of possible responses by the agent to the client;

a state detection processor that detects a state of the plurality of possible states of the customer service contact via operation of a terminal of the agent; and

a window on a terminal of the agent that visually prompts the agent with the plurality of possible responses of the prompting file that corresponds to the detected state of the customer service contact.

22. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 21 further comprising defining the state as a greeting state.

23. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 21 further comprising defining the state as a farewell state.

24. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 21 further comprising defining the state as a problem resolution state.

25. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 21 further comprising defining the state as a solution acceptance state.

26. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 21 further comprising a state selection window that allows the agent to select the state of the customer service contact.

27. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 21 wherein the state detection processor further comprises a word recognition application within the terminal of the agent for recognizing a set of words of the client.

28. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 27 wherein the word recognition application further comprises a predetermined set of words that define each state.

29. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 21 further comprising a timer that measures a time of each state of the plurality of states detected by the state recognition processor.

30. The apparatus for prompting the agent as in claim 29 further comprising a training processor that schedules an agent for re-training when the measured time of each state exceeds a predetermined threshold value.