System and method for providing product offers at a call center

• US 20060062375A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Joseph, Kurt M., Pasquale, Theodore
• Application Number:
  US10/948,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20060062375A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.120
• 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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a method of presenting product offers. The method includes receiving a call from a caller. The call has a purpose and call identification information. The method further includes determining a product offer based on the call identification information and directing the call to a call center agent based on the purpose. The call center agent has a skill level associated with the product offer. The method also includes providing an interface to the call center agent, the interface populated based on the skill level.

Claims

1. A method of presenting product offers, the method comprising:

receiving a call from a caller, the call having a purpose and call identification information;

determining a product offer based on the call identification information;

directing the call to a call center agent based on the purpose, the call center agent having a skill level associated with the product offer; and

providing an interface to the call center agent, the interface populated based on the skill level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the purpose associated with the call using an interactive voice response (IVR) system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the product offer is different from the purpose of the call.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an up-sell product offer associated with the product offer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a down-sell product offer associated with the product offer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the interface includes a control that indicates a declined offer, the method further comprising providing information associated with the down-sell product in response to receiving an indication of the declined offer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing a plurality of databases using the call identification information before determining the product offer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of databases are selected from a group consisting of a service order database, a product service database, an account information database, and a billing history database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a control element associated with common objections, the method further comprising providing response information based on activation of the control element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the product offer is associated with communications related products and services.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the communications related products and services are associated with broadband network access.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the communications related products and services are associated with wireless telephones.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the communications related products and services are associated with broadcast entertainment.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the communications related products and services are associated with telecommunications.

15. A method of presenting product offers, the method comprising:

receiving a call at a call center, the call having associated call information;

determining a set of product offers based on the call information, wherein the number of product offers in the set of product offers is based on performance parameters associated with the call center;

directing the call to a call center agent terminal; and

providing an interface to the call center agent terminal, the interface populated with information associated with the set of product offers.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising accessing a set of databases before determining the set of product offers.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining an order of the set of product offers after determining the set of product offers.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the order of the set of product offers includes evaluating a set of weighting factors associated with the product offers.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the set of weighting factors includes a product initiative factor.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the interface is populated based on an agent skill level.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a purpose of the call using an interactive voice response system.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein directing the call to the call center agent terminal is based on the purpose of the call.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one product offer within the set of product offers is associated with a communications related product or service.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the communications related product or service is associated with broadband network access.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the communications related product or service is associated with wireless telephones.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the communications related product or service is associated with broadcast entertainment.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the communications related product or service is associated with telecommunications.

28. A call center agent terminal including computer accessible memory, the computer accessible memory storing a computer implemented interface, the computer implemented interface comprising:

a control feature indicating an ordered set of selectable offers; and

a selector control associated with a first selectable offer of the ordered set of selectable offers that when selected identifies;

information associated with the first selectable offer;

an objection control associated with a common objection associated with the first selectable offer; and

a customer response control to indicate a response of a customer to the first selectable offer.

29. The call center agent terminal of claim 28, wherein the information associated with the first selectable offer is adapted based on a skill level of a call center agent.

30. The call center agent terminal of claim 28, wherein the computer implemented interface further comprises a frequently asked question control.

31. The call center agent terminal of claim 28, wherein the computer implemented interface is configured to provide information associated with an up-sell offer based on the response of the customer to the first selectable offer.

32. The call center agent terminal of claim 28, wherein the computer implemented interface is configured to provide information associated with a down-sell offer based on the response of the customer to the first selectable offer.

33. The call center agent terminal of claim 28, wherein the interface is configured to display information associated with a second selectable offer of the ordered set of selectable offers, information associated with an up-sell offer associated with the second selectable offer, and information associated with a down-sell offer of the second selectable offer when a second selector control associated with the second selectable offer is selected and the call center agent has a particular skill level associated with the second selectable offer

34. A call center agent terminal including computer accessible memory, the computer accessible memory storing a computer implemented interface, the computer implemented interface comprising:

a control feature indicating an ordered set of selectable offers; and

a selector control associated with a first selectable offer of the ordered set of selectable offers that when selected identifies;

information associated with the first selectable offer;

information associated with an up-sell offer associated with the first selectable offer; and

information associated with a down-sell offer of the first selectable offer.

35. The call center agent terminal of claim 34, wherein the information associated with the first selectable offer is adapted based on a skill level of a call center agent, the skill level associated with the second selectable offer.

36. The call center agent terminal of claim 34, wherein, when the call center agent has a particular indicated skill level associated with a second selectable offer of the ordered set of selectable offers, the interface is configured to display information associated with the second selectable offer, an objection control associated with a common objection associated with the second selectable offer, and a customer response control operable to indicate a response of a customer to the second selectable offer.