Context Recovery for Call Center Agents

• US 20080232575A1
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Gumbula, Srinivasa R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,107,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80

Abstract

A call center processes calls in such a way that a caller'"'"'s matter is first handled by a first agent and is subsequently handled by a second agent. The call center creates a voice recording of at least part of that portion of the caller'"'"'s matter handled by the first agent. Subsequently, the second agent is given an opportunity to play back the voice recording prior to the second agent handling the caller'"'"'s matter. In this way, the caller is not required to repeat the same information to both the first and second agents.

Claims

1. A method of processing calls in a call center wherein a caller'"'"'s matter is first handled by a first agent and is subsequently handled by a second agent, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a voice recording of at least part of that portion of the caller'"'"'s matter handled by the first agent; and

providing the second agent with an opportunity to play back the voice recording prior to the second agent handling the caller'"'"'s matter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second agent is required to play back at least a portion of the voice recording before handling the caller'"'"'s matter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second agent is required to play back the entire voice recording before handling the caller'"'"'s matter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second agent is required to playback the entire voice recording before handling the caller'"'"'s matter if the voice recording does not exceed a predetermined duration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller is temporarily placed on hold if the second agent plays back the voice recording.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a recorded message is played to the caller while the caller is temporarily on hold, the recorded message comprising an indication that the second agent is playing back the voice recording.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of flagging data associated with the caller between the steps of creating the voice recording and providing the second agent with the opportunity to play back the voice recording, the flag indicating that the voice recording is available for playback by the second agent.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forwarding the caller from the first agent to the second agent between the steps of creating the voice recording and providing the second agent with the opportunity to play back the voice recording.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice recording is saved in a digital form with an indication of a date and a time the voice recording was created.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of creating a second voice recording of at least part of that portion of the caller'"'"'s matter handled by the second agent.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first agent and the second agent are the same agent.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the second agent with a visual indication that the voice recording is available for playback.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the visual indication is provided to the second agent on a computer monitor associated with the second agent.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the second agent with an audible indication that the voice recording is available for playback.

15. An apparatus for processing calls in a call center wherein a caller'"'"'s matter is first handled by a first agent and is subsequently handled by a second agent, the apparatus comprising a processor-based voice recorder operative to record at least part of that portion of the caller'"'"'s matter handled by the first agent, and to provide the second agent with an opportunity to play back the voice recording prior to the second agent handling the caller'"'"'s matter.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is at least partially implemented in a computer-telephony integration system.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is at least partially implemented in a voice transaction recording system.

18. A call center wherein a caller'"'"'s matter is first handled by a first agent and is subsequently handled by a second agent, the call center comprising:

a network;

a plurality of agent terminals connected to the network;

a processor connected to the network, the processor operative to record at least part of that portion of the caller'"'"'s matter handled by the first agent and to provide the second agent with an opportunity to play back the voice recording prior to the second agent handling the caller'"'"'s matter; and

a memory connected to the network, the memory operative to store the voice recording.

19. The call center of claim 18, wherein the call center further comprises an automatic call distribution system.

20. The call center of claim 18, wherein the processor is implemented in at least one of a computer-telephony integration system and a voice transaction recording system.