METHOD AND SYSTEM TO HAND OVER AN ONLINE TRANSACTION TO A HELP DESK ASSISTANT

• US 20080319866A1
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Amadeus (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Amadeus (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Inventors: Mouyade, Jean, Papi, Dominique, Sebti, Christophe
• Application Number:
  US11/765,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319866A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method of providing assistance to an end-user of an online software application running from a web server. While the end-user and the web server communicate through at least one data network, during a web session initiated by the end-user from a client software application, the online software application provides a manner of requesting assistance from a help desk on at least one of the web page returned to the client application. When the end-user activates the manner of requesting assistance he/she obtains from the server of the online software application a keyword associated to the web session. End-user further obtains at least one telephone number of the help desk to call. When the end-user is calling the help desk through a telephone network the keyword is communicated to an assistant. After the assistant has successfully logged in to the web server the web session initiated by the end-user is shared with the assistant. Then, a transaction in progress with the online software application can be handed over to the assistant who will complete it on behalf of the end-user.

Claims

1. A method of providing assistance to an end-user (110) of an online software application running from a web server (120), the end-user and the web server communicating through at least one data network (130) the method comprising:

during a web session initiated by the end-user from a client software application with the online software application,

providing on at least one of the web page (210) returned to the client application of the end-user by the online software application a means for requesting assistance (220) from a help desk (150);

when the end-user is activating the means for requesting assistance,

obtaining from the server of the online software application a keyword associated to the web session initiated by the end-user (236);

when the end-user is calling the help desk through a telephone network (140),

communicating to an assistant (326) of the help desk the keyword;

after the assistant has successfully logged in to the web server (324),

sharing the web session initiated by the end-user with the assistant (310);

handing over to the assistant the completion of a transaction in progress with the online software application on behalf of the end-user (330).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining from the server of the online software application a keyword further includes obtaining at least one telephone number (232, 234) of the help desk to call.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of handing over to the assistant the completion of a transaction is replaced by the step of helping end-user completing the transaction him/herself through a regular user interface (210).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of handing over to the assistant the completion of a transaction further includes opening a dedicated assistant interface (330) accepting an exhaustive list of commands and parameters aimed at thoroughly controlling the online software application.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the dedicated assistant interface is a command line interface (332).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of handing over to the assistant the completion of a transaction is replaced by the step of providing help to the end-user experiencing difficulties using the online software application or having problems with the software or hardware environment of the client software application.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the means for requesting assistance (220) is a hyperlink to the online software application to perform the association of the web session initiated by the end-user with the keyword and wherein the keyword is returned in a web page (230) to the client software application of the end-user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein at least one telephone number of the help desk to call is further returned to the client software application of the end-user.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the keyword is obtained from a database (124) controlled by the online software application.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the success of the login to the web server (320) from the help desk is contingent upon the assistant providing expected credentials.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein providing the expected credentials include providing an assistant identification, a password and the keyword (322).

12. The method of claim 10 wherein providing the expected credentials further includes checking that IP address of the assistant belongs to a pre-defined range of IP addresses and checking that keyword belongs to the set of keywords stored in the database.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the web session initiated by the end-user from a client software application with the online software application is a secured web session.

14. A system for serving remotely located end-users (110) of an online software application through at least one data network (130) and for providing assistance to the remotely located end-users upon requests received through a telephone network (140) to a help desk (150) supporting the online software application, the system comprising:

a web server (120) including computing resources (122) and providing access to at least one database (124);

a computer program product stored on a readable storage medium of the computing resources comprising computer readable code means for causing at least one computer to operate the method of handing over an online transaction to an assistant of the help desk according to claim 1.