SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SMART SCRIPTING CALL CENTERS AND CONFIGURATION THEREOF

• US 20090083246A1
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Nix, Kevin R., Coker, John L., Malden, Matthew S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/015 Providing customer assistance, e.g. assisting a customer within a business location or via helpdesk
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The invention provides user configurable and reconfigurable scripting, methods of scripting, and systems for scripting for use by call centers, technical support centers; and marketers. Scripts are interactive tools that guide a telemarketer, a sales person, or a technical support technician through a telephone call with a customer. Scripts are characterized by going on to particular subsequent questions as a function of the customer'"'"'s answer to a previous question.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A system to facilitate interaction between a customer and a user, comprising:

one or more computers;

an associated database, wherein;

the computer is configured to facilitate an established interaction between the user and the customer,

the computer is configured to execute a script,

the script comprises a structured set of questions to be presented to the user by the computer and is presented to the customer by the user,

a first question having an associated list of likely customer responses,

at least one of the customer responses to the first question being associated with a link to the associated database, and

the link to the associated database is a query resulting in an output of the associated database, wherein the output of the associated database is presented as at least a portion of the second question.

34. A system to facilitate interaction between a customer and a user, comprising:

one or more computers;

an associated database, wherein;

the computer is configured to facilitate an established interaction between the user and the customer,

the computer is configured to execute a script,

the script comprises a hierarchy of structured script pages,

wherein the script page comprises a first question having an associated list of likely customer responses, the first question to be presented to the user by the computer and is presented to the customer by the user,

wherein the script page further comprises at least one of the customer responses to the first question, at least one customer response being associated with a link to the associated database, and

wherein the script page further comprises the link, wherein the link to the associated database is a query resulting in an output of the associated database, wherein the output of the associated database is presented as at least a portion of the second question.

35. A system to facilitate interaction between a customer and a user, comprising:

one or more computers, wherein the one or more computers execute a set of reusable software components, wherein the software reusable components comprise at least one of software objects, data public functions, and private functions, and wherein said public functions can be accessed through derived classes of objects;

an associated database, wherein;

the computer is configured to facilitate an established interaction between the user and the customer,

the computer is configured to execute a script, wherein the script comprises one or more hierarchical script pages, and wherein the script pages are reusable software components,

the script comprises a structured set of questions to be presented to the user by the computer and is presented to the customer by the user, wherein the questions are reusable software components,

a first question having an associated list of likely customer responses, wherein the likely customer responses are reusable software components,

at least one of the customer responses to the first question being associated with a link to the associated database, wherein the link being metadata of the software component representing the first question, and

the link to the associated database is a query resulting in an output of the associated database, wherein the output of the associated database is presented as at least a portion of the second question, wherein the second question is a reusable software component.