SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCED USER COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20090154686A1
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: XANT Inc.
• Original Assignee: Insidesales.com
• Inventors: Parker, Matthew Coston, Elkington, David Randal, Purdy, Thomas Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for responding to user communications.

Claims

1. A system to enhance telephonic communications with a user, the system comprising:

a web server configured to provide a web page to a user, the web page comprising a session-specific telephone number;

the web server further configured to collect web site interaction data during at least one browsing session by the user;

a communication server further configured to associate a telephone call from the user to the session-specific telephone number, with the web site interaction data; and

the communication server further configured to select or adjust a telephonic interaction with the user according to the web site interaction data.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the telephonic interaction comprises an action selected from the group consisting of routing the telephone call, providing a greeting to the user, selecting an ACD plan, selecting an IVR menu, offering a product to the user, offering a service to the user, conducting a survey, communicating a particular message to the user, and presenting user related data to an agent.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein the session-specific telephone number comprises an extension number.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein the session-specific telephone number is also service-specific.

5. A method to enhance telephonic communications with a user, the method comprising:

providing a session-specific telephone number to a user via a web page;

associating a telephone call from the user to the session-specific telephone number with web site interaction data collected for the user during at least one browsing session; and

selecting or adjusting a telephonic interaction with the user according to the web site interaction data.

6. The invention of claim 5, wherein the telephonic interaction comprises an action selected from the group consisting of routing the telephone call, providing a greeting to the user, selecting and ACD, selecting an IVR menu, offering a product to the user, offering a service to the user, conducting a survey, communicating a particular message to the user, and presenting user related data to an agent.

7. The invention of claim 5, wherein the session-specific telephone number comprises an extension number.

8. The invention of claim 5, wherein the session-specific telephone number is also service-specific.

9. The invention of claim 5, further comprising serving a web page with the session-specific telephone number included therein.

10. A system to enhance responses to user communications, the system comprising:

a web server configured to provide a web page to a user, the web page comprising a session-specific response address;

the web server further configured to collect web site interaction data for the user during at least one browsing session by the user;

the communication server further configured to associate communication from the user to the session-specific response address with the web site interaction data; and

the communication server further configured to select or adjust an interaction with the user according to the web site interaction data.

11. The invention of claim 10, wherein the interaction with the user comprises an action selected from the group consisting of routing the communication from the user, selecting a response message, providing a greeting to the user, selecting an an ACD plan, selecting an IVR menu, offering a product to the user, offering a service to the user, and conducting a survey.

12. The invention of claim 10, wherein the session-specific response address is an address selected from the group consisting of a telephone number, an email address, a text-messaging address, and an instant messaging address.

13. The invention of claim 10, further comprising a data server configured to store or retrieve user related data within a CRM database.

14. A method to enhance responses to user communications, the method comprising:

providing a session-specific response address to a user via a web page;

receiving a communication from the user via the session-specific response address; and

associating the communication from the user with web site interaction data for the user, the web site interaction data comprising data collected for the user during at least one browsing session; and

selecting or adjusting an interaction with the user according to the web site interaction data.

15. The invention of claim 14, wherein the interaction with the user comprises an action selected from the group consisting of routing the communication from the user, selecting a response message, providing a greeting to the user, selecting an ACD plan, selecting an IVR menu, offering a product to the user, offering a service to the user, and conducting a survey.

16. The invention of claim 14, wherein the session-specific response address is an address selected from the group consisting of a telephone number, an email address, a text-messaging address, and an instant messaging address.

17. The invention of claim 14, further comprising retrieving additional data for the user.

18. The invention of claim 14, further comprising presenting user related data to an agent.

19. The invention of claim 14, further comprising storing or retrieving user related data within a CRM database.

20. The invention of claim 14, further comprising collecting the web site interaction data for the user.

21. The invention of claim 14, further comprising associating additional interaction data with the web site interaction data.

22. The invention of claim 14, further comprising returning the session-specific response address to an available pool.

23. A method to provide enhanced user data, the method comprising:

receiving web site interaction data for a user, the web site interaction data comprising data collected during at least one browsing session;

receiving user-specific data collected in response to communication initiated by the user to a session-specific response address, wherein the session-specific response address was provided to the user via a web page during the at least one browsing session;

merging the user-specific data with the web site interaction data to provide enhanced user data; and

storing the enhanced user data.