CALL TRANSFER BETWEEN DIFFERING EQUIPMENT

• US 20090175437A1
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Strandberg, Malcom
• Application Number:
  US11/970,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20090175437A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems

Abstract

Generally, the invention is a device, method, and system for transferring a communication session from a first call center to a second call center. An exemplary system may have a first call center and a second call center. The first call center may have a first call management device, a call information posting device, and one or more agent communication terminals. The first call management device connects at least one telephone call from a customer to an agent communication terminal of the first call center. The call posting device produces a webpage of contact information associated with the customer. The second call center may have a second call management device different from the first call management device, a call information retrieving device, and one or more agent communication terminals. The call information retrieving device accesses the webpage. The second call management device uses the contact information to connect a call from an agent communication terminal of the second call center to the customer.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a communication session from a first call center to a second call center, the first call center including a first call management device and one or more agent communication terminals, and the second call center including a second call management device different from the first call management device and one or more agent communication terminals, said method comprising:

connecting at least one telephone call from a customer using the first call management device of the first call center platform to an agent communication terminal of the first call center;

producing a webpage of contact information associated with the customer by the first call management device;

accessing the webpage by the second call management device;

connecting an agent communication terminal of the second call center to the customer by the second call management device; and

transferring the customer from the agent communication terminal of the first call center to the agent communication terminal of the second call center.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring a communication session from a first call center to a second call center is an enterprise call transfer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact information is customer information stored by the first call center.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the action of transferring involves the first call management device disconnecting the customer and the agent communication terminal of the first call center and attempting to reconnect to the customer to determine if a busy signal is present.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein when a busy signal is not detected, the customer is reconnected to the agent communication terminal of the first call center.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the action of transferring involves maintaining the connection between the agent communication terminal of the first call center and the customer and disconnecting the connection after the customer transfers to the agent communication terminal of the second call center.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second call center requires no specific platform.

8. A system for transferring a communication session from a first call center to a second call center comprising:

a first call center including a first call management device, a call information posting means, and one or more agent communication terminals wherein the first call management device connects at least one telephone call from a customer to an agent communication terminal of the first call center and the call posting means produces a webpage of contact information associated with the customer;

a second call center including a second call management device different from the first call management device, a call information retrieving means, and one or more agent communication terminals wherein the call information retrieving means accesses the webpage and the second call management device uses the contact information to connect a call from an agent communication terminal of the second call center to the customer.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the transferring a communication session from a first call center to a second call center is an enterprise call transfer.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the contact information is customer information stored by the first call center.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the first call management device disconnects the customer and the agent communication terminal of the first call center and attempts to reconnect to the customer after a predetermined period of time to determine if a busy signal is present.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein when a busy signal is not detected, the first call management device reconnects the customer to the agent communication terminal of the first call center.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the first call management device maintains the connection between the agent communication terminal of the first call center and the customer and disconnects the connection after the customer transfers to the agent communication terminal of the second call center.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the agent communication terminal of the first call center is an automated response system.

15. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for transferring a communication session from a first call center to a second call center, the first call center including a first call management device and one or more agent communication terminals, and the second call center including a second call management device different from the first call management device and one or more agent communication terminals, the computer program product being operable to cause a machine to:

connect at least one telephone call from a customer using the first call management device of the first call center platform to an agent communication terminal of the first call center;

produce a webpage of contact information associated with the customer by the first call management device;

access the webpage by the second call management device;

connect an agent communication terminal of the second call center to the customer by the second call management device; and

transfer the customer from the agent communication terminal of the first call center to the agent communication terminal of the second call center.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the contact information is customer information stored by the first call center.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein action of transferring further comprises the computer program product being operable to cause the first call management device to disconnect the customer and the agent communication terminal of the first call center and attempt to reconnect to the customer to determine if a busy signal is present.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein when a busy signal is not detected further comprising the computer program product being operable to cause the first call management device to reconnect the customer to the agent communication terminal of the first call center.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein action of transferring further comprises the computer program product being operable to cause the first call management device to maintain the connection between the agent communication terminal of the first call center and the customer and disconnect the connection after the customer transfers to the agent communication terminal of the second call center.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the agent communication terminal of the first call center is an automated response system.