SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING MANAGED INSTANT COMMUNICATION (OR CHAT)-BASED HELPDESK SERVICES

• US 20100325216A1
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Minbao, Yang, Tao, Singh, Amit, Ebrahimi, Fari, Kavouspour, Dinyar
• Granted Patent: US 9,443,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/401 Performance feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

An approach is provided for managed instant communication (or chat)-based helpdesk services. An inquiry for a support service is received, at a helpdesk management platform, from a customer requesting assistance, the inquiry including one or more parameters defining the support service. A response is generated to the inquiry based on the one or more parameters, the response indicating a plurality of helpdesks associated with at least one service provider. An instant communication session is established between the customer and one of the helpdesks. The instant communication session is placed into a queue for an agent associated with the one helpdesk.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a helpdesk management platform, an inquiry for a support service from a customer requesting assistance, the inquiry including one or more parameters defining the support service;

generating a response to the inquiry based on the one or more parameters, the response indicating a plurality of helpdesks associated with at least one service provider;

establishing an instant communication session between the customer and one of the plurality of helpdesks; and

placing the instant communication session into a queue for an agent associated the one helpdesk.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the one helpdesk based on one or more selection criteria.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining availabilities for the plurality of helpdesks,

wherein placing the instant communication session into the queue is based on the availabilities of the plurality of helpdesks and one or more predefined thresholds.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

placing the instant communication session into another queue based on a fixed or variable ratio proportional to capacity of the queue and the another queue,

wherein capacity is defined as a product between a total number of agents associated with the helpdesk and a number of instant communication sessions being concurrently handled by the total number of agents.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

bridging the instant communication session between the customer and the agent; and

transferring the instant communication session to another agent either associated with the one helpdesk or another one of the helpdesks.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

bridging the instant communication session between the customer, the agent, and at least one other agent either associated with the one helpdesk or another one of the helpdesks.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the queue according to information characterizing the one helpdesk and a plurality of agents associated with the one helpdesk; and

placing the instant communication session into at least one other queue if the information satisfies one or more predefined thresholds,

wherein the at least one other queue is ordered among a plurality of overflow queues.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

publishing the plurality of helpdesks as part of a managed helpdesk service to a plurality of service providers including the at least one service provider,

wherein the plurality of service providers register with the managed helpdesk service and provide business information for publishing.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of service providers are assigned to a policy for sharing profits amongst the plurality of service providers as part of registering with the managed helpdesk service.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the customer for feedback information corresponding to satisfaction with their experience,

wherein the feedback information is included as part of the response.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive an inquiry for a support service from a customer requesting assistance, the inquiry including one or more parameters defining the support service; and

a processor configured to generate a response to the inquiry based on the one or more parameters, the response indicating a plurality of helpdesks associated with at least one service provider,

wherein the communication interface is further configured to establish an instant communication session between the customer and one of the plurality of helpdesks, and the processor is further configured to place the instant communication session into a queue for an agent associated with the one helpdesk.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the one helpdesk is selected from the plurality of helpdesks based on one or more selection criteria.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to determine availabilities for the plurality of helpdesks and place the instant communication session into the queue based on the availabilities of the plurality of helpdesks and one or more predefined thresholds.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to place the instant communication session into another queue based on a fixed or variable ratio proportional to capacity of the queue and the other queue, capacity being defined as a product of a total number of agents associated with the helpdesk and a number of instant communication sessions being concurrently handled by the total number of agents.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the communication interface is further configured to bridge the instant communication session between the customer and the agent, and transfer the instant communication session to another agent either associated with the one helpdesk or another one of the helpdesks.

16. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the communication interface is further configured to bridge the instant communication session between the customer, the agent, and at least one other agent either associated with the one helpdesk or another one of the helpdesks.

17. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a monitoring module configured to monitor the queue according to workforce information characterizing the one helpdesk and a plurality of agents associated with the one helpdesk,

wherein the processor is further configured to place the instant communication session into at least one other queue if the workforce information satisfies one or more predefined thresholds, the at least one other queue being ordered among a plurality of overflow queues.

18. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a publication module configured to publish the plurality of helpdesks as part of a managed helpdesk service to a plurality of service providers including the at least one service provider,

wherein the plurality of service providers register with the managed helpdesk service and provide business information for publishing.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of service providers are assigned to a policy for sharing profits amongst the plurality of service providers as part of registering with the managed helpdesk service.

20. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a feedback module configured to prompt the customer for feedback information corresponding to satisfaction with their experience,

wherein the feedback information is included as part of the response.