Contact Center Interfaces

• US 20110010382A1
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayes, Seamus, D'Arcy, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,944,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9035 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

A contact center interface is provided by co-operation between a search engine and a contact center. A search query entered by a user into the search engine is passed to the contact center and the contact center determines from the search terms an appropriate skillset to deal with that user query, returning to the search engine a link enabling the user to initiate a direct communications session to a live agent or queue having that skillset expertise, thereby bypassing interactive voice response sessions which are normally required to ascertain the nature of a query. By providing multiple search options to the user, the user is empowered to select the best skillset, and the accuracy of future searches can be improved.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing a user with access to a resource of a contact center, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a search engine interface to a user'"'"'s computer system for searching documents on one or more websites;

(b) receiving a search query from the user'"'"'s computer system via said interface;

(c) sending a request based on said search query to a computerized system of a contact center;

(d) receiving, in response to said request, data enabling a contact center link to be provided to said user, wherein said contact center link, when activated, initiates an interactive communications session between the user and a resource of the contact center; and

(e) returning said contact center link to said user as part of a response to said search query.

2. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of conducting a search within said documents on one or more websites in response to said search query, and returning at least one document link to one of said documents as part of said response to said search query.

3. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the step of formatting said response to said search query to display a first result set including said document link and a second result set including said contact center link.

4. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data received in step (d) enable a plurality of contact center links to be provided to said user.

5. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data received in step (d) comprise said contact center link.

6. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data received in step (d) comprise an identifier of a link cached by the search engine.

7. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said contact center link is generated uniquely for said user, whereby activation of the link initiates an interactive communications session recognisable by the contact center as relating to said request from said search engine.

8. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said request sent to said contact center includes an identifier of said user, whereby a subsequent interactive communications session between the user and a resource of the contact center arising from initiation of said contact center link enables the contact center to associate said interactive communications session with said request from the search engine.

9. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said identifier of said user is a network address of said user.

10. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said contact center link when activated, initiates an interactive communications session between the user and a predetermined agent of the contact center selected in response to said request.

11. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1,wherein said contact center link when activated, initiates an interactive communications session between the user and a predetermined queue of agents of the contact center selected in response to said request.

12. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said link is configured to initiate a communications session from a compatible communications application, if such application is available on said user'"'"'s computer.

13. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said communications application is a voice or video telephony application.

14. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said communications application is an instant messaging (IM) application.

15. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said communications application is integrated with a browser employed by the user to access the search engine interface.

17. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said contact center link contains parameters representing customer requirements which are passed to said contact center within an interactive communications session initiated on activation of said contact center link.

18. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said parameters are indicative of one or more skillset parameters employed by a management system of said contact center, whereby said communications session may be directly assigned to a skillset based on the parameters.

19. A computer program product comprising a program carrier encoding instructions which, when executed by a search engine computer system, are effective to cause said search engine computer system to:

(a) provide a search engine interface to a user'"'"'s computer system for searching documents on one or more websites;

(b) receive a search query from the user'"'"'s computer system via said interface;

(c) send a request based on said search query to a computerized system of a contact center;

(d) receive, in response to said request, data enabling a contact center link to be provided to said user, wherein said contact center link, when activated, initiates an interactive communications session between the user and a resource of the contact center; and

(e) return said contact center link to said user as part of a response to said search query.

20. A computer-implemented search engine system providing a user with access to a resource of a contact center, comprising:

(a) a server for providing a search engine interface to a user'"'"'s computer system for searching documents on one or more websites and receiving a search query from the user'"'"'s computer system via said interface;

(b) an interface for providing communication with a computerized system of a contact center;

(c) a request generator for formulating a request based on said search query for sending to said computerized system of a contact center;

(d) a results generator for providing to said user a contact center link based on data received in response to said request, said contact center link being configured such that, when activated, it enables an interactive communications session between the user and a resource of the contact center.

21. A computer-implemented method of providing a user with access to a resource of a contact center, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving from a search engine a request based on a search query submitted to the search engine by a user'"'"'s computer system;

(b) determining, from said request, the identity of at least one selected resource of the contact center based on stored rules;

(c) sending to the search engine, in response to said request, data enabling a contact center link to be provided to said user, whereby said contact center link, when activated, will initiate an interactive communications session between the user and said selected resource of the contact center;

(d) receiving, from said user, a communications session initiation from which said selected resource may be identified; and

(e) directing said communications session to said selected resource.

22. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said data comprise an address of said selected resource, whereby activation of the link enables the user to initiate a communications session directly with said resource.

23. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said data comprises an identification, for inclusion in a contact center link to be returned to the user, of one or more skillset parameters employed by a management system of said contact center, whereby said communications session may be directly assigned to a skillset based on the parameters.

24. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said data comprises a unique identifier, for inclusion in a contact center link to be returned to the user, said unique identifier being assigned to said request received from said search engine, whereby a later communications session may be associated with said request based on said unique identifier being communicated within said communications session.

25. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising the step, carried out after having received a communications session initiation from the user, of amending the stored rules.

26. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the amendment of the stored rules confirms an association between the request received from the search engine and the resource identified in a contact center link activated by the user.

27. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the amendment of the stored rules confirms an association between the request received from the search engine and a resource of the contact center which is different from that specified in a contact center link activated by the user but to which the user'"'"'s communications session is ultimately directed.

28. A computer program product comprising a program carrier encoding instructions which, when executed by a computer system of a contact center, are effective to cause the computer system to:

(a) receive from a search engine a request based on a search query submitted to the search engine by a user'"'"'s computer system;

(b) determine, from the request, the identity of at least one selected resource of the contact center based on stored rules;

(c) send to the search engine, in response to the request, data enabling a contact center link to be provided to the user, whereby the contact center link, when activated, will initiate an interactive communications session between the user and the selected resource of the contact center;

(d) receive, from the user, a communications session initiation from which the selected resource may be identified; and

(e) direct the communications session to the selected resource.

29. A computer-implemented contact center system for providing users with access to a resource of a contact center system, comprising

(a) an interface for receiving from a search engine a request based on a search query submitted to the search engine by a user'"'"'s computer system and for returning data to the search engine in response to the request;

(b) a storage area storing rules for determining, from the request, the identity of at least one selected resource of the contact center based on stored rules; and

(c) processing means programmed to determine the identity of at least one selected resource of the contact center based on the stored rules and to generate data enabling a contact center link to be provided to the user, whereby the contact center link, when activated, will initiate an interactive communications session between the user and the selected resource of the contact center;

wherein the processor is operably connected to the interface to receive the request therefrom and to provide the data thereto.