SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR GLOBALLY PORTABLE INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR) SYSTEMS

• US 20110170673A1
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Bowen, John, Dutta, Siddhartha
• Granted Patent: US 8,437,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.04
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1285 Details of finding and selecting a gateway for a particular call

Abstract

A server receives a customer service request and customer identification information associated with the customer service request. A home location of the customer is identified based, at least in part, on the customer identification information. An interactive voice response application is selected based, at least in part, on the home location. The selected interactive voice response application is provided to a voice portal, wherein the voice portal services the customer service request.

Claims

1. A method for providing customer service, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server, a customer service request from a voice portal;

receiving customer identification information associated with the customer service request;

identifying a home location of the customer based, at least in part, on the customer identification information;

selecting an interactive voice response application based, at least in part, on the identified home location; and

providing the selected interactive voice response application to the voice portal, wherein the voice portal services the customer service request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer identification information comprises at least one of a credit card number, a mobile number, a date of birth, a personal identification number (PIN), and a bank account number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving customer identification information comprises receiving customer identification information from one or more of DTMF tones, voice messages, or packet data included in the customer service request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected interactive voice response application comprises voice messages in a language associated with the customer'"'"'s home location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected interactive voice response application comprises voice messages associated with the services associated with the customer'"'"'s home location.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying unavailability of an interactive voice response application corresponding to the home location; and

routing the customer service request to a customer care professional at the home location based on identifying the unavailability.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive voice response application and the voice portal employ at least one of Voice Extensible Markup Language (VXML), Call Control eXtensible Markup Language (CCXML), and Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML).

8. A system for providing customer service, the system comprising:

a voice portal for servicing customer requests;

at least one processor; and

a memory in communication with the at least one processor, the memory storing a plurality of processing instructions for directing the at least one processor to;

receive, at a server, a customer service request;

receive customer identification information associated with the customer service request;

identify a home location of the customer based, at least in part, on the customer identification information;

select an interactive voice response application based, at least in part, on the home location; and

provide the selected interactive voice response application to the voice portal, wherein the voice portal services the customer service request.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the customer identification information comprises at least one of a credit card number, a mobile number, a date of birth, a personal identification number (PIN), and a bank account number.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the selected interactive voice response application comprises voice messages in a language associated with the customer'"'"'s home location.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the selected interactive voice response application comprises voice messages associated with the services associated with the customer'"'"'s home location.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising processing instructions for directing the at least one processor to:

identify unavailability of an interactive voice response application corresponding to the home location; and

route the customer service request to a customer care professional at the home location based on identifying the unavailability.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the interactive voice response application and the voice portal employ at least one of Voice Extensible Markup Language (VXML), Call Control eXtensible Markup Language (CCXML), and Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML).

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of voice portals, each voice portal associated with different regions and/or countries.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for providing customer service, the control logic comprising:

computer readable code for receiving, at a server, a customer service request from a voice portal;

computer readable code for receiving customer identification information associated with the customer service request;

computer readable code for identifying a home location of the customer based, at least in part, on the customer identification information;

computer readable code for selecting an interactive voice response application based, at least in part, on the home location; and

computer readable code for providing the selected interactive voice response application to a voice portal, wherein the voice portal services the customer service request.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the customer identification information comprises at least one of a credit card number, a mobile number, a date of birth, a personal identification number (PIN), and a bank account number.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein receiving customer identification information comprises receiving customer identification information from one or more of DTMF tones, voice messages, or packet data included in the customer service request.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the selected interactive voice response application comprises voice messages in a language associated with the customer'"'"'s home location.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the selected interactive voice response application comprises voice messages associated with the services associated with the customer'"'"'s home location.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer readable code for identifying unavailability of an interactive voice response application corresponding to the home location; and

computer readable code for routing the customer service request to a customer care professional at the home location based on identifying the unavailability.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the interactive voice response application and the voice portal employ at least one of Voice Extensible Markup Language (VXML), Call Control eXtensible Markup Language (CCXML), and Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML).