VIDEO COLLABORATION CALL CENTER QUEUING

• US 20110261947A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Stewart, Sheryl L., Benefield, Stefani R., Grimsley, James R., Hill, Rosemary, Shitut, Varsha
• Granted Patent: US 8,804,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatuses and methods for providing improved customer service and sales experiences through collaborative face-to-face interaction between a customer and an expert in another location. Some embodiments of the invention comprise apparatuses and methods for video collaboration between an associate of the business located on-site at the point of inquiry, the customer who requires customer service, and an expert located off-site, typically at a call center. Other embodiments of the invention comprise apparatuses and methods for queuing video collaboration and non-video collaboration calls within a call center. The embodiments of the invention relate to apparatuses and methods that can be used for any business that has on-site point of inquiry centers, but the apparatuses and methods are particularly useful for banking customers who enter banking centers to interact on a face-to-face basis with an expert in the area of the customer'"'"'s needs.

Claims

1. A system for routing and queuing calls comprising:

a memory device;

a communication device;

a processing device operatively coupled to the communication device and the memory device; and

computer readable program code stored on said memory device, wherein said computer readable program code includes instructions that when performed by said processing device causes said processing device to;

receive an incoming call from a customer interface;

identify routing instructions associated with the call, wherein the routing instructions at least indicate a type of customer inquiry associated with the call; and

route the call to at least one designated station based on the type of customer inquiry associated with the call.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer readable program code includes computer instructions that when performed by said processing device causes said processing device to:

identify that a designated station is not available; and

place the call in a queue.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said computer readable program code includes computer instructions that when performed by said processing device causes said processing device to:

output visual media to a display for viewing by the customer while the call is in the queue when the call is determined to be video enabled.

4. They system of claim 1, wherein said computer readable program code includes computer instructions that when performed by said processing device causes said processing device to:

identify from routing instructions associated with the call whether the call is a video enabled call; and

route the call to a station capable of communicating via video communication.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer readable program code includes computer instructions that when performed by said processing device causes said processing device to:

identify from routing instructions associated with the call a desired language associated with the customer; and

route the call to a station associated with personnel capable of communicating in the desired language.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer readable program code includes computer instructions that when performed by said processing device causes said processing device to:

access expertise information of different personnel associated with different stations; and

route the call to a specific station based on the associated personnel'"'"'s expertise.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer readable program code includes computer instructions that when performed by said processing device causes said processing device to:

access handle time information of different stations; and

route the call to a specific station based on the associated handle time information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer readable program code includes computer instructions that when performed by said processing device causes said processing device to:

access staffing level information associated with a plurality of stations; and

route the call to a specific station based on the associated staffing level information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one designated station is located at a call center.

10. A method for routing and queuing calls comprising:

receiving an incoming call from a customer interface, through the use of a processing device;

identifying routing instructions associated with the call, through the use of the processing device, wherein the routing instructions at least indicate a type of customer inquiry associated with the call; and

routing the call to at least one designated station based on the type of customer inquiry associated with the call, through the use of the processing device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying that a designated station is not available, through the use of the processing device; and

placing the call in a queue, through the use of the processing device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

outputting visual media to a display for viewing by the customer while the call is in the queue when the call is determined to be video enabled, through the use of the processing device.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying from routing instructions associated with the call whether the call is a video enabled call, through the use of the processing device; and

routing the call to a station capable of communicating via video communication, through the use of the processing device.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying from routing instructions associated with the call a desired language associated with the customer, through the use of the processing device; and

routing the call to a station associated with personnel capable of communicating in the desired language, through the use of the processing device.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

accessing expertise information of different personnel associated with different stations, through the use of the processing device; and

routing the call to a specific station based on the associated personnel'"'"'s expertise, through the use of the processing device.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

accessing handle time information of different stations, through the use of the processing device; and

routing the call to a specific station based on the associated handle time information, through the use of the processing device.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

accessing staffing level information associated with a plurality of stations, through the use of the processing device; and

routing the call to a specific station based on the associated staffing level information, through the use of the processing device.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one designated station is located at a call center.

19. A computer program product for a system for routing and queuing call center calls, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code portions embodied therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured for receiving an incoming call from a customer interface;

an executable portion configured for identifying routing instructions associated with the call, wherein the routing instructions at least indicate a type of customer inquiry associated with the call; and

an executable portion configured for routing the call to at least one designated station based on the type of customer inquiry associated with the call.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

an executable portion configured for identifying that a designated station is not available; and

an executable portion configured for placing the call in a queue.

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

an executable portion configured for outputting visual media to a display for viewing by the customer while the call is in the queue when the call is determined to be video enabled.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

an executable portion configured for identifying from routing instructions associated with the call whether the call is a video enabled call; and

an executable portion configured for routing the call to a station capable of communicating via video communication.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

an executable portion configured for identifying from routing instructions associated with the call a desired language associated with the customer; and

an executable portion configured for routing the call to a station associated with personnel capable of communicating in the desired language.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

an executable portion configured for accessing expertise information of different personnel associated with different stations; and

an executable portion configured for routing the call to a specific station based on the associated personnel'"'"'s expertise.

25. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

an executable portion configured for accessing handle time information of different stations; and

an executable portion configured for routing the call to a specific station based on the associated handle time information.

26. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

an executable portion configured for accessing staffing level information associated with a plurality of stations; and

an executable portion configured for routing the call to a specific station based on the associated staffing level information.

27. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the at least one designated station is located at a call center.