METHOD FOR PROVIDING SUPPORT SERVICES USING CONSUMER SELECTED SPECIALISTS AND SPECIALIST RATINGS

• US 20130173687A1
• Filed: 01/03/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teletech Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teletech Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Tuchman, Kenneth D., Sharpe, Bruce A., Truong, Henry D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,874,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

A service center receives a request from a remote device for a live support session of a product supported by the service center, where the service center provides support services for a plurality of products on behalf of a plurality of product providers. In response to the request, the service center determines one or more preferred agents that are known to a user of the remote device and transmits information representing the preferred agents to the remote device to allow the user to select one of the preferred agents for the live support session. In response to a user selection of an agent, a communications session is established between the user and the selected agent to enable the selected agent to provide live support.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing support services to users of products, the method comprising:

receiving, at a service center, a request from a remote device for a live support session of a product supported by the service center, wherein the service center provides support services for a plurality of products on behalf of a plurality of product providers;

in response to the request, determining one or more preferred agents that are known to a user of the remote device;

transmitting information representing the preferred agents to the remote device to allow the user to select one of the preferred agents for the live support session; and

in response to a user selection of an agent, establishing a communications session between the user and the selected agent to enable the selected agent to provide live support.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more recommended agents to be recommended to the user based on a subject domain of the product, user interaction, and a skill set required to provide support to the product; and

transmitting information representing the recommended agents to the remote device to allow the user to select one of the preferred agents and recommended agents for the live support session.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information representing the preferred agents and recommended agents includes a ratings of each of the preferred agents and recommended agents and an indication indicating whether each of the preferred agents and recommended agents is available at the point in time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the preferred agents was selected and interacted with the user during a previous live support session, and wherein each of the preferred agents was rated by the user after a previous live support session.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the preferred agents presented to the user are selected from a plurality of preferred agents that have ratings higher than a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a survey of the selected agent to the remote device to allow the user to rate the selected agent after the live support session is completed; and

in response to a user rating of the selected agent, updating ratings of the selected agent in an agent database and in a preferred agent database associated with the user, wherein the ratings are utilized for future recommendations of agents.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to the user selection of the preferred agent, queuing the request for live support session in a queue associated with the selected agent, wherein requests pending in the queue specifically requested a live support session with the selected agent from a plurality of users.

8. A machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method for providing support services to users of products, the method comprising:

receiving, at a service center, a request from a remote device for a live support session of a product supported by the service center, wherein the service center provides support services for a plurality of products on behalf of a plurality of product providers;

in response to the request, determining one or more preferred agents that are known to a user of the remote device;

transmitting information representing the preferred agents to the remote device to allow the user to select one of the preferred agents for the live support session; and

in response to a user selection of an agent, establishing a communications session between the user and the selected agent to enable the selected agent to provide live support.

9. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying one or more recommended agents to be recommended to the user based on a subject domain of the product, user interaction, and a skill set required to provide support to the product; and

transmitting information representing the recommended agents to the remote device to allow the user to select one of the preferred agents and recommended agents for the live support session.

10. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the information representing the preferred agents and recommended agents includes a ratings of each of the preferred agents and recommended agents and an indication indicating whether each of the preferred agents and recommended agents is available at the point in time.

11. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein each of the preferred agents was selected and interacted with the user during a previous live support session, and wherein each of the preferred agents was rated by the user after a previous live support session.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the preferred agents presented to the user are selected from a plurality of preferred agents that have ratings higher than a predetermined threshold.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting a survey of the selected agent to the remote device to allow the user to rate the selected agent after the live support session is completed; and

in response to a user rating of the selected agent, updating ratings of the selected agent in an agent database and in a preferred agent database associated with the user, wherein the ratings are utilized for future recommendations of agents.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises in response to the user selection of the preferred agent, queuing the request for live support session in a queue associated with the selected agent, wherein requests pending in the queue specifically requested a live support session with the selected agent from a plurality of users.

15. A data processing system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions, which when executed from the memory, cause the processor to

receive a request from a remote device for a live support session of a product supported by the service center, wherein the data processing system provides support services for a plurality of products on behalf of a plurality of product providers,

in response to the request, determine one or more preferred agents that are known to a user of the remote device,

transmit information representing the preferred agents to the remote device to allow the user to select one of the preferred agents for the live support session, and

in response to a user selection of an agent, establish a communications session between the user and the selected agent to enable the selected agent to provide live support.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

identify one or more recommended agents to be recommended to the user based on a subject domain of the product, user interaction, and a skill set required to provide support to the product, and

transmit information representing the recommended agents to the remote device to allow the user to select one of the preferred agents and recommended agents for the live support session.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the information representing the preferred agents and recommended agents includes a ratings of each of the preferred agents and recommended agents and an indication indicating whether each of the preferred agents and recommended agents is available at the point in time.

18. A computer-implemented method for providing support services to users of products, the method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, information representing one or more preferred agents and one or more recommended agents from a service center over a network, wherein the preferred agents are known to a user of the mobile device and the recommended agents are recommended by the service center, and wherein the service center provides support services for a plurality of products on behalf of a plurality of product providers;

displaying in a first display area of a display of the mobile device the one or more preferred agents;

displaying in a second display area of the display of the mobile device the one or more recommended agents to allow the user to select one of the preferred agents and recommended agents; and

in response to a user selection of one of the preferred agents and recommended agents, establishing a communications session with the selected agent via the service center for conducting a live support session concerning a product.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the preferred agents was selected and interacted with the user during a previous live support session, and wherein each of the preferred agents was rated by the user at a conclusion of a previous live support session.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the recommended agents is selected by the service center based on a subject domain of the product, user interaction, user feedback rating, and a skill set required to provide support to the product.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein each of the recommended agents has not interacted with the user previously.