SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXPOSING CUSTOMER AVAILABILITY TO CONTACT CENTER AGENTS

• US 20140126713A1
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ristock, Herbert Willi Artur, Mezhibovsky, Vladimir, Korolev, Nikolay
• Granted Patent: US 8,995,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5141 Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms

Abstract

A system and method for establishing contact between a customer contact center agent and a customer based on customer availability information. A plurality of communication channels that may be used to communicate with the customer is monitored by the contact center. The availability of the customer is identified for each of the plurality of communication channels and user availability data is dynamically adjusted for each of the plurality of communication channels. The user availability data is provided to a contact center agent handling, for example, an offline task involving the customer. The contact center agent may use the availability data to establish contact with the customer to better handle the offline task.

Claims

1. A method for establishing contact between a customer contact center agent and an end user, the method comprising:

monitoring by one or more processors a plurality of communication channels, wherein one of the plurality of communication channels is with a mobile phone of the end user device, and the monitoring includes monitoring an application installed on the mobile phone, the application being configured to provide different status settings for indicating different availability states of the end user;

identifying by the one or more processors availability of the end user on each of the plurality of communication channels, wherein the identifying includes receiving by the one or more processors availability data transmitted by the mobile phone based on a current status setting provided by the application, wherein the current status setting is indicative of unavailability of the end user on the mobile phone despite the end user actively interacting with the application via the mobile phone;

dynamically adjusting by the one or more processors user availability data for each of the plurality of communication channels;

providing by the one or more processors the user availability data to a contact center agent; and

establishing by the one or more processors contact between the contact center agent and the end user via one of the plurality of communication channels for which the end user is identified as being available.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is configured to monitor user actions via the mobile phone and provide the user availability data based on the monitored user actions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of communication channels is a telephony channel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the plurality of communication channels is with a web browser, and the monitoring includes monitoring a website for interactions with the end user.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the plurality of communication channels is with a social media website.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the plurality of communication channels is a chat channel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user availability data indicates that the end user is unavailable for being contacted via the corresponding communication channel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user availability data indicates that the end user is passively available for being contacted via the corresponding communication channel.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

transmitting a request to the end user over the one of the plurality of communication channels, wherein the establishing the contact between the contact center agent device and the end user is based on acceptance of the request by the end user.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying the user availability data in association with an activity to be completed by the contact center agent.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to establishing the contact between the contact center agent and the end user, modifying the user availability data for the communication channel used to establish the contact.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the application transitions from he current status setting indicative of unavailability of the end user to a second status setting indicative of a busy state of the end user in response to detecting that the end user is engaged in a voice call via the mobile device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the application automatically transitions from the current status setting indicative of unavailability of the end user to a second status setting, the method further comprising:

receiving by the one or more processors second availability data transmitted by the mobile phone based on the second status setting;

transmitting by the one or more processors a request for initiating contact with the mobile device in response to receipt of the second availability data; and

in response to receipt of a response to the request from the mobile device, initiating by the one or more processors contact with the mobile phone.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the application automatically transitions from the current status setting indicative of unavailability of the end user to a second status setting, the method further comprising:

receiving by the one or more processors second availability data transmitted by the mobile phone based on the second status setting;

transmitting by the one or more processors a request for initiating contact with the mobile device in response to receipt of the second availability data; and

receiving by the one or more processors a response to the request from the mobile device indicative of unwillingness of the end user to be contacted by the contact center agent, wherein the application is configured to automatically transition from the second status setting to the current status setting indicative of unavailability of the end user on the mobile phone.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the application transitions from the current status setting indicative of unavailability of the end user on the mobile phone to a second status setting, the method comprising:

displaying by the one or more processors the user availability data for each of the plurality of communications channels in association with a first activity related to the end user, wherein the first activity is set to be handled by the contact center agent;

receiving by the one or more processors a request from the contact center agent to initiate an interaction with the one of the plurality of communication channels for which the end user is identified as being available;

in response to the request to initiate the interaction, identifying by the one or more processors a second activity related to the end user; and

providing the second activity to the contact center agent for handling in conjunction with the first activity.

2. (canceled)

13. A system for establishing contact between a customer contact center agent and an end user, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices coupled to the one or more processors and storing computer instructions therein, the one or more processors being configured to execute at least a portion of the program instructions, the program instructions comprising;

monitoring a plurality of communication channels, wherein one of the plurality of communication channels is with a mobile phone of the end user device, and the monitoring includes monitoring an application installed on the mobile phone, the application being configured to provide different status settings for indicating different availability states of the end user;

identifying availability of the end user on each of the plurality of communication channels, wherein the identifying includes receiving data transmitted by the mobile phone based on a current status setting provided by the application, wherein the status setting is indicative of unavailability of the end user on the mobile phone despite the end user actively interacting with the application via the mobile phone;

dynamically adjusting user availability data for each of the plurality of communication channels;

providing the user availability data to a contact center agent; and

establishing contact between the contact center agent and the end user via one of the plurality of communication channels for which the end user is identified as being available.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the application is configured to monitor user actions via the mobile phone and provide the user availability data based on the monitored user actions.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the plurality of communication channels is a telephony channel.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein one of the plurality of communication channels is with a web browser, and the monitoring includes monitoring a website for interactions with the end user.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein one of the plurality of communication channels is with a social media website.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein one of the plurality of communication channels is a chat channel.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions further include:

in response to establishing the contact between the contact center agent and the end user, modifying the user availability data for the communication channel used to establish the contact.

14. (canceled)