Procedure and Mechanism for Managing a Call to a Call Center

• US 20140307865A1
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. KG (Atos Se)
• Original Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Tietsch, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,438,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0048 where the text-based messaging service is a Short Message Service

Abstract

In a method procedure for managing a caller'"'"'s call to a call center with a call center agent, an agent is defined to receive the call and identified as the responsible agent for an incident assigned to the call. A relationship is created between the responsible agent and the incident. Then a token is generated that allows the relationship to be addressed without containing any individual connection or personal data for the responsible agent. The token is made available for the caller so the token can be activated when the caller resumes contact with the call center. The token causes the caller to be connected to the responsible agent or a proxy if the token is activated when contact is resumed.

Claims

1. A method for managing a call from a caller to a call center, comprising

defining a call center agent to receive the call as a responsible agent for an incident assigned to the call;

creating a relationship between the responsible agent and the incident;

generating a token that allows the relationship to be addressed without containing any individual connection or personal data for the responsible agent;

making the token available for the caller so the token can be activated when the caller resumes contact with the call center; and

connecting the caller with one of the responsible agent and a proxy if the token is activated when contact is resumed.

2. The method of claim 1 also comprising transmitting the token to a caller terminal in the step of making the token available, whereupon the activation of the token includes a return transmission of the token to the call center.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the token is a cookie, also comprising storing the cookie on a caller terminal,

4. The method of claim 3 also comprising transmitting the token contained in the cookie to the call center when the caller calls again.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the token is an SMS also comprising sending the SMS to the call center as a reply to activate the token.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the SMS triggers a call back from the call center to the original caller.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the token is a character string in a form that can be seen or heard, whereupon the caller can initiate the return transmission of the token when calling the call center again by entering the character string in text form or by speaking it at the caller terminal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the token contains a special phone number that the caller can select when calling again.

9. The method of claim 1 where the token is generated as a specific voice token to remain at the call center further comprising;

prompting the caller to save a voice sample, wherein the voice sample contains a passphrase specified to the caller; and

saving the stored voice sample together with a link to the voice token at the call center;

wherein the step of activating the token includes the following steps;

requesting the passphrase from the caller when calling again, and

selecting a link to the voice token at the call center if the passphrase spoken by the caller matches the stored voice sample when calling again.

10. The method of claim 1 also comprising transmitting information on the incident to the agent upon activation of the token when calling back.

11. The method of claim 1 also comprising invalidating the token when the incident is marked as closed.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the responsible agent invalids the token.

13. The method of claim wherein the token is invalidated after a selected waiting period.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the waiting period is preset for selected tokens.