TECHNIQUES FOR TOPICAL CUSTOMER SERVICE MENU RECONFIGURATION BASED ON SOCIAL MEDIA

• US 20150071418A1
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Klemm, Reinhard P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,426,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• 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 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

Techniques for topical customer service menu reconfiguration based on social media are claimed. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may comprise a social media gateway and an adjustment component. The social media gateway may be operative to receive social media information from one or more social media networks. The adjustment component may be operative to data mine the social media information to extract one or more characteristics, infer a trend from the extracted one or more characteristics, and adjust a customer service menu tree based upon the inferred trend. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving social media information from one or more social media networks;

data mining the social media information to extract one or more characteristics;

inferring a trend from the extracted one or more characteristics; and

adjusting an interactive customer service menu tree based upon the inferred trend.

2. The method of claim 1, the customer service menu tree comprising a plurality of options, wherein adjusting the customer service menu tree comprises:

moving a first option of the plurality of options from a later spot to an earlier spot in the customer service menu tree based upon the inferred trend indicating an increased importance of a topic related to the first option.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving additional social media information from the one or more social media networks;

data mining the additional social media information to extract one or more additional characteristics;

inferring a second trend from the extracted one or more additional characteristics; and

returning the first option of the plurality of options to the later spot based upon the inferred second trend indicating a decreased importance of the topic related to the first option.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an adjustment to the customer service menu tree has a limited duration.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising:

estimating a persistence of the inferred trend; and

determining the limited duration of the adjustment to the customer service menu tree based on the estimated persistence.

6. The method of claim 1, the customer service menu tree comprising a plurality of options, wherein adjusting the customer service menu tree comprises:

creating a new option in the plurality of options based upon the inferred trend indicating an increased importance of a topic related to the new option.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

creating a new queue in a contact center for the new option.

8. The method of claim 1, the customer service menu tree comprising a plurality of options, wherein adjusting the customer service menu tree comprises:

alerting a maintainer of the customer service menu tree of an increased importance of a topic;

receiving a new option for the plurality of options from the maintainer of the customer service menu tree; and

inserting the new option into the plurality of options.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving an incoming call from a user;

performing the adjusted customer service menu tree for the user.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor circuit on a device;

a social media gateway operative on the processor circuit to receive social media information from one or more social media networks; and

an adjustment component operative to data mine the social media information to extract one or more characteristics, infer a trend from the extracted one or more characteristics, and adjust a customer service menu tree based upon the inferred trend.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the customer service menu tree comprising a plurality of options, wherein adjusting the customer service menu tree comprises:

the adjustment component moving a first option of the plurality of options from a later spot to an earlier spot in the customer service menu tree based upon the inferred trend indicating an increased importance of a topic related to the first option.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

the social media gateway operative to receive additional social media information from the one or more social media networks; and

the adjustment component operative to data mine the additional social media information to extract one or more additional characteristics, infer a second trend from the extracted one or more additional characteristics, and return the first option of the plurality of options to the later spot based upon the inferred second trend indicating a decreased importance of the topic related to the first option.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein an adjustment to the customer service menu tree has a limited duration, the adjustment component operative to estimate a persistence of the inferred trend and determine the limited duration of the adjustment to the customer service menu tree based on the estimated persistence.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, the customer service menu tree comprising a plurality of options, wherein adjusting the customer service menu tree comprises:

the adjustment component creating a new option in the plurality of options based upon the inferred trend indicating an increased importance of a topic related to the new option.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, the customer service menu tree comprising a plurality of options, wherein adjusting the customer service menu tree comprises:

the adjustment component alerting a maintainer of the customer service menu tree of an increased importance of a topic, receiving a new option for the plurality of options from the maintainer of the customer service menu tree, and inserting the new option into the plurality of options.

16. At least one computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

receive social media information from one or more social media networks;

data mine the social media information to extract one or more characteristics;

infer a trend from the extracted one or more characteristics; and

adjust a customer service menu tree based upon the inferred trend.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the customer service menu tree comprising a plurality of options, wherein adjusting the customer service menu tree comprises further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

move a first option of the plurality of options from a later spot to an earlier spot in the customer service menu tree based upon the inferred trend indicating an increased importance of a topic related to the first option;

receive additional social media information from the one or more social media networks;

data mine the additional social media information to extract one or more additional characteristics;

infer a second trend from the extracted one or more additional characteristics; and

returning the first option of the plurality of options to the later spot based upon the inferred second trend indicating a decreased importance of the topic related to the first option.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein an adjustment to the customer service menu tree has a limited duration, comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

estimate a persistence of the inferred trend; and

determine the limited duration of the adjustment to the customer service menu tree based on the estimated persistence.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

create a new option in the plurality of options based upon the inferred trend indicating an increased importance of a topic related to the new option.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

alert a maintainer of the customer service menu tree of an increased importance of a topic;

receive a new option for the plurality of options from the maintainer of the customer service menu tree; and

insert the new option into the plurality of options.