SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXPOSING CUSTOMER AVAILABILITY TO CONTACT CENTER AGENTS

• US 20180249011A1
• Filed: 05/01/2018
• Published: 08/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 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 10,447,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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;

identifying availability of the end user on each of the plurality of communication channels and 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.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of communication channels is with a mobile phone, and the monitoring includes monitoring an application installed on the mobile phone.

3. The method of claim 2, 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.

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;

identifying availability of the end user on each of the plurality of communication channels and 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.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the plurality of communication channels is with a mobile phone, and the monitoring includes monitoring an application installed on the mobile phone.

15. The system of claim 14, 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.