Automatic call distributor with automated voice responsive call servicing system and method
First Claim
1. In an automatic call distributor with a switch for selectively interconnecting a plurality of customer units of an external telephonic network with a plurality of agent units of an internal network of the call distributor, the improvement being an automated voice responsive call servicing system, comprising:
- a voice response unit having a plurality of different stored scripts corresponding to a plurality of different types of connected calls;
means for associating different call type identification signals from the external network with different ones of the stored scripts of the voice response unit;
means for causing the voice response unit to operate in accordance with the different ones of the stored scripts automatically in response to receipt of the different call type identification signals associated with the different stored scripts to automatically respond to the plurality of different types of connected calls; and
means for providing an agent with a standard flash announcement in response to one of the plurality of different types of connected calls being transferred to the agent.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic call distributor (10) with a switch (12) which interconnects customer telephonic units (14A) of an external telephonic network (14B) with an internal network of agent units (16) having an automated call servicing system including a voice response unit (18) with a plurality of stored scripts for servicing different types of calls from customers automatically in response to call type identification signals, such as Dial Number Identification System (DNIS) numbers, corresponding to the different types of calls associated with the different stored scripts of the voice response unit (18) to automatically service a plurality of different types of calls without customer prompting while also functioning to respond to customer prompting when no DNIS number or other call type identification is provided with the call.
146 Citations
31 Claims
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1. In an automatic call distributor with a switch for selectively interconnecting a plurality of customer units of an external telephonic network with a plurality of agent units of an internal network of the call distributor, the improvement being an automated voice responsive call servicing system, comprising:
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a voice response unit having a plurality of different stored scripts corresponding to a plurality of different types of connected calls; means for associating different call type identification signals from the external network with different ones of the stored scripts of the voice response unit; means for causing the voice response unit to operate in accordance with the different ones of the stored scripts automatically in response to receipt of the different call type identification signals associated with the different stored scripts to automatically respond to the plurality of different types of connected calls; and means for providing an agent with a standard flash announcement in response to one of the plurality of different types of connected calls being transferred to the agent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In an automatic call distributor with a switch for selectively interconnecting a plurality of customer units of an external telephonic network with a plurality of agent units of an internal network of the call distributor, the improvement being an automated voice responsive call servicing system, comprising:
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a voice response unit having a plurality of stored scripts; means for associating the call type identification signals which represent a DNIS number received from the customer units of the external telephonic network with the stored scripts of the voice response unit; means for converting the DNIS number to a DTMF tone code corresponding to one of the plurality of associated stored scripts; and means for causing the voice response unit to operate in accordance with the different ones of the stored scripts in response to receipt of the call type identification signals of a call connected to the voice response unit. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In an automatic call distributor with a switch for selectively interconnecting a plurality of customer units of an external telephonic network with a plurality of agent units of an internal network of the call distributor, the improvement being an automated voice responsive call servicing system, comprising:
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a voice response unit having a plurality of stored scripts; means for associating a call type identification which represent a DNIS number received from the customer units of the external telephonic network with the stored scripts of the voice response unit; means for assigning a preselected flash announcement to the DNIS number; and means for causing the voice response unit to operate in accordance with the stored scripts in response to receipt of the call type identification signals of a call connected to the voice response unit. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. In an automatic call distributor with a switch for selectively interconnecting a plurality of customer units of an external telephonic network with a plurality of agent units of an internal network of the call distributor, the improvement being an automated voice responsive call servicing system, comprising:
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a voice response unit having a plurality of stored scripts; means for associating call type identification which represent a DNIS number received from the customer units of the external telephonic network with the stored scripts of the voice response unit,the DNIS number being a multidigit call type identification number having four digits; and means for causing the voice response unit to operate in accordance with the stored scripts in response to receipt of the call identification signals of a call connected to the voice response unit.
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15. In an automatic call distributor with a switch for selectively interconnecting a plurality of customer units of an external telephonic network with a plurality of agent units of an internal network of the call distributor, the improvement being an automated voice responsive call servicing system, comprising:
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a voice response unit having a plurality of stored scripts; means for associating call type identification signals with the stored scripts of the voice response unit; means for causing the voice response unit to operate in accordance with the stored scripts in response to receipt of the call type identification signals of a call connected to the voice response unit; and means for providing an agent with a standard flash announcement which is at least one of visual and aural in response to the voice response to the voice response unit transferring a call to the agent.
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16. In an automatic call distributor with a switch for selectively interconnecting a plurality of customer units of an external telephonic network with a plurality of agent units of an internal network of the call distributor, the improvement being a method of automatically servicing calls, comprising the steps of:
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storing a plurality of different scripts corresponding to a plurality of different types of connected calls in a voice response unit; associating different call type identification signals from the external network with different ones of the stored scripts of the voice response unit; causing the voice response unit to operate in accordance with the different ones of the stored scripts automatically in response to receipt of the different ones of the different call type identification signals associated with the different stored scripts to automatically respond to the plurality of different types of connected calls; and providing an agent a standard flash announcement in response to one of the plurality to different types of connected calls being transferred to the agent. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. In an automatic call distributor with a switch for selectively interconnecting a plurality of customer units of an external telephonic network with a plurality of agent units of an internal network of the call distributor, the improvement being a method of automatically servicing calls comprising the steps of:
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storing a plurality of scripts in a voice response unit; associating call type identification signals which define a DNIS number received from the external telephonic network with the stored scripts of the voice response unit; converting the DNIS number to a DTMF tone code corresponding to one of the plurality of associated stored scripts; and causing the voice response unit to operate in accordance with the stored scripts in response to receipt of the DNIS number of a call connected to the voice response unit. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. In an automatic call distributor with a switch for selectively interconnecting a plurality of customer units of an external telephonic network with a plurality of agent units of an internal network of the call distributor, the improvement being a method of automatically servicing calls, comprising the steps of:
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storing a plurality of scripts in a voice response unit; associating call type identification signals which define a DNIS number received from the external telephonic network with the stored scripts of the voice response unit; causing the voice response unit to operate in accordance with the stored scripts in response to receipt of the call type identification signals of a call connected to the voice response unit; and assigning a flash announcement number to the DNIS number. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. In an automatic call distributor with a switch for selectively interconnecting a plurality of customer units of an external telephonic network with a plurality of agent units of an internal network of the call distributor, the improvement being an automated voice responsive call servicing system, comprising:
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a voice response unit having both nonprompting scripts that do not require prompting with respect to information provided by virtue of call type identification signals received by the voice response unit and prompting scripts; means responsive to receipt of a call together with the call type identification signals from the external network to cause the voice response unit to execute an associated nonprompting script; and means responsive to receipt of a call without call type identification signals from the external network to cause the voice response unit to execute an associated prompting script. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. In an automatic call distributor with a switch for selectively interconnecting a plurality of customer units of an external telephonic network with a plurality of agent units of an internal network of the call distributor, the improvement being an automated voice responsive call servicing system, comprising:
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a voice response unit having both nonprompting scripts that do not require prompting with respect to information provided by virtue of call type identification signals which represent a DNIS number received from the external telephonic network and received by the voice response unit and prompting scripts; means for converting the DNIS number to a corresponding DTMF tone; means responsive to receipt of a call together with the call type identification signals from the external network to cause the voice response unit to execute an associated nonprompting script; and means responsive to receipt of a call without call type identification signals from the external network to cause the voice response unit to execute an associated prompting script. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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Specification