Voice interactive call center training method using actual screens and screen logic

• US 5,757,644 A
• Filed: 07/25/1996
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: EIS International, Inc. (SER Solutions Deutschland GmbH)
• Inventors: Jorgensen, Jacob W., Trefzger, Alan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore, Reba I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US08/686,036
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 395/2.1, 395/2.79, 395/2.85, 379/67, 379/72, 379/76
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/00 Simulators for teaching or training purposes for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

A voice interactive agent training system has a series of discrete voice messages stored in a digital memory. These messages are keyed to screens used in live call center operations. The call center logic used in live call center operations determines the sequence in which the screens are displayed on the agent'"'"'s monitor. When transferred to an agent'"'"'s terminal, the screen is identified, based upon a characteristic of the actual screen (e.g. character count in a field) so that there is no need for access to the call center operating system in order to identify which screen is displayed. A voice energy transducer responsive to the trainee'"'"'s voice, causes a reproduction of appropriate discrete voice messages to respond to passages in the script which have been read by the trainee from the monitor. In one embodiment, agent inputs are compared to "appropriate" inputs and inappropriate inputs are fed back to the trainee concurrently with the appropriate input.

Claims

1. A voice interactive method for training agents to act in a telephone call center in response to voice inputs from a client, including the steps of:

storing digitally a plurality of addressable sets of voice messages that simulate client responses to an agent who is reading from a script displayed on a screen and who is making inputs at an agent terminal in response to said simulated client response;

selecting and displaying an actual script from a call center data base, said script selected by call center logic in response to agent inputs at the agent terminal during a training session;

generating an address of a set of said voice messages in response to said actual script selected in said selecting displaying step;

fetching said set of said voice messages at said address; and

creating from set of said voice messages fetched in said fetching step, voice inputs to said agent reading from the script on said displayed screen.

2. The voice interactive method for training agents as in claim 1 wherein said generating step includes decoding a characteristic of the content of said screen.

3. The voice interactive method for training agents as in claim 2 wherein said characteristic is independent of the method for training.

4. A voice interactive method for training agents to act in a telephone call center in response to voice inputs from a client, including the steps of:

storing digitally a plurality of voice messages that simulate client responses to an agent who is reading from a script displayed on a screen;

storing digitally a preferred agent response to each of said voice messages;

comparing an agent response to said each of said voice messages to said preferred agent response;

displaying an error message when said comparing step indicates a divergence between said agent response and said preferred agent response.

5. A voice interactive method for training agents to act in a telephone call center in response to voice inputs from a client, including the steps of;

storing digitally a plurality of sets of voice messages that simulate client responses to an agent who is reading from a script displayed on a screen;

each of said sets comprised of two or more alternative responses to a single input from an agent who is following a displyed screen;

selecting one of said two or more alternative responses;

fetching said one of said two or more alternative responses selected in said selecting step; and

creating, from said voice message fetched in said fetching step, a voice input to said agent following said displayed screen.

6. The voice interactive method for training agents as in claim 5 wherein said selecting step is carried out so as to appear random to said agent.