System and method for controlling and monitoring communication between customers and customer service representatives
First Claim
1. A system for selecting a customer service voice system from a plurality of customer service voice systems via a data network in response to a request by a customer, comprising:
- first selection means for automatically selecting a customer service voice system from the plurality of customer service voice systems;
wherein said first selection means further comprises a customer service voice system selection database having a memory for storing a set of customer service voice system selection criteria, wherein the first selection means automatically selects a customer service voice system from the plurality of customer service voice systems in accordance with the set of customer service voice system selection criteria, wherein each customer service voice system of the plurality of customer service voice systems is associated with a unique customer service center having a location, a call volume and an overall performance rating, and wherein said customer service voice system selection criteria comprises at least one of the location of each customer service center relative to the location of the requesting customer, the call volume to each customer service center, and the overall performance rating of each customer service center; and
first override means connected to the first selection means via the data network for changing the customer service voice system selected by the first selection means to another of the plurality of customer service voice systems.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The system of the present invention allows a customer to access a company computer system via a data network and to request contact with a customer service representative. The company computer system automatically selects a customer service center and a customer service representative in accordance with a set of selection criteria, including customer preferences. A monitor, also connected to the company computer system via the data network, may choose to accept or to change the selections made by the company computer system. Once a customer service representative has been selected, the company computer system causes a telecommunication control device to connect the customer, the selected customer service representative, and the monitor via a voice network. If a monitor is not available, the company computer system causes the telecommunication control device to connect the customer and the selected customer service representative, and then records the communication therebetween for future review by a monitor. Optionally, the selected customer service representative may initiate data communication with the customer via the data network. The monitor may readily monitor the data communication between the customer and the customer service representative via the data network.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A system for selecting a customer service voice system from a plurality of customer service voice systems via a data network in response to a request by a customer, comprising:
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first selection means for automatically selecting a customer service voice system from the plurality of customer service voice systems;
wherein said first selection means further comprises a customer service voice system selection database having a memory for storing a set of customer service voice system selection criteria, wherein the first selection means automatically selects a customer service voice system from the plurality of customer service voice systems in accordance with the set of customer service voice system selection criteria, wherein each customer service voice system of the plurality of customer service voice systems is associated with a unique customer service center having a location, a call volume and an overall performance rating, and wherein said customer service voice system selection criteria comprises at least one of the location of each customer service center relative to the location of the requesting customer, the call volume to each customer service center, and the overall performance rating of each customer service center; andfirst override means connected to the first selection means via the data network for changing the customer service voice system selected by the first selection means to another of the plurality of customer service voice systems. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for monitoring voice communication between a customer and a customer service voice system by a monitor via a voice network and a data network, comprising:
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customer voice communication means for enabling the customer to communicate with the customer service voice system via the voice network; monitor voice communication means for enabling the monitor to communicate, via the voice network, with the customer voice communication means and with the customer service voice system; third control means for determining whether the customer service voice system is to be monitored; and first connection means, connected to the third control means via the data network, for connecting the customer voice communication means and the customer service voice system via the voice network to establish bi-directional voice communication therebetween when the third control means determines that the customer service voice system is not to be monitored, and for first connecting the customer service voice system to the monitor voice communication means via the voice network, and subsequently connecting the customer voice communications means to the customer service voice system and the monitor communication means via the voice network to establish a three-way voice communication therebetween when the third control means determines that the customer service voice system is to be monitored. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for monitoring a communication signal representative of communication between a customer and a customer service communication means, by a monitor via at least one of a data network and a voice network, comprising:
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customer communication means for enabling the communication by the customer with the customer service communication means via at least one of the data network and the voice network; monitor communication means for enabling communication by the monitor with the customer service communication means via at least one of the data network and the voice network; fourth control means for determining whether the customer service communication means is to be monitored; and second connection means, connected to the forth control means, for connecting the customer communication means and the customer service communication means via at least one of the data network and the voice network to establish bi-directional communication therebetween when the fourth control means determines that the customer service communication means is not to be monitored, and for first connecting the customer service communication means to the monitor communication means via at least one of the data network and the voice network to enable the monitor to monitor communication to and from the customer service communication system, and subsequently connecting the customer communications means to the customer service communication means via at least one of the data network and the voice network to establish bi-directional communication therebetween when the fourth control means determines that the customer service communications means is to be monitored. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A system for selective connection of a customer voice communication means to a customer service voice system from a plurality of customer service systems via a voice network and a data network, comprising:
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requesting means for generating request data representative of a request for connection of the customer voice communication means to a customer service voice system of the plurality of customer service voice systems; first selection means, connected to the requesting means via the data network, for automatically selecting a customer service voice system from the plurality of customer service voice systems when the request data is generated by said requesting means, wherein the first selection means further comprises a customer service voice system selection database having a memory for storing a set of customer service voice system selection criteria and wherein the first selection means automatically selects a customer service voice system from the plurality of customer service voice systems in accordance with the set of customer service voice system selection criteria, wherein each customer service voice system of the plurality of customer service voice systems is associated with a unique customer service center having a location, a call volume and an overall performance rating, and wherein said customer service voice system selection criteria comprises at least one of the location of each customer service center relative to the location of the requesting customer, the call volume to each customer service center, and the overall performance rating of each customer service center; first override means, connected to the first selection means via the data network, for changing the customer service voice system selected by the first selection means to another of the plurality of customer service voice systems; and first connection means, connected to the first override means via the data network, for connecting the customer voice communication means and the selected customer service voice system via the voice network to establish bi-directional voice communication therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A system for selectively connecting a customer voice communication means to a customer service voice system from a plurality of customer service voice systems and for monitoring said selective connection via a voice network and a data network, comprising:
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monitor voice communication means for enabling the monitor to communicate, via the voice network, with the customer voice communication means and with the customer service voice system; requesting means for generating request data representative of a request for connection of the customer voice communication means to at least one customer service voice system of the plurality of customer service voice systems; first selection means, connected to the requesting means via the data network, for automatically selecting a customer service voice system from the plurality of customer service voice systems when the request data is generated by said requesting means; first override means, connected to the first selection means via the data network, for changing the customer service voice system selected by the first selection means to another of the plurality of customer service voice systems; control means, connected to the first override means and to the first selection means via a data network, for determining whether the selected customer service voice system is to be monitored; and connection means, connected to the control means via the data network, for connecting the customer voice communication means and the customer service voice system via the voice network to establish bi-directional voice communication therebetween when the third control means determines that the customer service voice system is not to be monitored, and for first connecting the customer service voice system to the monitor voice communication means via the voice network, and subsequently connecting the customer voice communications means to the customer service voice system and the monitor communication means via the voice network to establish three-way voice communication therebetween when the control means determines that the customer service voice system is to be monitored.
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24. A method for selecting a customer service voice system from a plurality of customer service voice systems via a data network in response to a request by a customer, comprising the steps of:
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(a) automatically selecting a customer service voice system from the plurality of customer service voice systems, wherein each customer service voice system of the plurality of customer service voice systems is associated with a unique customer service center having a location, a call volume and an overall performance rating; (b) selectively changing the customer service voice system selected at the automatic selection step to another of the plurality of customer service voice systems; and (c) storing, in a customer service voice system selection database, a set of customer service voice system selection criteria, such that a customer service voice system from the plurality of customer service voice systems is automatically selected at said step (a) in accordance with the set of customer voice system selection criteria, wherein said customer service voice system selection criteria is at least one of the location of a customer service center relative to the location of the requesting customer, the call volume to each customer service center, and the overall performance rating of each customer service center. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35)
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34. A method of monitoring, via a voice network and a data network, a call from a customer voice communication device to a customer service voice system by a monitor using a monitor voice communication device, comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining whether the customer service voice system is to be monitored; (b) connecting the customer voice communication device and the customer service voice system via the voice network to establish bi-directional voice communication therebetween when it is determined, at said step (a), that the customer service voice system is not to be monitored; and (c) first connecting the customer voice communication device to the monitor voice communication device via the voice network, and subsequently connecting the customer and the monitor voice communication devices to the customer service voice system via the voice network when it is determined, at said step (a), that the customer service voice system is to be monitored. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for monitoring a communication signal representative of communication between a customer communication device and a customer service communication device, by a monitor using a monitor communication device, via at least one of a data network and a voice network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining whether the customer service communication device is to be monitored; (b) connecting the customer communication device and the customer service communication device via at least one of the data network and the voice network to establish bi-directional communication therebetween when it is determined, at said step (a), that the customer service communication device is not to be monitored; and (c) first connecting the customer service communication device to the monitor communication device via at least one of the data network and the voice network to enable the monitor to monitor communication to and from the customer service communication device, and subsequently connecting the customer service communication device to the customer communication device via at least one of the data network and the voice networkto establish bi-directional communication therebetween when it is determined, at said step (a), that the customer service communication device is to be monitored. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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42. A method of selective connection of a customer voice communication device to a customer service voice system from a plurality of customer service systems, via a voice network and a data network comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating request data representative of a request for connection of the customer voice communication device to a customer service voice system of the plurality of customer service voice systems; (b) automatically selecting a customer service voice system from the plurality of customer service voice systems when the request data is generated at said step (a); (c) storing in a customer service voice system selection database, a set of customer service voice system selection criteria, such that a customer service voice system from the plurality of customer service voice systems is automatically selected at said step (b) in accordance with the set of customer service voice system selection criteria, wherein each customer service voice system of the plurality of customer service voice systems is associated with a unique customer service center having a location, a call volume and an overall performance rating, and wherein said customer service voice system selection criteria is at least one of the location of a customer service center relative to the location of the requesting customer, the call volume to each customer service center, and the overall performance rating of each customer service center; (d) selectively overriding the selected customer service voice system by changing the customer service voice system selected at said step (b) to another of the plurality of customer service voice systems; and (e) connecting the customer voice communication device and the selected customer service voice system via the voice network to establish bi-directional voice communication therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. A method of selectively connecting a customer voice communication device to a customer service voice system from a plurality of customer service voice systems, and of monitoring said selective connection by a monitor using a monitor voice communication device, via a voice network and a data network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating request data representative of a request for connection of the customer voice communication device to at least one customer service voice system of the plurality of customer service voice systems; (b) automatically selecting a customer service voice system from the plurality of customer service voice systems when the request data is generated; (c) selectively overridng the selected customer service voice system by changing the customer service voice system selected at said step (b) to another of the plurality of customer service voice systems; (d) determining whether the selected customer service voice system is to be monitored; and (e) connecting the customer voice communication device and the customer service voice system via the voice network to establish bi-directional voice communication therebetween when it is determined at said step (d) that the customer service voice system is not to be monitored, and for first connecting the customer service voice system to the monitor voice communication device via the voice network, and subsequently connecting the customer voice communications device to the customer service voice system and the monitor communication device via the voice network to establish three-way voice communication therebetween when it is determined at said step (d) that the customer service voice system is to be monitored.
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Specification