Call center incentive system and method

• US 6,049,779 A
• Filed: 04/06/1998
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stephen P. Berkson
• Original Assignee: Stephen P. Berkson
• Inventors: Berkson, Stephen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US09/055,546
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/1, 705/11, 379/265, 463/29, 463/28
• US Class Current: 705/14.39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

The invention is a system and method that provides positive incentives to a call center agent by allowing the call center agent to play a game each time an established performance parameter standard is met. In accordance with the invention, a data collection system monitors a performance parameter of a telephone call handled by a call center agent. A game participation system compares an evaluation of the monitored performance parameter to an established performance parameter standard and allows the call center agent to participate in a game only if the evaluation meets the established performance parameter standard. Allowing the call center agent to immediately play a game after completing a call, in which a performance parameter standard has been met, motivates the agent to continue to meet the performance parameter standard so that a game can be played again. In the preferred embodiment, a performance evaluation is conducted after each completed call and an interactive game is automatically delivered to an ACD agent computing device when a performance parameter standard is met.

Claims

1. A method of providing positive incentives to a person conducting business interactions during operation of a computing device comprising the steps of:

electronically monitoring a performance metric of said business transactions conducted by said person operating said computing device;

electronically comparing said monitored performance metric of said business interactions to an established performance metric standard; and

allowing said person to participate in a game based on said comparison when said monitored performance metric of said business interactions meets said established performance metric standard, including enabling access to said game via said computing device of said person.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said substep of providing access to said game includes providing access to an interactive game via said computing device of said person and enabling said person to interact with said interactive game through said computing device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said substep of providing access to said interactive game includes providing access to a graphical portion of said interactive game via said computing device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said substep of electronically comparing said monitored performance metric against said established performance metric standard includes a substep of automatically comparing said monitored performance metric against said established performance metric standard after each one of said business interactions that is conducted by said person.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

tracking the progress of said person through said game; and

returning said person to said game at the point at which said person had last left said game each time said person is allowed to participate in said game, said person thereby being enabled to participate in said game in segments, said segments being continuations of said game and being accessible in a frequency that is determined by said steps of electronically monitoring and comparing.

6. An agent incentive system comprising:

communications means for allowing an agent to conduct communications with another person;

means, operatively connected to said communications means, for managing the distribution of said communications to and from said agent;

means, operatively connected to said managing means, for electronically monitoring a performance parameter of said communications that are conducted by said agent;

means, operatively connected to said monitoring means, for electronically evaluating said monitored performance parameter of said communications against a performance parameter standard; and

means, operatively connected to said evaluating means, for engaging said agent in a game by operation of said communications means when said evaluation of said monitored performance parameter meets said performance parameter standard.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said communications means for allowing said agent to conduct a communication with another person includes a computing device that has telecommunications capability and visual display capability.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said engaging means includes a game-access connection to said computing device, said game-access connection allowing said game to be played from said computing device.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said engaging means includes a source of said game wherein said game has a visual component that is viewed via said computing device.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said means for managing the distribution of said communications includes an automatic call distribution system.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said monitoring means includes an automated monitoring system connected to automatically monitor a performance parameter of said communications.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said evaluating means includes an automated evaluation system connected to automatically evaluate said monitored performance parameter of said communications against said performance parameter standard after each one of said communications that is completed by said agent.

13. The system of claim 6 wherein said engaging means includes a source of an interactive game that is accessible via said computing device of said agent, wherein said interaction with said game is accomplished through said computing device.

14. The system of claim 13 further including a means, operatively connected to said engaging means, for tracking the progress of said agent with respect to said interactive game, wherein said interactive game is context-dependent.

15. A method of motivating a call center agent utilizing a call center system that includes a plurality of computing devices, where each computing device has voice communication capability and graphical display capability comprising the steps of:

electronically monitoring a performance parameter relating to at least one business communication that is conducted by said call center agent at one of said plurality of computing devices;

electronically comparing an evaluation of said monitored performance parameter to an established performance parameter standard at a designated frequency;

automatically delivering a graphical game interface to said computing device of said call center agent when said comparison between said evaluation of said monitored performance parameter and said performance parameter standard establishes that said performance parameter standard has been met; and

allowing said call center agent to play a game that corresponds to said graphical game interface by interacting with said computing device, including enabling said call center agent to play said game either during a first business communication or immediately prior to a second business communication that follows said first business communication.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of electronically comparing includes a substep of electronically comparing said evaluation of said monitored performance parameter to an established performance parameter standard after every business communication that is conducted by said call center agent.

17. A method of providing positive incentive to a person involved in a business interaction relating to a particular business entity comprising steps of:

establishing a data connection between a first computing device of a customer of said business entity and a source of data that is specific to said business entity and that is accessible to said customer via a browser application stored on said first computing device, said data connection being a network connection;

establishing a voice connection between said customer and an agent of said business entity, said agent having a second computing device;

determining whether said agent is eligible for participation in an agent-directed incentive mechanism of said business entity;

determining whether said customer is eligible for participation in a customer-directed incentive mechanism of said business entity; and

based upon said determinations of eligibility, visually indicating to said customer via said data connection that at least one of said customer and said agent is eligible for a cost-free incentive that is based upon participation in said business interaction, including displaying a visual indicator of said eligibility on a screen of said first computing device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said steps of establishing said data and voice connections include forming a link via the Internet, said data connection being a World Wide Web link.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising a step of enabling a first one of said customer and said agent to participate in a game, said participation in said game being said cost-free incentive.

20. A method of providing a positive incentive to a person involved in a business interaction relating to a particular business entity comprising steps of:

establishing a data connection between a first computing device of a customer of said business entity and a source of data that is specific to said business entity and that is accessible to said customer via a browser application stored on said first computing device, said data connection being a network connection;

establishing a voice connection between said customer and an agent of said business entity, said agent having a second computing device;

visually indicating to said customer via said data connection that at least one of said customer and said agent is eligible for a cost-free incentive that is based upon participation in said business interaction, including displaying a visual indicator of said eligibility on a screen of said first computing device; and

enabling said agent to participate in a game, said game being said cost-free incentive for said agent, including basing eligibility of participation in said game upon activity by said customer.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said customer is enabled to participate in said game, said method further comprising a step of enabling said agent to disable said eligibility of said customer to participate in said game.