Electronic message management system

• US 6,122,632 A
• Filed: 07/21/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Concentrix CVG Customer Management Delaware LLC (Synnex Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Convergys Customer Management Group Incorporated (Convergys Corporation)
• Inventors: Wilson, David A., Musson, Karen L., Botts, Jennifer M., Weber, Douglas C., Stites, Elizabeth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Application Number:
  US08/897,777
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 705/27, 701/37, 395/200.06, 395/200.36, 395/200.47, 395/200.59, 395/683, 395/200.37, 395/200.58, 364/188, 707/1, 707/8, 707/10, 707/104, 707/103, 345/333, 345/349
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An electronic message, or e-mail, management system having a digital computer for accepting e-mail messages; a program interface for automatically transferring received electronic messages to a database; a structured database for storing the received electronic messages in a predetermined format; and an interface for allowing a customer service representative, at a remote computer, to access, and respond to, the electronic messages stored at the database.

Claims

1. A system for managing e-mail messages from customers, comprising:

a first programmed digital computer capable of receiving said e-mail messages;

a relational database interfaced to said first programmed digital computer, wherein said e-mail messages from said customers are automatically forwarded to said relational database from said first programmed digital computer; and

wherein said stored e-mail messages are structured in said relational database by predetermined attributes of said e-mail message, and where said stored e-mail messages may be electronically accessed by at least one of said predetermined attributes by a customer service representative entitled to review said e-mail messages.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said relational database is a sql database.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second programmed digital computer electronically interfaced to said relational database, wherein said customer service representative at said second programmed digital computer may retrieve and view said stored e-mail messages from said relational database.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said first programmed computer is configured with mail server software.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said data interface further includes an open database connectivity interface for providing a standard interface to said relational database.

6. A system according to claim 3, wherein said second programmed computer is configured with Web browser software.

7. A system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a data interface for receiving data requests originating from said second programmed digital computer and converting said data requests to a language that said relational database will recognize.

8. A system according to claim 3, wherein said incoming communications line is connected to receive messages from the Internet.

9. A system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a third programmed digital computer, remotely located from said system and interfaced to said first programmed digital computer through said Internet; and

wherein said third programmed digital computer is configured to allow interface to said first programmed digital computer.

10. A system according to claim 3, wherein one of said predetermined attributes of said e-mail message is the time that said e-mail message was received by said first programmed digital computer.

11. A system according to claim 3, wherein one of said predetermined attributes of said e-mail message is the e-mail address of said customer who sent said e-mail message.

12. A system according to claim 3, wherein one of said predetermined attributes of said e-mail message is a number assigned to each of said e-mail messages.

13. A system according to claim 6, wherein said relational database contains structured data relating to a list of customer service representatives, said data relating to a list of customer service representatives being structured by predetermined attributes.

14. A system according to claim 3, wherein said one of said attributes of said customer service data includes access privileges to said e-mail messages stored on said relational database.

15. A system according to claim 3, wherein said second programmed computer is configured to allow said customer service representative to respond to said e-mail messages received from said relational database;

and wherein said customer service representative responses are tracked on said relational database.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein one of said predetermined attributes of said e-mail message is the status of said e-mail message.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein said status of one of said e-mail messages which has not been responded to will be a pending status.

18. A method for managing electronic messages from customers, said electronic messages received from the Internet or an intranet, comprising the steps of:

receiving electronic messages from said customers;

automatically forwarding said electronic messages to a structured database;

storing said electronic messages in said database;

structuring said storage of each one of said electronic messages by predetermined message attributes; and

providing an interface for allowing customer service representatives access to said database from a computer located apart from said database.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

accepting a database access request from said customer service representative.

20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

accepting a data request from said customer service representative.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of:

translating said data request into a language of said database.

22. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of:

transmitting requested data from said database to said interface.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of:

translating said transmitted data into a language of said interface.

24. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of:

transmitting said requested data from said interface to said computer of said customer service representative; and

displaying, to said customer service representative, said requested data.

25. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

providing an attribute, in said database, for each of said electronic messages by the time each of electronic messages were received from said customer.

26. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

providing an attribute, for each of said electronic messages in said database, based on the email address of the customer.

27. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

providing an attribute, for each of said electronic messages in said database, based on the current status of said electronic message.

28. A method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of:

updating said status attribute of an electronic message that has been responded to.

29. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

retrieving at least one of said electronic messages based on one of said predetermined attributes.

30. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

storing data relating to said customer service representatives in said database.

31. A method according to claim 30, further comprising the step of:

structuring storage of said customer service representative (CSR) data in said database by predetermined CSR attributes.

32. A method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request at said interface, by one of said customer service representatives, for a list of certain ones of said electronic messages in said database;

checking at least one of said CSR attributes in said database to determine whether said customer service representative is allowed access to said list of electronic messages; and

sending said list of certain ones of said electronic messages to said customer service representative if said customer service representative is allowed access to said electronic messages.

33. A method according to claim 32, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request, from said customer service representative, to access one of said electronic messages;

transmitting said one of said electronic messages to said customer service representative; and

responding to said one of said electronic messages.

34. A method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of:

changing said CSR attributes based on changed CSR privileges.

35. A method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of:

providing an attribute, for each said customer service representative in said database, based on quality assurance privileges.

36. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request at said interface, from one of said customer service representatives, to access one of said electronic messages; and

transmitting said one of said electronic messages to said customer service representative.

37. A method according to claim 36, further comprising the steps of:

responding to said one of said electronic messages; and

storing said response in said database.

38. A method according to claim 37, further comprising the step of:

transmitting said response to one of said customers.

39. A method according to claim 38, further comprising the step of:

updating one of said predetermined message attributes of said responded to electronic message to indicate that a response was sent.

40. A method according to claim 36, further comprising the step of:

updating one of said predetermined message attributes of said responded to electronic message to indicate that a quality assurance review must be conducted on said response.

41. A method according to claim 40, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a quality assurance representative to review response; and

sending said response to said quality assurance representative for review.

42. A method according to claim 41, further comprising the steps of:

conducting a quality assurance review on said response; and

approving said response if said response meets quality assurance requirements.

43. A method according to claim 42, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting said response to one of said customers; and

updating one of said predetermined message attributes of said electronic message to indicate that a response has been sent.

44. A method according to claim 43, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request at said interface for a report, said report providing information on the status of all electronic messages of one group;

accessing said report information from said database; and

transmitting said report information to a party requesting said report.

45. A method according to claim 44, wherein the step of receiving a request at said interface for a report is followed by the step of translating said report request into a language of said database.

46. A method according to claim 44, wherein the step for accessing said report information from said database is followed by the step for translating said report information into a format recognized by said computer of said customer service representative.

47. A method according to claim 36, further comprising the steps of:

forwarding said one of said electronic messages to an expert; and

and updating said database to indicate said one of said electronic messages has been sent to said expert.

48. A method according to claim 47, further comprising the steps of:

having an expert respond to said one of said electronic messages; and

updating said database to indicate that said expert responded to said one of said electronic messages.

49. A system for managing electronic messages received from the Internet or an intranet, comprising:

a first programmed digital computer, said first programmed digital computer programmed to accept e-mail messages, said first programmed digital computer programmed with mail server software;

a database for storing said electronic messages according to predetermined message attributes;

a second programmed digital computer in electrical communication with said first programmed digital computer, wherein said second programmed digital computer is configured with Web server software;

a third programmed digital computer in electrical communication with said first programmed digital computer configured with web browser software;

wherein said received electronic messages are forwarded by said first programmed digital computer to said database; and

wherein a customer service representative (CSR) may retrieve any of said stored electronic message based on any of said predetermined message attributes, said customer service representative located at said third programmed digital computer.

50. A system according to claim 49, wherein said third programmed digital computer is configured to allow said customer service representative to respond to an electronic message that has been retrieved from said database;

and

wherein a data interface converts data requests from said second programmed computer to said database so that said database may receive instructions from said first programmed digital computer and so that said first programmed computer may receive data from said database.

51. A system according to claim 49, wherein one of said predetermined message attributes is the time the electronic message was received.

52. A system according to claim 49, wherein one of said predetermined message attributes is the e-mail address of the customer who sent said electronic message.

53. A system according to claim 49, wherein one of said predetermined message attributes is the current status of said electronic message.

54. A system according to claim 49, wherein one of said predetermined message attributes is the e-mail address of the group to which the electronic message was sent.

55. A system according to claim 49, wherein said database stores said electronic messages and data of CSR privileges.

56. A system according to claim 55, wherein said data of CSR privileges includes access privileges to said database.

57. A system according to claim 55, wherein said data of CSR privileges includes quality assurance privileges.

58. A system according to claim 55, wherein said data of CSR privileges includes CSR passwords.

69. The method according to claim 52, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving certain ones of said standard responses from said database; and

sending at least one of said standard responses to an originating customer of said transmitted electronic message.

59. An electronic message management method, comprising the steps of:

receiving electronic messages at an electronic network;

forwarding said electronic messages to a database;

storing said electronic messages based on predetermined message attributes;

interfacing a customer service representative computer to allow electronic access to said electronic messages; and

transmitting one of said stored electronic messages from said database to said customer service representative.

60. The method according to claim 59, wherein one of said predetermined message attributes is an e-mail address of the group to which the e-mail message was sent.

61. The method according to claim 59, wherein one of said predetermined message attributes is the status of said electronic message.

62. The method according to claim 59, further comprising the steps of:

responding to said transmitted message; and

automatically updating said database upon responding to said transmitted message to indicate a response has been sent.

63. The method according to claim 59, further comprising the steps of:

forwarding said transmitted message to an expert;

updating said database, after the step of forwarding said transmitted message to said expert, to indicate that said transmitted message has been forwarded to said expert; and

formulating a response from said expert.

64. The method according to claim 59, further comprising the steps of:

providing a response to said transmitted electronic message;

storing said response in said database; and

retrieving said stored response for quality assurance review.

65. The method according to claim 64, further comprising the steps of:

denying said response; and

updating said database to indicate that said response was denied.

66. The method according to claim 64, further comprising the steps of:

accepting the response; and

sending said response to an originating customer.

67. The method according to claim 59, further comprising the steps of:

storing CSR data in said database; and

providing access to said database base on said CSR data.

68. The method according to claim 59, further comprising the step of:

storing a list of standard responses in said database.

70. A method for managing electronic messages from customers, said electronic messages received from the Internet or an intranet, comprising the steps of:

receiving electronic messages from said customers;

transferring said electronic messages to a structured database;

storing said electronic messages in said database;

structuring said storage of each one of said electronic messages by at least one predetermined message attribute; and

providing an interface for allowing customer service representatives access to said database from a computer.

71. A method according to claim 70, further comprising the step of:

retrieving one of said electronic messages by at least one predetermined message attribute.

72. A method according to claim 71, further comprising the steps of:

responding to said one of said electronic messages; and

updating said database to indicate that said one of said electronic messages has been responded to.