System, method and user interface for data announced call transfer

• US 6,215,865 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E-Talk Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: McCalmont, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/170,930
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142, 379/210, 379/212, 379/214, 379/246, 379/247, 379/265, 379/266, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/212.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A system and method for use in call center operations enables a customer service representative (CSR) to transfer a customer to a receiving CSR with selected data that describes the reason for the transfer. The receiving CSR receives the transferred customer call and the selected data and is able to continue efficiently handling the customer call. The system includes a number of CSR workstations each executing a telephony client in conjunction with a telephony server providing integration of customer data from a call center database and voice communication handled by an automatic call distributor (ACD). The telephony client includes a user interface for selecting a destination for transferring a customer call and one or more reason data element that describe the reason for transferring the call. The customer call is transferred by the ACD according to the selected destination. The telephony clients provides the reason data and a line identifier of the customer call to the telephony server. The ACD provides the telephony server with the extension of the CSR to whom the customer call is transferred, and a line identifier of the customer call. The telephony server matches the line identifier, which uniquely identifies the customer call, and forwards the reason data provided from the originating CSR to the receiving CSR at the destination extension.

Claims

1. A user interface arrangement of a computer system for transferring a customer call, comprising:

a first data input field adapted to receive at least one destination for receiving the customer call;

a second data input field adapted to receive at least one reason for transferring the customer call; and

a transfer button that, when activated, initiates the transfer of the customer call.

2. The user interface arrangement of claim 1, wherein the second data input field includes at least one predefined reason from which at least one reason for transferring the customer call is selected.

3. The user interface arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first data input field includes at least one predefined destination from which a destination for receiving the customer call is selected.

4. The user interface arrangement of claim 2, wherein:

each predefined reason is a first predefined reason and is associated with at least one second predefined reason; and

selection of a first predefined reason in the second input field causes the second input field to display at least one second predefined reason associated with the selected first predefined reason.

5. The user interface arrangement of claim 1, wherein:

the first data input field includes at least one predefined destination, each predefined destination associated with at least one predefined reason, and the first data input field is adapted to receive a selection of a predefined destination; and

selection of a predefined destination in the first data input field causes the second data input field to display at least one predefined reason associated with the selected predefined destination.

6. The user interface arrangement of claim 5, wherein:

each predefined reason is a first predefined reason and is associated with at least one second predefined reason; and

selection of a first predefined reason in the second input field causes the second input field to display at least one second predefined reason associated with the selected first predefined reason.

7. The user interface arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one destination is one of a group comprising:

a telephone extension;

an identifier of a customer service representative; and

an identifier of a customer service group.

8. The user interface arrangement of claim 1, wherein the second data input is adapted to receive a voice recording of the at least one reason.

9. The user interface arrangement of claim 1, wherein the transfer button is activated by a mouse click.

10. The computer readable memory storing a computer program for controlling the operation of a computer processor in a computer system to provide a user interface arrangement for transferring a customer call, the computer program adapted to cause the processor to display:

a first data input field adapted to receive at least one destination for receiving the customer call;

a second data input field adapted to receive at least one reason for transferring the customer call; and

a transfer button that, when activated, initiates the transfer of the customer call.

11. The computer readable memory of claim 10, wherein the computer program stored thereon further causes the second data input field to include at least one predefined reason from which at least one reason for transferring the customer call is selected.

12. The computer readable memory of claim 10, wherein the computer program stored thereon further causes the first data input field to include at least one predefined destination from which a destination for receiving the customer call is selected.

13. The computer readable memory of claim 11, wherein:

each predefined reason is a first predefined reason and is associated with at least one second predefined reason; and

selection of a first predefined reason in the second input field causes the second input field to display at least one second predefined reason associated with the selected first predefined reason.

14. The computer readable memory of claim 10, wherein:

the first data input field includes at least one predefined destination, each predefined destination associated with at least one predefined reason, and the first data input field is adapted to receive a selection of a predefined destination; and

selection of a predefined destination in the first data input field causes the second data input field to display at least one predefined reason associated with the selected predefined destination.

15. The computer readable memory of claim 14, wherein:

each predefined reason is a first predefined reason and is associated with at least one second predefined reason; and

selection of a first predefined reason in the second input field causes the second input field to display at least one second predefined reason associated with the selected first predefined reason.

16. The computer readable memory of claim 10, wherein the destination is one of a group comprising:

a telephone extension;

an identifier of a customer service representative; and

an identifier of a customer service group.

17. The computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein the computer program stored thereon is further adapted to receive a voice recording of the at least one reason.

18. The computer readable memory of claim 10, wherein the transfer button is activated by a mouse click.