Electronic mail message processing and routing for call center response to same

• US 6,356,633 B1
• Filed: 08/19/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Armstrong, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deane, Jr., William J.
• Application Number:
  US09/377,434
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/266, 379/219, 379/93.15, 379/93.17, 379/93.24, 379/309, 379/265.04, 379/265.09, 379/265.1, 379/265.11, 709/205, 709/206, 709/203
• US Class Current: 379/265.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A system and a method are provided for processing and routing electronic mail messages within a call center which include and involve an electronic mail server system for routing incoming and outgoing electronic mail messages and a mail parsing system coupled to the electronic mail server system. The mail parsing system is operative to receive an incoming electronic mail message from the electronic mail server system, to automatically parse the incoming electronic mail message for the existence of at least one predetermined term related to a particular call center activity, and to route the incoming electronic mail message via the electronic mail server system to a corresponding storage area when the incoming electronic mail message contains at least one predetermined term.

Claims

1. A system for processing and routing electronic mail messages, comprising:

an electronic mail server system for routing incoming and outgoing electronic mail messages; and

a mail parsing system coupled to said electronic mail server system and operative to receive an incoming electronic mail message from said electronic mail server system, to automatically parse said incoming electronic mail message for the existence of at least one term, to select a predefined response based on the at least one term, to identify agents who are ready for immediate response to the message based on whether the agents are logged on and on busy indicators indicating that the agents are currently handling an existing e-mail message, and to route said incoming electronic mail message and said predefined response via said electronic mail server system to a corresponding agent of the identified agents.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system for processing and routing electronic mail messages is located within a call center, said at least one term is related to call center activity, and routing to said corresponding agent includes storing said incoming electronic mail message in a storage area within said call center.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said electronic mail server system and said mail parsing system are coupled via an electronic data network.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a keyword database storing at least one pre-configured keyword corresponding to said at least one term and at least one electronic mail address corresponding to said at least one pre-configured keyword, said mail parsing system causing said electronic mail server system to route said incoming electronic mail message based on said at least one electronic mail address.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said at least one electronic mail address corresponds to at least one operator within said call center capable of responding to said incoming electronic mail message.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a response statistic system for generating statistics related to a response to said incoming electronic mail message generated by said call center.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said statistics include a quantity corresponding to an amount of time before said response to said incoming electronic mail message was generated.

8. The system according to claim 2, wherein said storage area corresponds to a response system to which said electronic mail message is routed based on said at least one term, said response system automatically receiving said incoming electronic mail message and being used to facilitate a response thereto.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said response system is an operator terminal coupled to said electronic mail server system and which is configured to receive said incoming electronic mail message.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said electronic mail server system automatically replies to said incoming electronic mail message based on a pre-configured response message prior to routing said incoming electronic mail message to said mail parsing system.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said call center activity includes responding to a customer service inquiry.

19. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically replying to said incoming electronic mail message based on a pre-configured response message prior to routing said incoming electronic mail message.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein said call center activity includes responding to a customer service inquiry.

34. A system according to claim 1, wherein said mail parsing system is farther operative to transmit a busy indicator signal indicating that the corresponding agent is unavailable to work.

12. A method for processing and routing electronic mail messages within a call center, comprising the following steps:

receiving an incoming electronic mail message;

automatically parsing said incoming electronic mail message for the existence of at least one term related to a call center activity;

selecting a predefined response based on the at least one term;

identifying agents who are ready for immediate response to the message based on whether the agents are logged on and on busy indicators indicating that the agents are currently handling an existing e-mail message; and

routing said incoming electronic mail message and said predefined response to a corresponding agent of the identified agents.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said receiving, parsing, and routing steps are performed by an electronic mail server and parsing system which is coupled to an electronic data network, said electronic mail message being received by said electronic mail server and parsing system via said electronic data network.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said electronic data network is the Internet.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein said electronic mail server and parsing system further includes a keyword database storing at least one pre-configured keyword corresponding to said at least one term and at least one electronic mail address corresponding to said at least one pre-configured keyword, and said routing step routing said incoming electronic mail message based on said at least one electronic mail address.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said at least one electronic mail address corresponds to at least one operator within said call center capable of responding to said incoming electronic mail message.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of generating a response to said incoming electronic mail message, and generating statistics related to the generation of said response to said incoming electronic mail message.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said statistics include an amount of time before said response to said incoming electronic mail message was generated.

35. A method according to claim 12, further comprising transmitting a busy indicator signal indicating that the corresponding agent is unavailable to work.

21. A method for obtaining a service from a call center, comprising the following steps:

generating an electronic mail message containing a request for a service from a call center, said generating step being performed by an electronic mail message origination system;

sending said electronic mail message from said electronic mail message origination system to said call center via an electronic data network, said electronic data network coupling said electronic mail message origination system and call center;

automatically generating a reply upon receipt of said electronic mail message by said call center;

automatically sending said reply to said electronic mail message from said call center to said electronic mail message origination system via said electronic data network;

automatically parsing said electronic mail message for the existence of at least one term related to said service provided by said call center;

selecting a predefined response based on the at least one term;

identifying agents who are ready for immediate response to the message based on whether the agents are logged on and on busy indicators indicating that the agents are currently handling an existing e-mail message; and

routing said electronic mail message and said predefined response to a corresponding agent of the identified agents.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said step of automatically generating said reply is based on a template maintained by said call center.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein said step of automatically generating said reply includes initiating at least one of a telephone call and a return electronic mail message to an originator of said electronic mail message.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein said storage area is managed by an agent terminal system within said call center.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein said routing step is performed by an electronic mail server system.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein said electronic data network includes the Internet.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein said service is a customer inquiry response service.

28. The method according to claim 21, wherein said at least one keyword is pre-configured and stored within a database managed by said call center.

29. The method according to claim 21, wherein said at least one keyword is pre-configured based on system attributes related to said electronic mail message origination system.

36. A method according to claim 21, further comprising transmitting a busy indicator signal indicating that the corresponding agent is unavailable to work.

30. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions which when executed by a processor cause said processor to perform steps for processing and routing electronic mail messages within a call center, said steps comprising:

receiving an incoming electronic mail message;

automatically parsing said incoming electronic mail message for the existence of at least one term related to a call center activity;

selecting a predefined response based on the at least one term;

identifying agents who are ready for immediate response to the message based on whether the agents are logged on and on busy indicators indicating that the agents are currently handling an existing e-mail message; and

routing said incoming electronic mail message and said predefined response to an agent of the identified agents associated with said at least one term.

37. A computer-readable medium according to claim 30, the steps further comprising transmitting a busy indicator signal indicating that the associated agent is unavailable to work.

31. A method for processing and routing electronic mail messages within a call center, comprising the following steps:

receiving an incoming electronic mail message;

generating a data structure which represents the incoming electronic mail message by

automatically parsing said incoming electronic mail message for the existence of at least one term related to a call center activity,

comparing said parsed incoming electronic mail message to a keyword in a keyword database to determine if a match exists,

selecting a predefined response based on the keyword if it is determined that a match exists,

inserting the predefined response into said data structure, and

inserting customer contact information from a customer contact information database into said data structure;

determining an association between an agent and said data structure;

identifying the associated agent as ready for immediate response to the message based on whether the agent is logged on and on whether a busy indicator indicates that the agent is currently handling an existing e-mail message; and

routing said data structure and said incoming electronic mail message to said associated agent.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising generating a reply based on a template maintained by said call center.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein said step of generating said reply includes initiating at least one of a telephone call and a return electronic mail message to an originator of said electronic mail message.

38. A method according to claim 31, further comprising transmitting a busy indicator signal indicating that the associated agent is unavailable to work.