System and method for distributing data collected from call center services

• US 6,377,567 B1
• Filed: 07/16/1997
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Leonard, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): KWOH, JASPER C
• Application Number:
  US08/893,339
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352-356, 379/265-266, 379/90.1, 379/90.2, 379/265.01, 379/266.1, 705/1, 705/40, 705/10, 348/1-5, 455/2.01
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/018 On-line real-time billing, able to see billing information while in communication, e.g. via the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• 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 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements

Abstract

A distribution system makes reports available to customers of call centers. The report may provide information regarding calls handled by the call center on behalf of the customer. For example, the report provide call statistics, including summary call statistic and individuals call statistic. The report may also include billing detail records. The reports are automatically generated and distributed for access by the customers via computing resources. The distribution may be accomplished in near real time. The reports may consolidate data gathered from multiple agent consoles and from multiple call centers, including geographically call centers. Separate reports may be provided for each of the customers served by the call centers.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications system having a computer system and multiple call centers with multiple agent consoles stationed at said multiple call centers for handling calls with callers on behalf of customers, a method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

collecting data at said multiple agent consoles from calls handled on behalf of a selected customer at each of said multiple call centers;

gathering said data from said multiple call centers and consolidating the gathered data in a report; and

making the report available for retrieval by the selected customer following call completion via at least one of a communications network and an electronic bulletin board service.

2. In the telecommunications system of claim 1, the method further comprising delivering said report to said customers and services associated with said call centers using a single platform.

3. In the telecommunications system of claim 2, the method further comprising configuring the report to contain call statistics regarding the calls handled on behalf of the selected client.

4. In the telecommunications system of claim 2, the method further comprising configuring the report to contain billing information regarding the calls handled on behalf of the selected client.

5. In the telecommunications system of claim 2, the method further comprising configuring the report to be made available via the communications network.

6. In the telecommunications system of claim 5, the method further comprising configuring the report to be delivered to the selected customer using a file transfer protocol over the communications network.

7. In the telecommunications system of claim 2, the method further comprising configuring the telecommunications system to include the electronic bulletin board service,

wherein the report is made available by the report being posted on the electronic bulletin board service.

8. In the telecommunications system of claim 2, the method further comprising:

generating an additional report holding data gathered from calls that were handled on behalf of the selected client; and

making the additional report available to the selected customer.

9. In a system having a computer system and multiple geographically-distributed call centers, wherein each of said multiple call centers has multiple agent consoles for handling calls on behalf of customers, a method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

collecting data at said multiple agent consoles from calls handled on behalf of a customer at each of said multiple call centers;

gathering said data collected from said multiple calls on agent consoles in said multiple call centers;

for each customer on behalf of which calls have been handled, generating a report holding at least some of the data that was collected from calls that were handled on behalf of the client; and

posting the reports for retrieval by the customers via at least one of a communications network and an electronic bulletin board service.

10. In the telecommunications system of claim 9, the method further comprising delivering said report to said customers and services associated with said call centers using a single platform.

11. In the system of claim 10, the method further comprising configuring the report posted for a given one of the customers to contain call statistics regarding calls handled on behalf of the given client.

12. In the system of claim 10, the method further comprising configuring the report posted for a given one of the customers to contain billing information.

13. In a telecommunications system having a computer system and multiple call centers with multiple agent consoles for handling calls with callers on behalf of customers, a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implemented steps comprising:

collecting data at said multiple agent consoles from calls handled on behalf of a selected customer at each of said multiple call centers;

gathering said data from said multiple call centers and consolidating the gathered data in a report; and

making the report available for retrieval by the selected customer following call completion via at least one of a communications network and an electronic bulletin board service.

14. In the telecommunications system of claim 13, the computer-readable medium further performing the step of delivering said report to said customers and services associated with said call centers using a single platform.

15. In the telecommunications system of claim 14, the computer-readable medium further performing the step of configuring the report to contain call statistics regarding the calls handled on behalf of the selected client.

16. In the telecommunications system of claim 14, the computer-readable medium further performing the step of configuring the report to contain billing information regarding the calls handled on behalf of the selected client.

17. In the telecommunications system of claim 14, the computer-readable medium further performing the step of configuring the report to be delivered via the communications network.

18. In the telecommunications system of claim 17, the computer-readable medium further performing the step of configuring the report to be delivered to the selected customer using a file transfer protocol over the communications network.

19. In a system having a computer system and multiple geographically-distributed call centers, wherein each call center has multiple agent consoles for handling calls on behalf of customers, a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implemented steps of:

collecting data on behalf of said customers at said multiple agent consoles from calls handled at each of said multiple call centers;

gathering said data collected from calls on agent consoles in the multiple call centers;

for each customer on behalf of which calls have been handled, generating a report holding at least some of the data that was collected from calls that were handled on behalf of said customers; and

posting the report for retrieval by the customers via at least one of a communications network and an electronic bulletin board service.

20. In the telecommunications system of claim 19, the computer-readable medium further performing the step of delivering said report to said customers and services associated with said call centers using a single platform.

21. A customer report server for generating reports regarding call activity at multiple agent consoles in multiple call centers on behalf of customers, comprising:

a database holding data gathered at said multiple agent consoles in the multiple call centers regarding call activity on behalf of the customers;

a report generator for generating reports for the customers regarding call activity at said multiple agent consoles in the call centers on behalf of the customers; and

an access subsystem for making the reports that are generated by the report generator accessible to the customers for retrieval via at least one of a computer network and an electronic bulletin board service.

22. The server of claim 21, wherein said reports and services associated with said call centers are performed using a single platform.

23. The server of claim 22 wherein the database holds call statistics data regarding call activity by the agents on behalf of the customers.

24. The server of claim 22 wherein the database holds records regarding billing details.

25. The server of claim 22 wherein the report generator generates a call statistics report that contains call statistics regarding call activity by the agents.

26. The server of claim 25 wherein the call statistics report contains summary statistics that summarize call activity on behalf of a selected customer.

27. The server of claim 25 wherein the call statistics report contains statistics regarding individual call handled by the agents on behalf of a selected customer.

28. The server of claim 25 wherein the access subsystem includes a network delivery subsystem for delivering the reports via the computer network.

29. The server of claim 28 wherein the computer network is the Internet.