Methods and systems for homogeneously routing and/or queueing call center customer interactions across media types

• US 6,493,695 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1999
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle Corporation
• Inventors: Kodur, Narasimhaprasad, Pickering, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holmes, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US09/407,791
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45, 706/47, 706/46
• US Class Current: 706/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/408 Customer-specific call routing plans
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms

Abstract

Methods, devices and systems for processing a customer interaction of any media type for assignment to at least one selected call center agent and/or to at least one selected queue coupled to at least one call center agent in a call center. The method includes steps of receiving the customer interaction and extracting customer data from the received customer interaction. The customer data is linked with the customer interaction from which the customer data was extracted. The extracted customer data is stored in a data structure that is generic across all media types of the customer interactions. The customer data in the generic data structure is then applied to a rule-based engine, the rule-based engine operating upon the extracted customer data to select the agent(s) and/or the queue(s) to which to assign the generic data structure. A repository of call center agent characteristics may be accessed to select the agent(s) and/or queue(s), as may be a customer information database. The generic data structure or object is assigned and sent to the selected agent(s) and/or to the selected queue(s), and the customer interaction linked to the generic data structure is retrieved. At least the retrieved customer interaction may then be presented to the selected agent(s) on a display and/or teleset.

Claims

1. A method for processing a customer interaction of any media type for assignment to at least one selected agent or at least one selected queue coupled to at least one agent, comprising the steps of:

receiving the customer interaction;

extracting customer data from the received customer interaction and linking the customer data with the customer interaction from which the customer data was extracted;

storing the customer data in a data structure that is generic across all media types of the customer interactions;

applying the customer data in the generic data structure to a rule-based engine, the rule-based engine operating upon the extracted customer data to select the at least one agent or the at least one queue to which to assign the generic data structure;

assigning and sending the generic data structure to the at least one selected agent or to the at least one queue;

retrieving the customer interaction linked to the generic data structure, and

presenting the retrieved customer interaction to the at least one selected agent.

2. The processing method of claim 1, wherein the incoming customer interaction originates from a group of media types including e-mail, facsimile, telephone, Word Wide Web and written letter.

3. The processing method of claim 1, wherein the applying step causes the rule-based engine to access a repository of agent characteristics, the rule-based engine selecting the at least one agent or the at least one queue by matching the customer data to the agent characteristics.

4. The processing method of claim 3, wherein the agent characteristics include at least one criteria selected from a group including the at least one agent'"'"'s availability, skill sets, proficiency, languages spoken and experience.

5. The processing method of claim 1, wherein the extracting step extracts customer data by collecting at least one of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) data, Automatic Number Identification (ANI) data, call arrival time, CallerID data, Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) when the media type of the received customer interaction is a telephone call.

6. The processing method of claim 1, wherein the extracting step extracts customer data from a Web page accessed by a customer, when the media type of the received customer interaction includes a World Wide Web page.

7. The processing method of claim 1, wherein the extracting step extracts customer data from an email sent by a customer, when the media type of the received customer interaction includes an email.

8. The processing method of claim 1, further comprising the step of accessing customer information based upon the extracted customer data, the customer information being stored in a customer information database.

9. The processing method of claim 8, wherein the customer information database stores at least one of a customer account number, name, contact information, interaction history, level of service to render, payment information and sales information.

10. The processing method of claim 8, wherein the presenting step includes a step of presenting the accessed customer information to the at least one selected agent along with the retrieved customer interaction.

11. The processing method of claim 1, wherein the generic data structure includes at least one field associated with each media type and wherein the storing step selectively populates at least one of said plurality of fields with said extracted customer data.

12. The processing method of claim 1, wherein a task to be performed by at least one agent is substituted for the customer interaction and wherein task data is substituted for the customer data, the agent task thereby being assigned to the at least one selected agent.

13. The processing method of claim 1, wherein the generic data structure is removed from said at least one queue when the retrieved customer interaction is presented to the at least one selected agent.

14. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one data storage device;

a plurality of processes spawned by said at least one processor, the processes including processing logic for processing a customer interaction of any media type for assignment to at least one selected call center agent or at least one selected queue coupled to at least one call center agent in a call center, said processing logic defining the steps of;

receiving the customer interaction;

extracting customer data from the received customer interaction and linking the customer data with the customer interaction from which the customer data was extracted;

storing the customer data in a data structure that is generic across all media types of the customer interactions;

applying the customer data in the generic data structure to a rule-based engine, the rule-based engine operating upon the extracted customer data to select the at least one agent or the at least one queue to which to assign the generic data structure;

assigning and sending the generic data structure to the at least one selected agent or to the at least one queue;

retrieving the customer interaction linked to the generic data structure, and

presenting the retrieved customer interaction to the at least one selected agent.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the incoming customer interaction originates from a group of media types including e-mail, facsimile, telephone, Word Wide Web and written letter.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the applying step causes the rule-based engine to access a repository of agent characteristics, the rule-based engine selecting the at least one agent or the at least one queue by matching the customer data to the agent characteristics.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the agent characteristics include at least one criteria selected from a group including the at least one agent'"'"'s availability, skill sets, proficiency, languages spoken and experience.

18. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the extracting step extracts customer data by collecting at least one of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) data, Automatic Number Identification (ANI) data, call arrival time, CallerID data, Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) when the media type of the received customer interaction is a telephone call.

19. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the extracting step extracts customer data from a Web page accessed by a customer, when the media type of the received customer interaction includes a World Wide Web page.

20. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the extracting step extracts customer data from an email sent by a customer, when the media type of the received customer interaction includes an email.

21. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the processes further include processing logic for accessing customer information based upon the extracted customer data, the customer information being stored in a customer information database.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the customer information database stores at least one of a customer account number, name, contact information, interaction history, level of service to render, payment information and sales information.

23. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the presenting step includes a step of presenting the accessed customer information to the at least one selected agent along with the retrieved customer interaction.

24. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the generic data structure includes at least one field associated with each media type and wherein the storing step selectively populates at least one of said plurality of fields with said extracted customer data.

25. The computer system of claim 14, wherein a task to be performed by at least one agent is substituted for the customer interaction and wherein task data is substituted for the customer data, the agent task thereby being assigned to the at least one selected agent.

26. A machine-readable medium having data stored thereon representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a call center computer, causes said computer to process a customer interaction of any media type for assignment to at least one selected agent or at least one selected queue coupled to at least one agent of a call center by performing the steps of:

receiving the customer interaction;

extracting customer data from the received customer interaction and linking the customer data with the customer interaction from which the customer data was extracted;

storing the customer data in a data structure that is generic across all media types of the customer interactions;

applying the customer data in the generic data structure to a rule-based engine, the rule-based engine operating upon the extracted customer data to select the at least one agent or the at least one queue to which to assign the generic data structure;

assigning and sending the generic data structure to the at least one selected agent or to the at least one queue;

retrieving the customer interaction linked to the generic data structure, and

presenting the retrieved customer interaction to the at least one selected agent.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the incoming customer interaction originates from a group of media types including e-mail, facsimile, telephone, Word Wide Web and written letter.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the applying step causes the rule-based engine to access a repository of agent characteristics, the rule-based engine selecting the at least one agent or the at least one queue by matching the customer data to the agent characteristics.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the agent characteristics include at least one criteria selected from a group including the at least one agent'"'"'s availability, skill sets, proficiency, languages spoken and experience.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the extracting step extracts customer data by collecting at least one of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) data, Automatic Number Identification (ANI) data, call arrival time, CallerID data, Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) when the media type of the received customer interaction is a telephone call.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the extracting step extracts customer data from a Web page accessed by a customer, when the media type of the received customer interaction includes a World Wide Web page.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the extracting step extracts customer data from an email sent by a customer, when the media type of the received customer interaction includes an email.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein said sequences of instructions further cause said computer to further carry out the step of accessing customer information based upon the extracted customer data, the customer information being stored in a customer information database.

34. The machine-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the customer information database stores at least one of a customer account number, name, contact information, interaction history, level of service to render, payment information and sales information.

35. The machine-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the presenting step includes a step of presenting the accessed customer information to the at least one selected agent along with the retrieved customer interaction.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the generic data structure includes at least one field associated with each media type and wherein the storing step selectively populates at least one of said plurality of fields with said extracted customer data.

37. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein a task to be performed by at least one agent is substituted for the customer interaction and wherein task data is substituted for the customer data, the agent task thereby being assigned to the at least one selected agent.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the generic data structure is removed from said at least one queue when the retrieved customer interaction is presented to the at least one selected agent.