Method of creating a telephone data capturing system

• US 6,577,713 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1999
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Iquest Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Iquest Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Peterson, Curtis M., Mann, Richard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US09/415,133
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/14, 379/88.17, 379/67.01, 379/88.11, 379/76, 379/88.16, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/201.01, 379/201.03
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A customer survey design system that allows survey organizations to easily design and modify the survey, and to do so in a shorter period of time. In particular, there is a telephone survey creation method usable by a non-technical person, using a single web site and an audio responsive system like a telephone. The client is allowed to create a customer survey to be taken over a phone. Specifically, there is a step of accessing a web site and begin creating the survey by typing in survey questions and enteries. Additionally, there is a second step of completing the creation of the survey by providing a voice script for each question typed onto the web site. Creating the survey also includes the step of allowing the client to modify the questions created on the web site. Additionally, there is a method of accessing a web site that further comprises the steps of a) selecting an entry from a pre-set entry list for the survey, b) determining if the selected entry is a question, and if so, prompting the client to type the question to be asked in the survey, and thereafter completing the question criteria, and returning to the step of selecting a pre-set entry.

Claims

1. A method of allowing a client to create a survey for customers to take over a telephone, comprising the steps of:

a) accessing a web site and creating a first portion of the survey by selecting entries and receiving a unique client survey telephone number; and

b) establishing a telephone connection, using the unique client survey telephone number, for completing a second portion of the survey by providing a voice script for each of the entries selected in step a).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the survey includes the step of allowing the client to modify the entries on the web site after the selection of each entry.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of accessing a web site further comprises the steps of:

a) selecting an entry from a pre-set entry list for the survey;

b) determining if the selected entry is a question, and if so, prompting the client to type a voice script of the question to be asked in the survey, and thereafter completing the question criteria; and

c) returning to the step of selecting a pre-set entry.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of accessing a web site further comprises the steps of:

a) selecting an entry from a pre-set entry list for the survey;

b) determining if the selected entry is an opening statement and, if so, prompting the client to complete opening statement entry criteria; and

c) returning to the step of selecting a pre-set entry.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of accessing a web site further comprises the steps of:

a) selecting an entry from a pre-set entry list for the survey;

b) determining if the selected entry is a closing statement, and if so, prompting the client to complete closing statement criteria; and

c) returning to the step of selecting a pre-set entry.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of accessing a web site further comprises the steps of determining if the entries are acceptable to the client, and if not, returning the client to the step of selecting a pre-set entry or previously created entry, and if acceptable, providing the client with the unique client survey telephone number.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of establishing a telephone connection using the unique client survey telephone number, for completing a second portion of the survey by providing a voice script for each of the entries selected in step a), further comprises the steps of:

a) entering the unique client survey telephone number over the telephone to access the survey; and

b) speaking a message for the opening statement, if there was an opening statement created over the web site.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of establishing a telephone connection further comprises the steps of:

a) reading the voice scripts, over the telephone, that were created for each question typed onto the web site; and

b) speaking a message for the closing statement, if there was a closing statement created over the web site.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of establishing a telephone connection further comprises the steps of:

a) determining if the voice scripts are completed to the satisfaction of the client; and

b) providing the client with a unique customer telephone number to be accessed by the customer to take the survey over the telephone.

10. The method of claim 9, further including the step of allowing the client to modify the entries created on the web site at any time after the survey is completed.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of providing a survey customer telephone number to the client and recording customers'"'"' responses to questions included in the survey.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

a) accessing collected survey responses, by allowing the client to connect to the web site and retrieve application results using a data report program, which downloads data from an application database; and

b) displaying, in any known display form, the application responses.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

a) allowing a customer to dial a customer-telephone number that accesses the survey;

b) running an interactive voice response system to access the survey via an application database and voice recording storage;

c) capturing the customer'"'"'s telephone key pad button pressing responses in the application database; and

d) capturing the customer'"'"'s verbal responses in the voice recording storage.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

a) allowing a transcriber to access the verbal responses from the customers, through a telephone, by connecting the transcriber to the survey'"'"'s voice recording storage;

b) replaying the customer'"'"'s verbal responses over the telephone; and

c) allowing the transcriber to access the web site and allowing the transcriber to type in the verbal responses onto the web site to update the application database.