System and methods for call decisioning in a virtual call center integrating telephony with computers

• US 6,714,642 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bank One Delaware NA (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Bank One Delaware NA (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Shkreli, Djovana, Dhir, Nitin, Foster, Thorp
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US10/286,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20030108183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.02, 379/266.01, 379/309, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/88.18
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems

Abstract

An apparatus and methods for a call routing system is disclosed whereby the call routing service provider is associated with a series of partners. By providing a system supporting not only the main user, but also the partners, efficiencies are gained through cost-spreading. Agents can be qualified to field calls for multiple business entities. Cross-selling and proactive servicing based on caller demographic and profile data can be effectuated. The system employs a centralized or global bank of shared Interactive Voice Response (IVR) units so that unnecessary post-routing and call site interflow are reduced. The system comprises a central server system that interfaces with a long distance provider so that route requests are received, caller data is retrieved from one or more databases, routing and handling strategies are developed, load balancing is effectuated, and calls are appropriately routed to one of a plurality of geographically separated call center systems with queues staffed by agents. Each call center system is designed to support various queues, and agents may be qualified or assigned to various queues based on their skill sets and skill levels.

Claims

1. A call routing system, comprising:

a central server system for receiving information regarding a call and developing a routing control signal;

wherein the central server system interfaces with a telephony network that is responsive to said routing control signal;

a plurality of call sites for receiving the call based on the routing control signal; and

a voice response unit that is external to the telephony network and that is shared by the plurality of call sites, wherein the central server system preroutes the call to the voice response unit in order to collect at least a portion of the information in order to develop the routing control signal.

2. The call routing system of claim 1, wherein each call site is staffed by a plurality of agents, at least some of the agents being associated with multiple queues.

3. The call routing system of claim 1, wherein the call sites include multiple queues, and wherein at least one call site has a queue for suggesting servicing other than that requested by a caller.

4. The call routing system of claim 1, wherein the central server system is adapted to route the call to a queue for proactive servicing based on decisioning logic that predicts whether a caller may be interested in a product or service based on stored customer profile data or customer behavior data.

5. The call routing system of claim 1, wherein the central server system generates a plurality of candidate routing strategies, each candidate routing strategy having a target queue, and further wherein the central server system generates the routing control signal based on selecting one of the candidate routing strategies.

6. The call routing system of claim 1, wherein the information regarding a call is used to retrieve information from a call center database used in developing the routing control signal.

7. The call routing system of claim 1, wherein the routing control signal causes the telephony network to take the call back from the voice response unit in order to route the call to one of the call sites.

8. A method of routing calls in a call routing system, comprising:

receiving information of a call at a central server system;

generating a first routing control signal to route the call to an interactive voice response unit shared by a plurality of call sites, wherein the interactive voice response unit is external to an exchange carrier providing the call;

receiving input from a caller at the interactive voice response unit; and

generating a second routing control signal for routing the call to one of said plurality of call sites based at least in part on said input.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of generating a plurality of candidate routing strategies, each candidate routing strategy having a target queue, and wherein the step of generating a second routing control signal comprises selecting one of the candidate routing strategies.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of providing a plurality of agents for staffing the call sites, at least some of the agents being associated with multiple queues.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of providing multiple queues at each call site.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one call site includes a queue for suggesting servicing other than that requested by a caller.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of generating a second routing control signal comprises predicting a service or product of interest to a caller based on decisioning logic that predicts whether the caller may be interested in a product or service based on previously stored data, the product or service being other than that requested by the caller.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of routing the call to an agent at a call site who is associated with a queue for the service or product.

15. A method of preparing strategies for a call routing system, comprising:

receiving information of a call at a call routing system, the information including data provided by a voice response unit that is shared by a plurality of call sites and that is external to a telephony network providing the call;

retrieving data from a database based on said information;

generating a plurality of routing strategies for said call based on the retrieved data, each routing strategy having a target queue; and

selecting one of the routing strategies.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising routing the call to one of the call sites based on the selected routing strategy.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of performing load balancing before routing the call to one of the call sites.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein one of said routing strategies provides for sending the call to a queue for proactive servicing for suggesting servicing other than that requested by a caller.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of generating handling strategy data to assist an agent receiving the call.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said handling strategy data informs the agent on how to handle the call.