Method and system for informing callers within a queue

• US 6,847,715 B1
• Filed: 07/12/2000
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Interactive Intelligence Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Swartz, Jeff H.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US09/614,781
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01
• US Class Current: 379/266.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/94 Hardware or software architectures specially adapted for image or video understanding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1328 Call transfer, e.g. in PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13378 Speech recognition, speech analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/645 Circuit arrangements therefor

Abstract

A system for implementing a technique for operatively integrating an automatic call distributor and an interactive voice response unit is disclosed. Upon receiving and storing an interaction input from a caller seeking information, the automatic call distributor determines the availability of an agent workstation to respond to the interaction input. The interactive voice response unit provides the caller with access to the information when the automatic call distributor determines an agent workstation is unavailable to respond to the interaction input. The automatic call distributor transmits the interaction input to an appropriate agent workstation whenever that particular agent workstation becomes available to respond to the interaction input.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an interaction input from a caller seeking information;

storing said interaction input within a queue;

determining an availability of at least one agent to provide said information to said caller;

operating an interactive voice response unit to prompt said caller to provide a selection input corresponding to said information only if said at least one agent is unavailable to provide said information; and

wherein said operating includes providing a first menu to said caller with said interactive voice response unit, said first menu being responsive to said selection input to provide a second menu to said caller corresponding to said information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said interaction input is a telephone call.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said interaction input is a chat call originating from a computer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said interaction input is continually stored within said queue while said at least one agent is unavailable to provide said information.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

deactivating said interactive voice response unit in response to a first agent of said at least one agent becoming available to provide said information.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

deactivating said interactive voice response unit in response to a termination of said reception of said interaction input.

7. A system, comprising:

a telephony server, including

an ACD defining a queue operable to determine an availability of at least one agent to provide information to a caller in response to an interaction input from said caller;

an interactive voice response unit operable to prompt said caller to provide a selection input corresponding to said information only if said queue determines said at least one agent is unavailable to provide said information, said ACD and said interactive voice response unit being integrated together within said telephony server; and

wherein said interactive voice response unit is operable to provide a first menu, said first menu being responsive to said selection input to provide a second menu corresponding to said;

information.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said queue is further operable to store said interaction input while said interactive voice response unit is providing said caller with access to said information.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said interaction input is a telephone call.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said interaction input is a chat call.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving an interaction input from a caller seeking information;

storing the interaction input within a queue;

determining unavailability of several agents to communicate with the caller before prompting the caller with a first menu of an interactive voice response unit to provide an input to select the information; and

responding to the input by providing the caller a second menu of the interactive voice response unit, the second menu corresponding to the information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the queue is of an ACD type, and the queue and the interactive voice response unit are integrated together within a telephony server.

13. The method of claim 11, which includes connecting the caller to one of the agents when the one of the agents becomes available to provide the information.

14. The method of claim 11, which includes providing the caller the information with the interactive voice response unit.