Channel director for cross-channel customer interactions

• US 6,886,037 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Teradata US, Inc. (Teradata Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Brewer, Thomas G., Yount, Nelson H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc H.
• Application Number:
  US09/540,502
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226, 709/229, 709/217, 709/201, 379/265, 379/265.09
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Methods and an apparatus are provided for directing and managing cross-channel interactions with a customer. A customer makes multiple contacts with a business over first and second channels. These contacts are electronically represented as first and second interactions which are recorded in a single dialogue. The dialogue is evaluated so as to modify at least one of the interactions or channels. Further, a business service provider is connected to an interaction based upon the subject matter of the interaction and the channel over which the interaction is occurring. A service provider'"'"'s actions with a customer are validated based upon such things as business policy, customer profile, customer privacy, channels, the skill set of the service provider, and the subject matter of the interactions. A service provider may also extract from a customer profile database a customer with whom an interaction is established.

Claims

1. A method for managing the cross-channel interactions of a customer, comprising:

identifying a first interaction on a first channel and a second interaction on a second channel, wherein the first and second channels are different channels;

identifying a customer associated with the interactions, wherein the interactions are occurring concurrently;

recording a dialogue corresponding to the first and second interactions;

using the dialogue to modify at least one of the interactions;

identifying a first subject matter associated with the first interaction and a second subject matter associated with the second interaction;

connecting a first service provider to the first interaction based upon the first subject matter and the first channel;

connecting a second service provider to the second interaction based upon the second subject matter and the second channel;

enforcing a plurality of business policies for each of the channels and each of the interactions;

enforcing a plurality of customer profiles for each of the channels and each of the interactions; and

alerting the first service provider to take a plurality of actions with the customer based upon the first interaction, the first channel, the first subject matter, the business policies, and the customer profiles.

2. An apparatus for managing cross-channel interactions between a customer and a business apparatus comprising:

a plurality of devices interfaced to the customer;

means for identifying a first interaction on a first channel of one of the devices and a second interaction on a second channel of another of the devices, wherein the first and second channels are different channels;

means for recording a dialogue corresponding to the first interaction and the second interaction;

means for associating the customer with the first and second interactions, wherein the interactions are occurring concurrently;

means for using the dialogue to modify at least one of the interactions;

means for storing a customer profile associated with each of the interactions;

means for retrieving the customer profile associated with each of the interactions;

means for enforcing a plurality of business policies for each of the channels and each of the interactions;

means for enforcing the customer profiles for each of the channels and each of the interactions;

means for identifying a first subject matter associated with the first interaction and a second subject matter associated with the second interaction;

means for connecting a first service provider to the first interaction based upon the first subject matter and the first channel;

means for connecting a second service provider to the second interaction based upon the second subject matter and the second channel; and

means for alerting the service providers to take a plurality of actions with the customer based upon the interactions, the channels, the subject matters, the business policies and the customer profiles.

3. A method for managing the cross-channel interactions of a customer while the interactions are occurring comprising:

concurrently establishing a session including a first interaction on a first channel and a second interaction on a second channel, wherein the first and second channels are different channels;

identifying a customer associated with the interactions;

recording a dialogue associated with the first interaction and the second interaction during the session;

modifying at least one of the interactions using the dialogue before the session terminates;

storing a customer profile during the session;

retrieving the customer profile during the session;

enforcing a plurality of business policies for each of the channels and for each of the interactions during the session;

enforcing the customer profiles for each of the channels and for each of the interactions during the session;

identifying one of a plurality of subject matters associated with each of the interactions during the session;

connecting one of a plurality of service providers for each interaction based upon the subject matter associated with the interaction and the channel associated with the interaction during the session;

alerting one of a number of the service providers to take a plurality of actions with the customer based upon the interactions, the channels, the subject matters, the business policies and the customer profiles during the session.

4. A method for connecting a customer interaction to a service provider based upon the interaction and the subject matter of the interaction comprising:

concurrently establishing a first interaction on a first channel and a second interaction on a second channel with a customer, wherein the first and second channels are different channels;

identifying a first subject matter associated with the first interaction and a second subject matter associated with the second interaction;

selecting a first service provider for the first interaction based upon the first subject matter and the first channel;

selecting a second service provider for the second interaction based upon the second subject matter and the second channel;

connecting the first service provider to the customer through the first interaction;

connecting the second service provider to the customer through the second interaction;

enforcing a plurality of business policies for each of the channels and each of the interactions;

enforcing a plurality of customer profiles for each of the channels and each of the interactions;

alerting the first service provider to take a plurality of actions with the customer based upon the first interaction, the first channel, the first subject matter, the privacy policies, the business policies, and the customer profiles; and

alerting the second service provider to take a plurality of actions with the customer based upon the second interaction, the second channel, the second subject matter, the business policies, and the customer profiles.