System and method for observing calls to a call center

• US 6,970,554 B1
• Filed: 03/04/2002
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cx360 Incorporated, Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BBNT Solutions LLC (Rtx Corporation), Verizon Corporate Services Group Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Michael, Peterson, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US10/090,264
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 379/85, 379/88.01, 379/88.04, 379/88.08, 379/88.09, 379/88.18, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.06, 379/265.07, 379/265.08, 379/32.01, 379/32.02, 379/32.04, 379/112.01, 379/133, 379/134, 379/265.03, 379/266.1
• US Class Current: 379/266.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements

Abstract

An observation system for observation calls to a call center includes an automatic call director (ACD) unit, an interactive voice response (IVR) unit, and a recorder unit. The ACD receives incoming calls to the call center and also queues and switches the calls to various lines of the call center. The IVR unit is connected to the ACD unit and interacts with a caller via an interactive computer program in which the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the interactive program to provide the caller with information or another prompt. The recorder unit records calls to the call center from beginning to end, including prompts made by the IVR unit, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided by the IVR unit to the callers.

Claims

1. A system for observing calls to a call center, said system comprising:

an automatic call director (ACD) unit, arranged to receive incoming calls to the call center and to queue and switch the calls to various lines of the call center, said ACD unit including a service observation port;

an interactive voice response (IVR) unit connected to said ACD unit, said IVR unit arranged to interact with a caller via an interactive computer program in which the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the interactive program to provide the caller with information or another prompt; and

a recorder unit, located off-site from said call center and arranged to communicate with said ACD unit via the service observation port to record calls to the call center, the recorder unit recording complete calls from beginning to end, including prompts made by said IVR unit, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided by said IVR unit to the callers.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said recorder unit communicates with the service observation port via a router.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said recorder unit communicates with the service observation port via the public switched telephone network.

4. A system according to any one of claims 2 and 3, wherein said recorder unit is a live observer who manually records the calls to the call center.

5. A system according to any one of claims 2 and 3, wherein said recorder unit is an electronic recorder unit.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein the caller responses are dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) responses, and said recorder unit is equipped with a DTMF decoder for decoding the caller responses.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a terminal connected to said IVR unit, said terminal arranged to receive a call transferred from said IVR unit, such that an agent using said terminal may interact with a caller corresponding to the transferred call.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said recorder unit records a conversation between the caller and the agent.

9. A system for observing calls to a call center, said system comprising:

an automatic call director (ACD) unit, arranged to receive incoming calls to the call center and to queue and switch the calls to various lines of the call center, said ACD unit including a service observation port;

a first interactive voice response (IVR) unit connected to said ACD unit, said first IVR unit arranged to interact with a caller via an interactive computer program in which the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the interactive program to provide the caller with information or another prompt; and

a service observation system located off-site from the call center, said service observation system including;

a second IVR unit, arranged to connect with said ACD unit via the service observation port, by providing said ACD unit with a security passcode so that the second IVR unit has access to calls to the call center, and

a recorder unit, arranged to record calls to the call center, the recorder unit recording complete calls from beginning to end, including prompts made by said first IVR unit, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided by said first IVR unit to the callers.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the recorder unit is a live observer who manually records the calls to the call center.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein the recorder unit is an electronic recorder unit.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein the caller responses are dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) responses, and the recorder unit is equipped with a DTMF decoder for decoding the caller responses.

13. A system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a terminal connected to said first IVR unit, said terminal arranged to receive a call transferred from said first IVR unit, such that an agent using said terminal may interact with a caller corresponding to the transferred call.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the recorder unit records a conversation between the caller and the agent.

15. A system according to claim 9, wherein the recorder unit selectively records a particular category of calls.

16. A system for observing calls to a call center, said system comprising:

an automatic call director (ACD) unit, arranged to receive incoming calls to the call center and to queue and switch the calls to various lines of the call center;

an interactive voice response (IVR) unit connected to said ACD unit, said IVR unit arranged to interact with a caller via an interactive computer program in which the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the interactive program to provide the caller with information or another prompt;

a service observation system located off-site from the call center; and

a router unit, arranged to divert calls to the call center to the service observation unit via a first redirection line,

wherein said service observation system includes;

a recorder unit, arranged to record calls to the call center, the recorder unit recording complete calls from beginning to end, including prompts made by said IVR unit, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided by said IVR unit to the callers, and

a trombone unit, arranged to return calls diverted to said service observation system back to said ACD unit via a second redirection line, and

wherein the recorder records the complete calls via the first and second redirection lines.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the recorder unit is a live observer who manually records the calls to the call center.

18. A system according to claim 16, wherein the recorder unit is an electronic recorder unit.

19. A system according to claim 16, wherein the caller responses are dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) responses, and the recorder unit is equipped with a DTMF decoder for decoding the caller responses.

20. A system according to claim 16, further comprising:

a terminal connected to said IVR unit, said terminal arranged to receive a call transferred from said IVR unit, such that an agent using said terminal may interact with a caller corresponding to the transferred call.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein the recorder unit records a conversation between the caller and the agent.

22. A method of observing calls to a call center, said method comprising:

a reception step of receiving, via an automatic call director (ACD) unit having a service observation port, incoming calls to the call center, and queuing and switching the calls to various lines of the call center;

an interactive voice response (IVR) interaction step of a caller interacting with an IVR computer program, such that the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the program to provide the caller with information or another prompt; and

a recording step of recording calls to the call center with a recording unit located off-site from the call center that communicates with said ACD unit via the service observation point, the calls being recorded from beginning to end, including prompts made in said IVR interaction step, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided to the callers.

23. A method of observing calls to a call center, said method comprising:

a reception step of receiving, via an automatic call director (ACD) unit, incoming calls to the call center, and queuing and switching the calls to various lines of the call center, the ACD unit including a service observation port;

a first interactive voice response (IVR) step of a caller interacting with an IVR computer program, such that the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the program to provide the caller with information or another prompt; and

an observation step of observing the calls to the call center using a service observation system located off-site from the call center, the service observation system performing steps including;

a second IVR step of connecting with the ACD unit via the service observation port and providing the ACD unit with a security passcode in order to obtain access to the calls to the call center, and

a recording step of recording calls to the call center, the calls being recorded from beginning to end, including prompts made in said first IVR step, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided to the callers.

24. A method of observing calls to a call center, said method comprising:

a reception step of receiving, via an automatic call director (ACD) unit, incoming calls to the call center, and queuing and switching the calls to various lines of the call center;

an interactive voice response (IVR) step of a caller interacting with an IVR computer program, in which the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the interactive program to provide the caller with information or another prompt;

an observation step of observing the calls to the call center via a service observation system located off-site from the call center; and

a routing step of diverting calls to the call center to the service observation unit via a first redirection line,

wherein said observation step includes;

a recording step of recording the calls to the call center, the calls being recorded from beginning to end, including prompts made in said IVR step, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided to the callers, and

a trombone step of returning the calls diverted to the service observation system back to the ACD unit via a second redirection line, and

wherein the recording step records the calls via the first and second redirection lines.

25. A computer program product embodying a program for implementing a method of observing calls to a call center, said program product comprising:

code for a reception step of receiving, via an automatic call director (ACD) unit having a service observation port, incoming calls to the call center, and queuing and switching the calls to various lines of the call center;

code for an interactive voice response (IVR) interaction step of a caller interacting with an IVR computer program, such that the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the program to provide the caller with information or another prompt; and

code for a recording step of recording calls to the call center with a recording unit located off-site from the call center that communicates with said ACD unit via the service observation port, the calls being recorded from beginning to end, including prompts made in said IVR interaction step, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided to the callers.

26. A computer program product embodying a program for implementing a method of observing calls to a call center, said program product comprising:

code for a reception step of receiving, via an automatic call director (ACD) unit, incoming calls to the call center, and queuing and switching the calls to various lines of the call center, the ACD unit including a service observation port;

code for a first interactive voice response (IVR) step of a caller interacting with an IVR computer program, such that the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the program to provide the caller with information or another prompt; and

code for an observation step of observing the calls to the call center using a service observation system located off-site from the call center, the observation step including;

a second IVR step of connecting with the ACD unit via the service observation port and providing the ACD unit with a security passcode in order to obtain access to the calls to the call center, and

a recording step of recording calls to the call center, the calls being recorded from beginning to end, including prompts made in said first IVR step, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided to the callers.

27. A computer program product embodying a program for implementing a method of observing calls to a call center, said program product comprising:

code for a reception step of receiving, via an automatic call director (ACD) unit, incoming calls to the call center, and queuing and switching the calls to various lines of the call center;

code for an interactive voice response (IVR) step of a caller interacting with an IVR computer program, in which the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the interactive program to provide the caller with information or another prompt;

code for an observation step of observing the calls to the call center via a service observation system located off-site from the call center; and

code for a routing step of diverting calls to the call center to the service observation unit via a first redirection line,

wherein the observation step includes;

a recording step of recording the calls to the call center, the calls being recorded from beginning to end, including prompts made in said IVR step, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided to the callers, and

a trombone step of returning the calls diverted to the service observation system back to the ACD unit via a second redirection line, and

wherein the recording step records the calls via the first and second redirection lines.

28. A system for observing calls to a call center, said system comprising:

reception means for receiving incoming calls to the call center and for queuing and switching the calls to various lines of the call center, said reception means including a service observation port;

interactive means connected to said reception means, said interactive means for interacting with a caller via an interactive computer program in which the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the interactive program to provide the caller with information or another prompt; and

recording means for recording calls to the call center, from beginning to end, including prompts made by said interactive means, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided by said interactive means to the callers, said recording means located off-site from the call center and communicating with said reception means via the service observation port.

29. A system for observing calls to a call center, said system comprising:

reception means for receiving incoming calls to the call center and for queuing and switching the calls to various lines of the call center, said reception means including a service observation port;

first interactive means connected to said reception means unit, said first interactive means for interacting with a caller via an interactive computer program in which the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the interactive program to provide the caller with information or another prompt; and

observation means located off-site from the call center, said observation means including;

second interactive means connected with said reception means unit, via the service observation port, by providing said reception means with a security passcode so that the second interactive means has access to calls to the call center, and

means for recording calls to the call center, from beginning to end, including prompts made by said first interactive means, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided by said first interactive means to the callers.

30. A system for observing calls to a call center, said system comprising:

reception means for receiving incoming calls to the call center and for queuing and switching the calls to various lines of the call center;

interactive means connected to said reception means, said interactive means for interacting with a caller via an interactive computer program in which the caller enters a response to a prompt and the response causes the interactive program to provide the caller with information or another prompt;

observation means located off-site from the call center; and

means for diverting calls to the call center to the service observation unit via a first redirection line,

wherein said observation means includes;

means for recording calls to the call center, from beginning to end, including prompts made by said interactive means, callers responses to the prompts, and information provided by said interactive means to the callers, and

means for returning calls diverted to said observation means back to said reception means via a second redirection line, and

wherein the means for recording records complete calls via the first and second redirection lines.