Method and apparatus for recording and automated playback of personal agent greetings in a communication-center environment

• US 7,006,607 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2002
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Garcia, Gustavo Manuel Marin Damil
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US10/228,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20030007612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/900, 379/902, 379/908, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/266.01, 379/266.07, 379/266.06, 379/214.01, 379/265.06
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/306 Prerecordings to be used during a voice call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• 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 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

Abstract

A system for presenting a recorded message on behalf of an agent receiving a call at an agent station in a call center, the agent station having a telephony interface for receiving calls and a personal computer with a video display unit (PC/VDU), has a telephony switching apparatus enhanced by a computer-telephony integration (CTI) processor, an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system executing a voice treatment option (VTO) software, coupled to the telephony switching apparatus and the CTI processor; and a data repository having recorded messages stored on behalf of the agent and accessible to the CTI processor. The CTI processor routes incoming calls to the telephony interface for the agent, uses data associated with the calls for selecting appropriate recorded messages, and causes, by controlling the IVR, a retrieved recorded message to be played to a caller upon the agent picking up the routed call. The system is useful with both conventional telephone systems and data network telephony, such as over the Internet.

Claims

1. A system for aiding an agent at a station in responding to callers, comprising:

a data repository coupled to the station comprising information about callers; and

a call routing and response system for receiving calls, identifying callers, routing calls to the agent and others, and retrieving and providing information about individual ones of the callers;

wherein the call routing and response system receives a call, identifies the caller, selects information about the caller from the repository according to pre-programmed rules, routes the call to the agent'"'"'s station, and provides the information to the agent during a live call with the caller as a whispered audio audible to the agent but not to the caller.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data repository additionally stores personal greetings recorded by the agent, and wherein the system selects, according to pre-programmed criteria, an individual one of the personal greetings and plays the personal greeting, audible to both the caller and the agent, immediately after the routed call is connected to the agent'"'"'s station.

3. A method for aiding an agent at a station in responding to callers, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing information about callers in a data repository coupled to the station; and

(b) by a call routing and response system, receiving a call, identifying the caller, selecting information about the caller from the repository according to pre-programmed criteria, routing the call to the agent'"'"'s station, and providing the information to the agent during a live call with the caller as a whispered audio audible to the agent but not to the caller.

4. The method of claim 3 comprising a step wherein the data repository additionally stores personal greetings recorded by the agent, and wherein the system selects, according to pre-programmed criteria, an individual one of the personal greetings and plays the personal greeting, audible to both the caller and the agent, immediately after the routed call is connected to the agent'"'"'s station.