Hold queue management

• US 7,050,568 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2001
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Cheng, David R., Okunseinde, Folu, Sheth-Voss, Seema, Leung, Wing-Ying Stephanie
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elahee, Md S.
• Application Number:
  US09/931,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20030035531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-2661, 379/266.06, 379/210.02, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/266.01
• 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 3/4283 Call holding circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A method, system and product for managing a hold queue is provided. A call center receives an incoming telephone call from at least one caller and places the caller in an initial position in the hold queue. When a caller is in a hold queue at a call center, a request can be made to pause the caller'"'"'s position in the hold queue. When the caller is ready to return to the hold queue or when the pause duration has expired, the caller becomes active in the hold queue.

Claims

1. A method of managing a hold queue at a call center comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call from at least one caller;

placing the caller in a first position in the hold queue;

informing caller of estimated hold time and options for managing caller'"'"'s hold position;

responsive to a request from a caller, pausing the first position in the hold queue to create a paused hold status wherein caller remains in position in the queue while caller can opt to move away from telephone while on hold without losing caller'"'"'s position in the queue;

requesting by the caller an amount of time for paused hold period;

determining when the requested paused hold period has ended; and

placing the call back into the hold queue at paused position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising returning the caller to an on hold status to create a second position in the hold queue, wherein the second position in the hold queue is shorter than or equal to the first position in the hold queue.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the request comprises changing the caller'"'"'s position in the hold queue.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the request comprises pausing the caller'"'"'s position for a period of time.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising crediting pause time to the caller based on the amount of time the caller has been in the hold queue.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the caller has been on hold for a period of time not less than the period of time requested.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising forwarding the call to an attendant when the attendant is available.

8. A method of managing a hold queue at a call center comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call from at least one caller;

placing the caller in a first position in the hold queue;

informing the caller of estimated hold time and options for managing caller'"'"'s hold position;

pausing the first position in the hold queue to create a paused hold status wherein caller remains in position in the queue while caller can opt to move away from telephone while on hold without losing caller'"'"'s position in the queue;

requesting by the caller an amount of time for paused hold period;

determining when the requested paused hold period has ended; and

placing the call back into the hold queue at paused position.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising detecting that the caller is unavailable for connection to an attendant.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving a request from a caller to pause the first position in the hold queue.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the request comprises changing the caller'"'"'s position in the hold queue.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the request comprises pausing the caller'"'"'s position for a period of time.

13. A method comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call from a caller;

placing the call in a hold queue;

informing caller of estimated hold time and options for managing caller'"'"'s hold position;

monitoring how long the caller has been on hold;

receiving a request from the caller to pause a first position in a hold queue for a period of time;

granting the request based on the amount of time the caller has been on hold wherein caller remains in the first position in the queue while caller can opt to move away from telephone while on hold without losing caller'"'"'s position in the queue; and

placing the call back into the hold queue at paused position.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising, returning the party to an on hold status to create a second position in the hold queue, wherein the second position in the hold queue is shorter than or equal to the first position in the hold queue.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising, decreasing the amount of time on hold in the second position if the party returns to an on hold status before the expiration of the requested pause time.

16. A system for managing a hold queue at a call center comprising:

a communications device for receiving a call;

means for receiving an incoming telephone call from at least one caller;

means for placing the caller in a first position in the hold queue;

means for informing caller of estimated hold time and options for managing caller'"'"'s hold position;

means responsive to a request from a caller, for pausing the first position in the hold queue for a period of time to create a paused hold status wherein caller remains in the first position in the queue while caller can opt to move away from telephone while on hold without losing caller'"'"'s position in the queue;

means for requesting by the caller an amount of time for paused hold period;

means for determining when the requested paused hold period has ended; and

means for placing the call back into the hold queue at paused position.

17. A computer program product for managing a hold queue at a call center, the computer program product comprising:

a recorded medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving an incoming telephone call from at least one caller;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for placing the caller in a first position in the hold queue;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for informing caller of estimated hold time and options for managing caller'"'"'s hold position;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for pausing the first position in the hold queue for a period of time to create a paused hold status wherein caller remains in the first position in the queue while caller can opt to move away from telephone while on hold without losing caller'"'"'s position in the queue;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for requesting by the caller an amount of time for paused hold period;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining when the requested paused hold period has ended; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for placing the call back into the hold queue at paused position.