Method and apparatus for multiple agent commitment tracking and notification

• US 7,076,499 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• 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: Powers, James Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US10/425,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20030195894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/104.1, 379/309, 705/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system for tracking client contacts for a host organization utilizes a multimedia database and a user interface at a connected computer device. The database stores client communications as full content, and relates contacts by issue, and the user interface displays client contact communications as objects, such as icons, in issue related chronological strings. In a preferred embodiment the interface also provides an input facility for a host agent to select appropriate responses to client communications, to make commitments for response, to assign responsibility for commitments, and to notify personnel effected by entered commitments in various ways, such as reminders. Other notifications include fulfilled and unfulfilled commitments.

Claims

1. In a networked communication system, a method for managing commitments for a business client, comprising steps of:

(a) receiving a communication including a request for an action from a client;

(b) identifying the communication as representing the business client;

(c) storing the communication as a database entity in a data repository, threaded to the business client and accessible by an agent station;

(d) selecting a request for response;

(e) entering a commitment to fulfill the request;

(f) identifying one or more agents to fulfill the commitment;

(g) recording the commitment as a database entity in the data repository;

(h) notifying by the data repository one or more persons when the commitment is or is not met and closed, and if the commitment cannot be fulfilled as promised, reassigning the commitment to a next best agent for fulfillment based on known information and/or availability of participating agents.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data repository is a multimedia data repository and the communication is at least one of an email, fax, Internet call or voice mail.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein notification regarding commitments is by at least one of E-mail, Fax, Internet phone, and Voice mail.