Method and system for telephone wait user interface selection
First Claim
1. A method for providing listening activity for a caller pieced in a hold queue during a telephone call comprising the steps of:
- creating a caller preference database containing a listing of different callers and the listening preference of each caller;
determining whether it is necessary to place the caller in a hold queue;
when the determination is that it is necessary to place the caller in the hold queue, determining the average hold time for a caller in the queue;
determining whether the caller desires to hear a listening option while in the queue;
identifying the telephone number of the call;
determining whether the identified telephone number is in a caller database containing caller telephone number and listening preferences corresponding to each telephone number contained in the database;
playing a listening activity in the receiver of the caller based on a selection from the listening preferences made by the caller.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In the method of the present invention, a customer of a service provider would be placed in hold while waiting to speak to a customer service representative. The method and system of the invention would recognize the telephone number of the caller using a “caller ID” system. If this call is the first time the caller has ever called, the caller would be presented with an audible listing of listening choices that would include but not be limited to the latest news, the weather (of the caller'"'"'s location), financial headlines, or a selection of music stations (via cable radio, for example). The caller would then speak or type his/her preference into the keypad and the selection would be played. If the caller does not like the selection, the caller can then speak another selection or type the new selection as many times as the caller prefers. The caller selection is recorded in a caller preference database. Finally, when the same customer calls one or more additional times, the system would retain the caller'"'"'s number and preferred listening selection, based on caller ID value. The listening selection would automatically be played on subsequent calls.
26 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for providing listening activity for a caller pieced in a hold queue during a telephone call comprising the steps of:
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creating a caller preference database containing a listing of different callers and the listening preference of each caller; determining whether it is necessary to place the caller in a hold queue; when the determination is that it is necessary to place the caller in the hold queue, determining the average hold time for a caller in the queue; determining whether the caller desires to hear a listening option while in the queue; identifying the telephone number of the call; determining whether the identified telephone number is in a caller database containing caller telephone number and listening preferences corresponding to each telephone number contained in the database; playing a listening activity in the receiver of the caller based on a selection from the listening preferences made by the caller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for providing listening activity for a caller placed in a hold queue during a telephone call comprising of:
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determining whether it is necessary to place the caller in a hold queue; when the determination is that it is necessary to place the caller in the hold queue, determining the average hold time for a caller in the queue; determining whether the caller desires to hear a listening option while in the queue; instructions for identifying the telephone number of the call; instructions for determining whether the identified telephone number is in a caller database containing caller telephone number and listening preferences corresponding to each telephone number contained in the database; instructions for playing a listening activity in the receiver of the caller based on a selection from the listening preferences made by the caller. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification