System and method for providing a call back option for callers to a call center

• US 7,103,170 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fain, Brian, Bedingfield, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Benny Quoc
• Application Number:
  US11/095,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20050232409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.02, 379/266.01, 379/209.01, 379/210.01, 379/265.09, 379/309, 379/266.07
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• 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 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for providing a call back option to a customer of a call center. According to one embodiment, the system includes a telecommunications switch and an automatic call distributor in communication with the telecommunications switch via first and second communications links. The system also includes means for providing the customer with a call back option in response to a first call from the customer, wherein the first call is routed to the automatic call distributor by the telecommunications switch over the first communications link, and means for establishing a second call between the automatic call distributor and the customer over the second communications link when the customer accepts the call back option.

Claims

1. A device for providing a call center call back option, comprising:

at least one communications port that receives calls directed to the call center; and

a processing device that is linked to the communications port and that provides a call back option for a first call that is received, where the call back option is to call the call center back during a specified time period and wherein the processing device establishes a second call during the specified time period based on an acceptance of the call back option provided to the first call by receiving the second call, wherein further the processing device determines the specified time by searching a database that tracks call volume for a time with low call volume and wherein further still, the processing device allows the second call to bypass at least one call waiting queue associated with the call center such that the second call is given priority greater than at least one pending call associated with the call center.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing device determines a caller ID of the second call and allows the second call to bypass the at least one waiting queue if the caller ID matches a caller ID associated with the first call.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing device determines whether the second call is received during the specified time and allows the second call to bypass the at least one waiting queue if the second is received during the specified time.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second call bypasses at least one caller queue into which the caller would otherwise have been placed such that the second call is always connected to the first available representative.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing device provides the call back option by providing a voice prompt.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing device receives at least one of dual tone multi-frequency input or automatic speech recognition input to accept the call back option.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the specified time is a time interval.

8. A device for providing a call center call back option, comprising:

at least one communications port that receives calls directed to the call center; and

a processing device that is linked to the communications port and that provides a plurality of call back options for a first call that is received via a first communications link, where a first call back option is being called back by the call center during a specified time period and where a second call back option is calling the call center a second time during a specified time period, wherein the processing device establishes a second call via a second communications link during the specified time period based on an acceptance of the call back option provided to the first call by initiating the second call to a source of the first call when the first call back option is selected and by receiving the second call from the source of the first call when the second call back option is selected, wherein further the processing device finds the specified time period by searching a database that tracks call volume for a time with low call volume.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the second call bypasses at least one caller queue into which the caller would otherwise have been placed such that the second call is always connected to the first available representative.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the processing device provides the call back option by providing a voice prompt.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the processing device receives at least one of dual tone multi-frequency input or automatic speech recognition input to accept the call back option.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the specified time is a timer interval.

13. A method for providing a call center call back option, comprising:

receiving a first call directed to the call center;

providing a call back option for the first call that is received, where the call back option is to call the call center a second time during a specified time period; and

establishing a second call during the specified time period based on an acceptance of the call back option provided to the first call by receiving the second call from the source of the first call, wherein the second call bypasses at least one caller queue into which the caller would otherwise have been placed such that the second call is always connected to the first available representative.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the specified time is found by searching a database that tracks call volume for a time with low call volume.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein providing a call back option comprises providing a voice prompt.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving at least one of dual tone multi-frequency input or automatic speech recognition input to accept the call back option.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising repeatedly placing the second call.