Call routing from manual to automated dialog of interactive voice response system

• US 7,120,244 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bushey, Robert R., Joseph, Kurt M., Bangor, Aaron W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US10/948,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20050041796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.1, 379/266.01, 379/266.05, 379/266.06, 379/265.14, 379/266.03
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• 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 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

A customer service call system that provides both manual (assisted by a service representative) and automated problem solving dialogs. A routing process determines which dialog is appropriate for incoming calls. The routing process determines a probability that the automated system will resolve the problem and also determines an expected hold time for the customer to reach the manual dialog. The routing process uses this information to determine how the call should be routed.

Claims

1. A method of routing a customer'"'"'s call to either a manual dialog or an automated dialog of a customer service call system, comprising:

detecting a task to be resolved by the call;

determining a probability value representing the probability that the task will be successfully resolved by the automated dialog;

predicting a hold time to reach the manual dialog;

calculating a wait index as a function of the hold time and the probability value; and

determining whether to route the call to the manual dialog or the automated dialog based at least on the calculated wait index.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a task to be resolved by the call is based on a selection from an interactive voice response menu.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the probability value is determined at least by accessing data that is representative of calls made using the automated dialog.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting the hold time includes accessing data representing a current queue of the call system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wait index is calculated as a function of the results of a customer survey.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically routing the call to the manual dialog or the automated dialog.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to route the call to the manual dialog or the automated dialog includes querying a caller to make a routing decision.

8. A routing system for a customer service system having alternative manual and automated dialogs, the routing system comprising:

a task detection system that elicits a task to be performed for a caller; and

a routing unit that includes logic that;

determines a probability value representing the probability that the task will be successfully performed by the automated dialog;

predicts a hold time to reach the manual dialog;

calculates a wait index as a function of the hold time and the probability value; and

determines whether to route the call to the manual dialog or the automated dialog based at least on the calculated wait index.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the task detection system comprises an interactive voice response system.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the task detection system uses a manual process.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a database including data from past calls using the automated dialog, the database being accessible by the routing unit.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the routing unit predicts the hold time based at least on accessed data representing a current queue of the call system.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the routing unit automatically routes the call.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the routing unit queries the caller to make a routing decision.

15. A method of routing a call to either a manual dialog or an automated dialog of a call system, the method comprising:

determining a task to be resolved for a caller;

determining a probability that the task can be successfully resolved by the automated dialog;

predicting a hold time to reach the manual dialog; and

determining whether to route the call to the manual dialog or the automated dialog based at least on the determined hold time and the determined probability.

16. A method of claim 15, wherein determining the task to be resolved for the caller includes receiving a selection from the caller via an interactive voice response menu.

17. A method of claim 15, wherein determining the probability value includes accessing data that is representative of calls using the automated dialog.

18. A method of claim 15, wherein predicting the hold time includes accessing data regarding a current queue of the call system.

19. A method of claim 15, wherein the determination of whether to route the call to the manual dialog or the automated dialog is further based on results of one or more caller surveys.

20. A call routing system having manual and automated dialogs, the system comprising:

a task detection system operable to determine a task to be performed for a caller; and

a routing unit operable to;

determine a probability that the task can be successfully resolved by the automated dialog;

predict a hold time to reach the manual dialog; and

determine whether to route the call to the manual dialog or the automated dialog based at least on the determined hold time and the determined probability.

21. A system of claim 20, wherein the task detection system includes an interactive voice response system.

22. A system of claim 20, wherein the task detection system facilitates a manual process for determining the task to be performed for the caller.

23. A system of claim 20, further comprising an automated dialog system operable to:

present one or more queries to the caller

receive responses to the queries; and

automatically generate one or more new queries based on the received responses.

24. A system of claim 23, further comprising a database including data from past calls made using the automated dialog system, wherein the database is accessible by the routing unit.

25. A system of claim 20, wherein the routing unit is operable to predict the hold time based at least on accessed data representing one or more current queues of the call routing system.

26. A system of claim 8, the routing system further comprising an automated dialog system that presents queries to the caller, receives responses to the queries, and generates new queries based on the responses.