Managing communications in a call center
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of managing communications in a call centre between an agent at the call centre and a customer of the centre, comprising the steps of:
- a) maintaining a database of entries identifying a plurality of communications threads wherein each thread comprises a set of prior communications involving the call centre and related by one or more common parameters;
b) analysing a new communication between the customer and the centre to determine a match between a parameter of the communication and one or more matching threads in the database, said match involving a parameter other than the simple identity of the customer as determined from a property of the new communication;
c) upon determining said match, automatically presenting the agent with specific information relating to said one or more matching threads when said new communication is active at a terminal of the agent;
d) presenting the agent with the option to create a new entry in the database identifying said new communication as a new thread; and
e) updating the database entry relating to the or each matching thread or creating a database entry for said new thread if selected, with an identification of said new communication.
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Abstract
A communications management tool for a call center maintains a record of threads of communications of diverse media types (e.g. voice calls, emails and faxes) relating to particular issues, and analyses new communications to automatically identify possible matches with existing threads. In this way the efficiency of the agents at the center is increased and the management of the call center can be provided with data recording agent performance and efficiency in dealing with particular issues.
81 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of managing communications in a call centre between an agent at the call centre and a customer of the centre, comprising the steps of:
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a) maintaining a database of entries identifying a plurality of communications threads wherein each thread comprises a set of prior communications involving the call centre and related by one or more common parameters; b) analysing a new communication between the customer and the centre to determine a match between a parameter of the communication and one or more matching threads in the database, said match involving a parameter other than the simple identity of the customer as determined from a property of the new communication; c) upon determining said match, automatically presenting the agent with specific information relating to said one or more matching threads when said new communication is active at a terminal of the agent; d) presenting the agent with the option to create a new entry in the database identifying said new communication as a new thread; and e) updating the database entry relating to the or each matching thread or creating a database entry for said new thread if selected, with an identification of said new communication. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of presenting communications to an agent at a terminal of a call centre, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing the agent with an incoming communication; b) automatically providing the agent with one or more identifiers of threads of prior communications related by one or more common parameters to the incoming communication said parameters including a parameter other than simple identity of the customer as determined from a property of the new communication; and c) enabling the agent to confirm or reject the association between the incoming communication and one or more of said one or more identifiers of threads, including the option to create a incoming entry in the database identifying said new communication as a new thread. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A communications management apparatus for use in a call centre, comprising:
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a) a database for recording entries identifying a plurality of communications threads wherein each thread comprises a set of prior communications involving the call centre and related by one or more common parameters; b) a communications analysis element for analysing a new communication between the call centre and a customer of the call centre to determine a match between a parameter of the communication and one or more matching sets threads in the database, said match involving a parameter other than the simple identity of the customer as determined from a property of the new communication; c) an agent interface provided at an agent terminal of the call centre for automatically presenting an agent at said terminal with specific information relating to said one or more matching threads when said new communication is active at said terminal; d) said interface presenting the agent with the option to create a new entry in the database identifying said new communication as a new thread; and e) a database management tool for updating the database entry relating to the or each matching thread or creating a database entry for said new thread if thread selected, with an identification of said new communication.
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16. A computer program product comprising instructions which when executed cause a computer to implement the steps of:
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a) maintaining a database of entries identifying a plurality of communications threads wherein each thread comprises a set of prior communications involving the call centre and related by one or more common parameters; b) analysing a new communication between the customer and the centre to determine a match between a parameter of the communication and one or more matching threads in the database, said match involving a parameter other than the simple identity of the customer as determined from a property of the new communication; c) upon determining said match, automatically presenting the agent with specific information relating to said one or more matching threads when said new communication is active at a terminal of the agent; d) presenting the agent with the option to create a new entry in the database identifying said new communication as a new thread; and e) updating the database entry relating to the or each matching thread or creating a database entry for said new thread if selected, with an identification of said new communication. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A multimedia call centre comprising:
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a) a plurality of agent terminals each for receiving and processing communications of two or more media types; b) a communications distribution system for assigning or presenting communications of said two or more types to said terminals; c) a communications channel for each of said media types enabling communications between agents at said terminals and remote customers of the call centre, and d) a communications management apparatus, comprising; i) a database for recording entries identifying a plurality of communications threads wherein each thread comprises a set of prior communications involving the call centre and related by one or more common parameters; ii) a communications analysis element for analysing a new communication between the call centre and a customer of the call centre to determine a match between a parameter of the communication and one or more matching threads in the database, said match involving a parameter other than the simple identity of the customer as determined from a property of the new communication; iii) an agent interface provided at one or more of said agent terminals for automatically presenting an agent at a terminal with specific information relating to said one or more matching threads when said new communication is active at said terminal; iv) said interface presenting the agent with the option to create a new entry in the database identifying said new communication as a new thread; and v) a database management tool for updating the database entry relating to the or each matching thread or creating a database entry for said new thread if selected, with an identification of said new communication.
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Specification