Promoting use of experts to callers waiting in a hold queue

• US 7,139,390 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2001
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Winters, Scott Lee, Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Weaver, James Mark, McIntyre, Joseph Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US10/015,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20030108186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.02, 379/309, 379/265.11, 379/266.01
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A method, system, and program for promoting use of experts to callers waiting within a hold queue are provided. First, use of experts by callers waiting in a hold queue is promoted by offering callers an incentive to speak to an expert while waiting to speak with an official representative. The caller continues to progress in the hold queue while speaking with an expert. In addition, the caller may receive an additional adjustment in the hold queue, a financial incentive, and a rewards points incentive, for interacting with an expert while holding. Second, use of experts by callers waiting in a hold queue is promoted by authenticating the identity of third party experts, in order to verify that an expert has the skills needed to help a caller and to provide the caller with the identity of the expert for accountability.

Claims

1. A method for managing an on hold call comprising:

receiving a call at a call center from a caller;

placing said call on hold in a hold queue until a representative of said call center is available to answer said call; and

offering an incentive to said caller to transfer said call to an expert while said call is on hold in said hold queue waiting for said representative, such that use of said expert is promoted.

2. The method for managing said on hold call according to claim 1, wherein said expert is at least one from among a freelance expert, a query group expert, and an emergency group expert.

3. The method for managing said on hold call according to claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to said caller selecting said incentive, transferring said call to said expert operating from a calling system independent of said call center;

responsive to detecting said call at the top of said hold queue, notifying said caller of an availability of said representative while said caller is connected to said expert.

4. The method for managing said on hold call according to claim 1, wherein said incentive comprises at least one from among an adjustment in position within said hold queue, a financial incentive, a rewards points incentive, and a time incentive.

5. The method for managing said on hold call according to claim 1, wherein said expert operates from a call system independent of said call center.

6. The method for managing said on hold call according to claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to said caller electing said incentive, transferring said call to said expert at a call system independent of said call center.

7. The method for managing said on hold call according to claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating an identity of said expert before completing a connection between said expert and said caller; and

only enabling completion of said connection if said identity of said expert matches a registered expert identity at said call center.

8. A system for managing an on hold call comprising:

a call center comprising a hold queue;

means for receiving a call at said call center from a caller;

means for placing said call on hold in said hold queue until a representative of said call center is available to answer said call; and

means for offering an incentive to said caller to transfer said call to an expert while said call is on hold in said hold queue waiting for said representative, such that use of said expert is promoted.

9. The system for managing said on hold call according to claim 8, wherein said expert is at least one from among a freelance expert, a query group expert, and an emergency group expert.

10. The system for managing said on hold call according to claim 8, further comprising:

means responsive to said caller selecting said incentive, for transferring said call to said expert operating from a calling system independent of said call center;

means responsive to detecting said call at the top of said hold queue, for notifying said caller of an availability of said representative while said caller is connected to said expert.

11. The system for managing said on hold call according to claim 8, wherein said incentive comprises at least one from among an adjustment in position within said hold queue, a financial incentive, a rewards points incentive, and a time incentive.

12. The system for managing said on hold call according to claim 8, wherein said expert operates from a call system independent of said call center.

13. The system for managing said on hold call according to claim 8, further comprising:

means, responsive to said caller electing said incentive, for transferring said call to said expert at a call system independent of said call center.

14. The system for managing said on hold call according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for authenticating an identity of said expert before completing a connection between said expert and said caller; and

means for only enabling completion of said connection if said identity of said expert matches a registered expert identity at said call center.

15. A computer program product for managing an on hold call, said computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for detecting a call received at a call center from a caller;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for controlling placement of said call on hold in a hold queue until a representative of said call center is available to answer said call; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for offering an incentive to said caller to transfer said call to an expert while said call is on hold in said hold queue waiting for said representative.

16. The computer program product for managing said on hold call according to claim 15, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for transferring said call to said expert operating from a calling system independent of said call center;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for notifying said caller of an availability of said representative when said caller reaches the top of said hold queue while said caller is connected to said expert.

17. The computer program product for managing said on hold call according to claim 15, wherein said expert operates from a call system independent of said call center.

means, recorded on said recording medium, for offering said incentive to said caller to transfer said call to said expert operating from a call system independent of said call center.

18. The computer program product for managing said on hold call according to claim 15, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for transferring said call to said expert at a call system independent of said call center.

19. The computer program product for managing said on hold call according to claim 15, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for authenticating an identity of said expert before completing a connection between said expert and said caller; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for only enabling completion of said connection if said identity of said expert matches a registered expert identity at said call center.