Sequential presentation of long instructions in an interactive voice response system
First Claim
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1. A method of sequentially presenting instructions in a telephone call placed to an interactive voice response system (IVR) of a customer service center, comprising:
- receiving a call from a caller;
presenting a main menu comprising a plurality of messages to the caller, each main menu message representing a procedure;
prompting the caller to select from one of the main menu messages;
presenting a sequence of instructions to the caller according to a selection by the caller, each instruction identifying a task to be performed by the caller that is distinct from interaction with the IVR system, wherein the tasks collectively constitute the procedure;
automatically pausing the sequence of instructions after each instruction for a predetermined amount of time so as to permit the caller to perform the task identified in an instruction;
querying the caller after each instruction as to whether the caller has performed the task identified in the instruction; and
transferring the call from a position in the sequence of instructions to a service representative and transferring the call back to the position in the sequence of instructions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive voice response system that allows a caller to perform a series of sequential tasks based on an instruction set. The caller is queried after each instruction to ensure that the caller has successfully completed all of the steps. Additionally, provisions are provided to automatically pause the instruction set and present reminders to the caller. Further the caller may elect to repeat instructions, back up the instruction set, receive additional details, transfer to a service representative, or receive summary information.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of sequentially presenting instructions in a telephone call placed to an interactive voice response system (IVR) of a customer service center, comprising:
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receiving a call from a caller; presenting a main menu comprising a plurality of messages to the caller, each main menu message representing a procedure; prompting the caller to select from one of the main menu messages; presenting a sequence of instructions to the caller according to a selection by the caller, each instruction identifying a task to be performed by the caller that is distinct from interaction with the IVR system, wherein the tasks collectively constitute the procedure; automatically pausing the sequence of instructions after each instruction for a predetermined amount of time so as to permit the caller to perform the task identified in an instruction; querying the caller after each instruction as to whether the caller has performed the task identified in the instruction; and transferring the call from a position in the sequence of instructions to a service representative and transferring the call back to the position in the sequence of instructions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of sequentially presenting instructions in a telephone call placed to an interactive voice response system (IVR) of a customer service center, comprising:
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receiving a call from a caller; presenting a main menu comprising a plurality of messages to the caller, each main menu message representing a procedure; prompting the caller to select from one of the main menu messages; presenting a sequence of instructions to the caller according to a selection by the caller, each instruction identifying a task to be performed by the caller that is distinct from interaction with the IVR system, wherein the tasks collectively constitute the procedure; automatically pausing the sequence of instructions after each instruction for a predetermined amount of time so as to permit the caller to perform the task identified in an instruction; querying the caller after each instruction as to whether the caller has performed the task identified in the instruction; and transferring the call from a position in the sequence of instructions to a service representative and transferring the call back to a location in the sequence of instructions other than the position.
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18. A telecommunications system for receiving telephone calls at a customer service center, said telecommunications system comprising:
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an interactive voice response (IVR) unit that presents a main menu comprising a plurality of messages to a caller, presents a sequence of instructions to the caller, automatically pauses the sequence of instructions after each instruction by a predetermined amount of time so as to permit the caller to perform a task identified in an instruction that is distinct from interaction with the IVR, and queries the caller after each instruction as to whether the caller has performed the task identified in the instruction; and a component that transfers a call from a position in the sequence of instructions to a service representative and transfers the call back to the position in the sequence of instructions, wherein each main menu message represents a procedure and each instruction identifies a task to be performed by the caller.
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19. A telecommunications system for receiving telephone calls at a customer service center, said telecommunications system comprising:
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an interactive voice response (IVR) unit that presents a main menu comprising a plurality of messages to a caller, presents a sequence of instructions to the caller, automatically pauses the sequence of instructions after each instruction by a predetermined amount of time so as to permit the caller to perform a task identified in an instruction that is distinct from interaction with the IVR, and queries the caller after each instruction as to whether the caller has performed the task identified in the instruction; and a component that transfers a call from a position in the sequence of instructions to a service representative and transfers the call back to a location in the sequence of instructions other than the position, wherein each main menu message represents a procedure and each instruction identifies a task to be performed by the caller.
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20. A tangible computer readable medium for storing a computer program executable by a computer that processes a telephone call in an interactive voice response (IVR) system, said medium comprising:
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a presenting code segment that presents a main menu including a plurality of messages to a caller and presents a sequence of instructions to the caller, each instruction identifying a task distinct from interaction with the IVR system; a pausing code segment that pauses the sequence of instructions after each instruction for a predetermined amount of time so as to permit the caller to perform a task identified in an instruction; a querying code segment that queries the caller after each instruction as to whether the caller performed the task identified in the instruction; and a transferring code segment that transfers the call from a position in the sequence of instructions to a service representative and transfers the call back to the position in the sequence of instructions.
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21. A tangible computer readable medium for storing a computer program executable by a computer that processes a telephone call in an interactive voice response (IVR) system, said medium comprising:
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a presenting code segment that presents a main menu including a plurality of messages to a caller and presents a sequence of instructions to the caller, each instruction identifying a task distinct from interaction with the IVR system; a pausing code segment that pauses the sequence of instructions after each instruction for a predetermined amount of time so as to permit the caller to perform a task identified in an instruction; a querying code segment that queries the caller after each instruction as to whether the caller performed the task identified in the instruction; and a transferring code segment that transfers the call from a position in the sequence of instructions to a service representative and transfers the call back to a location in the sequence of instructions other than the position. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification