Proactive call and contact center system

• US 7,343,406 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2001
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shenefiel, Chris, Buonanno, Mark, Swailes, Michael, Quatrano, Stephen R., Seo, Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): Borissov; Igor N.
• Application Number:
  US09/766,175
• Time in Patent Office: 2,609 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/7, 705/8, 705/9, 705/10, 705/11, 705/26, 705/400, 705/500, 709/224, 709/223, 709/238, 709/205, 709/204, 709/203, 714/48, 707/10, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

A proactive call center which detects problems, resolves the problems, and then contacts the customers before customers initiate calls themselves. In the present invention, the workflow process is monitored to ensure that a transaction is completed without problems. If a problem occurs, a call center agent is notified of the problem. The call center agent can then take immediate steps to research the problem, fix the problem, or otherwise find alternative solutions to help ameliorate the problem. The call center agent then contacts the customer to explain the problem and what steps were taken to address the problem. By proactively taking steps to address problems as they occur rather than in response to customer complaints, businesses can maintain goodwill.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to;

monitor a workflow process to detect one or more exceptions that disrupt completion of one or more purchasing transactions between transactional parties;

determine whether the detected exceptions correspond to a first type, a second type or a third type according to characteristics of the detected exceptions;

when the detected exceptions correspond to the first type, automatically resolve the disruption without communicating with the transactional parties;

when the detected exceptions correspond to the second type, cause an outbound communication to be sent to a purchasing one of the transactional parties proactively and independently of whether the purchasing transactional party has reported the disruption, the outbound communication indicating a plurality of selectable proposed solutions to the detected exceptions; and

when the detected exceptions correspond to the third type, establish a real time collaboration session between the transactional parties proactively and independently of whether the transactional parties have reported the disruption.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processors are further operable to:

access a database to determine an authorization level associated with the disrupted purchasing transactions when the detected exceptions correspond to the second type;

identify a queue used by representatives of a call center, the queue listing entries for other exceptions to be resolved by the call center; and

compare the determined authorization level to the entries in the queue to determine a relative position in the queue for inserting a new entry that includes instructions for performing the outbound communication, background information corresponding to the disrupted purchasing transactions and contact information for the purchasing transactional party.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processors are further operable to cause a software agent to send the outbound communication proactively and independently of whether the purchasing transactional party has reported the disruption.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processors are further operable to:

format a list of call center representatives identified in a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory;

rank the formatted list according to an analysis of the detected exceptions; and

select a target one of the call center representatives to initiate the outbound communication, the selection occurring according to both the ranking and different availability status indications for the call center representatives.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processors are further operable to select a medium to be used for transfer of the outbound communication according to characteristics of the disrupted purchasing transaction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processors are further operable to send one or more signals to an endpoint associated with a selected call center representative, the signals causing establishment of an interactive communication session between the selected call center representative responsive to activation of a single button associated with the selected call center representative.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the characteristics include whether the detected exceptions correspond to network failures, parts shortage, offer rejection and software malfunctions.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the apparatus is further operable to determine that the detected exceptions correspond to the first type when an analysis indicates that the detected exceptions are caused by network failures or software malfunctions.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the processors are further operable to determine that the detected exceptions correspond to the second type when an analysis indicates that the detected exceptions are caused by parts shortage.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the processors are further operable to determine that the detected exceptions correspond to the third type when an analysis indicates that the detected exceptions are caused by offer rejections.

11. A system comprising:

means for detecting one or more exceptions that disrupt completion of one or more purchasing transactions between transactional parties;

means for automatically determining whether resolution of the detected exceptions requires a query response from one or both the transactional parties;

means for triggering establishment of a communication session with one or both of the parties when the resolution requires the query response, the communication session initiated remotely with respect to one or more endpoints corresponding to a purchasing one of the transactional parties and initiated proactively and independently of whether the purchasing transactional party has reported the disruption; and

means for resolving the detected exceptions according to the query response received over the communication session.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

means for providing product configuration web pages, the web pages presenting different selectable conditions relating to product ordering and including at least a price selection, a feature selection and a ship date selection;

means for identifying a combination of selected conditions originating from the endpoints that correspond to the purchasing transactional party and specifying a proposed product that is unavailable for final transaction at a time that the combination is identified;

means for regularly and continuously comparing the identified combination that represents the proposed product to a database indicating available inventory; and

means for initiating the purchasing transactions remotely with respect to the endpoints associated with the purchasing transactional party.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for sending a computer generated voice message to the purchasing transactional party to elicit the query response.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for automatically resolving the detected exceptions without triggering the communication session when the detected exceptions do not require the query response.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the purchasing transactions are initiated using one or more web pages.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is coupled to a Business to Business (B2B) exchange.

17. A method comprising:

detecting one or more exceptions that disrupt completion of one or more purchasing transactions between transactional parties;

determining whether the detected exceptions correspond to a first type, a second different type or a third different type;

when the detected exceptions correspond to the first type, automatically resolving the disruption without querying the transactional parties;

when the detected exceptions correspond to the second type, causing an outbound querying communication to be sent to a purchasing one of the transactional parties proactively and independently of whether the purchasing transactional party has reported the disruption, the outbound querying communication indicating a plurality of selectable proposed solutions to the detected exceptions; and

when the detected exceptions correspond to the third type, establishing a real time collaboration session between the transactional parties proactively and independently of whether the transactional parties have reported the disruption.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the outbound querying communication is sent manually.

19. The method of claim 17 further wherein the outbound querying communication is sent automatically without involving a call center representative.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising initiating a web-based real time interaction session between the transactional parties when the detected exceptions correspond to the second type and proactively and independently of whether the transactional parties have reported the disruption.

21. A proactive call center system comprising:

an interface configured to receive an order for delivery of a product placed by a customer on-line;

a server configured to execute a workflow process and coupled to the interface, the server that further configured to execute the order for delivering the product to the customer;

logic circuitry coupled to the server and configured to monitor the workflow process to detect any problems that disrupt delivery of the order;

a communications device coupled to the logic circuitry and configured to send a notification to which notifies a human call center agent responsive to the logic circuitry detecting the problems and proactively and independently of whether the customer has reported the problems, the notification including contact information for the customer; and

a call center coupled to the communications device and configured for use by a human call center agent to proactively establish a telephonic interaction with the customer responsive to the notification.

22. The proactive call center system of claim 21, further comprising memory storing triggering software operable to automatically establish a telephonic connection between the customer and the human call center agent responsive to an acknowledgement of the notification by the human call center agent.

23. The proactive call center system of claim 21, further comprising a software application displaying an icon to be selected by the human call center agent for sending the acknowledgement.

24. The proactive call center of claim 21 further comprising a telephone endpoint including circuitry configured to send the acknowledgement to the call center responsive to the human call center agent activating a single button or other switch located at an endpoint associated with the human call center agent.