Call center management systems

• US 7,376,228 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Castel Communications LLC
• Original Assignee: Castel Communications LLC
• Inventors: Fieldman, Dennis H., Haug, V. Lawrence Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deane, Jr.; William J.
• Application Number:
  US10/448,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20030202649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,818 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-26514, 37926601-2661
• US Class Current: 379/265.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• 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 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres

Abstract

A call center management system employs out-of-band signaling, such as provided by ISDN telecommunications technology, to manage outbound calls from a call center. By communicating with a central office of the PSTN in this way, it is possible to exercise a great degree of control over outbound calls originating from the call center. This control may be used, for example, to insert a meaningful caller identification label into the outbound call, or to manage dead air time within limits established by law, custom, or convenience, and to provide detailed reporting of outbound call activity.

Claims

1. A method for managing dead air time on outbound calls comprising:

obtaining a record for an outbound call to be made from a call center to a receiving party;

providing a parameter that specifies a time period of allowable dead air for outbound calls;

transmitting an out-of-band message to initiate the outbound call;

receiving an out-of-band message that the outbound call has been answered;

measuring dead air time for the outbound call; and

connecting an agent to the outbound call if the agent is available for the call before the dead air time for the outbound call exceeds the time period of allowable dead air specified by the parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring dead air time for the outbound call comprises measuring a time period that begins when a greeting from the receiving party ends.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring dead air time for the outbound call comprises measuring a time period that begins when the receiving party takes a telephone off-hook.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring dead air time for the outbound call comprises measuring a time period that ends when the agent replies to a greeting from the receiving party.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring dead air time for the outbound call comprises measuring a time period that ends when the receiving party disconnects the outbound call.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring dead air time for the outbound call comprises measuring a time period that ends when a dial tone is returned to the receiving party.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring dead air time includes reading time information included with the out-of-band message that the outbound call has been answered.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting an out-of-band message to tear down the call if the agent is available for the call before the dead air time for the outbound call exceeds the time period of allowable dead air specified by the parameter, thereby returning a dial tone to the receiving party.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a recorded message to the receiving party if an agent is not available for the call within the time period.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining a record for an outbound call comprises retrieving data from a database maintained at the call center.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining a record for an outbound call comprises receiving data from a queue.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the record includes a telephone number and a name of a receiving party.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a location of the receiving party and determining the parameter that specifies a time period of allowable dead air for outbound calls for that receiving party based upon applicable telecommunications rules at the location.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting an out-of-band message compnses transmitting an ISDN message and receiving an out-of-band message comprises receiving an ISDN message.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein out-of-band messages are communicated using at least one of DOCSIS, GSM, VOIP, or SS7.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a command to a private branch exchange to transmit the out-of-band message to a central office.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating with one or more business aware functions of a call center application to control outbound call traffic.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying data from the record to the agent.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring abandonments for a plurality of outbound calls from the call center, an abandonment occurring when a dead air time for one of the outbound calls exceeds the time period.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring abandonments for a plurality of outbound calls from the call center, an abandonment occurring when one of the outbound calls is disconnected before the outbound call is connected to an agent.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring dead air for a plurality of outbound calls from the call center, and providing a report of dead air time.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the report shows data for each one of a plurality of agents associated with the call center.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring call abandonment for a plurality of outbound calls from the call center, and providing a report of abandoned calls.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the report shows data for each one of a plurality of agents associated with the call center.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising connecting an agent to the outbound call after the dead air time for the outbound call exceeds the time period of allowable dead air specified by the parameter and storing a record of the outbound call as a dead-air-time-exceeded call.

26. Computer executable code embodied in a computer-readable medium comprising:

computer executable code that provides a parameter that specifies a time period of allowable dead air for outbound calls;

computer executable code that obtains a record for an outbound call to be made from a call center to a receiving party;

computer executable code that generates an out-of-band message to initiate the outbound call;

computer executable code that receives an out-of-band message that the outbound call has been answered;

computer executable code that measures dead air time for the outbound call; and

computer executable code that connects an agent to the outbound call if the agent is available for the call before the dead air time for the outbound call exceeds the time period of allowable dead air specified by the parameter.

27. A system for managing dead air time on outbound calls comprising:

parameter means for providing a parameter that specifies a time period of allowable dead air for outbound calls;

obtaining means for obtaining a record for an outbound call to be made from a call center to a receiving party;

transmitting means for transmitting an out-of-band message to initiate the outbound call;

receiving means for receiving an out-of-band message that the outbound call has been answered;

measuring means for measuring dead air time for the outbound call; and

connecting means for connecting an agent to the outbound call if the agent is available for the call before the dead air time for the outbound call exceeds the time period of allowable dead air specified by the parameter.

28. A method for managing dead air time on outbound calls comprising:

providing a parameter that specifies a time period of allowable dead air for outbound calls;

obtaining a record for an outbound call to be made from a call center to a receiving party;

transmitting an out-of-band message to initiate the outbound call;

receiving an out-of-band message that the outbound call has been answered;

measuring dead air time for the outbound call; and

connecting an agent proxy to the outbound call if the agent proxy is available for the call before the dead air time for the outbound call exceeds the time period of allowable dead air specified by the parameter.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising connecting an agent to the outbound call after the dead air time for the outbound call exceeds the time period of allowable dead air specified by the parameter and storing a record of the outbound call as a dead-air-time-exceeded call.

30. A method for managing outbound calls comprising:

providing a dead air interval for use in a telecommunications system, the dead air interval defining an interval of time that begins with a first event, the time of which may be determined for a call within the telecommunications system and increases with a passage of time until a second event, the time of which may be determined for the call within the telecommunications system;

providing a dead air parameter representative of a maximum allowable limit for the dead air interval;

generating an outbound call from a call center to a receiving party;

measuring the dead air interval for the outbound call;

attempting to connect the outbound call to an agent at the call center before the dead air interval for the outbound call exceeds the dead air parameter; and

tearing down the outbound call before the dead air interval for the outbound call exceeds the dead air parameter.

31. A method for managing outbound calls comprising:

defining a dead air interval for use in a telecommunications system, the dead air interval defining an interval of time that begins with a first event, the time of which may be determined for a call within the telecommunications system and increases with a passage of time until a second event, the time of which may be determined for the call within the telecommunications system;

defining a dead air parameter representative of a maximum allowable limit for the dead air interval;

determining at least one of the dead air interval and the dead air parameter applicable to a location of a receiving party;

placing an outbound call from a call center to the receiving party;

measuring the dead air interval for the outbound call;

attempting to connect the outbound call to an agent at the call center before the dead air interval for the outbound call exceeds the dead air parameter; and

tearing down the outbound call before the dead air interval for the outbound call exceeds the dead air parameter.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising determining the location of the receiving party by analyzing one or more digits of a telephone number for the outbound call.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising storing the location of the receiving party in a manner associated with the receiving party and retrieving the location prior to placing the outbound call.

34. The method of claim 31 further comprising storing at least one of the dead air parameter and the dead air interval in a manner associated with the receiving party and retrieving the at least one of the dead air parameter and the dead air interval prior to placing the outbound call.

35. A system for managing dead air at a call center comprising:

a plurality of agent stations, each agent station including a display and a telephone;

a telecommunications switch coupled to the telephone at each one of the plurality of agent stations, the telecommunications switch also coupled in a communicating relationship with a central office, the communicating relationship including one or more voice channels and one or more signaling channels;

a database of records corresponding to outbound calls that are to be placed; and

a computer configured to read a record from the database, to provide commands to the telecommunications switch to place a call associated with the record wherein an answer by a receiving party is signaled to the telecommunications switch through one of the one or more signaling channels, and to connect one of the one or more voice channels associated with the call to a telephone at an available one of the plurality of agent stations, and, when an agent station is not immediately available for the receiving party, the computer further configured to tear down the call before a dead air time associated with the call exceeds a time period of allowable dead air.