Operator network that routes customer care calls based on subscriber/device profile and CSR skill set

• US 7,401,320 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Collins, Ian, Chowdhary, Yousuf, Rao, Bindu Rama, Brunet, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): INGBERG, TODD D
• Application Number:
  US11/247,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20060143058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 717/101, 379/88.16, 379/218.01, 379/88.18, 379/265.01, 379/265.11, 379/266.01, 379/265.1, 370/356, 370/401, 455/414.3, 705/11
• US Class Current: 717/101
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

An operator network is capable of routing incoming customer care calls to specific customer care representatives based on a subscriber profile and customer service representative (CSR) skill set. The device profile is retrieved from the mobile handset while the incoming customer care call is in a queue waiting to be connected to a CSR. The retrieved device profile is also used to determine an appropriate CSR to handle an incoming customer care call.

Claims

1. A customer care system for mobile devices, the customer care system comprising:

a plurality of customer care representative units, each associated with a customer care representative;

a call handling server capable of handling a plurality of customer care calls from at least some of the mobile devices;

a customer care server communicatively coupled to the call handling server that facilitates diagnosis of the at least some of the mobile devices and the selective modification of the at least some of the mobile devices; and

the customer care server routing each of the plurality of customer care calls to one of the plurality of customer care representative units based on expertise information of customer care representatives and a device profile retrieved from the at least some of the mobile devices during the customer care call.

2. The customer care system of claim 1 wherein the customer care server retrieves a device profile from each of the at least some of the mobile devices to route the associated one of the plurality of customer care calls to one of the plurality of customer care representative units.

3. The customer care system of claim 2 wherein the device profile comprises at least one of a manufacturer identification, a model identification, a firmware version, a software version, a hardware versions and a subscriber identification.

4. The customer care system of claim 2 wherein the customer care server retrieves the device profile from each of the at least some of the mobile devices while the each of the at least some of the mobile devices is communicatively coupled to the call handling server for customer care service.

5. The customer care system of claim 2 wherein the expertise information comprises a mapping of the customer care representatives to a device profile.

6. The customer care system of claim 2 wherein the expertise information comprises a mapping of the customer care representatives to a mobile device platform.

7. The customer care system of claim 2 wherein the expertise information comprises a mapping of the customer care representatives to a mobile device operating system.

8. The customer care system of claim 2 wherein the customer care server employs a management server to retrieve the device profiles from the at least some of the mobile devices to route each of the plurality of customer care calls.

9. The customer care system of claim 2 wherein the retrieving of the device profile occurs while the mobile devices are on hold at the call handling server in order to obtain a customer care service.

10. A customer care system operated in an operator network and used by a plurality of customer care representatives, the customer care system comprising:

a customer care server;

a plurality of customer care representative units communicatively coupled to the customer care server, each of the plurality of customer care representative units capable of being used by at least one of a plurality of customer care representatives;

the customer care system capable of routing an incoming customer care call from a mobile device to a specific customer care representative unit among the plurality of customer care representative units based on a device profile retrieved from the mobile device during the customer care call, and based on a customer care representative (CCR) skill set associated with one of the plurality of customer care representatives currently using the specific customer care representative unit.

11. The customer care system of claim 10 wherein the device profile is retrieved from the mobile device while the mobile device is communicatively coupled to the customer care system for customer care service.

12. The customer care system of claim 11 wherein a subscriber profile is retrieved from the mobile device while a user employs the mobile device to establish an incoming customer care call with the customer care system.

13. The customer care system of claim 11 wherein the device profile is retrieved while the user employing the mobile device for the customer care service is in a call handling queue waiting to be connected to the customer care representative.

14. The customer care system of claim 13 wherein the customer care server tracks the performance of a plurality of customer care representatives to determine their expertise and collect an expertise information and wherein the customer care call from the mobile device is routed to one of the plurality of customer care representatives based on the expertise information and the device profile retrieved from the mobile device.

15. The customer care system of claim 14 wherein expertise information comprises at least one of a skill set associated with the plurality of customer care representatives, types of problems solved by the plurality of customer care representatives, types of devices handled by the plurality of customer care representatives and a history of problems solved by the plurality of customer care representatives.

16. A method of providing customer care to a user of a mobile device in a customer care system, the method comprising:

queuing an incoming customer care call from the mobile device;

selecting a target customer care representative (CCR) from a plurality of customer care representatives, based upon a device profile retrieved from the mobile device during the customer care call;

presenting the device profile from the mobile device to the target customer care representative; and

assigning the target customer care representative to the incoming call.

17. The method of providing customer care according to claim 16 wherein queuing comprises:

putting the incoming call on hold, in an incoming call queue, until a CCR is assigned to the incoming call.

18. The method of providing customer care according to claim 17 wherein selecting comprises:

retrieving the device profile associated with the mobile device;

comparing at least a portion of the device profile to a skill set associated with the plurality of customer care representatives; and

identifying one of the plurality of customer care representatives as the target customer care representative.

19. The method of providing customer care according to claim 18 wherein comparing comprises:

processing rules by a rules engine to determine a best fit representative among the plurality of customer care representatives, wherein the rules engine employs rules related to at least one of a skill set associated with the plurality of customer care representatives, types of problems solved by the plurality of customer care representatives, the types of devices handled by the plurality of customer care representatives and the history of problems solved by the plurality of customer care representatives.

20. The method of providing customer care according to claim 16 further comprising:

receiving a subscriber information; and

displaying at least a portion of the subscriber information to the customer care representative.

21. The method of providing customer care according to claim 18 wherein retrieving the device profile comprises accessing the device profile from at least one of the mobile device, a self-care portal used by the user of the mobile device and a local database comprising the device profile.

22. The method of providing customer care according to claim 21 wherein the device profile comprises at least one of a make, a model, a hardware version, a software version, a platform information, a device capability list and a list of applications, all of these associated with the mobile device.

23. The method of providing customer care according to claim 22 wherein the presenting comprises:

displaying at least a portion of the device profile;

highlighting a list of potential problems with the mobile device; and

providing a list of potential solutions for at least one of the potential problems.