Best practices learning for agents in a communication system

• US 7,460,659 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Electronic Commerce Corporation (Rockwell International Corporation)
• Inventors: Shambaugh, Craig R., Dezonno, Anthony J., Sumner, Roger A., Beckstrom, Robert P., Michelson, Mark J., Power, Mark J., Hodson, Jeffrey D., Bonifazi, Carlo
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US10/259,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20040062381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.02, 379/265.05, 379/88.19, 379/265.06, 379/265.01, 379/32.01, 379/266.08, 704/2, 434/111, 700/83
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

The method and apparatus teach agents in a communication system, such as an automatic call distribution system. In a first step of one embodiment of the method, a previously stored call transaction having a plurality of dialog portions and decision points is provided to the agent. The call transaction is replayed, and at least one decision of the respective decision point in the call transaction is simulated. This simulation is different than an original decision at the respective decision point in the call transaction. The results are evaluated and presented to the agent. In one embodiment at least one decision is a best practice decision. Also, the method further may overlay preferred paths of a call transaction based on stored best practice call transactions. The apparatus implements the method for replaying call transactions.

Claims

1. A method for teaching agents in a communication system, comprising:

providing a previously stored actual and original call transaction conducted with a customer at an earlier time having a plurality of dialog portions and decision points forming a transaction path to a business outcome;

replaying the call transaction, and simulating at least one decision at a respective decision point in the call transaction which is different than an original decision at the respective decision point in the original call transaction wherein at least one decision point is a multiple branch decision point thereby forming a plurality of different connected transaction paths each having a different business outcome, each path having a plurality of dialog portions and a plurality of decision points and each path starting with a common dialog of the stored actual call; and

evaluating the results of decisions of the agent at multiple decision points along the transaction path resulting from the decisions, and presenting the results to the agent.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one decision is a best practice decision.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises overlaying at least one preferred path on the stored original call transaction the preferred path having at least one best practice decision to provide a plurality of different transaction paths each having a plurality of dialog portions and decision points and each starting with a common dialog of the stored actual call.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the agent sequentially steps through the call transaction, and wherein the method further comprises overlaying best practice decision steps on the decision points of the stored original call transaction to form multiple branch decision points and at least one preferred best practice transaction path and at least one additional transaction path with at least one best practice decision.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the overlaying best practice decision steps comprises decision changes in real-time by the agent at selected decision points to determine the effect on the call transaction result.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one decision in the simulating step and the evaluating step is a best practice decision.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises automatically detecting when an agent is not engaged in a call transaction and automatically activating the replaying step in response thereto.

8. A method for teaching agents in an automatic call distribution system, comprising:

providing a previously stored actual call transaction conducted with a customer at an earlier time having a plurality of dialog portions and decision points forming a transaction path to a business outcome;

replaying the call transaction, and overlaying at least one preferred path on the stored actual call transaction, preferred paths having at least one multiple branch decision point thereby forming a plurality of different transaction paths starting with a common dialog of the stored actual call and each path having a different business outcome, each path having a plurality of dialog portions and a plurality of decision points; and

evaluating the results of the preferred paths at multiple decision points alone the preferred path, and presenting the results to the agent.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the agent sequentially steps through the call transaction, and wherein the method further comprises overlaying best practice decision steps on the decision points of the call transaction.

10. A computer readable medium containing computer program code comprising

call transaction computer program code that provides a previously stored actual call transaction conducted with a customer at an earlier time having a plurality of dialog portions and decision points forming a transaction path to a business outcome;

replay computer program code that replays the call transaction, and that simulates at least one decision at a respective decision point in the call transaction, which is different than an original decision at the respective decision point in the stored actual call transaction wherein at least one decision point is a multiple branch decision point thereby forming a plurality of different connected transaction paths each having a different business outcome, each path having a plurality of dialog portions and a plurality of decision points and each path starting with a common dialog of the stored actual call; and

evaluator computer program code that evaluates the results of the agent'"'"'s decisions at multiple decision points alone the transaction path resulting from the decisions, and that presents the results to the agent.

11. The computer program readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the at least one decision is a best practice decision.

12. The computer program readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the computer readable media further comprises overlay computer program code that overlays preferred paths on the call transaction based on stored best practice call transactions.

13. The computer program readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the agent sequentially steps through the call transaction, and wherein the computer readable media further comprises overlay computer program code that overlays best practice decision steps on the decision points of the call transaction.

14. The computer program readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the best practice decision steps comprise at least one of voice information, data information, and video information.

15. An apparatus that teaches agents in a communication system, comprising:

means for providing a previously stored actual call transaction conducted with a customer at an earlier time having a plurality of dialog portions and decision points forming a transaction path to an outcome;

means for replaying the call transaction, and simulating at least one best practice decision at a respective decision point in the stored actual call transaction, which is different than an original decision at the respective decision point in the stored actual call transaction wherein at least one decision point is a multiple branch decision point which forms a plurality of different connected transaction paths each having a different outcome, each path having a plurality of dialog portions and a plurality of decision points and each path starting with a common dialog of the stored actual call; and

means for evaluating the results of decisions of the agent at multiple decision points along the transaction path resulting from the decisions, and presenting the results to the agent.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for overlaying preferred paths on the call transaction based on stored best practice call transactions.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the agent sequentially steps through the call transaction, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for overlaying best practice decision steps on the decision points of the call transaction.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the best practice decision steps comprise at least one of voice information, data information, and video information.

19. An apparatus that teaches agents in an automatic call distribution system, comprising:

means for providing a previously stored actual call transaction conducted with a customer at an earlier time having a plurality of dialog portions and decision points forming a transaction path to an outcome;

means for replaying the call transaction, and overlaying preferred paths on the call transaction, the preferred path having at least one stored best practice multiple branch decision point thereby providing a plurality of different transaction paths starting with a common dialog of the stored actual call and each path having a different outcome, each path having a plurality of dialog portions and a plurality of decision points; and

means for evaluating the results of the preferred paths at multiple decision points along the preferred path, and presenting the results to the agent.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the agent sequentially steps through the call transaction, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for overlaying best practice decision steps on the decision points of the call transaction.

21. An apparatus that teaches agents in an automatic call distribution system, comprising:

a memory having at least one previously recorded actual call transaction conducted with a customer at an earlier time having a plurality of dialog portions and decision points forming a transaction path to an outcome;

a replay module operatively connected to the storage, the reply module replaying the previously recorded call transaction, and overlaying at least one preferred path on the recorded actual call transaction, the preferred path having at least one stored multiple branch decision point to provide a plurality of different transaction paths starting with a common dialog of the recorded actual call and each path having a different outcome, each path having a plurality of dialog portions and a plurality of decision points; and

an evaluator operatively connected to the replay module, the evaluator evaluating the results of the preferred paths at multiple decision points along the preferred path, and presenting the results to the agent.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the agent sequentially steps through the call transaction, and wherein the replay module comprises an overlay module that overlaying best practice decision steps on the decision points of the call transaction.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the call transaction is a complete call transaction with less than optimal results and the best practice decision steps comprise at least one of voice information, data information, and video information.