System and method for caller confirmation of call center agent notes

• US 7,463,730 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jain, Mukul, Katkam, Vinod
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Creighton H
• Application Number:
  US11/244,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20070116237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266.1, 379/265.01
• US Class Current: 379/266.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/552 Call annotations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

A system includes a computer workstation associated with an agent of a call center and a subsystem that includes automatic call distributor (ACD) functions for connecting a caller to the computer workstation of the agent, the subsystem being connected with a device of the caller via an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The agent transmits a first message over the IP network to a device of the caller during the call. The first message contains notes electronically recorded by the agent. Prior to or coincident with an end of the call, the caller sends a second message back to the system confirming the agent'"'"'s notes. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Claims

1. A method of servicing a telephone call from a caller to a call center comprising:

communicating notes of an agent to the caller during the telephone call, the notes being electronically recorded by the agent;

receiving a confirmation response from the caller confirming the notes, the confirmation response being sent prior to or coincident with an end of the telephone call; and

entering the notes into a memory associated with an automatic call distributor (ACD) of the call center.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the notes memorialize an agreement reached between the agent and the caller during the telephone call.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the notes are transmitted as an Extensible Mark-up Language (XML) text message.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a rejection response from the caller that rejects the notes;

placing the caller in a priority position of a queue for the agent;

altering the notes by the agent; and

communicating the altered notes to the caller over the network during the telephone call.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

displaying the XML text message on an IP telephone of the caller during the call.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

playing the XML text message as speech on a telephone device of the caller during the telephone call using a text-to-speech converter.

8. A call center for servicing a telephone call from a caller comprising:

means for electronically communicating notes of an agent to the caller, the notes being electronically recorded by the agent; and

means for electronically storing the notes upon receipt of a confirmation message from the caller, the confirmation message being sent by the caller prior to or coincident with an end of the telephone call.

9. A system for servicing a telephone call from a caller to a call center comprising:

a computer workstation associated with an agent of the call center,

a subsystem that includes automatic call distributor (ACD) functions for connecting the caller to the computer workstation associated with the agent, the subsystem being connected with a device of the caller via an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and

wherein the computer workstation is operable to transmit a first message over the IP network to the device of the caller during the telephone call, the first message containing notes electronically recorded by the agent, the computer workstation being further operable to receive a second message sent from the device of the caller prior to or coincident with an end of the telephone call, the second message confirming the notes.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the subsystem comprises a private branch exchange (PBX).

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a memory associated with the unit, the computer workstation being further operable to enter the notes in the memory upon receipt of the second message.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the device of the caller comprises an IP telephone.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the device of the caller comprises a personal computer (PC).

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the first message comprises an Extensible Mark-up Language (XML) text message.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium and computer readable code embodied on the computer useable medium, execution of the computer readable code causing the computer program product to:

communicate notes of a call center agent to a caller, the notes being electronically recorded by the call center agent during a telephone call with the caller; and

enter the notes into a memory associated with an automatic call distributor (ACD) of the call center upon receipt of a confirmation response from the caller confirming the notes, the confirmation response being sent by the caller prior to or coincident with an end of the telephone call.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium and computer readable code embodied on the computer useable medium, execution of the computer readable code causing the computer program product to:

communicate notes of a call center agent to a caller, the notes being electronically recorded by the call center agent during a telephone call with the caller;

receive a confirmation response from the caller confirming the notes, the confirmation response being sent by the caller prior to or coincident with an end of the telephone call; and

enter the notes into a memory associated with an automatic call distributor (ACD) of the call center.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein execution of the computer readable code further causing the computer program product to:

receive a rejection response from the caller that rejects the notes;

place the caller in a priority position of a queue for the call center agent; and

communicate altered notes of the agent to the caller during the telephone call.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein execution of the computer readable code further causing the computer program product to:

transmit the notes as an Extensible Mark-up Language (XML) text message.