Method and system for improved routing of repair calls to a call center

• US 7,545,925 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Karen L
• Application Number:
  US10/313,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20040109555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,377 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266.08, 379/67.1, 379/88.2, 379/166.08, 379/93.05, 379/211.02, 379/67.01
• US Class Current: 379/265.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms

Abstract

A method and system are provided for improved routing of repair calls in a call center. A call routing system receives a repair call from a calling party and determines if the calling party is a first time caller or a repeat caller based on identification data associated with the calling party. If it is determined that the calling party is a first time caller, the repair call is routed to a first group of customer service assistants. If it is determined that the calling party is a repeat caller, the repair call is routed to a second group of customer service assistants. The calls may be routed based on an input entered into the system by a calling party. The input may be a voice command or a predetermined key on a telephone keypad.

Claims

1. A method for improved routing of repair calls in a repair call center wherein calls from repeat callers on the average take longer than calls from first time callers, the method comprising:

receiving a repair call at the repair call center from a calling party;

determining if the calling party is a first time caller or a repeat caller;

if it is determined that the calling party is the first time caller,

routing the repair call to a first group of customer service assistants designated to receive calls from the first time callers,

if it is determined that the calling party is the repeat caller,

routing the repair call to an available customer service assistant in a second group of customer service assistants designated to receive calls from the repeat callers, without receiving input from the calling party,

wherein determining if the calling party is the first time caller or the repeat caller comprises;

receiving identification data associated with the calling party, wherein the identification data comprises a telephone number of the calling party;

identifying the identification data associated with the calling party;

querying a customer database for customer data associated with the calling party, the customer data matching the identification data associated with the calling party and the customer data comprising data associated with an existing problem associated with the calling party;

if the identification data does not match the customer data, determining that the calling party is the first time caller; and

if the identification data matches the customer data, determining that the calling party is the repeat caller solely based on the customer data,

wherein the repair calls are routed to the first group of customer service assistants and the second group of customer service assistants without receiving input from any caller regarding the call type, thereby reducing overall wait time.

2. A method for improved routing of repair calls in a repair call center wherein calls from repeat callers on the average take longer than calls from first time callers, the method comprising:

receiving a repair call at the repair call center from a calling party;

requesting an input from the calling party as to whether the calling party has previously reported a problem, wherein the input is utilized to determine whether the calling party is a first time caller or a repeat caller and wherein the input is at least one of a predetermined key on a telephone keypad and a voice command from the calling party;

routing the repair call based on the input, wherein routing the repair call based on the input comprises;

routing the repair call to a first group of customer service assistants if the input corresponds to a first time caller to the repair call center; and

routing the repair call to an available customer service assistant in a second group of customer service assistants if the input corresponds to a repeat caller to the repair call center; and

wherein the repair call is routed without receiving the call type from the calling party, thereby reducing overall wait time.

3. A call routing system for improved routing of repair calls in a repair call center in a telecommunications network, comprising:

means for determining whether the calling party is a first time caller or a repeat caller to the repair call center;

means for routing the repair call to a first group of customer service assistants designated to receive calls from first time callers in the repair call center if the calling party is the first time caller to the repair call center; and

means for routing the repair call to an available customer service assistant in a second group of customer service assistants designated to receive calls from repeat callers in the repair call center if the calling party is the repeat caller to the repair call center without receiving input from the calling party, wherein the repair call is routed to the first group of customer service assistants and the second group of customer service assistants without receiving input from any caller regarding the call type, thereby reducing overall wait time, wherein calls from the repeat callers on the average take longer than calls from the first time callers;

a customer database, in communication with the call routing system, for storing customer data associated with callers to the repair call center;

means for receiving identification data associated with the calling party, wherein the identification data comprises a telephone number of the calling party;

means for identifying the identification data associated with the calling party;

means for querying the customer database for customer data associated with the calling party, the customer data matching the identification data associated with the calling party and the customer data comprising data associated with an existing problem associated with the calling party;

means for determining that the calling party is the first time caller if the identification data does not match the customer data in the customer database; and

means for determining that the calling party is the repeat caller, wherein the determination is solely based on whether the identification data matches the customer data in the customer database.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the call routing system further comprises means for saving the identification data associated with the first time caller as new customer data in the customer database.