System and method for customer requests and contact management

• US 7,761,321 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: [24]7.ai, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 24/7 Customer Incorporated
• Inventors: Kannan, Pallipuram V., Miller, Reagan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen; Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US11/360,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/9, 709/219
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted

Abstract

A method and a web-based system is provided that enables a customer service center of a company to provide its customers with a choice of different modes for establishing contact with customer service representatives. The different modes of contact are displayed on a single web page. The modes of contact include, but are not limited to call, chat, e-mail and Internet talk. Further, the system provides information regarding the estimated wait time and the less busy time for the modes of contact. In addition, the system and method provide means for conducting a search in a knowledge database for automated responses to queries from customers. The system and method enables the customer to provide feedback for each interaction with the customer service center through the web page. Further, the system and method enable the storage of all interaction between each customer and the customer service center.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing assistance to a customer of a company through a web based system, the company having a customer service center, the customer service center supported by an automatic call distributor (ACD), a work flow management (WFM) system, a web portal, one or more web-based applications, a knowledge database, map functions, a short message service (SMS) web gateway, a customer satisfaction (CSAT) system and a customer relationship management (CRM) system, the method comprising:

a. providing a web page on the web portal, the web page acting as an interface between the customer and the customer service center of the company;

b. providing one or more options on the web page to be selected by the customer, the one or more options corresponding to one or more modes of contact between the customer and customer service representatives at the customer service center including telephone, chat, email, Internet talk, and SMS;

c. providing, with the ACD, an estimated wait time on the web page in real-time, for at least one of the one or more modes of contact based on a type of request, a queue of customers, a number of customer service representatives (CSR) at the customer service center, and an average amount of time required by the CSR to handle the type of request;

d. providing, with the WFM system, a less busy time on the web page for at least one of the one or more modes of contact based on the type of request, the number of incoming calls received by the customer service center in proportion to the number of CSRs at the customer service center, and the average amount of time required by the CSRs to handle the type of request; and

e. providing a knowledge database that the customer searches for information related to general queries and that provides prediction-driven automated responses that correspond to a customer query including information derived from previous interactions between customers and CSRs.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of displaying a call-back option for the customer, the call-back option being displayed on the web page.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ACD automatically connects the customer and a customer representative if the customer selects the call-back option.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of sending a message to the customer based on the one or more options selected by the customer.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of sending a message to the customer, when estimated wait time for the one or more options selected by the customer falls below a predetermined value.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of sending a message to the customer when estimated wait time for the one or more options selected by the customer never falls below a predetermined value, within a predetermined interval of time.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of providing one or more pay-for-service options on the web page.

8. The method of, claim 7, wherein the one or more pay-for-service options allow the customer in a queue of customers to exchange positions with other customers in the queue.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of displaying a site locator option on the web page, the site locator option providing maps and directions for a physical location to the customers.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of collecting feedback from the customer for the assistance provided to the customer through the web based system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the knowledge database stores details of interactions occurring between each customer and the customer service center.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the knowledge database search option is used for searching details of interactions occurring between each customer and the customer service center.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of recording all interaction between the customers and the customer service center.

14. A computer program product for providing assistance to a customer of a company through a web based system, the company having a customer service center, the customer service center supported by an automatic call distributor (ACD), a work flow management (WFM) system, a web portal, one or more web-based applications, a knowledge database, map-functions, short message service (SMS) web gateway, a customer satisfaction (CSAT) system and a customer relationship management (CRM) system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code containing instructions for performing the steps of:

a. providing a web page on the web portal, the web page acting as an interface between the customer and the customer service center of the company;

b. providing one or more options on the web page to be selected by the customer, the one or more options corresponding to one or more modes of contact between the customer and customer service representatives at the customer service center including telephone, chat, email, Internet talk, and SMS;

c. providing, with the ACD, an estimated wait time on the web page in real-time, for at least one of the one or more modes of contact based on a type of request, a queue of customers, a number of customer service representatives (CSR) at the customer service center, and an average amount of time required by the CSR to handle the type of request;

d. providing, with the WFM system, a less busy time on the web page for at least one of the one or more modes of contact based on the type of request, the number of incoming calls received by the customer service center in proportion to the number of CSRs at the customer service center, and the average amount of time required by the CSRs to handle the type of request; and

e. providing a knowledge database that the customer searches for information related to general queries and that provides prediction-driven automated responses that correspond to a customer query including information derived from previous interactions between customers and CSRs.

15. A web based system for providing assistance to a customer of a company, the company comprising a customer service center, the customer service center supported by an automatic call distributor (ACD), a work flow management (WFM) system, a web portal, one or more web-based applications, a knowledge database, map functions, short message service (SMS) web gateway, a customer satisfaction (CSAT) system and a customer relationship management (CRM) system, the web based system comprising:

a. a web page, the web page being provided on the web portal of the company, the web page comprising;

i. one or more options corresponding to one or more modes of contact between customer service representatives at the customer service center, and the customer including telephone, chat, email, Internet talk, and SMS;

ii. an estimated wait time for at least one or more options selected by the customer that is calculated in real-time and is based on the type of request, the number of incoming calls received by the customer service center in proportion to the number of CSRs at the customer service center, and the average amount of time required by the CSRs to handle the type of request;

iii. a less busy time for at least one or more options selected by the customer based on the type of request, the number of incoming calls received by the customer service center in proportion to the number of CSRs at the customer service center, and the average amount of time required by the CSRs to handle the type of request; and

iv. a knowledge database search option for allowing the customer to search the knowledge database for information related to general queries,

b. an ACD module, the ACD module interacting with the automatic call distributor and the web page to generate the estimated wait time;

c. a WFM module, the WFM module interacting with the work flow management and the web page to generate the less busy time;

d. a central interface provided between the web page and the one or more web-based applications; and

e. a search tool, the search tool interacting with the web page and the knowledge database to obtain information related to general queries and that provides prediction-driven automated responses that correspond to a customer query including information derived from previous interactions between customers and CSRs.

16. The web based system of claim 15 further comprising a chat system, the chat system providing the estimated wait time and the less busy time for chat between the customer and the customer service representatives.

17. The web based system of claim 15 further comprising an email system, the email system providing the estimated wait time and the less busy time for email between the customer and the customer service representatives.

18. The web based system of claim 15 further comprising an Internet talk system, the Internet talk system providing the estimated wait time and the less busy time for Internet talk between the customer and the customer service representatives.

19. The web based system of claim 15 further comprising a CRM module, the CRM module interacting with the web page and the CRM system.

20. The web based system of claim 15, wherein the web page displays a call-back option and a short message service option.

21. The web based system of claim 20 further comprising a processing module, wherein the processing module interacts with the ACD to connect one of the customer service representatives to the customer, if the customer selects the call-back option.

22. The web based system of claim 21, wherein the processing module sends a message to the customer based on a predetermined condition, if the customer selects the SMS option.

23. The web based system of claim 22, wherein the predetermined condition is the estimated wait time of a mode of contact selected by the customer falling below a predetermined level, within a predetermined amount of time.

24. The web based system of claim 22, wherein the predetermined condition is the estimated wait time never falling below a predetermined level, within a predetermined amount of time.

25. The web based system of claim 15, wherein the web page further comprises information regarding the one or more modes of contact.

26. The web based system of claim 15, wherein the web page further comprises information regarding one or more pay-for-service options, wherein the pay-for-service options provide the customer a set of privileges upon paying a certain amount for a service.

27. The web based system of claim 15, wherein the web page further comprises a site locator option, wherein the site locator option interacts with the map function and provides maps and directions for physical locations to the customer.

28. The web based system of claim 15, wherein the web page further comprises a customer assistance feedback option, wherein the customer assistance feedback option interacts with the CSAT system and provides an option to the customer to provide feedback relating to the assistance provided by the customer service center.

29. The web based system of claim 15, wherein the knowledge database stores details of interactions occurring between each customer and the customer service center.

30. The web based system of claim 15, wherein the search tool searches in the knowledge database of the company for details of interactions occurring between each customer and the customer service center.

31. The web based system of claim 15, wherein the search tool stores a query entered by the customer for a predetermined time.

32. The web based system of claim 31 wherein the search tool stores one or more responses to the query for a predetermined time.