System and method for providing a call back option for callers to a call center

• US 7,953,217 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• 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: Fain, Brian, Bedingfield, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S
• Application Number:
  US11/459,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20060256957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 379/209.01, 379/210.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/266.01, 379/266.07, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/210.01
• 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 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for providing a call back option to a customer of a call center. According to one embodiment, the system includes a telecommunications switch and an automatic call distributor in communication with the telecommunications switch via first and second communications links. The system also includes means for providing the customer with a call back option in response to a first call from the customer, wherein the first call is routed to the automatic call distributor by the telecommunications switch over the first communications link, and means for establishing a second call between the automatic call distributor and the customer over the second communications link when the customer accepts the call back option.

Claims

1. A device for providing a call center call back option, comprising:

at least one communications port that receives calls directed to the call center; and

a processing device that is linked to the communications port and that provides the--a call back option for a first call that is received, wherein the call back option is to call back the call center during a specified time period and wherein the processing device establishes a second call during the specified time period based on an acceptance of the call back option provided to the first call by receiving the second call and allows the second call to bypass at least one call waiting queue associated with the call center into which the second call would have otherwise been placed when the second call is within the specified time period and without regard to a position in a queue for the first call if the call back option were not accepted.

2. The device of claim 1,

wherein the processing device determines a caller ID of the second call and allows the second call to bypass the at least one call waiting queue when the caller ID matches a caller ID associated with the first call.

3. The device of claim 1,

wherein bypass of the at least one call waiting queue connects the second call to a first available representative.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing device provides the call back option by providing a voice prompt.

5. The device of claim 1,

wherein the processing device receives dual tone multi-frequency input to accept the call back option.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the specified time is a time interval.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the first call is received via a first communication link and the second call is received via a second communication link.

7. A device for providing a call center call back option, comprising:

at least one communications port that receives calls directed to the call center; and

a processing device that is linked to the communications port and that provides the-a call back option for a first call that is received, wherein the call back option enables the call center to place a second call to the source of the first call during a specified time period, the processing device determining the specified time period as a time when the call center has capacity to handle more calls than when the first call is received, wherein the processing device establishes the second call during the specified time period based on an acceptance of the call back option provided to the first call by initiating the second call to the source of the first call, wherein the second call is connected to a next available representative, without regard to a position in a queue for the first call if the call back option were not accepted, when a representative is not immediately available.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the processing device provides the call back option by providing a voice prompt.

9. The device of claim 7,

wherein the processing device receives automatic speech recognition input to accept the call back option.

10. The device of claim 7,

wherein the specified time is time interval.

16. The device of claim 7, wherein the first call is received via a first communication link and the second call is established via a second communication link.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions encoded thereon for providing a call center call back option, wherein the instructions perform acts comprising:

receiving a first call directed to the call center;

finding a specified time by searching a database that tracks call volume for a time with low call volume;

providing the call back option for the first call that is received, wherein the call back option is to be called back to reach the call center during the specified time period;

establishing a second call during the specified time period based on an acceptance of the call back option provided to the first call by initiating the second call to a source of the first call; and

when the second call is established when a representative is not immediately available, connecting the second call to a first available representative without regard to a position in a queue for the first call if the call back option were not accepted.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein providing the call back option comprises providing a voice prompt.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising receiving dual tone multi-frequency input to accept the call back option.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising repeatedly placing the second call if the second call is not answered on a previous attempt.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11,

wherein the first call is received via a first communication link and the second call is established via a second communication link.