Customer automated response system
First Claim
1. A method of prompting an agent of an automatic contact distributor during a customer service contact with a client where each customer service contact is divided into a plurality of predefined transaction phase states through which the contact passes during the contact, such method comprising the steps of:
- automatically detecting each of the transaction phase states of the customer service contact during the contact with the client out of the plurality of predefined transaction phase states via operation of a terminal of the agent;
automatically selecting in response to respective detection of each respective transaction phase state of the plurality of transaction phase states via operation of a selection processor, a respective set of possible responses for use by the agent from a plurality of sets of predetermined possible responses including a plurality of sets of predetermined possible responses appropriate to each respective one of the plurality of predefined transaction phase states, the respective set of possible responses being a plurality of predetermined possible responses each specifically appropriate to the respective detected transaction phase state of the customer service contact and focused primarily upon supporting the respective transaction phase state of the customer service contact; and
visually prompting the agent on the terminal of the agent with the respective selected set of possible responses from which the agent may select a response.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for prompting an agent of an automatic contact distributor during a customer service contact with a client. The method includes the steps of detecting a state of the customer service contact with the client via operation of a terminal of the agent; selecting a set of possible responses for use by the agent from a plurality of sets of possible responses that are appropriate to the detected state of the customer service contact and visually prompting the agent with the selected set of possible responses.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of prompting an agent of an automatic contact distributor during a customer service contact with a client where each customer service contact is divided into a plurality of predefined transaction phase states through which the contact passes during the contact, such method comprising the steps of:
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automatically detecting each of the transaction phase states of the customer service contact during the contact with the client out of the plurality of predefined transaction phase states via operation of a terminal of the agent; automatically selecting in response to respective detection of each respective transaction phase state of the plurality of transaction phase states via operation of a selection processor, a respective set of possible responses for use by the agent from a plurality of sets of predetermined possible responses including a plurality of sets of predetermined possible responses appropriate to each respective one of the plurality of predefined transaction phase states, the respective set of possible responses being a plurality of predetermined possible responses each specifically appropriate to the respective detected transaction phase state of the customer service contact and focused primarily upon supporting the respective transaction phase state of the customer service contact; and visually prompting the agent on the terminal of the agent with the respective selected set of possible responses from which the agent may select a response. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for prompting an agent of an automatic contact distributor during a customer service contact with a client where each customer service contact is divided into a plurality of predefined transaction phases, such apparatus comprising:
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means for detecting which transaction phase that the customer service contact with the client is in, of the plurality of predefined transaction phases via operation of a terminal of the agent wherein the plurality of predefined transaction phases include a problem definition phase and a problem resolution phase; means for automatically selecting, in response to respective detection of each respective transaction phase state of the plurality of phase states, a respective set of possible responses for use by the agent from a plurality of sets of possible responses, such that the respective set of possible response selected is a plurality of responses specifically appropriate to the respective detected transaction phase of the customer service contact and focused primarily upon supporting the respective transaction phase state of the customer service contact; means for visually prompting the agent with the respective selected set of possible responses enabling the agent to select a response; and means for assigning a problem identifier after entering the problem definition phase, and assigning a new problem identifier if the problem resolution phase is not entered after the agent responds. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for prompting an agent of an automatic contact distributor during a customer service contact with a client where the customer service contact is divided into a plurality of predefined transaction phase states, such apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of prompting files where each prompting file of the plurality of prompting files corresponds to a respective transaction phase state of the plurality of predefined transaction phase states of the customer service contact and each file of the plurality of prompting files contains a plurality of possible responses by the agent to the client each of the plurality of possible responses specifically related to the corresponding respective transaction phase state and focused primarily upon the current phase state of the customer service contact; a state detection processor that automatically detects which respective transaction phase state of the plurality of transaction phase states that the customer service contact is in; and a state display processor which selects in response to respective detection of each respective transaction phase state of the plurality of transaction phase states, the prompting file that corresponds to the respective detected transaction phase state and displays a window on a terminal of the agent that visually prompts the agent with the plurality of possible responses of the prompting file that corresponds to the respective detected transaction phase state of the customer service contact and that enables the agent to select a response therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification