Context recovery for call center agents

• US 8,107,613 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Gumbula, Srinivasa R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pope, Kharye
• Application Number:
  US11/690,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20080232575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/217, 455/414.1, 455/412.1, 455/466, 370/353, 379/265, 379/266, 379/263, 379/264
• US Class Current: 379/265.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80

Abstract

A call center processes calls in such a way that a caller'"'"'s matter is first handled by a first agent and is subsequently handled by a second agent. The call center creates a voice recording of at least part of that portion of the caller'"'"'s matter handled by the first agent. Subsequently, the second agent is given an opportunity to play back the voice recording prior to the second agent handling the caller'"'"'s matter. In this way, the caller is not required to repeat the same information to both the first and second agents.

Claims

1. A method of processing calls in a call center wherein a caller'"'"'s matter is first handled by a first agent and is subsequently handled by a second agent, the method comprising the steps of:

upon receipt of an incoming communication, creating a voice recording of at least part of that portion of the caller'"'"'s matter handled by the first agent;

providing the second agent with an opportunity to play back the voice recording prior to the second agent handling said caller'"'"'s matter, said caller being temporarily placed on hold if the second agent plays back the voice recording;

upon a subsequent handling of the call by the second agent, receiving, by the second agent an indication of the voice recording;

connecting the second agent to said caller on hold following the second agent listening to at least a portion of the voice recording;

playing a recorded message to said caller while said caller is temporarily on hold, the recorded message comprising an indication that the second agent is playing back the voice recording;

designating the call as a transferred call prior to transfer to the second agent;

prior to transferring the call to the second agent, waiting for the first agent to update an interaction record with a description of the content of the call between the first agent and said caller;

receiving, from the first agent, the interaction record prior to permitting the first agent to move onto another call or permitting the second agent to respond to said caller; and

during playing of the recorded message, providing an opportunity for the second agent to review the voice recording and the interaction record while said caller continues receiving the recorded message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second agent is required to play back the entire voice recording before handling the caller'"'"'s matter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second agent is required to playback the entire voice recording before handling the caller'"'"'s matter if the voice recording does not exceed a predetermined duration.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of flagging data associated with the caller between the steps of creating the voice recording and providing the second agent with the opportunity to play back the voice recording, the flag indicating that the voice recording is available for playback by the second agent.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forwarding the caller from the first agent to the second agent between the steps of creating the voice recording and providing the second agent with the opportunity to play back the voice recording.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice recording is saved in a digital form with an indication of a date and a time the voice recording was created.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of creating a second voice recording of at least part of that portion of the caller'"'"'s matter handled by the second agent.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the second agent with a visual indication that the voice recording is available for playback.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the visual indication is provided to the second agent on a computer monitor associated with the second agent.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the second agent with an audible indication that the voice recording is available for playback.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the second agent being required to listen to the previous voice recording for at least a predetermined period prior to interacting with the caller on hold.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating a call status flag, the call status flag including states of null, forwarded, dropped and completed;

and marking the call status flag as completed with respect to the fist agent following entering a customer interaction record (CIR) containing the interaction record.

11. An apparatus for processing calls in a call center wherein a caller'"'"'s matter is first handled by a first agent and is subsequently handled by a second agent, the apparatus comprising a processor-based voice recorder operative to record at least part of that portion of said caller'"'"'s matter handled by the first agent;

and to provide the second agent with an opportunity to play back the voice recording prior to the second agent handling said caller'"'"'s matter, the apparatus further operable to;

indicate to the second agent to the existence of the voice recording;

to place said caller temporarily on hold if the second agent plays back the voice recording, the telephone interface further configured to play a recorded message to said caller while said caller is temporarily on hold, the recorded message comprising an indication that the second agent is playing back the voice recording;

to connect the second agent to said caller on hold following the second agent listening to at least a portion of the voice recording;

designate the call as a transferred call prior to transfer to the second agent;

prior to transferring the call to the second agent, wait for the first agent to update an interaction record with a description of the content of the call between the first agent and said caller;

to receive, from the first agent, the interaction record prior to permitting the first agent to move onto another call or permitting the second agent to respond to said caller; and

during playing of the recorded message, provide an opportunity for the second agent to review the voice recording and the interaction record while said caller continues receiving the recorded message.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is at least partially implemented in a computer-telephony integration system.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is at least partially implemented in a voice transaction recording system.

14. A call center wherein a caller'"'"'s matter is first handled by a first agent and is subsequently handled by a second agent, the call center comprising:

a network;

a plurality of agent terminals connected to the network;

a processor connected to the network, the processor operative to record at least part of that portion of said caller'"'"'s matter handled by the first agent and to provide the second agent with an opportunity to play back the voice recording prior to the second agent handling said the caller'"'"'s matter;

a memory connected to the network, the memory operative to store the voice recording;

an indicator to alert the second agent to the existence of the voice recording;

a telephony interface for placing said caller temporarily on hold if the second agent plays back the voice recording, the telephone interface further configured to play a recorded message to said caller while said caller is temporarily on hold, the recorded message comprising an indication that the second agent is playing back the voice recording;

the telephone interface connecting the second agent to said caller on hold following the second agent listening to at least a portion of the voice recording the telephony interface further configured to;

designate the call as a transferred call prior to transfer to the second agent;

prior to transferring the call to the second agent, wait for the first agent to update an interaction record with a description of the content of the call between the first agent and said caller;

receive, from the first agent, the interaction record prior to permitting the first agent to move onto another call or permitting the second agent to respond to said caller; and

during playing of the recorded message, provide an opportunity for the second agent to review the voice recording and the interaction record while said caller continues receiving the recorded message.

15. The call center of claim 14, wherein the call center further comprises an automatic call distribution system.

16. The call center of claim 14, wherein the processor is implemented in at least one of a computer-telephony integration system and a voice transaction recording system.