System and method for providing call-back options

• US 8,155,297 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Dhir, Nitin, Hogrogian, Richard H., O'Reilly, Robert Thomas Jr., Kappagantu, Ravi
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US10/821,955
• Time in Patent Office: 2,920 Days
• Field of Search: 379/210.01, 379/67, 379/265.05, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.11, 379/265.13
• US Class Current: 379/210.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/00 Special services or facilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/08 menus for interactive user guidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for providing call-back options is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a call in a call routing system, providing at least one call-back option for a caller to receive a call-back, re-allocating resources in the call routing system based at least in part on the at least one call-back option, and calling the caller based on the at least one call-back option. The caller may specify a specific time, a relative time, or a time range when a call-back is preferred. The caller may also specify one or more telephone numbers in combination with the time preferences. The call-back may be initiated by a voice response unit (VRU) and additional call-back options may be presented to the customer who responds to the call-back.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method implemented by a call center, the call center including at least a processing unit, a database, and multiple voice response units, for providing call-back options to callers making an inbound call to the call center, the method comprising:

receiving inbound calls at a call routing system;

collecting information from at least one caller;

selecting, based on the collected information, a call target for the at least one caller;

determining, using the processing unit, unavailability of the call target selected based on the collected information for at least one of the inbound calls;

providing multiple selectable call-back options through a corresponding voice response unit instructed by the processing unit in response to the at least one inbound call, the call back options providing for at least one inbound caller to receive a call-back;

receiving a selection of at least one of the multiple selectable call-back options at the corresponding voice response unit and sending the selection to the processing unit;

scheduling, using the processing unit, a call-back based on the selected call-back option and storing scheduled call-back information in the database;

dynamically assessing demands on the call routing system in relation to available resources using the processing unit, the demands including a number of live callers and a number of scheduled call-backs;

re-allocating the available resources in the call routing system based at least in part on the selected call-back option, the resources including a number of agents available to answer calls and a number of agents performing scheduled call-backs;

retrieving, using the processing unit, the scheduled call-back information from the database and forwarding the scheduled call-back information to the voice response unit; and

calling, using the voice response unit, the at least one caller from the call center based on the selected call-back option.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the call routing system is a virtual call center integrating telephony with computers.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing at multiple call-back options is triggered at least in part by an availability of the resources in the call routing system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing multiple call-back options is triggered at least in part by a priority of the caller.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the multiple call-back options is provided via a voice response unit (VRU).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the multiple call-back options is provided via an interact website.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiple call-back options comprise at least one of:

calling the caller upon an availability of the resources in the call routing system;

calling the caller at a specific time;

calling the caller during a specific time range; and

calling the caller at a relative time.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the multiple call-back options further comprises dialing at least one phone number specified by the caller.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising receiving at least one voicemail message or additional information input from the caller.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calling the caller is performed at least in part by a voice response unit.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calling the caller further comprises providing the caller with at least one additional call-back option.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one additional call-back option comprises at least one of:

proceeding with the call-back;

rescheduling the call-back; and

canceling the call-back.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calling the caller further comprises leaving at least one voicemail message for the caller.

14. A computer-implemented system including a processing unit, voice response unit, and a storage device, the system for providing call-back options to callers making inbound calls to a call center, the system comprising:

a receiver module that receives the inbound calls in a call routing system;

a central server implementing the processing unit for collecting information related to at least one inbound call from at least one caller, the central server selecting, based on the collected information, a call target for the at least one caller and determining unavailability of the call target selected based on the collected information for the at least one inbound call;

an interactive module implementing the processing unit and the voice response unit and the storage device, that provides multiple call-back options in response to the at least one inbound call for the at least one caller to receive a call-back and receives at least one selected call-back option from the caller;

a resource module implementing the processing unit that dynamically assesses demands on the call routing system in relation to available resources, the demands including a number of live callers and a number of scheduled call-backs, wherein the resource module re-allocates resources in the call routing system based at least in part on the selected call-back option, the resources including a number of agents available to answer calls and a number of agents performing scheduled call-backs; and

a telephone module that calls the at least one caller from the call center based on the at least one selected call-back option.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the call routing system is a virtual call center integrating telephony with computers.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the interactive module is triggered at least in part by an availability of the resources in the call routing system.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the interactive module is triggered at least in part by a priority of the caller.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein the interactive module comprises at least one voice response unit (VRU).

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein the interactive module comprises at least one an internet website.

20. The system according to claim 14, wherein the multiple call-back options comprise at least one of:

calling the caller upon an availability of the resources in the call routing system;

calling the caller at a specific time;

calling the caller during a specific time range; and

calling the caller at a relative time.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein at least one of the multiple call-back options comprises dialing at least one phone number specified by the caller.

22. The system according to claim 14, wherein the interactive module further receives at least one voicemail message or additional information input from the caller.

23. The system according to claim 14, wherein the telephone module comprises at least one voice response unit.

24. The system according to claim 14, wherein the telephone module further provides the caller with at least one additional call-back option.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the at least one additional call-back option comprises at least one of:

proceeding with the call-back;

rescheduling the call-back; and

canceling the call-back.

26. The system according to claim 14, wherein the telephone module further leaves at least one voicemail message for the caller.

27. A computer-implemented method implemented by a call center, the call center including at least a processing unit, a database, and multiple voice response units, for providing call-back options to callers making an inbound call to the call center, the method comprising:

receiving inbound calls in a call routing system;

collecting information from at least one caller;

selecting, based on the collected information, a call target for the at least one caller;

determining, using the processing unit, unavailability of the call target selected based on the collected information for at least one of the inbound calls;

providing, in response to the at least one inbound call, multiple call-hack options via an interactive voice response unit for the at least one caller to receive a call-back, wherein a decision to provide the at least one call-back option is triggered at least in part by an availability of the resources in the call routing system, and the multiple call-back options comprise at least one of;

calling the caller upon an availability of the resources in the call routing system,

calling the caller at a specific time,

calling the caller during a specific time range, or

calling the caller at a relative time;

receiving a selection of one of the provided call-back options at the interactive voice response unit and forwarding the selection to the processing unit;

scheduling a call-back in response to the selection using the processing unit and storing scheduled call-back information in the database;

dynamically assessing demands on the call routing system in relation to available resources using the processing unit, the demands including a number of live callers and a number of scheduled call-backs;

re-allocating the available resources in the call routing system using the processing unit based at least in part on the scheduled call-back options, the resources including a number of agents available to answer calls and a number of agents performing scheduled call-backs;

retrieving, using the processing unit, the scheduled call-back information from the database and forwarding the scheduled call-back information to the voice response unit; and

calling, using the voice response unit, the at least one caller from the call center based on the at least one call-back option; and

providing the caller with at least one additional call-back option, wherein the at least one additional call-back option comprises at least one of;

proceeding with the call-back,

rescheduling the call-back, and

canceling the call-back.