Controlling hold queue position adjustment

• US 8,160,235 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Michael Wayne, McIntyre, Joseph Herbert, Paolini, Michael A, Weaver, James Mark, Winters, Scott Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): AL AUBAIDI, RASHA S
• Application Number:
  US11/759,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20070230683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266.01, 379/265.02, 379/266.02
• US Class Current: 379/266.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/385 using speech signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A method, system, and program for allowing callers to adjust in position within a hold queue are provided. An advancement token earned by a caller while waiting in a hold queue is detected. The advancement token is stored for redemption in a future call by the caller according to an authenticated identifier for the caller, wherein future redemption of the advancement token will cause adjustment of a waiting position. In particular, a caller in the call hold queue may earn advancement tokens by answering questions posed by other callers in the call hold queue, where the questions are answered in a manner such that the other callers do not need additional aid from a representative. In addition, a caller may redeem advancement tokens earned in a previous hold queue while waiting in current hold queue, where the redeemable advancement tokens are accessible across multiple call centers according to the caller identification.

Claims

1. A method for call queue management, comprising:

publishing a question of a first caller from among a plurality of callers waiting in a hold queue;

responsive to a second caller from among said plurality of callers indicating a readiness to answer to said question, connecting said first caller with said second caller; and

responsive to said second caller answering said question, awarding said second caller an advancement token for adjustment of a position of said second caller within said hold queue.

2. The method for call queue management according to claim 1, further comprising:

prompting said first caller to evaluate said answer to said question by said second caller; and

responsive to said evaluation, calculating said advancement token for said second caller.

3. The method for call queue management according to claim 1, wherein awarding said second caller an advancement token further comprises:

awarding said second caller said advancement token from a token advancement service associated with said hold queue.

4. The method for call queue management according to claim 1, wherein awarding said second caller an advancement token further comprises:

awarding said second caller said advancement token from an additional advancement token transferred from said first caller from at least one prior advancement token stored according to an authenticated voice identifier of said first caller.

5. The method for call queue management according to claim 1, wherein said publishing the question of the first caller comprises publishing said question to other callers among said plurality of callers;

and

wherein each of said plurality of callers waiting in the hold queue is waiting for customer service.

6. The method for call queue management according to claim 1, further comprising:

removing the first caller from said hold queue in response to the second caller answering said question.

7. A system for call queue management, comprising:

a call center comprising a hold queue;

said call center operative to publish a question of a first caller from among a plurality of callers waiting in said hold queue;

said call center, responsive to a second caller from among said plurality of callers indicating a readiness to answer to said question, operative to connect said first caller with said second caller; and

said call center, responsive to said second caller answering said question, operative to award said second caller an advancement token for adjustment of a position of said second caller within said hold queue.

8. The system for call queue management according to claim 7, further comprising:

said call center operative to prompt said first caller to evaluate said answer to said question by said second caller; and

said call center, responsive to said evaluation, operative to calculate said advancement token for said second caller.

9. The system for call queue management according to claim 7, said call center operative to award said second caller an advancement token further operative to award said second caller said advancement token from a token advancement service associated with said hold queue.

10. The system for call queue management according to claim 7, said call center operative to award said second caller an advancement token further operative to award said second caller said advancement token from an additional advancement token transferred from said first caller from at least one prior advancement token stored according to an authenticated voice identifier of said first caller.

11. The system for call queue management according to claim 7, wherein said call center operative to publish the question of the first caller is configured to publish said question to other callers among said plurality of callers;

and

wherein each of said plurality of callers waiting in the hold queue is waiting for customer service.

12. The system for call queue management according to claim 7, further comprising:

said call center operative to remove the first caller from said hold queue in response to the second caller answering said question.

13. A computer program product for call queue management, said computer program product embodied on a recordable-type computer-readable medium comprising instructions which when executed on a computer system cause the computer system to:

control publication of a question of a first caller from among a plurality of callers waiting in said hold queue;

connect said first caller with said second caller indicating a readiness to answer said question; and

award said second caller an advancement token for adjustment of a position of said second caller within said hold queue, responsive to said second caller answering said question.

14. The computer program product for call queue management according to claim 13, wherein the computer program product when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

prompt said first caller to evaluate said answer to said question by said second caller; and

calculate said advancement token for said second caller according to a received evaluation.

15. The computer program product for call queue management according to claim 13, wherein the computer program product when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

award said second caller said advancement token from a token advancement service associated with said hold queue.

16. The computer program product for call queue management according to claim 13, wherein the computer program product when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

award said second caller said advancement token from an additional advancement token transferred from said first caller from at least one prior advancement token stored according to an authenticated voice identifier of said first caller.

17. The computer program product for call queue management according to claim 13, wherein the computer program product when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

publish said question to other callers among said plurality of callers; and

wherein each of said plurality of callers waiting in the hold queue is waiting for customer service.

18. The computer program product for call queue management according to claim 13, wherein the computer program product when executed on the computer further causes the computer to remove the first caller from said hold queue in response to the second caller answering said question.