Search and chat integration system

• US 8,271,509 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2008
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Dauginas, Edward Patton, James, Constance Landreth, Monberg, Brooke Kathryn, Yu, Wenxin, Suayan, William C. A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Channavajjala, Srirama
• Application Number:
  US12/274,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 707705-710, 707/721, 707/726, 707/731, 707/732, 707/748, 707/920, 707/959, 707/758, 707/767, 707/766, 715202-209, 715/259, 715/707, 715/750, 715/752, 715/758, 715/76, 705/26.43, 705/14.54, 705/14.73, 705/7.42, 705/42, 705/14.19, 705/304, 705/346, 709215-220, 709203-204, 704 8- 10, 704/243
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide systems, methods, and computer program products for providing improved customer service by presenting a customer with an invitation to chat with a customer service associate that is skilled in a subject matter of interest to the customer and is currently available to chat with the customer. For example, in one embodiment, a system is provided having a communication interface configured to receive a search query from a consumer, such as an Internet search query entered into a search field of a web page. The system further comprises a processor operatively coupled to the communication interface and configured to compare information about the search query to one or more rules stored in a memory to determine whether a customer service associate skilled in an area related to the subject matter of the search query is currently available to chat with the consumer over, for example, the Internet.

Claims

1. A customer service system comprising:

a communication interface comprising a financial institution'"'"'s web page accessible to a customer of the financial institution and configured to receive a search query from the customer, where the search query relates to a financial product;

a storage device comprising a database comprising, at least one rule wherein the at least one rule relates at least partially to predetermined criteria for automatically displaying, on the communication interface accessible to the customer an invitation to chat with a customer service associate of the financial institution, wherein the predetermined criteria relates to whether the customer service associate is capable of answering questions about the financial product whether the customer service associate is currently available to chat with the customer; and

a computer processor operatively coupled to the communication interface, and the storage device, wherein the computer processor is configured to automatically and independent of a request from the customer to chat;

analyze the search query to determine information associated with the search query;

compare the information associated with the search query to the at least one rule stored in the database;

determine whether or not to display on the communication interface accessible to the customer an invitation to initiate a chat session between the customer service associate and the customer, based at least partially on determining that the customer service associate is capable of answering questions about the financial product and that the customer service associate is currently available to chat.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the chat session comprises substantially real-time electronic communication.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is further configured to initiate a search using the search query.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the search query comprises a request to

search at least a portion of the Internet.

5. A customer service system comprising:

a communication interface comprising a financial institution'"'"'s web page accessible to a customer of the financial institution, wherein the communication interface is configured to receive information about a customer-initiated search query, where the search query relates to a financial product;

a memory device comprising a database comprising a list of subject matters and respective skill sets corresponding to each of two or more customer service associates of the financial institution, the database further comprising at least one rule wherein the at least one rule relates at least partially to predetermined criteria for automatically displaying on the communication interface accessible to the customer an invitation to chat with one of the two or more customer service associates of the financial institution, and wherein the predetermined criteria relates to whether the customer service associate is capable of answering questions about the financial product and whether the customer service associate is currently available to chat with the customer; and

a computer processor operatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory device, wherein the computer processor is configured to automatically without a prompt from the customer to chat;

analyze the search query to determine a subject matter and information associated with the customer-initiated search query;

compare the subject matter associated with the customer-initiated query to the subject matter list and compare the information associated with the customer-initiated search query with the respective skill set stored for the two or more customer services associates to the at least one rule in the memory device;

determine that a customer service associate is skilled in the subject matter related to the customer-initiated search query based at least partially on the comparison of the subject matter associated with the customer-initiated query to the subject matter list and information associated with the customer-initiated search query with the skill set corresponding to each of the two or more customer service associates; and

determine whether or not to display on the communication interface accessible to the customer an invitation to initiate a chat between the customer service associate and the customer based at least partially on determining that the customer service associate is skilled in the subject matter related to the customer-initiated search query and that the customer service associate is currently available to chat.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer processor is further configured to use the communication interface to communicate information about whether there exists a customer service associate skilled in a subject matter related to the customer-initiated search query to another device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the memory device provides a substantially real-time representation of at least a portion of the customer service associate skill set.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a memory device operatively coupled to the computer processor and comprising a customer service associate availability.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory device provides a substantially real-time representation of at least a portion of the customer service associate availability.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the financial institution is a bank and wherein the system is maintained by the bank.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer processor is configured to display the chat by communicating with a chat system configured to send an invitation to the customer to join the chat.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to display the chat by sending a chat vendor client to the communication interface accessible to the customer, and wherein the chat vendor client is configured to contact a chat vendor.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer processor is configured to determine that the customer service associate is skilled in the subject matter related to the customer-initiated search query by comparing the received information about the customer-initiated search query to a rule.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein the information about the customer-initiated search query comprises the customer-initiated search query.

15. The system of claim 5, wherein the information about the

customer-initiated search query comprises information about the subject matter of the customer-initiated search query.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein the communication interface is configured to receive the information about the customer-initiated search query from a customer terminal associated with the communication interface, wherein the customer terminal is accessible to the customer.

17. The system of claim 5, wherein the communication interface device is configured to receive the information about the customer-initiated search query from a search front end system.

18. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer processor is further configured to initiate a search using the information received about the customer-initiated search query.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the search comprises a

search of materials on at least a portion of the internet.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the computer processor is further configured to use the communication interface to communicate results of the search to a customer terminal, wherein the customer terminal is accessible to the customer.

21. A system for providing a customer a chat session with a customer service associate, the system comprising:

a server configured to provide a web page of a financial institution to a customer of the financial institution, wherein the web page comprises a search field, and wherein the search field enables the customer to enter a search query, where the search query relates to a financial product;

a storage device comprising a database comprising at least one rule wherein the at least one rule relates at least partially to predetermined criteria for automatically displaying, on the web page of the financial institution accessible to the customer an invitation to chat with a customer service associate of the financial institution, wherein the predetermined criteria relates to whether the customer service associate is capable of answering questions about the financial product and whether the customer service associate is currently available to chat with the customer; and

a computer processing device operatively connected to the server and the storage device, wherein the computer processing device is configured to automatically independent of a request from the customer to chat;

receive the search query entered by the customer;

analyze the search query to determine information associated with the search query;

determine the subject matter of the search query entered by the customer;

compare the information associated with the search query to at the at least one rule in the database;

determine whether or not to display on the web page of the financial institution accessible to the customer an invitation to chat with a particular customer service associate, wherein the computer processing device displays the invitation based on determining that the customer service associate is capable of answering questions about the financial product and that the customer service associate is currently available to chat.

22. A method of directing a customer of a bank to a chat session with a customer service associate of the bank, the method comprising:

receiving a search query from the customer via a computer apparatus comprising a communication interface, where the search query relates to a financial product;

providing a memory device of a computer apparatus, wherein the memory device comprises information, wherein the information comprises at least one rule, wherein the information stored in the memory device relates at least partially to predetermined criteria for automatically presenting on the communication interface accessible to the customer a path to a chat session with a customer service associate of the bank, wherein the predetermined criteria relates to whether the customer service associate is capable of answering questions about the financial product and whether the customer service associate is currently available to chat with the customer;

using the computer apparatus to automatically independent of a request from the customer to chat;

analyze the search query to determine information associated with the search query;

compare the information associated with the search query to the at least one rule stored in the memory device;

determine whether or not to present on the communication interface accessible to the customer a path to the chat session based at least partially on determining that the customer service associate is capable of answering questions about the financial product and that the customer service associate is currently available to chat.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

returning a search result to the customer using the computer apparatus, the search result comprising information related to the search query.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

performing a search using a computer apparatus, the search comprising a search for information related to the search query.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the chat session comprises substantially real-time communication between the customer and the customer service associate.

26. A computer program product for providing customer service, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises one or more computer-readable program code portions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a search query from a customer of a bank, where the search query relates to a financial product;

providing at least one rule, wherein the at least one rule relates at least partially to predetermined criteria for automatically displaying on a communication interface accessible to the customer an invitation to chat with a customer service associate of the financial institution, wherein the predetermined criteria relates to whether the customer service associate is capable of answering questions about the financial product and whether the customer service associate is currently available to chat with the customer;

return a search result to the customer based at least partially on the search query;

analyze the search query to determine information associated with the search query;

compare the information associated with the search query to the at least one rule; and

automatically independent of a request from the customer to chat, determine whether or not to display on the communication interface accessible to the customer the invitation to a chat session between the customer and the customer service associate, based at least partially on determining that the customer service associate is capable of answering questions about the financial product and that the customer service associate is currently available to chat.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the rule is based at least partially on whether a subject matter of the search query at least partially relates to a skill set of a customer service associate.