Script compliance and agent feedback

• US 8,352,276 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alorica Incorporated
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Pettay, Mark J., Vacek, Jill M
• Primary Examiner(s): Smits, Talivaldis Ivars
• Application Number:
  US13/540,808
• Time in Patent Office: 189 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/14 using statistical models, e.g. Hidden Markov Models [HMMs] G10L15/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for using automatic speech recognition to analyze a voice interaction and verify compliance of an agent reading a script to a client during the voice interaction. In one aspect of the invention, a method may include conducting the voice interaction between the agent and a client, wherein the agent follows the script via a plurality of panels. From there, the voice interaction is evaluated via the plurality of panels employing panel-by-panel playback with an automatic speech recognition component adapted to analyze the voice interaction. As such, it may be determined, via generating a score using confidence level thresholds of an automatic speech recognition component such that confidence level thresholds are assigned to each of the plurality of panels and evaluating the score against at least one of a static standard and a varying standard, whether the agent has adequately followed the script.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

conducting at least one voice interaction between at least one agent and at least one client, wherein the at least one agent follows at least one script via at least one of a plurality of panels;

logging the at least one voice interaction;

evaluating the at least one logged voice interaction via the at least one of the plurality of panels employing panel-by-panel playback with at least one automatic speech recognition component adapted to analyze the at least one voice interaction;

generating a score using confidence level thresholds of the least one automatic speech recognition component such that confidence level thresholds are assigned to each of the plurality of panels; and

determining whether the at least one agent has adequately followed the at least one script based on the generated score.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising evaluating the score against at least one of a static standard and a varying standard.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising determining whether the at least one agent has adequately followed the at least one script based on the evaluated at least one logged voice interaction.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising assigning a time displacement timestamp to each of the plurality of panels as they are presented and viewed by the at least one agent during the voice interaction.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one voice interaction is logged in a log record.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising logging a time displacement, based on the time displacement timestamp, per panel as a portion of the log record.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting at least one voice interaction includes conducting at least one voice interaction involving a telemarketing agent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting at least one voice interaction includes conducting at least one voice interaction governed by at least one script that includes text corresponding to at least one offer of at least one of goods and services.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting at least one voice interaction includes conducting the at least one voice interaction on at least one of a communications network, a publicly switched telephone network (PSTN), and the Internet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the at least one logged voice interaction includes providing a script compliance module accessible via a user interface and a communications network, the communications network including at least one of an analog telephone, a digital telephone, an internet-based network, a wireless network, and a selected voice communications supporting network.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising converting the at least one voice interaction received via the communications network into at least one digital signal comprising at least one spectral representation of the at least one voice interaction.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising comparing the at least one digital signal to at least one reference standard that includes at least one known vocabulary.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein evaluating the at least one logged voice interaction includes matching the at least one digital signal to at least one of words and phrases contained in the at least one reference standard.

14. A system, comprising:

a logging component adapted to log a time displacement of at least one voice interaction between at least one agent and at least one client, wherein the at least one agent follows at least one script via at least one of a plurality of panels; and

at least one automatic speech recognition component communicably coupled to the logging component, the at least one automatic speech recognition component adapted to analyze the at least one voice interaction using each of the plurality of panels and to determine whether the at least one agent has adequately followed the at least one script based on a score using confidence level thresholds assigned to each of the plurality of panels of the at least one automatic speech recognition component.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the score is evaluated against at least one of a static standard and a varying standard.

16. The system of claim 14, comprising an action component operable to cause at least one action to be taken.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one action is at least one signal transmitted to the at least one agent.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one action is at least one signal transmitted to at least one reviewing authority.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one action is an entry being made in a script compliance incentive system.

17. The system of 16, wherein the at least one action is based upon a determination by the at least one automatic speech recognition component as to whether the at least one agent has adequately followed the at least one script.