Computing device assistance for phone based customer service representative interaction

• US 8,401,171 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Nunez, Antonio M. III
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US12/973,831
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.09, 709/208
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/56 including a user help function
• 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 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication

Abstract

Systems and methods for computing device assistance for phone based customer service representative interaction are described herein. One or more systems include a number of customer service representative computing devices having processors and memory thereon for the storage of executable instructions and data, wherein the instructions are executed to allow at least one of the number of computing devices to control a customer'"'"'s computing device such that the customer service representative or executable instructions can select information, related to a phone based customer service representative interaction, to display on the customer'"'"'s computing device and display the selected information on a display of the customer'"'"'s computing device.

Claims

1. A system for computing device assistance for phone based customer service representative interaction, comprising:

a number of customer service representative computing devices having processors and memory thereon for the storage of executable instructions and data, wherein the instructions are executed to;

allow at least one of the number of customer service representative computing devices to control a customer'"'"'s computing device such that the customer service representative or executable instructions can select information, related to a phone based customer service representative interaction, to display on the customer'"'"'s computing device;

display the selected information on a display of the customer'"'"'s computing device; and

allow at least one of the number of customer service representative computing devices to receive an authority confirmation from a customer to authorize the at least one of the number of customer service representative computing devices to access the customer'"'"'s computing device to display the selected information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to allow at least one of the number of customer service representative computing devices to send a request for authorization to access the customer'"'"'s computing device to the customer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected information is one or more buttons to allow the customer to make a selection of one or more actions that can be taken during the phone based customer service representative interaction.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected information is a document to be reviewed by the customer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected information is information about a product being discussed by the customer service representative and the customer during the phone based customer service representative interaction.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected information is information about products that may be of interest to the customer based upon a subject being discussed by the customer service representative and the customer during the phone based customer interaction.

7. A method of using a computing device interaction to assist with a phone based customer service representative interaction, comprising:

allowing at least one of a number of computing devices to control a customer'"'"'s computing device;

controlling the customer'"'"'s computing device via one or more of the at least one computing devices such that a customer service representative or executable instructions can select information, related to a phone based customer service representative interaction, to display on the customer'"'"'s computing device;

displaying the selected information on a display of the customer'"'"'s computing device; and

receiving information from the customer'"'"'s computing device indicating a selection has been made by the customer regarding a subject being discussed via the phone based customer service representative interaction by the customer service representative and the customer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method includes generating one or more icons on the display of the customer'"'"'s computing device to allow the customer to make one or more selections regarding a subject being discussed via the phone based customer service representative interaction by the customer service representative and the customer.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the method includes sending a document to the customer'"'"'s computing device to allow the customer to review the document regarding a subject being discussed via the phone based customer service representative interaction by the customer service representative and the customer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the method includes:

sending a document regarding a subject being discussed via the phone based customer service representative interaction by the customer service representative and the customer to the customer'"'"'s computing device to allow the customer to review and sign the document; and

receiving the document with one of the number of computing devices and routing the document back to a computing device of the customer service representative during the phone based customer service representative interaction.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the method includes segmenting the display into multiple portions to display multiple items thereon regarding a subject being discussed via the phone based customer service representative interaction by the customer service representative and the customer.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the method includes segmenting the display into multiple portions to display a document sent from the customer service representative and one or more customer selectable icons to allow the customer to make a selection therefrom and wherein the document and the one or more icons are regarding a subject being discussed via the phone based customer service representative interaction by the customer service representative and the customer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method includes receiving customer selection information with one of the number of computing devices and routing the selection information back to a computing device of the customer service representative during the phone based customer service representative interaction.

14. A non-transitory machine readable medium having a set of machine executable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to cause a machine to:

allow at least one of a number of customer service representative computing devices to control a customer'"'"'s computing device such that a customer service representative or executable instructions can select information, related to a phone based customer service representative interaction, to display on the customer'"'"'s computing device;

display the selected information on a display of the customer'"'"'s computing device; and

receive customer selection information with one of the number of computing devices and routing the selection information back to a computing device of the customer service representative during the phone based customer service representative interaction.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the selected information is one or more advertisements.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more advertisements are selected based upon information related to subject matter of the phone based customer service representative interaction.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more advertisements are selected based upon customer information stored in one or more computing devices accessible by the customer service representative.

18. The medium of claim 14, wherein the display is a touch screen display thereby allowing the customer to interact with the information displayed by the customer service representative or executable instructions.