Systems and methods for customizing messages

• US 8,537,986 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Cantu, Jose Jesus II
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/538,410
• Time in Patent Office: 2,541 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.05, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 37926511-26513, 379/258, 379/88.23, 709/218, 709/219, 709/202, 348/46, 434/362, 718/101
• US Class Current: 379/88.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/306 Prerecordings to be used during a voice call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

Systems and methods for customizing messages are described. The apparatus may include an interaction engine to enable interactions between a customer and an agent, a user interface module to display a listing of life events and a life event engine to retrieve the listing from a data store. The method may include receiving a life event indication and playing one of a plurality of life event messages using at least the life event indication.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having machine executable instructions for dynamically playing a message customized for a particular customer contained therein, the machine-executable instructions performing the following operations:

retrieving financial account status information of a user during an interaction with the user;

receiving a life event indication from a user during the interaction with the user;

suspending the interaction for a period of time;

playing one of a plurality of life event messages during the suspension, the one of a plurality of life event messages selected from the plurality of life event messages using at least the life event indication and the account status information; and

resuming the interaction after the one of the plurality of life event messages has been completely played.

2. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein playing one of a plurality of life event messages includes:

selecting a life event from a listing of life events; and

retrieving one or more of the plurality of life event messages from a data store of life event messages.

3. The machine-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the listing of life events include life events that are associated with a financial services product.

4. The machine-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the listing of life events includes at least one of the following:

birth of a baby, change in marital status, deployment, retirement from military, retirement not from military, separation from military, enlistment or commission in military, moving or change in job.

5. The machine-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the listing of life events includes a listing of one or more of a subset of predetermined life events.

6. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of life event messages includes at least one life event message that is pre-recorded.

7. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of life event messages includes at least one message that is dynamically generated using present information regarding the user and the life event indication.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having machine executable instructions for dynamically playing a message customized for a particular customer contained therein, the machine-executable instructions performing the following operations:

selecting a life event message using at least an identifier and financial account information associated with the customer, the life event message selected from a plurality of life event messages;

suspending an interaction with the customer for a period of time;

playing the selected life event message during the suspension; and

resuming the interaction after the selected life event message has been completely played.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein selecting a life event messages includes:

selecting a life event message using at least an identifier and financial information associated with the customer, the life event message selected from a plurality of life event messages using a previously stored life event indication.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the life event indication is received by an agent.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the life event indication is dynamically determined.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein playing the selected life event message includes:

receiving a request for an interaction from the customer;

playing the selected life event message to the customer; and

connecting the customer to a resource associated with the request.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the life event message is additionally selected using an estimated time between the receipt of the request and the connection with the resource.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein playing the selected life event message includes:

receiving an interaction from the customer; and

playing the selected life event message while processing the interaction.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having machine-executable instructions for dynamically delivering customized messages to a customer executable by the machine to cause the machine to:

cause a number of software modules to be executed including;

an interaction engine to enable interactions between a customer and an agent, including an interface module configured to suspend an interaction with the customer and concurrently send instructions to a call center system, the instructions intended to cause the call center to play a life event message during the suspension;

a user interface module to display a listing of pre-determined life events to the agent, and to receive a life event indication from the agent; and

a life event engine to retrieve the listing of pre-determined life events from a life event data store, to select a life event message using the life event indication received and the financial account information and to provide the selected life event message to the interface module; and

a call center system to resume the interaction after the selected life event message has been completely played.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the interaction with the customer is an audio interaction with the customer enabled through a public-switched telephone network (PSTN).

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the interaction with the customer is an audio interaction with the customer enabled through a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) connection.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the interaction with the customer is a video interaction with the customer.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the interaction with the customer is a text or text and voice interaction enabled through any suitable instant messaging client network.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the life event message is stored in a life event data store coupled to the call center system, the life event data store containing a plurality of life event messages.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein at least one of the plurality of life event messages is a pre-recorded life event message.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein at least one of the plurality of life event messages is created dynamically through the use of present information associated with the customer.