Category based organization and monitoring of customer service help sessions

• US 8,588,400 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lewis-Bowen, Alister D., Weitzman, Louis M., Evanchik, Stephen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US12/035,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20090214020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/265.11, 379/265.12, 379/265.13, 379/266.01, 379/266.02, 379/266.04
• US Class Current: 379/265.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5141 Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

A method and computer readable medium are provided for monitoring customer support sessions based on at least one category associated with the customer support sessions. A request from an administrator for information associated with unresolved support sessions is received. A set of support categories is presented to the administrator. A selection of at least one support category is received from the administrator. A set of first level customer support agent identifiers associated with at least one support session queued under the at least one support category which has been selected is presented to the administrator.

Claims

1. A method, with a customer support environment, for monitoring and organizing customer support sessions based on categories, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one information processing system associated with at least one first level customer support agent, a help request from a customer;

establishing, by the at least one information processing system, a support session with the customer based on the receiving;

based on establishing the support session, monitoring the support session between the at least one first level customer support agent and the customer;

receiving, by the at least one information processing system, an indication from the at least one first level customer support agent that a second level customer support agent is required to resolve the help request;

parsing, by the at least one information processing system based on receiving the indication, a context of the support session, wherein the context of the support session comprises a communication between the customer and the at least one first level customer support agent, and wherein the indication is separate and distinct from the context of the support session;

automatically assigning, by the at least one information processing system based on parsing the context of the support session, at least one support category to the support session based on a support context of the support session;

associating, by the at least one information processing system, the support session with one or more annotations received from the at least one first level customer support agent, wherein the one or more annotations are viewable by at least one second level customer support agent associated with the at least one support category assigned to the support session; and

placing, by the at least one information processing system, the support session into at least one support queue for selection by at least one second level customer support agent based on the at least one support category assigned to the support session.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a database of second level customer support agents, wherein each second level customer support agent is associated with at least one support category.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

monitoring the at least one support queue; and

automatically assigning the support session to at least one second level customer support agent, wherein the at least one support category assigned to the support session substantially matches the at least one support category assigned to the at least one second level customer support agent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the support session comprises at least one of:

an instant messaging session between the at least one first level customer support agent and the customer; and

a voice call between the at least one first level customer support agent and the customer.

5. A computer program product for monitoring and organizing customer support sessions based on categories, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

receiving, by at least one information processing system associated with at least one first level customer support agent, a help request from a customer;

establishing, by the at least one information processing system, a support session with the customer based on the receiving;

based on establishing the support session, monitoring the support session between the at least one first level customer support agent and the customer;

receiving, by the at least one information processing system, an indication from the at least one first level customer support agent that a second level customer support agent is required to resolve the help request;

parsing, by the at least one information processing system based on receiving the indication, a context of the support session, wherein the context of the support session comprises a communication between the customer and the at least one first level customer support agent, and wherein the indication is separate and distinct from the context of the support session;

automatically assigning, by the at least one information processing system based on parsing the context of the support session, at least one support category to the support session based on a support context of the support session;

associating, by the at least one information processing system, the support session with one or more annotations received from the at least one first level customer support agent, wherein the one or more annotations are viewable by at least one second level customer support agent associated with the at least one support category assigned to the support session; and

placing, by the at least one information processing system, the support session into at least one support queue for selection by at least one second level customer support agent based on the at least one support category assigned to the support session.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining a database of second level customer support agents, wherein each second level customer support agent is associated with at least one support category.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring the at least one support queue; and

automatically assigning the support session to at least one second level customer support agent, wherein the at least one support category assigned to the support session substantially matches the at least one support category assigned to the at least one second level customer support agent.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the support session comprises at least one of:

an instant messaging session between the at least one first level customer support agent and the customer; and

a voice call between the at least one first level customer support agent and the customer.