Controlling hold queue position adjustment

• US 8,630,403 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Michael Wayne, McIntyre, Joseph Herbert, Paolini, Michael A., Weaver, James Mark, Winters, Scott Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): AL AUBAIDI, RASHA S
• Application Number:
  US13/416,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20120201365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 379 9302- 9303, 379/265.01, 379/266.01, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/266.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/385 using speech signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A question of a first caller from among multiple callers waiting in a hold queue of a call center is published. Responsive to a second caller from among multiple callers indicating a readiness to answer to the question, the first caller is connected with the second caller. Responsive to the second caller answering the question, the second caller is awarded an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for the second caller in a caller profile for redemption by the second caller for a value selected by the second caller.

Claims

1. A method for call queue management, comprising:

a computer system, publishing a question of a first caller from among a plurality of callers waiting in a hold queue of a call center;

said computer system, responsive to a second caller from among said plurality of callers indicating a readiness to answer to said question, connecting said first caller with said second caller; and

said computer system, responsive to said second caller answering said question, awarding said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller.

2. The method for call queue management according to claim 1, wherein said computer, responsive to said second caller answering said question, awarding said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller, further comprises:

said computer awarding said second caller said advancement token for storage in association with said authenticated identifier for said second caller in said caller profile for redemption by said second caller for said value selected by said second caller from among one or more membership points, one or more coupons, and one or more financial incentives.

3. The method for call queue management according to claim 1, wherein said computer, responsive to said second caller answering said question, awarding said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller, further comprises:

said computer determining whether said second caller is ready to utilize said advancement token; and

said computer, responsive to a determination that said second caller is not ready to utilize said advancement token, assigning an expiration date for said advancement token and storing said advancement token in association with said authenticated identifier in said caller profile for said second caller.

4. The method for call queue management according to claim 1, wherein said computer, responsive to said second caller answering said question, awarding said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller, further comprises:

said computer determining whether said second caller is ready to utilize said advancement token;

said computer, responsive to a determination that said second caller is ready to utilize said advancement token, applying only a portion of said value of said advancement token to advance a position of said second caller in said hold queue;

said computer, storing a remaining portion of said value of said advancement token in association with said authenticated identifier in said caller profile for said second caller.

5. The method for call queue management according to claim 1, wherein said computer, responsive to said second caller answering said question, awarding said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller, further comprises:

said computer generating said authenticated identifier by comparing a voice sample received from said second caller while waiting in said hold queue with at least one stored voice sample previous received from said second caller.

6. The method for call queue management according to claim 1, further comprising:

said computer awarding said second caller said advancement token from an additional advancement token transferred from said first caller from at least one prior advancement token stored according to an authenticated voice identifier of said first caller.

7. The method for call queue management according to claim 1, said computer, responsive to said second caller answering said question, awarding said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller, further comprising:

maintaining, by an on hold system, a place for said second caller in said hold queue of said on hold system and advancing said place in said hold queue;

responsive to said place of said second caller in said hold queue reaching a next in line position, notifying, by said on hold system, said second caller of said next in line position;

said computer determining whether said second caller is ready to transfer from said first caller to a representative from said on hold system;

said computer, responsive to a determination that said second caller is ready to transfer from said first caller to said representative, transferring said second caller to an said hold system; and

said computer, responsive to a determination that said second caller is not ready to transfer to said representative, transferring an indicator to said on hold system to remove said place for said second caller from said hold queue.

8. A system for call queue management, comprising:

a call center, operative on one or more processors and memory, comprising a hold queue;

said call center operative to publish a question of a first caller from among a plurality of callers waiting in a hold queue of a call center;

said call center, responsive to a second caller from among said plurality of callers indicating a readiness to answer to said question, operative to connect said first caller with said second caller; and

said call center, responsive to said second caller answering said question, operative to award said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller.

9. The system for call queue management according to claim 8, wherein said call center, responsive to said second caller answering said question, operative to award said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller, further comprises:

said call center operative to award said second caller said advancement token for storage in association with said authenticated identifier for said second caller in said caller profile for redemption by said second caller for said value selected by said second caller from among one or more membership points, one or more coupons, and one or more financial incentives.

10. The system for call queue management according to claim 8, wherein said call center, responsive to said second caller answering said question, operative to award said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller, further comprises:

said call center operative to determine whether said second caller is ready to utilize said advancement token; and

said call center, responsive to a determination that said second caller is not ready to utilize said advancement token, operative to assign an expiration date for said advancement token and storing said advancement token in association with said authenticated identifier in said caller profile for said second caller.

11. The system for call queue management according to claim 8, wherein said call center, responsive to said second caller answering said question, operative to award said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller, further comprises:

said call center operative to determine whether said second caller is ready to utilize said advancement token;

said call center, responsive to a determination that said second caller is ready to utilize said advancement token, operative to apply only a portion of said value of said advancement token to advance a position of said second caller in said hold queue;

said call center operative to store a remaining portion of said value of said advancement token in association with said authenticated identifier in said caller profile for said second caller.

12. The system for call queue management according to claim 8, wherein said call center, responsive to said second caller answering said question, operative to award said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller, further comprises:

said call center operative to generate said authenticated identifier by comparing a voice sample received from said second caller while waiting in said hold queue with at least one stored voice sample previous received from said second caller.

13. The system for call queue management according to claim 8, further comprising:

said call center operative to award said second caller said advancement token from an additional advancement token transferred from said first caller from at least one prior advancement token stored according to an authenticated voice identifier of said first caller.

14. The system for call queue management according to claim 8, said call center, responsive to said second caller answering said question, operative to award said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller, further comprising:

said call center operative to maintain a place for said second caller in said hold queue and advancing said place in said hold queue;

said call center, responsive to said place of said second caller in said hold queue reaching a next in line position, operative to notify said second caller of said next in line position;

said call center operative to determine whether said second caller is ready to transfer from said first caller to a representative from said on hold system;

said call center, responsive to a determination that said second caller is ready to transfer from said first caller to said representative, operative to transfer said second caller to an said hold system; and

said call center, responsive to a determination that said second caller is not ready to transfer to said representative, operative to transfer an indicator to said on hold system to remove said place for said second caller from said hold queue.

15. A computer program product for call queue management, comprising:

one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to publish a question of a first caller from among a plurality of callers waiting in a hold queue of a call center;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to a second caller from among said plurality of callers indicating a readiness to answer to said question, to connect said first caller with said second caller; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to said second caller answering said question, to award said second caller an advancement token for storage in association with an authenticated identifier for said second caller in a caller profile for redemption by said second caller for a value selected by said second caller.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to award said second caller said advancement token for storage in association with said authenticated identifier for said second caller in said caller profile for redemption by said second caller for said value selected by said second caller from among one or more membership points, one or more coupons, and one or more financial incentives.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine whether said second caller is ready to utilize said advancement token; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to a determination that said second caller is not ready to utilize said advancement token, to assign an expiration date for said advancement token and storing said advancement token in association with said authenticated identifier in said caller profile for said second caller.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine whether said second caller is ready to utilize said advancement token;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, responsive to a determination that said second caller is ready to utilize said advancement token, to award only a portion of said value of said advancement token to advance a position of said second caller in said hold queue;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to store a remaining portion of said value of said advancement token in association with said authenticated identifier in said caller profile for said second caller.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to generate said authenticated identifier by comparing a voice sample received from said second caller while waiting in said hold queue with at least one stored voice sample previous received from said second caller.