Method and system for providing a multi-channel virtual collections center

• US 8,660,941 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Katabat LLC
• Original Assignee: Collections Marketing Center Incorporated (Ontario Systems, LLC)
• Inventors: Zhang, Ye, Willey, Dawn Marie, Centrone, Joseph Francis, Scarborough, Joseph Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): MILEF, ELDA G
• Application Number:
  US11/860,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,345 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/40, 705/38, 705/30
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments

Abstract

An integrated multi-channel virtual collections center and methods for using the same are disclosed. The collections center may include a program management module, a communications module and a data analytics module. The program management module may be configured to generate a plurality of scenarios for a debt collection campaign. The communications module may be configured to automatically present a scenario to a debtor and to receive response data from the debtor. The communications module may include a plurality of communication channels. The data analytics module may be configured to automatically analyze response data received from the communications module and to select a communications channel and a scenario for the communications module based on the response data.

Claims

1. A method of communicating with a plurality of debtors on behalf of a plurality of creditors using an integrated multi-channel virtual collections center, the method comprising:

receiving, by the integrated multi-channel virtual collections center, account information for an outstanding debt associated with a debtor, wherein the account information comprises an indication of a duration of a phone call;

automatically analyzing, by a computer processor in the integrated multi-channel virtual collections center, the account information for the account to determine an account status and one or more strategies for resolving the debtor'"'"'s outstanding debt;

automatically presenting, by the processor, one or more of a plurality of payment program offers through which the outstanding debt can be resolved based on individual account-level attributes considered with respect to one or more rules stored in the multi-channel virtual collections center system and received from the creditor, wherein the one or more offers is based on the duration of the phone call.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the account information comprises a campaign to be used to contact the debtor.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically attempting, by the processor, to contact the debtor via one or more of a plurality of communication channels, and after the attempt, collecting one or more of the following items of account summary information;

an identifier for the one or more selected communication channels;

an action taken for the account;

statistical information for the account;

one or more status codes for the account;

a payment type identifier;

a payment channel identifier;

a payment account type identifier;

a payment amount received; and

a payment amount pledged.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the account summary information comprises one or more of the following:

a number of accounts;

a number of payment types;

an aggregate payment amount received; and

an aggregate payment amount pledged.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

automatically selecting a creative for contacting the debtor,

wherein automatically attempting to contact the debtor comprises automatically attempting to contact the debtor via the selected communications channel using the selected creative.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the account information comprises an amount of time that a debtor listened to an interactive voice response session.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the account information comprises one or more options selected by the debtor within an interactive voice response session.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the account information comprises a time at which a previous contact occurred.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the account information comprises a time that a previous scheduled payment activity occurred.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the account information comprises a time that an actual payment activity occurred.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the account information comprises information pertaining to whether the debtor has requested to speak with a person.

12. An integrated multi-channel virtual collections system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, comprising;

a program management module, comprising one or more instructions executable by the processor, configured to generate a plurality of debt resolution scenarios for a plurality of debt collection campaigns received from a plurality of creditors, and further configured to apply one or more of the scenarios to each specific debtor,

a communications module, comprising one or more instructions executable by the processor, configured to automatically present one or more debt resolution scenarios to a debtor and to receive response data from the debtor, wherein the communications module comprises a plurality of communication channels, and

a data analytics module, comprising one or more instructions executable by the processor, configured to automatically analyze response data as the response data is received from the communications module and to select a specific debt resolution scenario for the communications module based on the response data and one or more rules established in the platform for each of the plurality of scenarios, wherein the response data comprises an indication of a duration of a phone call

wherein the scenario is based on the duration of the phone call, and wherein the integrated multi-channel virtual collections system is remote from each of the creditor computer systems.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory further comprises:

a collections module configured to receive a payment from a debtor.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the data analytics module is further configured to receive account information for an account of a creditor corresponding to a debtor.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the account information comprises one or more of the following:

a campaign to be used to contact the debtor;

an amount of time that a debtor listened to an IVR session;

one or more options selected by the debtor within an IVR session;

a time of day at which a previous contact occurred;

a time that a previous scheduled payment activity occurred;

a time that an actual payment activity occurred;

a language preference; and

information pertaining to whether the debtor has requested to speak with a person.

16. A system for implementing a software-based rules manager within an integrated multi-channel virtual collections center, the system comprising:

a processor in communication with and remote from each of a plurality of creditor computer systems, wherein each creditor computer system is associated with one of a plurality of creditors;

one or more communication channels in communication with the processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, wherein the memory is remote from each of the plurality of creditor computer systems,

wherein the memory contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed by the processor;

receive account information for an account corresponding to a debtor and one of the plurality of creditors, wherein the account information comprises an indication of a duration of a phone call,

automatically select one or more strategies for resolving the debtor'"'"'s debt based on one or more account decision variables, wherein a strategy comprises one or more parameters for a payment program, wherein the one or more parameters for a payment program is based on the duration of the phone call.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a user interface in communication with the processor,

wherein the memory further contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed by the processor;

receive user information from the user interface via the input/output interface, and

update the one or more strategies based on the received user information.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the one or more programming instructions for receiving user information from the user interface comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed by the processor, receive one or more of an account decision variable, a strategy and one or more parameters for a payment plan.

19. A method of contacting a plurality of debtors on behalf of a plurality of creditors using an integrated multi-channel virtual collections center, the method comprising:

for each of the plurality of creditors;

receiving, by the integrated multi-channel virtual collections center, a debtor account record from a creditor computer system associated with the creditor;

determining, by a processor in the integrated multi-channel virtual collections center, first account information for an account pertaining to the debtor from the debtor account record, wherein the first account information comprises an indication of a duration of a phone call;

determining, by the computer processor, an effectiveness of at least one communication channel in the integrated multi-channel virtual collections center in resolving debts from accounts for which at least a portion of the account information is substantially similar to a corresponding portion of the first account information, wherein the effectiveness is based on the duration of the phone call;

assigning, by the processor, the account to the communication channel having the highest effectiveness;

contacting the debtor via the assigned communication channel and

updating the first account information based on statistical information received as a result of contacting the debtor via the assigned communication channel,

wherein the integrated multi-channel virtual collections center is remote from each of the plurality of creditor computer systems associated with the plurality of creditors.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the account information comprises one or more of the following:

an amount of time that a debtor listened to an interactive voice response (IVR) session;

one or more options selected by the debtor within an IVR session;

a time of day at which a previous contact occurred;

a time that a previous scheduled payment activity occurred;

a time that an actual payment activity occurred;

a language preference; and

information pertaining to whether the debtor has requested to speak with a person.