Method and apparatus of providing live support service in a notification system

• US 8,667,072 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West Technology Group LLC (West Corporation)
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Cordell, Jeffrey William, Boutcher, James K.
• Primary Examiner(s): NANO, SARGON N
• Application Number:
  US13/279,572
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/203, 709/206, 709/223, 709/224, 709/238, 709/239
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method and apparatus of providing notifications to a customer is disclosed. One example method of operation may include identifying a notification event associated with a customer via a customer management module and retrieving a customer preference record and determining a notification device preference for a customer Internet protocol (IP) device included in the customer preference record. The method may also include transmitting the notification event to the customer'"'"'s IP device based on the notification device preference, the notification event may include a live agent support option which may be accessed in the event that the automated support options fail to satisfy the customer'"'"'s questions and concerns.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a notification event associated with a customer via a customer management module and retrieving a customer preference record;

determining a notification device preference for a customer Internet protocol (IP) device included in the customer preference record;

transmitting the notification event to the customer'"'"'s IP device based on the notification device preference and based on a content of the notification event, the notification event including a live agent support option, the transmitting based on a request from the customer to receive the notification event;

receiving a response from the customer'"'"'s IP device confirming receipt of the notification event and requesting additional information not included in the notification event regarding preparation for the notification event; and

automatically providing the customer'"'"'s IP device with access to the additional requested information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the notification event to a notification management module which retrieves the customer preference record and creates a delivery setup configuration used to initiate communication with the customer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification event is a least one of a doctor appointment, medical procedure, a recurring reminder and an educational data segment transmitted as at least one of a video, audio, multi-media and text message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer'"'"'s preference record comprises a communication device type preference and a message type preference.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein contacting the customer further comprises transmitting a plurality of options to the customer'"'"'s IP device via a push notification protocol the plurality of options comprising at least one of a message access option, a calendar application updating option, and a rescheduling option.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for additional help from the customer after receiving the notification event;

initiating a live call session; and

bridging a live agent connection to the live call session to provide the customer with access to the live agent responsive to the request for additional help.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to

identify a notification event associated with a customer via a customer management module and retrieve a customer preference record,

determine a notification device preference for a customer Internet protocol (IP) device included in the customer preference record;

a transmitter configured to transmit the notification event to the customer'"'"'s IP device based on the notification device preference and based on a content of the notification event, the notification event including a live agent support option, the transmitting based on a request from the customer to receive the notification event; and

a receiver configured to receive a response from the customer'"'"'s IP device confirming receipt of the notification event and requesting additional information not included in the notification event regarding preparation for the notification event, and wherein the processor is further configured to automatically provide the customer'"'"'s IP device with access to the additional requested information.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to forward the notification event to a notification management module which retrieves the customer preference record and creates a delivery setup configuration used to initiate communication with the customer.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the notification event is a least one of a doctor appointment, medical procedure, a recurring reminder and an educational data segment transmitted as at least one of a video, audio, multi-media and text message.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the customer'"'"'s preference record comprises a communication device type preference and a message type preference.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit a plurality of options to the customer'"'"'s IP device via a push notification protocol the plurality of options comprising at least one of a message access option, a calendar application updating option, and a rescheduling option.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a request for additional help from the customer after receiving the notification event, and the processor is further configured to initiate a live call session, and bridge a live agent connection to the live call session to provide the customer with access to the live agent responsive to the request for additional help.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform:

identifying a notification event associated with a customer via a customer management module and retrieving a customer preference record;

determining a notification device preference for a customer Internet protocol (IP) device included in the customer preference record;

transmitting the notification event to the customer'"'"'s IP device based on the notification device preference and based on a content of the notification event, the notification event including a live agent support option, the transmitting based on a request from the customer to receive the notification event;

receiving a response from the customer'"'"'s IP device confirming receipt of the notification event and requesting additional information not included in the notification event regarding preparation for the notification event; and

automatically providing the customer'"'"'s IP device with access to the additional requested information.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

forwarding the notification event to a notification management module which retrieves the customer preference record and creates a delivery setup configuration used to initiate communication with the customer.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the notification event is a least one of a doctor appointment, medical procedure, a recurring reminder and an educational data segment transmitted as at least one of a video, audio, multi-media and text message.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the customer'"'"'s preference record comprises a communication device type preference and a message type preference.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein contacting the customer further comprises transmitting a plurality of options to the customer'"'"'s IP device via a push notification protocol the plurality of options comprising at least one of a message access option, a calendar application updating option, and a rescheduling option.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

receiving a request for additional help from the customer after receiving the notification event;

initiating a live call session; and

bridging a live agent connection to the live call session to provide the customer with access to the live agent responsive to the request for additional help.