Customer support center with virtual world enhancements

• US 8,737,598 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Corporation (Kleangas Energy Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bruce, Edwin J., Flores, Romelia H.
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US12/570,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20110075819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-2661
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1025 of avatars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012

Abstract

A customer support system enhanced with virtual world features to make the support experience more interactive and pleasant. The system includes a web user interface for web-based customers and an optional voice interface for voice-based customers, a support server and a virtual world component for enhancing the interaction between a customer and the support center. A routing server with virtual world targets route the customer to appropriate support center contacts in the virtual world. The virtual world targets include a “Greeter” avatar for greeting and prompting the customer with support-related questions. The customer is routed to a “CSR” avatar once support information is obtained. Other avatars like “Expert” avatars, “Advisor” avatars, and “Friend” avatars may also join the support session to assist the customer on specific support items, depending on the customer needs.

Claims

1. A customer support system comprising:

a telephone switch for receiving incoming telephone calls for customer service from customers through a public switched telephone network;

a computer telephony integration (CTI) component for accommodating customer interactions with the customer support system occurring through telephony devices that use phone numbers and through Internet devices that use Internet Protocol addresses;

a routing server for;

during an interactive customer service session between one of the customers and the customer support system, routing a customer from a phone, chat, or email based communication to a different virtual world communication without terminating the interactive customer service session, wherein the routing server utilizes the computer telephony integration component to route the phone, chat, or email based communication to the different virtual world communication;

a web user interface for interacting with a customer through the web during the interactive session;

a customer support server for providing support to the customer through the web user interface of the different virtual world communication and through an interface of the phone, chat, or email based communication during the interactive customer service session;

a virtual world component associated with the customer support server for enhancing the interaction between the customer and the customer support server during the interactive customer service session with virtual world features; and

one or more customer support clients, which are computing devices enabling one or more human agents to provide customer service to the customer during the interactive customer service session, wherein the one or more customer support clients enable the one or more human agents to interact by voice or text for the phone, chat, or email based communications and to interact as an avatar during the virtual world communication using the virtual world component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the phone, chat, or email based communication is a phone communication, said system further comprising

an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) interface for interacting with the customer using a sequence of automated voice prompts, wherein one of the automated voice prompts prompts the customer to interface with a virtual world as part of the different virtual world communication, wherein responsive to the customer selecting to interface with the virtual world, the routing server routes the customer during the interactive customer support from a customer interaction occurring through the telephone device to a customer interaction occurring through the internet device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said phone, chat, or email based communication is a chat communication, said system further comprising:

a chat interface of one of the customer support clients permitting one of the human agents to interact during the interactive customer support session using real time text messages, wherein the router server responsive to receiving an election of the customer to interface with a virtual world as part of the different virtual world communication, routes the customer to engage in the different virtual world communication with one of the human agents, wherein the human agent and the customer both control avatars during the virtual world interaction.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein (responsive to a transfer) the virtual world targets include a “

Greeter”

avatar for greeting the customer and prompting the customer with support questions.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the “

Greeter”

avatar is provided with a prompting script to facilitate the interaction between the customer and the “

Greeter”

avatar.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising additional avatars to provide expert assistance to the customer on specific support items.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a voice recognition component for recognizing voice input from the customer, and a voice gateway for providing customer support to the customer using a voice device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the voice gateway communicates with a public switched telephone network to allow customer support interaction by a telephone.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a call management component for managing incoming customer support calls.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising a voice response-virtual world interaction component for enhancing customer support interaction through the voice device with virtual world features.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a knowledge database having customer support information, said knowledge database being accessed from the customer support server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the knowledge database includes common customer inquiries and responses corresponding to the inquiries.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the knowledge database includes information that may be shared with the customer during a support session.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an enterprise gateway for integrating other customer support channels, in addition to the web, in the customer support center, said enterprise gateway being in communication with the customer support server.

15. A computer implemented method for providing support to a customer in a virtual world, from a support center enhanced with virtual world features, the method comprising the steps of:

during an interactive customer service session between a customer and one or more customer service agents, a customer service support system facilitating an interaction between the customer and one of the one or more customer service agents that is a phone, chat, or email based communication;

during an interactive customer service session receiving over the during an interactive customer service session a customer selection to continue the interactive customer service session through a different virtual world communication;

routing the customer to the different virtual world communication without terminating the interactive customer service session;

one of the customer service agents via a customer support client interacting with the customer through a web user interface of a virtual world of the different virtual world communication; and

enhancing the virtual world communication with virtual world features provided by a virtual world component coupled to the customer service support system server.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15, further comprising the step of routing customer support to a customer support representative (CSR) by routing server with virtual world targets to allow the customer to receive support in the virtual world by having an avatar of the customer interact with an avatar of the customer service support system.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the virtual world targets include a “

Greeter”

avatar for greeting the customer and prompting the customer with support questions.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 15, further comprising the step of interacting with the customer by telephone through a public switched telephone network, said telephone network connected to the support server through a voice gateway.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 18, further comprising the step of enhancing the interaction between the customer and the support center with virtual world features.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having readable program code embodied in the storage medium, the computer program product includes a component operable to:

during an interactive customer service session between a customer and one or more customer service agents, facilitate via a customer service support system an interaction between the customer and one of the one or more customer service agents that is a phone, chat, or email based communication;

during an interactive customer service session, receive over the during an interactive customer service session a customer selection to continue the interactive customer service session through a different virtual world communication;

route the customer to the different virtual world communication without terminating the interactive customer service session;

interact via a customer support client with the customer through a web user interface of a virtual world of the different virtual world communication; and

enhance the virtual world communication with virtual world features provided by a virtual world component coupled to the customer service support system server.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising a component operable to enable the customer to receive assistance from a customer support representative (CSR) using a routing server with virtual world targets.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the virtual world targets include a “

Greeter”

avatar for greeting the customer and prompting the customer with support questions.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the virtual world targets include avatars to provide expert assistance to the customer on specific support items.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising a component operable to allow customer interaction by telephone through a public switched telephone network, said telephone network connected to the support server through a voice gateway.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising a component operable to enhance the voice interaction between the customer and the support server with virtual world features.