Category based organization and monitoring of customer service help sessions

• US 8,761,374 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Evanchik, Stephen A., Lewis-Bowen, Alister D., Weitzman, Louis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US13/731,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20130124246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.03, 379/265.05, 379/265.06
• US Class Current: 379/265.03
• 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 an information processing system, for monitoring customer support sessions based on at least one category associated with the customer support sessions, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a request from an administrator for information associated with unresolved support sessions currently in progress between at least one customer and at least one customer support agent;

presenting to the administrator a set of support categories each queuing at least one open help request from at least one first level customer support agent, the at least one open help request indicating that the at least one first level customer support agent requires assistance from at least one second level customer support agent with an unresolved support session currently in progress between the first customer support agent and a customer;

receiving a selection of at least one support category from the administrator;

presenting to the administrator a set of first level customer support agent identifiers associated with the at least one open help request queued under the at least one support category which has been selected, wherein each of the set of first level customer support agent identifiers is associated with a first level customer support agent with an open help request queued in the set of support categories;

receiving a selection of at least one first level customer support agent identifier in the set of first level customer support agent identifiers;

presenting to the administrator a dialogue between the first level customer support agent associated with the selected first level customer support agent identifier and at least one second level customer support agent, wherein the dialog is associated with the unresolved support session between the first level customer support agent and the customer;

receiving a set of comments from the administrator, wherein the set of comments are associated with the support session associated with the dialog; and

inserting the comments into the dialog.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dialog is at least one of:

instant messaging dialog; and

voice call dialog.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dialog is a real-time dialog.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of at least one first level customer support agent identifiers in the a set of first level customer support agent identifiers; and

presenting to the administrator a set of unresolved support sessions associated with the at least one first level customer support agent identifier that has been selected, wherein the set of unresolved support sessions have been associated with the at least one support category that has been selected by the administrator queued for second level customer agent support.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an instruction from the administrator to assign at least one unresolved support session in the set of unresolved support sessions to at least one second level customer support agent; and

assigning, based on the receiving, the at least one unresolved support session to the at least one second level customer support agent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one support category in the set of support categories includes at least one indicator that indicates an unresolved support session has been assigned to the at least one support category.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer instructions for monitoring customer support sessions based on at least one category associated with the customer support sessions, the computer non-transitory readable medium comprising instructions for:

receiving a request from an administrator for information associated with unresolved support sessions currently in progress between at least one customer and at least one customer support agent;

presenting to the administrator a set of support categories each queuing at least one open help request from at least one first level customer support agent, the at least one open help request indicating that the at least one first level customer support agent requires assistance from at least one second level customer support agent with an unresolved support session currently in progress between the first customer support agent and a customer;

receiving a selection of at least one support category from the administrator;

presenting to the administrator a set of first level customer support agent identifiers associated with at the at least one open help request queued under the at least one support category which has been selected, wherein each of the set of first level customer support agent identifiers is associated with a first level customer support agent with an open help request queued in the set of support categories;

receiving a selection of at least one first level customer support agent identifier in the set of first level customer support agent identifiers;

presenting to the administrator a dialogue between the first level customer support agent associated with the selected first level customer support agent identifier and at least one second level customer support agent, wherein the dialog is associated with the unresolved support session between the first level customer support agent and the customer;

receiving a set of comments from the administrator, wherein the set of comments are associated with the support session associated with the dialog; and

inserting the comments into the dialog.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the dialog is at least one of:

instant messaging dialog; and

voice call dialog.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the dialog is a real-time dialog.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a selection of at least one first level customer support agent identifiers in the a set of first level customer support agent identifiers; and

presenting to the administrator a set of unresolved support sessions associated with the at least one first level customer support agent identifier that has been selected, wherein the set of unresolved support sessions have been associated with the at least one support category that has been selected by the administrator queued for second level customer agent support.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions for:

receiving an instruction from the administrator to assign at least one unresolved support session in the set of unresolved support sessions to at least one second level customer support agent; and

assigning, based on the receiving, the at least one unresolved support session to the at least one second level customer support agent.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein at least one support category in the set of support categories includes at least one indicator that indicates an unresolved support session has been assigned to the at least one support category.

13. An information processing system for monitoring customer support sessions based on at least one category associated with the customer support sessions, the information processing system comprising:

memory;

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

a session manager communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one processor, wherein the session manager is configured to perform a method comprising;

receiving a request from an administrator for information associated with unresolved support sessions currently in progress between at least one customer and at least one customer support agent;

presenting to the administrator a set of support categories each queuing at least one open help request from at least one first level customer support agent, the at least one open help request indicating that the at least one first level customer support agent requires assistance from at least one second level customer support agent with an unresolved support session currently in progress between the first customer support agent and a customer;

receiving a selection of at least one support category from the administrator;

presenting to the administrator a set of first level customer support agent identifiers associated with the at least one open help request queued under the at least one support category which has been selected, wherein each of the set of first level customer support agent identifiers is associated with a first level customer support agent with an open help request queued in the set of support categories;

receiving a selection of at least one first level customer support agent identifier in the set of first level customer support agent identifiers;

presenting to the administrator a dialogue between the first level customer support agent associated with the selected first level customer support agent identifier and at least one second level customer support agent, wherein the dialog is associated with the unresolved support session between the first level customer support agent and the customer;

receiving a set of comments from the administrator, wherein the set of comments are associated with the support session associated with the dialog; and

inserting the comments into the dialog.

14. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a selection of at least one first level customer support agent identifiers in the a set of first level customer support agent identifiers; and

presenting to the administrator a set of unresolved support sessions associated with the at least one first level customer support agent identifier that has been selected, wherein the set of unresolved support sessions have been associated with the at least one support category that has been selected by the administrator queued for second level customer agent support.

15. The information processing system of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an instruction from the administrator to assign at least one unresolved support session in the set of unresolved support sessions to at least one second level customer support agent; and

assigning, based on the receiving, the at least one unresolved support session to the at least one second level customer support agent.

16. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein at least one support category in the set of support categories includes at least one indicator that indicates an unresolved support session has been assigned to the at least one support category.