Instant message contact management in a contact center

• US 8,873,739 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2013
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Hemm, Thomas L., Kohler, Joylee E., Thomson, Rodney A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US13/862,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20130223618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266.01, 379/266.02, 379/265.01, 379/208.01, 379/265.05, 379/272, 379/242, 379/201.01
• US Class Current: 379/266.02
• 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 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for servicing a transaction in a contact center. When an instant message communication associated with a transaction is suspended prematurely, special treatment may be provided to the transaction initiator. The special treatment includes: (a) maintaining the assigned service priority for the transaction for assignment to a subsequent communication; (b) scheduling a subsequent outbound instant message to an external endpoint associated with the transaction initiator; (c) assigning to the transaction initiator a favored service priority when the subsequent inbound instant message is received by the contact center; and (d) maintaining previously selected item(s) in memory and providing the item(s) to the transaction initiator in a subsequent communication.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving, by a contact center, a first communication from a first transaction initiator;

(b) determining, by a processor executable contact manager, that the first communication is a long distance cellular call; and

(c) providing, by the contact manager, the first communication with special treatment relative to a second communication received from a different second transaction initiator, the second communication being received substantially at the same time as the first communication and being a local cellular call and wherein the first and second transaction initiators are otherwise entitled to a common service priority.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the special treatment is at least one of the following:

(E1) providing, by the contact manager and compared to the second communication, the first communication with a higher service priority; and

(E2) providing, by the contact manager, the first communication, when compared to the second communication, with a wait time allowance.

3. A computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions, that, when executed, perform the steps of claim 1.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the special treatment is providing, compared to the second communication, the first communication with a higher service priority.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the special treatment is providing the first communication, when compared to the second communication, with a wait time allowance.

4. A contact center, comprising:

a processor executable contact manager operable to;

receive a first communication from a first transaction initiator;

determine that the first communication is a long distance cellular call; and

provide the first communication with special treatment relative to a second communication received from a different second transaction initiator, the second communication being received substantially at the same time as the first communication and being a local cellular call and wherein the first and second transaction initiators are otherwise entitled to a common service priority.

5. The contact center of claim 4, wherein the special treatment is providing, compared to the second communication, the first communication with a higher service priority.

6. The contact center of claim 4, wherein the special treatment is providing the first communication, when compared to the second communication, with a wait time allowance.

7. A non-transient and tangible computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions, that, when executed, perform at least the following steps:

receiving a first communication from a first transaction initiator;

determining that the first communication is a long distance cellular call; and

providing the first communication with special treatment relative to a second communication received from a different second transaction initiator, the second communication being received substantially at the same time as the first communication and being a local cellular call and wherein the first and second transaction initiators are otherwise entitled to a common service priority.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the special treatment is providing, compared to the second communication, the first communication with a higher service priority.

9. The contact center of claim 7, wherein the special treatment is providing the first communication, when compared to the second communication, with a wait time allowance.