Call prioritization methods in a call center

• US 8,953,765 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockstar Consortium US LP (Rockstar Consortium Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Connor, Neil, McCormack, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US13/523,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20120252528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 37920106-20109, 379/211.01, 370/389
• US Class Current: 379/201.06
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of allocating calls coming into a call center from a caller location remote from the call center, receiving a call from a caller which includes information from an RFID chip located in close proximity to the caller location; decoding the information from the RFID chip to determine one or more parameters relating to the information; using said one or more parameters to allocate the call from the caller at the call center to ensure calls are handled in accordance with the parameters. This has the advantage of much more efficient management of the of the calls within the call center and ensures that the calls are sent to the agent with the most appropriate skill set.

Claims

1. A method of interfacing a customer with an information service, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a communication session from a customer terminal;

receiving information read from at least one information storage element by the customer terminal, the at least one information storage element being external to the customer terminal, the information identifying a subject of interest to the customer, a location and a type of the location of each of the at least one information storage element; and

routing the communication session within the information service based, at least in part, on the location and the type of the location of the at least one information storage element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information read from at least one information storage element by the customer terminal comprises receiving information read by detecting an electromagnetic signal over a wireless medium.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting an electromagnetic signal comprises reading at least one electronic tag.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein reading at least one electronic tag comprises reading an RFID tag.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifies a commercial offering, and the at least one information storage element is located in close proximity to an advertisement of the commercial offering.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer terminal is a mobile telephone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer terminal is configured to read the information by detecting an electromagnetic signal over a wireless medium.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information service comprises a contact center configured to establish the communication session between the customer and an agent.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the information service comprises a call center configured to establish a voice call between the customer and an agent.