Agent-assisted and directed web-channel customer care apparatus, method, and computer program

• US 8,972,507 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West Technology Group LLC (West Corporation)
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Hendren, Chad David, Winston, Michelle Mason, Welch, Kevin Todd, Ehrenberg, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh-Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): BHATTI, HASHIM S
• Application Number:
  US13/011,518
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 455/466
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols

Abstract

An agent-assisted and directed web-channel customer care apparatus, method, and computer program is provided to receive, from a first device, an inbound message via an inbound messaging channel and create a web session utilizing a web session server. Session identification is received from the web session server and a unique identifier is transmitted to the first device in order for a second device to connect to an agent device via a web session. Communications is simultaneously maintained with the first and second device via the inbound messaging channel and the web session.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, from a first device, an inbound message via an inbound messaging channel;

determining, by a multimodal application, a type of the inbound messaging channel;

creating a web session utilizing a web session server based on the type of the inbound messaging channel;

receiving a session identification from the web session server;

transmitting a unique identifier to the first device in order for a second device to connect to an agent device via a web session;

directing a user, by the multimodal application, to an appropriate web channel based on the type of the inbound messaging channel; and

simultaneously maintaining communications with the first and second device via the inbound messaging channel and the web session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inbound messaging channel comprises a voice data channel, a chat messaging data channel, a short message service data channel, an electronic mail data channel, or a Smartphone data channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inbound message comprises voice data, chat messaging data, short message service data, electronic mail data, or Smartphone data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering content data to the second device via the web session server; and

receiving delivery confirmation data from the web session server, when the content data is received at the second device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying a database for customer information and receiving the customer information from the database; and

transmitting the customer information to the second device via the web session server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving another inbound message from the first device, via the inbound messaging channel; and

transmitting support data to the second device based on the other inbound message,

wherein the other inbound message comprises a request for technical assistance.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing the web session server to end the web session with the second device when receiving a confirmation message data from the second device that technical assistance is not required.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a computer executable program configured to cause a processor to:

receive, from a first device, an inbound message via an inbound messaging channel;

determine a type of the inbound messaging channel;

create a web session utilizing a web session server based on the type of the inbound messaging channel;

receive a session identification from the web session server;

transmit a unique identifier to the first device in order for a second device to connect to an agent device via a web session;

direct a user to an appropriate web channel based on the type of the inbound messaging channel; and

simultaneously maintain communications with the first and second device via the inbound messaging channel and the web session.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the inbound messaging channel comprises a voice data channel, a chat messaging data channel, a short message service data channel, an electronic mail data channel, or a Smartphone data channel.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the inbound message comprises voice data, chat messaging data, short message service data, electronic mail data, or Smartphone data.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable program is further configured to cause the processor to:

deliver content data to the second device via the web session server; and

receive delivery confirmation data from the web session server when the content data is received at the second device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable program is further configured to cause the processor to:

query a database for customer information and receiving the customer information from the database; and

transmit the customer information to the second device via the web session server.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable program is further configured to cause the processor to:

receive another inbound message from the first device, via the inbound messaging channel; and

transmit support data to the second device based on the other inbound message,

wherein the other inbound message comprises a request for technical assistance.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable program is further configured to causes the processor to:

instruct the web session server to end the web session with the second device when receiving a confirmation message data from the second device that technical assistance is not required.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

memory comprising instructions,

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive, from a first device, an inbound message via an inbound messaging channel,

determine a type of the inbound messaging channel,

create a web session utilizing a web session server based on the type of the inbound messaging channel,

receive a session identification from the web session server,

transmit a unique identifier to the first device in order for a second device to connect to an agent device via a web session,

direct a user to an appropriate web channel based on the type of the inbound messaging channel, and

simultaneously maintain communications with the first and second device via the inbound messaging channel and the web session.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein

the inbound messaging channel comprises a voice data channel, a chat messaging data channel, a short message service data channel, an electronic mail data channel, or a Smartphone data channel, and

the inbound message comprises voice data, chat messaging data, short message service data, electronic mail data, or Smartphone data.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

deliver content data to the second device via the web session server; and

receive delivery confirmation data from the web session server when the content data is received at the second device.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

query a database for customer information and receiving the customer information from the database; and

transmit the customer information to the second device via the web session server.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive another inbound message from the first device, via the inbound messaging channel; and

transmit support data to the second device based on the other inbound message,

wherein the other inbound message comprises a request for technical assistance.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

instruct the web session server to end the web session with the second device when receiving a confirmation message data from the second device that technical assistance is not required.