Clustering and classification of recent customer support inquiries

• US 9,060,062 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2011
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Madahar, Sachan, Moore, Kim Nga Thi, Belilovets, Igor, Grigore, Ilie Ovidiu
• Primary Examiner(s): AL AUBAIDI, RASHA S
• Application Number:
  US13/177,426
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-26502, 379/266.07
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

A system and machine-implemented method relating to enhanced customer service via processing a first communication from a customer via a first communication service, automatically obtaining a first classification, included in a plurality of predefined classifications for customer support issues, associated with the first communication, establishing a second communication between the customer and a customer service representative, and displaying to the customer service representative information about the first communication with an indication that the first classification is associated with the first communication.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method for enhanced customer support comprising:

processing a first communication from a customer via a first communication service;

automatically obtaining a first classification, included in a plurality of predefined classifications for customer support issues, associated with the first communication;

establishing a second communication between the customer and a customer service representative, wherein the first communication and the second communication correspond to separate requests for customer support by the customer; and

displaying to the customer service representative information about the first communication with an indication that the first classification is associated with the first communication;

determining that a threshold number of customer requests corresponding to the first classification have been submitted; and

identifying, in response to the determination, the first classification as a problem to be proactively addressed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first communication is a request for a web page by the customer;

and

the first classification is associated with the web page prior to processing the first communication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a pre-generated solution for resolving an issue associated with the first classification; and

displaying the pre-generated solution to the customer service representative.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing a third communication from a customer via a second communication service;

automatically obtaining a second classification, included in the plurality of predefined classifications for customer support issues, associated with the third communication; and

displaying to the customer service representative information about the third communication with an indication that the second classification is associated with the third communication, wherein

the first communication is a request for a web page by the customer;

the second communication is an email sent by the customer; and

the second classification is obtained based on text included in the subject and/or body portions of the email.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing a third communication from a customer via a second communication service;

determining a second classification, included in the plurality of predefined classifications for customer support issues, associated with the third communication; and

displaying to the customer service representative information about the third communication with an indication that the second classification is associated with the third communication, wherein

the first communication is a request for a web page by the customer;

the third communication is a request for a forum topic by the customer; and

the second classification is determined based on text included in the forum topic.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first communication service is ineffective for resolving the first communication,

wherein establishing the second communication is in response to the determination.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically obtaining the first classification is based on a classifier trained for the customer support issues corresponding to the plurality of predefined classifications.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the second communication is in response to a request received from the customer to establish the second communication, and wherein automatically obtaining the first classification is deferred until the request is received from the customer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the information about the first communication with the indication that the first classification is associated with the first communication for a predetermined period of time,

wherein the displaying is based on accessing the stored information within the predetermined period of time.

10. A machine-implemented method for enhanced customer support comprising:

automatically determining a first plurality of classifications for customer support issues corresponding to a plurality of customer communications processed via a first communication service;

automatically determining a second plurality of classifications for customer support issues corresponding to a plurality of customer communications processed via a second communication service;

determining a plurality of common classifications for customer support issues based on the first plurality of categories and the second plurality of categories;

automatically determining that a first classification, included in the plurality of common classifications, is associated with a first communication processed via the first communication service, wherein the first communication is separate from the plurality of customer communications processed via the first communication service; and

automatically determining that a second classification, included in the plurality of common classifications, is associated with a second communication processed via the second communication service, wherein the second communication is separate from the plurality of customer communications processed via the second communication service;

determining that a threshold number of customer requests corresponding to at least one of the first classification or the second classification have been submitted; and

identifying, in response to determining of the threshold, the respective first classification or second classification as a problem to be proactively addressed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein

the first communication is a request for a web page;

the second communication is an email.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein

the first communication is a request for a web page;

the second communication is search query.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

establishing a third communication between the customer and a customer service representative; and

displaying to the customer service representative information about the first communication with an indication that the first classification is associated with the first communication and information about the second communication with an indication that the second classification is associated with the second communication.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

obtaining a pre-generated solution for resolving an issue associated with the first classification; and

displaying the pre-generated solution to the customer service representative.

15. A system for enhanced customer support, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

processing a first communication from a customer via a first communication service;

automatically obtaining a first classification, included in a plurality of predefined classifications for customer support issues, associated with the first communication;

establishing a second communication between the customer and a customer service representative, wherein the first communication and the second communication correspond to separate requests for customer support by the customer;

obtaining a pre-generated solution for resolving an issue associated with the first classification; and

displaying the pre-generated solution to the customer service representative;

determining that a threshold number of customer requests corresponding to the first classification have been submitted; and

identifying, in response to the determination, the first classification as a problem to be proactively addressed.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein

the first communication is a request for a web page by the customer;

and

the first classification is determined to be associated with the web page prior to processing the first communication.

17. The system of claim 15, the instructions further causing the processors to perform operations comprising:

displaying to the customer service representative information about the first communication with an indication that the first classification is associated with the first communication.

18. The system of claim 15, the instructions further causing the processors to perform operations comprising:

processing a third communication from a customer via a second communication service;

automatically obtaining a second classification, included in the plurality of predefined classifications for customer support issues, associated with the third communication; and

displaying to the customer service representative information about the third communication with an indication that the second classification is associated with the third communication, wherein

the first communication is a request for a web page by the customer;

the second communication is an email sent by the customer; and

the second classification is obtained based on text included in the subject and/or body portions of the email.

19. The system of claim 15, the instructions further causing the processors to perform operations comprising:

processing a third communication from a customer via a second communication service;

automatically determining a second classification, included in the plurality of predefined classifications for customer support issues, associated with the third communication; and

displaying to the customer service representative information about the third communication with an indication that the second classification is associated with the third communication, wherein

the first communication is a request for a web page by the customer;

the third communication is a request for a forum topic by the customer; and

the second classification is determined based on text included in the forum topic.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

processing a first communication from a customer via a first communication service;

automatically obtaining a first classification, included in a plurality of predefined classifications for customer support issues, associated with the first communication, wherein the first classification is predetermined to be associated with a resource requested in the first communication;

establishing a second communication between the customer and a customer service representative, wherein the first communication and the second communication correspond to separate requests for customer support by the customer; and

displaying to the customer service representative information about the first communication with an indication that the first classification is associated with the first communication;

determining that a threshold number of customer requests corresponding to the first classification have been submitted; and

identifying, in response to the determination, the first classification as a problem to be proactively addressed.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein

the first communication is a request for a web page by the customer;

and

the first classification is determined to be associated with the web page prior to processing the first communication.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, the instructions further causing the machine to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a pre-generated solution for resolving an issue associated with the first classification; and

displaying the pre-generated solution to the customer service representative.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, the instructions further causing the machine to perform operations comprising:

processing a third communication from a customer via a second communication service;

automatically obtaining a second classification, included in the plurality of predefined classifications for customer support issues, associated with the third communication; and

displaying to the customer service representative information about the third communication with an indication that the second classification is associated with the third communication, wherein

the first communication is a request for a web page by the customer;

the second communication is an email sent by the customer; and

the second classification is obtained based on text included in the subject and/or body portions of the email.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, the instructions further causing the machine to perform operations comprising:

processing a third communication from a customer via a second communication service;

automatically determining a second classification, included in the plurality of predefined classifications for customer support issues, associated with the third communication; and

displaying to the customer service representative information about the third communication with an indication that the second classification is associated with the third communication, wherein

the first communication is a request for a web page by the customer;

the third communication is a request for a forum topic by the customer; and

the second classification is determined based on text included in the forum topic.