System and method for managing a contact center with a graphical call connection metaphor

• US 9,325,661 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Geppert, Birgit, Roessler, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Joseph J
• Application Number:
  US12/749,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20100246800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,220 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.09, 379/212, 379/265.11, 379/265.02, 379/210.01, 348/14.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• 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 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5027 Dropping a party from a conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 : Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 : with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 : User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 : whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for managing communications in a callcenter. The method includes presenting via a GUI to a callcenter agent a set of connected graphical elements representing a structure of a communication session including the callcenter agent and a caller, receiving input via the GUI from the callcenter agent to manipulate at least one graphical element, and performing an action based on the input. Further disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for monitoring communications in a callcenter. The method includes presenting via a GUI a plurality of sets of connected graphical elements, wherein each set of connected graphical elements represents a structure of a communication session including the callcenter agent and a caller, receiving a selection via the GUI based on at least one graphical element to listen in on an associated communication, and monitoring the associated communication session.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting, via a graphical user interface for an agent, a set of connected graphical elements representing a structure of a communication session among the agent, a caller, and a supervisor added to the communication session after an escalation event, wherein the communication session is agnostic with respect to a mode of communication associated with each participant in the communication session, and wherein the set of connected graphical elements are visually connected via a connection metaphor among the agent, the caller, and the supervisor, the connection metaphor comprising a visual connection between the caller and the supervisor and representing a communications link between the caller and the supervisor, and wherein the visual connection comprises an indication that, between the agent and the supervisor, only the supervisor has an ability to terminate the communications link between the caller and the supervisor;

receiving input via the graphical user interface to manipulate a graphical element from the set of connected graphical elements;

modifying the communication session based on the input to yield a modified communication session; and

based on a determination that the caller was prematurely disconnected from the modified communication session, recreating the modified communication session by rejoining the caller without placing the caller in a queue to be rejoined potentially to a different agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session further includes an escalation individual who is one of a subject matter expert and a different agent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the communication session further comprises consulting separately from the communication session.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein consulting separately from the communication session comprises:

establishing a concurrent communication session between the agent and one of a subject matter expert, a different agent, and a supervisor, wherein the concurrent communication session is separate from the communication session;

upon receiving additional input via the graphical user interface, terminating the concurrent communication session; and

returning the agent to the communication session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the communication session further comprises transferring the communication session to a different department.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the communication session further comprises recording the communication session.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of connected graphical elements comprises smart screen pops related to the caller.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the smart screen pops comprise at least one of a name, an address, hyperlinks, total call time, a profile, a profile summary, a call history, warranty information, suggested sales targets, demographic information, and contact center caller preferences.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication further indicates that the agent lacks the ability to terminate the communications link between the caller and the supervisor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface presents available resources as groups of graphical elements that are topically germane to the communication session.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of connected graphical elements comprises a first graphical element, a second graphical element, and a third graphical element, the first graphical element representing the agent, the second graphical element representing the caller, and the third graphical element representing the supervisor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the escalation event comprises adding an escalation individual to the communication session.

13. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

presenting, via a graphical user interface for an agent, a set of connected graphical elements representing a structure of a communication session among the agent, a caller, and a supervisor added to the communication session after an escalation event, wherein the communication session is agnostic with respect to a mode of communication associated with each participant in the communication session, and wherein the set of connected graphical elements are visually connected via a connection metaphor among the agent, the caller, and the supervisor, the connection metaphor comprising a visual connection between the caller and the supervisor and representing a communications link between the caller and the supervisor, and wherein the visual connection comprises an indication that, between the agent and the supervisor, only the supervisor has an ability to terminate the communications link between the caller and the supervisor;

receiving input via the graphical user interface to manipulate a graphical element from the set of connected graphical elements; and

modifying the communication session based on the input to yield a modified communication session; and

based on a determination that the caller was prematurely disconnected from the modified communication session, recreating the modified communication session by rejoining the caller without placing the caller in a queue to be rejoined potentially to a different agent.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein modifying the communication session further comprises transferring the communication session to a different department.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein modifying the communication session further comprises recording the communication session.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the indication further indicates that the agent lacks the ability to terminate the communications link between the caller and the supervisor.

17. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

presenting, via a graphical user interface for an agent, a set of connected graphical elements representing a structure of a communication session among the an agent, a caller, and a supervisor added to the communication session after an escalation event, wherein the communication session is agnostic with respect to a mode of communication associated with each participant in the communication session, and wherein the set of connected graphical elements are visually connected via a connection metaphor among the agent, the caller, and the supervisor, the connection metaphor comprising a visual connection between the caller and the supervisor and representing a communications link between the caller and the supervisor, and wherein the visual connection comprises an indication that, between the agent and the supervisor, only the supervisor has an ability to terminate the communications link between the caller and the supervisor;

receiving input via the graphical user interface to manipulate a graphical element from the set of connected graphical elements; and

modifying the communication session based on the input to yield a modified communication session; and

based on a determination that the caller was prematurely disconnected from the modified communication session, recreating the modified communication session by rejoining the caller without placing the caller in a queue to be rejoined potentially to a different agent.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein modifying the communication session further comprises transferring the communication session to a different department.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein modifying the communication session further comprises recording the communication session.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the indication further indicates that the agent lacks the ability to terminate the communications link between the caller and the supervisor.