Speech analytics: conversation timing and adjustment

• US 9,491,293 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Matula, Valentine C., Ponting, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S
• Application Number:
  US14/985,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20160112567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 314 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements

Abstract

Agents of a contact center often encounter conversational delays when speaking with a customer. These delays may be introduced by transmission delays, which include the distance between the agent and the customer, and processing delays, such as those introduced by systems and processes within a contact center. By providing an agent with information based on the amount of the delay, the agent can be prompted to overtalk the customer by a target amount. As a result, the customer may experience a more natural conversation with the agent. Furthermore, if a customer prefers more or less of a delay, such as based on their cultural norms, the delay may be modified to account for those cultural norms and better accommodate the conversational preferences of a diverse customer base.

Claims

1. A method for determining communication delays in a contact center, comprising:

measuring, by a processor, a transmission delay value indicating the transmission delay of a voice portion of a conversation between an agent communication device and a customer communication device;

measuring, by the processor, a processing delay value indicating the processing delay of the voice portion of the conversation;

determining, by the processor, an overtalk indicator based on the transmission delay value and the processing delay value; and

providing, by the processor, the overtalk indicator to one of the agent communication device or a call analytics engine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the overtalk indicator indicates an overtalk amount and wherein the overtalk amount is the sum of the transmission and processing delay values.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the overtalk indicator further comprises the processor adding to the overtalk amount a third delay value, the third delay value indicating a cultural norm for conversational delay.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

inserting, by the processor, a simulated delay of the overtalk amount into the agent communication device portion of the conversation; and

providing, by the processor, a recording of the conversation, with the simulated delay, to a recording device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

recording, by the processor, the conversation from a perspective substantially equivalent to the agent communication device'"'"'s perspective; and

wherein the processor inserts the simulated delay into the recording during providing the recording.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the transmission delay value further comprises the processor transmitting one of a ping or a traceroute and determining the measured transmission delay by using the one of the ping or the traceroute.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the processor determines the overtalk amount by calculating the overtalk amount in accord with a spoken indicator associated with the overtalk amount being too much or too little.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the processor determines the overtalk amount by calculating the overtalk amount in accord with a delay associated with a prior call.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the processor determines the overtalk amount by calculating the overtalk amount to include an estimated transmission delay.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the processor determines the overtalk amount by calculating the overtalk amount to include an estimated number of transmission components and the delay associated therewith.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the processor determines the overtalk amount by calculating the overtalk amount to include a geographic distance between the agent communication and the customer communication device.

12. A contact center, comprising:

a processor;

a network interface that facilitates communication between an agent device and a customer device; and

wherein the processor is programmed to;

measure a transmission delay value indicating the transmission delay of a voice portion of a conversation between the agent communication device and the customer communication device;

measure a processing delay value indicating the processing delay of the voice portion of the conversation;

determine an overtalk indicator based on the transmission delay value and the processing delay value; and

provide the overtalk indicator to one of the agent communication device or a call analytics engine.

13. The contact center of claim 12, wherein the overtalk indicator indicates an overtalk amount and wherein the overtalk amount is the sum of the transmission and processing delay values and further comprising:

a database having stored therein a third delay value, the third delay value indicating a cultural norm for conversational delay; and

wherein the processor calculates the overtalk amount by adding the third delay value to the overtalk amount.

14. The contact center of claim 13, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

insert a simulated delay of the overtalk amount into the agent communication device'"'"'s portion of the conversation; and

provide a recording of the conversation, with the simulated delay, to a call analyzer.

15. The contact center of claim 14, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

record the conversation from a perspective substantially equivalent to the agent communication device'"'"'s perspective; and

wherein the processor inserts the simulated delay into the recording during the providing of the recording.

16. The contact center of claim 13, wherein the processor is programmed to determine the overtalk amount by calculating the overtalk amount in accord with a spoken indicator associated with the overtalk amount being too much or too little.

17. The contact center of claim 13, wherein the processor is programmed to determine the overtalk amount by calculating the overtalk amount in accord with a delay associated with a prior call.

18. The contact center of claim 13, wherein the processor is programmed to determine the overtalk amount by calculating the overtalk amount to include an estimated transmission delay.

19. The contact center of claim 13, wherein the processor is programmed to determine the overtalk amount by calculating the overtalk amount to include an estimated number of transmission components and the delay associated therewith.

20. The contact center of claim 13, wherein the processor is programmed to determine the overtalk amount by calculating the overtalk amount to include a geographic distance between the agent communication device and the customer device.

21. A contact center, comprising:

a processor;

a network interface operable to facilitate communication between an agent device and a customer device; and

wherein the processor is programmed to;

measure a transmission delay value indicating the transmission delay of a voice portion of a conversation between the agent communication device and the customer communication device;

measure a processing delay value indicating the processing delay of the voice portion of the conversation;

determine an overtalk indicator based on the transmission delay value and the processing delay value, wherein the overtalk indicator indicates an overtalk amount and wherein the overtalk amount is the sum of the transmission and processing delay values; and

provide the overtalk indicator to one of the agent communication device or a call analytics engine.