Method for connecting users with agents using user selected agents and agent ratings

• US 9,609,132 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teletech Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teletech Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Tuchman, Kenneth D., Sharpe, Bruce A., Truong, Henry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S
• Application Number:
  US14/921,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

A content type of content interacted by a user is determined and a skill set is determined based on the content type. A first set of preferred agents is identified based on the skill set, where the preferred agents have a prior relationship with the user. A second set of recommended agents is identified based on the skill set, where the recommended agents have no prior relationship with the user. The first and second set of preferred agents and recommended agents are transmitted to a user device of the user to allow the user to select one of the preferred and recommended agents. The transmitted information include information indicating whether any of the preferred and recommended agents is available the point in time. A live communication session is established between the user device and an agent device of a selected agent.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for connecting users with agents, the method comprising:

receiving, by a case manager hosted by a server, a request from a remote device of a user for a communication session concerning content associated with a content document presented at the remote device while the user is navigating the content document;

in response to the request, determining, by a guided support identification system hosted by the server, a content type that the user is navigating based on an analysis of user interaction of the user with respect to the content document;

determining, by the guided support identification system, a skill set required to provide live support services to the content type associated with the content document;

determining by the guided support identification system a first list of one or more preferred agents that have a prior relationship with the user of the remote device in a previous support session based on the skill set and user ratings by users having a prior relationship with the preferred agents;

identifying a second list of one or more recommended agents to be recommended to the user based on the content of the content document, user interaction of the user, and the skill set required to provide support to the content, wherein the recommended agents have no prior relationship with the user;

transmitting from the server information representing the first list of preferred agents and the second list of recommended agents to the remote device to allow the user to select one of the preferred agents and the recommended agents for the communication session, wherein the first list of preferred agents and the second list of recommended agents are concurrently displayed on the remote device, including displaying information indicating the preferred agents and the recommended agents that are recommended by the guided support identification system, wherein the information transmitted to the remote device representing the preferred agents and recommended agents includes an indication indicating whether at least one of the preferred agents and recommended agents is available at the point in time;

receiving at the server a signal representing a user selection of an agent from the remote device that is selected from the displayed preferred agents and the recommended agents; and

in response to the user selection, establishing a communications session between the remote device of the user and the selected agent to enable the selected agent to engage communication with the user concerning the content of the content document.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring user interaction of the user with the content document while the user is navigating the content document; and

tracking events and an amount of time the user has spent browsing on a particular section of the content document.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the tracked events and the amount of time is used as a weight factor in determining whether the user is interested in the content presented by the content document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred agents presented to the user are selected from a plurality of preferred agents that have ratings higher than a predetermined threshold, and wherein preferred agents having ratings below the predetermined threshold are not presented to the user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting a survey of the selected agent to the remote device to allow the user to rate the selected agent after the communication session is completed; and

in response to a user rating of the selected agent, updating ratings of the selected agent in an agent database, wherein the ratings are utilized for future recommendations of agents and calculated with other responses from other users to determine a final rating for the selected agent.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

if the selected agent is a recommended agent and the user rating is greater than or equal to a second predetermined threshold, designating the selected agent as a preferred agent for the user; and

if the user rating of the selected agent is below the second predetermined threshold, marking the selected agent not to be presented to the user subsequently.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to the user selection of the preferred agent, queuing the request for a communication session in a priority queue associated with the selected agent, wherein requests pending in the priority queue specifically requested a communication session with the selected agent from a plurality of users.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the priority queue is one of a plurality of priority queues maintained by the server, each priority queue corresponding to a specific agent.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for connecting users with agents, the operations comprising:

receiving, by a case manager hosted by a server, a request from a remote device of a user for a communication session concerning content associated with a content document presented at the remote device while the user is navigating the content document;

in response to the request, determining, by a guided support identification system hosted by the server, a content type that the user is navigating based on an analysis of user interaction of the user with respect to the content document;

determining, by the guided support identification system, a skill set required to provide live support services to the content type associated with the content document;

determining by the guided support identification system a first list of one or more preferred agents that have a prior relationship with the user of the remote device in a previous support session based on the skill set and user ratings by users having a prior relationship with the preferred agents;

identifying a second list of one or more recommended agents to be recommended to the user based on the content of the content document, user interaction of the user, and the skill set required to provide support to the content, wherein the recommended agents have no prior relationship with the user;

transmitting from the server information representing the first list of preferred agents and the second list of recommended agents to the remote device to allow the user to select one of the preferred agents and the recommended agents for the communication session, wherein the first list of preferred agents and the second list of recommended agents are concurrently displayed on the remote device, including displaying information indicating the preferred agents and the recommended agents that are recommended by the guided support identification system, wherein the information transmitted to the remote device representing the preferred agents and recommended agents includes an indication indicating whether at least one of the preferred agents and recommended agents is available at the point in time;

receiving at the server a signal representing a user selection of an agent from the remote device that is selected from the displayed preferred agents and the recommended agents; and

in response to the user selection, establishing a communications session between the remote device of the user and the selected agent to enable the selected agent to engage communication with the user concerning the content of the content document.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring user interaction of the user with the content document while the user is navigating the content document; and

tracking events and an amount of time the user has spent browsing on a particular section of the content document.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the tracked events and the amount of time is used as a weight factor in determining whether the user is interested in the content presented by the content document.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the preferred agents presented to the user are selected from a plurality of preferred agents that have ratings higher than a predetermined threshold, and wherein preferred agents having ratings below the predetermined threshold are not presented to the user.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a survey of the selected agent to the remote device to allow the user to rate the selected agent after the communication session is completed; and

in response to a user rating of the selected agent, updating ratings of the selected agent in an agent database, wherein the ratings are utilized for future recommendations of agents and calculated with other responses from other users to determine a final rating for the selected agent.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

if the selected agent is a recommended agent and the user rating is greater than or equal to a second predetermined threshold, designating the selected agent as a preferred agent for the user; and

if the user rating of the selected agent is below the second predetermined threshold, marking the selected agent not to be presented to the user subsequently.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to the user selection of the preferred agent, queuing the request for a communication session in a priority queue associated with the selected agent, wherein requests pending in the priority queue specifically requested a communication session with the selected agent from a plurality of users.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the priority queue is one of a plurality of priority queues maintained by the server, each priority queue corresponding to a specific agent.

17. A server, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations including

receiving a request from a remote device of a user for a communication session concerning content associated with a content document presented at the remote device while the user is navigating the content document,

in response to the request, determining a content type that the user is navigating based on an analysis of user interaction of the user with respect to the content document,

determining a skill set required to provide live support services to the content type associated with the content document,

determining a first list of one or more preferred agents that have a prior relationship with the user of the remote device in a previous support session based on the skill set and user ratings by users having a prior relationship with the preferred agents,

identifying a second list of one or more recommended agents to be recommended to the user based on the content of the content document, user interaction of the user, and the skill set required to provide support to the content, wherein the recommended agents have no prior relationship with the user,

transmitting information representing the first list of preferred agents and the second list of recommended agents to the remote device to allow the user to select one of the preferred agents and the recommended agents for the communication session, wherein the first list of preferred agents and the second list of recommended agents are concurrently displayed on the remote device, including displaying information indicating the preferred agents and the recommended agents that are recommended by the guided support identification system, wherein the information transmitted to the remote device representing the preferred agents and recommended agents includes an indication indicating whether at least one of the preferred agents and recommended agents is available at the point in time,

receiving a signal representing a user selection of an agent from the remote device that is selected from the displayed preferred agents and the recommended agents, and

in response to the user selection, establishing a communications session between the remote device of the user and the selected agent to enable the selected agent to engage communication with the user concerning the content of the content document.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring user interaction of the user with the content document while the user is navigating the content document; and

tracking events and an amount of time the user has spent browsing on a particular section of the content document.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the tracked events and the amount of time is used as a weight factor in determining whether the user is interested in the content presented by the content document.

20. The server of claim 17, wherein the preferred agents presented to the user are selected from a plurality of preferred agents that have ratings higher than a predetermined threshold, and wherein preferred agents having ratings below the predetermined threshold are not presented to the user.

21. The server of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a survey of the selected agent to the remote device to allow the user to rate the selected agent after the communication session is completed; and

in response to a user rating of the selected agent, updating ratings of the selected agent in an agent database, wherein the ratings are utilized for future recommendations of agents and calculated with other responses from other users to determine a final rating for the selected agent.

22. The server of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

if the selected agent is a recommended agent and the user rating is greater than or equal to a second predetermined threshold, designating the selected agent as a preferred agent for the user; and

if the user rating of the selected agent is below the second predetermined threshold, marking the selected agent not to be presented to the user subsequently.

23. The server of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to the user selection of the preferred agent, queuing the request for a communication session in a priority queue associated with the selected agent, wherein requests pending in the priority queue specifically requested a communication session with the selected agent from a plurality of users.

24. The server of claim 23, wherein the priority queue is one of a plurality of priority queues maintained by the server, each priority queue corresponding to a specific agent.