Closed loop calling process in an automated communication link establishment and management system

• US 9,986,076 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Connectandsell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Connectandsell Incorporated
• Inventors: McLaren, William J., Jisser, Kenny, Beall, Christopher W., Wilmsen, James Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Zenati, Amal
• Application Number:
  US13/412,715
• Time in Patent Office: 2,275 Days
• Field of Search: 37920201, 379 9317
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/16 Sequence circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/12 Language recognition, selection or translation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/06 Time-space-time switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/00 Selecting arrangements H04Q5/00 - H04Q11/00 take precedence

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed herein for a closed loop calling process that selects and maintains an optimized list of prospects to use in calling sessions, using historical information stored concerning past contact activity relating to the prospects. For each prospect, information is stored concerning the status of the prospect, attention appropriate for the prospect, a date before which the prospect should not be contacted, and information concerning next steps to be taken with respect to the prospect. In addition, methods and systems are disclosed for automatically integrating an automated calling system with a customer relationship management system, contact management system, and/or task management system, so that historical information stored concerning past contact activity and automated calling sessions relating to contacts is automatically updated in the customer relationship management system, contact management system, and/or task management system.

Claims

1. In a communication link establishment and management system, a method for storing and automatically updating information associated with targets, comprising the steps of:

selecting a target for an attempted communication from a predetermined group of targets;

selecting a user based on metadata associated with the target;

selectively establishing a communication channel between the user and the target;

automatically attempting to establish a communication connection via the communication channel with the selected target;

storing information concerning the status of the target, attention appropriate for the target, a date before which the target should not be contacted, and next steps to be taken with respect to the target;

moving, based on a predetermined query filter and the stored information, the target from a first list to a second list;

automatically transferring said information to a customer relationship management system, in order to update information stored in a database associated with the customer relationship management system;

storing a hold flag associated with the target in the customer relationship management system, wherein the hold flag indicates the date before which the target should not be contacted; and

preventing the target from being contacted, in response to a current date being prior to the date before which the target should not be contacted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first list comprises a first theme, and wherein the second list comprises a second theme.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to an unsuccessful attempt to establish the communication, the customer relationship management system automatically inactivates the target.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the user identifying a new contact, the customer relationship management system creates a new target.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the customer relationship management system creates new target metadata based on the user identifying the new contact.

6. A method comprising:

selecting a target for an attempted communication from a predetermined group of targets;

selecting a user based on metadata associated with the target;

selectively establishing a communication channel between the user and the target;

automatically attempting to establish a communication connection via the communication channel with the selected target;

storing information concerning the status of the target, attention appropriate for the target, a date before which the target should not be contacted, and next steps to be taken with respect to the target;

moving, based on a predetermined query filter and the stored information, the target from a first list to a second list;

automatically transferring said information to a customer relationship management system, in order to update information stored in a database associated with the customer relationship management system;

storing a hold flag associated with the target in the customer relationship management system, wherein the hold flag indicates the date before which the target should not be contacted; and

preventing the target from being contacted, in response to a current date being prior to the date before which the target should not be contacted.