Presence awareness agent

• US 20030177017A1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Seligmann, Doree Duncan, Hemm, Thomas L., Cartwright, Sally, Kohler, Joylee, Boyer, David G., Harkreader, Susan K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,415,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a customer contact 100 in which a agent service function 136 to collect predetermined types of information regarding the contact and/or the contact center 100 and interface with the contact. The interface can include presenting service options to the contact. A mood detector 152 can be used to collect information about the customer'"'"'s state of mind.

Claims

1. A method of servicing customers'"'"' communications in a customer contact center which distributes customers'"'"' communications for servicing among resources, comprising:

collecting first customer information about a first customer communicating with the contact center; and

based on the first customer information, selecting, for the first customer, a first set of service options from among a larger, second set of service options.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the first set of service options to the first customer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, from the first customer, a selected service option in the first set of service options; and

executing the selected service option.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step is also based on contact center information and predetermined rules.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting step comprises:

connecting the first customer with a first resource to collect at least a portion of the first customer information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first resource is a single port of an automated communications-servicing arrangement

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an interrupt signal in connection with the first customer; and

thereafter repeating the collecting and presenting steps for the first customer.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein in the presenting step an animated personal service agent is displayed to the first customer.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the collecting and presenting steps are performed by an automated personal service agent.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring at least one of a physical parameter and a voice stream of the first customer; and

when a predetermined event is identified, at least one of (a) requesting additional information from the first customer and (b) repeating the collecting and selecting steps with reference to the first customer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the service options in the first set of service options is participating in a multi-customer session.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the first customer has a first position in a first queue before the presenting step and further comprising after the executing step:

maintaining, for the first customer, the first position in the first queue.

13. An apparatus that performs the method of claim 1.

14. A computer-readable medium containing software which, when executed in a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected service option is service by a human agent and further comprising:

providing at least some of the first customer information to the human agent.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting step comprises:

downloading software instructions onto a communications device of the first customer.

17. An automated communications distribution (ACD) system, comprising:

an automated personal agent service function operable to collect customer information about a selected customer and, based on the collected customer information, to select, for the selected customer, a first set of service options from among a larger, second set of service options.

18. The ACD of claim 17, wherein the automated personal service agent is rendered as an animated character on the selected customer'"'"'s communications device.

19. The ACD of claim 17, further comprising:

a mood detector operable to determine a mood of the selected customer.

20. The ACD of claim 17, further comprising:

a session monitor operable to implement multi-customer sessions with a resource.

21. The ACD of claim 17, wherein the automated personal agent service function communicates with the selected customer through text, voice, animated movement or a combination thereof.

22. An automated communications distribution (ACD) system, comprising:

a plurality of queues for customers requiring servicing;

a corresponding plurality of resources for providing the servicing; and

an animated, automated personal agent service function, graphically rendered on a communications device of at least some of the customers, that is operable to at least one of collect customer information about a selected customer and provide a service to the selected customer.

23. The ACD of claim 22, wherein the animated, automated personal agent service function is operable, based on the collected customer information, to select, for the selected customer, a first set of service options from among a larger second set of service options.

24. A method of servicing customers'"'"' communications in a customer contact center which distributes customers'"'"' communications for servicing among resources, comprising:

monitoring at least one of a physical parameter and a voice stream of a customer; and

when a predetermined event is identified, interrupting a service being received by the customer from the customer contact center.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the service is at least one of waiting in a queue, scheduling a call back, and communicating with an automated communications-servicing arrangement.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

collecting customer information about the customer; and

based on the customer information, selecting, for the customer, a first set of service options from among a larger, second set of service options.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

presenting the first set of service options to the customer.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving, from the customer, a selected service option in the first set of service options; and

executing the selected service option.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the selecting step is also based on contact center information and the contact center information comprises at least one of contact center status, business rules, resource availability, contact center goals, and success rates of one or more service options.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the collecting step comprises:

connecting the customer with a first resource to collect at least a portion of the customer information.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first resource is a single port of an automated communications-servicing arrangement

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

receiving an interrupt signal in connection with the customer; and

thereafter repeating the collecting and presenting steps for the customer.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein in the presenting step an animated personal service agent is displayed to the customer.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the collecting and presenting steps are performed by an automated personal service agent.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein one of the service options in the first set of service options is participating in a multi-customer session.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the customer has a first position in a first queue before the presenting step and further comprising after the executing step:

maintaining, for the customer, the first position in the first queue.

37. An apparatus that performs the method of claim 24.

38. A computer-readable medium containing software which, when executed in a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of claim 24.

39. The method of claim 26, wherein the selected service option is service by a human agent and further comprising:

providing at least some of the customer information to the human agent.