Systems and methods for managing call processing for a specific agent

• US 20070121894A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Noble Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Noble, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing calls, both inbound and outbound, for available agents over a plurality of lines, where each call received or placed is pre-identified to be connected to one specific agent and upon the automatic detection of the call being received or answered, the call is either connected to the specific agent or placed in a queue for that specific agent.

Claims

1. A method for managing outbound calls associated with an agent comprising:

determining a plurality of outbound calls, wherein at least one outbound call is associated with an agent in a plurality of agents before it is placed;

placing more than one of the plurality of outbound calls, including the at least one outbound call; and

routing the at least one outbound call to the agent if a connection is detected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the number and timing of outbound calls associated with the agent to be placed is determined using a mathematical formula.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of terminating unconnected placed outbound calls associated with the agent once the agent has been connected to a placed call.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing a hold message to at least one of the placed calls associated with the agent that is answered.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising notifying the agent that at least one of the placed outbound calls associated with the agent has answered and is waiting.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing a message asking for a return call to at least one of the placed calls associated with the agent.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing a message offering a voicemail option to at least one of the placed calls associated with the agent.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising routing at least one of the placed calls associated with the agent to a different agent.

9. A method for simultaneously managing the connection of outbound calls associated with an agent and routing inbound calls associated with the same agent comprising:

associating an agent with a plurality of outbound calls;

automatically placing at least a portion of the plurality of outbound calls;

routing at least one of the placed outbound calls to the agent;

receiving an inbound call;

associating the agent with an inbound call based at least in part on identifying information associated with the inbound call;

routing the received inbound call to the agent.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying information includes a phone number associated with the calling party.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying information includes at least one digit selected by the caller.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying information is determined by having the caller speak an identifier associated with the agent.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying information is selected from the group consisting of the agent'"'"'s name, agent'"'"'s title, and agent'"'"'s associated service number.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein t the number and timing of outbound calls to be placed for each agent is determined using a mathematical formula.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of terminating unconnected placed outbound calls for that agent once the agent has been connected to a call.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising if more than one call for the agent is routed to the agent, at least one routed call is played a message to hold for the agent.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, notifying the agent that at least one other call is waiting.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising if more than one call for the agent is routed to the agent, at least one routed call is played a message asking them to return the call.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising if more than one call for the agent is routed to the agent, at least one routed call is played a message offering the caller to leave a voicemail message.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising if more than one call for the agent is routed to the agent, automatically routing at least one call to a different agent.

21. The method of claim 9, further comprising if an inbound call is received and routed to the agent, terminating all pending unconnected placed outbound calls.

22. The method of claim 9, further comprising if an inbound call is received and the agent is unavailable, offering the caller the option to hold for the agent to become available or to leave a voicemail message.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising if an inbound caller does not hold, automatically returning the call as an outbound call associated with the agent once the agent becomes available.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising if the caller chooses to leave a voicemail, playing the voicemail for the agent once the agent becomes available.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising, returning the call that left the voicemail as a placed outbound call associated with the agent after the agent has played the voicemail.

26. A system for simultaneously managing outbound calls and inbound calls routed to an agent comprising:

an automatic call distributor connected to a network, wherein the automatic call distributor detects inbound calls associated with an agent in a plurality of agents;

a plurality of agents connected to the automatic call distributor; and

a predictive dialer connected to the network and automatic call distributor, wherein the predictive dialer places outbound calls that are associated with the agent before the call is placed,

wherein the agent is connected to the outbound call routed from the predictive dialer to the agent in the plurality of agents connected to the automatic call distributor.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising a CTI server in direct communication with the predictive dialer and an automatic call distributor, wherein the CTI server allocates the agent in the plurality of agents to handle the connected outbound call associated with the agent routed from the predictive dialer through the automatic call distributor to the agent in the plurality of agents.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the CTI server also allocates the agent in the plurality of agents to handle the connected inbound call associated with the agent routed from the automatic call distributor to the agent in the plurality of agents.