SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING A CONTACT CENTER WITH A GRAPHICAL CALL CONNECTION METAPHOR

• US 20100246800A1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: GEPPERT, Birgit, Roessler, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 9,325,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.90
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5027 Dropping a party from a conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 : Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 : with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 : User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 : whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for managing communications in a callcenter. The method includes presenting via a GUI to a callcenter agent a set of connected graphical elements representing a structure of a communication session including the callcenter agent and a caller, receiving input via the GUI from the callcenter agent to manipulate at least one graphical element, and performing an action based on the input. Further disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for monitoring communications in a callcenter. The method includes presenting via a GUI a plurality of sets of connected graphical elements, wherein each set of connected graphical elements represents a structure of a communication session including the callcenter agent and a caller, receiving a selection via the GUI based on at least one graphical element to listen in on an associated communication, and monitoring the associated communication session.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing communications in a contact center, the method causing a communications device to perform steps comprising:

presenting via a graphical user interface (GUI) to a contact center agent a set of connected graphical elements representing a structure of a communication session including the contact center agent and a contact center caller;

receiving input via the GUI from the contact center agent to manipulate at least one graphical element; and

performing an action based on the input.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action is to escalate the communication session.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the action to escalate the communication session comprises:

adding an escalation individual to the communication session; and

upon receiving additional input via the GUI from the contact center agent, dropping the contact center agent from the communication session.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the escalation individual is one of a subject matter expert, a different call center agent, and a supervisor.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action is to consult separately from the communication session.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the action to consult separately comprises:

establishing a concurrent communication session including the contact center agent and one of a subject matter expert, a different call center agent, and a supervisor, wherein the concurrent communication session is separate from the communication session;

upon receiving additional input via the GUI, terminating the concurrent communication session; and

returning the contact center agent to the communication session.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action is to transfer the communication session to a different department.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action is to record the communication session.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of connected graphical elements comprises smart screen pops related to the contact center caller.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the smart screen pops include one or more of a name, an address, hyperlinks, total call time, a profile, a profile summary, a call history, warranty information, suggested sales targets, demographic information, and contact center caller preferences.

11. A computer-implemented method of monitoring communications in a contact center, the method causing a computing device to perform steps comprising:

presenting via a graphical user interface (GUI) a plurality of sets of connected graphical elements, wherein each set of connected graphical elements represents a structure of a communication session including the contact center agent and contact center caller;

receiving a selection via the GUI based on at least one graphical element to listen in on a respective communication session associated with the at least one graphical element; and

monitoring the respective communication session.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, the method further causing the computing device to record the respective communication session.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein each of the set of connected graphical elements indicates a current communication session status.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein contact center agents include one or more of a subject matter expert, a front-line contact center agent, and a supervisor.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the set of connected graphical elements comprises smart screen pops related to the contact center caller.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the smart screen pops include one or more of a name, an address, hyperlinks, call duration, a profile, a profile summary, a call history, warranty information, suggested sales targets, demographic information, and contact center caller preferences.

17. A computer-implemented method of bridging call center agents with a subject matter expert in a contact center, the method causing a computing device to perform steps comprising:

receiving input from a subject matter expert indicating a group of call center agents via a graphical user interface (GUI) that represents a structure of a communication session as a set of connected graphical elements; and

adding each of the group of call center agents to the communication session.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the subject matter expert shares resources with the group of call center agents via the communication session.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the resources are at least one of text, a document, a presentation, an audio file, a video, and other electronic resources.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the group of call center agents are at different physical facilities.