Method and apparatus for network based customer service

• US 6,177,932 B1
• Filed: 08/21/1998
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LT Tech LLC (Legacy Patent Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kana Communications Inc. (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ericson, Mark A., Galdes, Frank A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US09/137,989
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/100-104, 707/200-206, 345/326-329, 345/333, 709/200-253
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/15 Synchronised browsing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a network based customer service is provided. In response to a client requesting help, a menu including three levels of interaction is displayed. One level of interaction is self-help searching in a database of information. A second level of interaction is asynchronous help, requesting help and receiving a reply. The third level of interaction is synchronous help, interaction with an advisor. If the client selects synchronous help, the method includes the steps of alerting the advisor and displaying a list of previously visited sites by the client to the advisor. The synchronous help method further includes providing a synchronized display between the client and the advisor, such that the advisor sees an identical display to the client.

Claims

1. A method for processing a client help request, said method comprising:

responding to a help request from a client

when said client makes a synchronous help request, alerting at least one responding advisor;

receiving a response from said at least one responding advisor;

synchronizing the display between said client and said at least one responding advisor; and

permitting said at least one responding advisor to control a client browser.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a menu of help request options including at least one of a synchronous help request option, an asynchronous help request option, and a self-help option.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said synchronizing the display comprises:

having the advisor display include an identical display to that of the client.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said identical display to that of the client is displayed at a same rate for the advisor as for the client.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the advisor further has one of an additional display and an additional portion of one display permitting search of a database of information to help the client.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

creating a reviewable discussion trail based on the client'"'"'s discussion with the advisor.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said discussion trail is stored on a server, and may be reviewed by the client at any time.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

adding a help information generated by the advisor to the database of information accessible to clients.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein when said client makes an asynchronous hell request, the method further comprises:

prompting the client to enter a help question;

forwarding the help question to the advisor;

waiting for the advisor to generate an answer to the help question; and

returning the answer to the client.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the answer returned to the client comprises at least one of a web page hyperlink and a posting to a web page with hints that may include one or more of the following:

a video of the advisor explaining the answer; and

an audio recording of the hints, and visual images.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said alerting at least one responding advisor includes using pattern matching with a database to determine which advisor is alerted.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pattern matching includes client and profile information.

13. A method for processing a client help request, said method comprising:

classifying the help request as one of a synchronous help request and an asynchronous help request;

when synchronous help is requested, alerting at least one advisor, said at least one advisor conversing with the client over a link to deduce a problem;

permitting said at least one advisor to synchronize displays with the client and control the client browser;

generating an answer to the problem;

associating the answer with the client, such that the client can retrieve the answer; and

providing at least one of a hyper-linked web page, a posting to a web page, and a persistent answer to a client system.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

dynamically injecting a help button into web pages displayed to the client system;

permitting the client system to request help from a first web page by pushing the help button;

associating said persistent answer with the first web page; and

displaying said persistent answer whenever the client system accesses the first web page.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the persistent answer is stored on a server system.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

searching a predictive answer system for a response to the help request, wherein the predictive answer system uses pattern matching with a database to determine whether the response is applicable.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the pattern includes client profile and context information.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the context information comprises at least one of previous web page locations visited by the client and actions on the previous web page locations.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein said advisor is one of an artificial intelligence, a client and a customer service representative.