Call center system for multiple transaction selections

• US 7,627,109 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mitra, Saikat
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US11/051,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20060177040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/67, 705/40
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details

Abstract

A user interface for an agent of a call center comprises a transaction menu that lists possible transactions that the agent can fulfill. Multiple transactions selected by the agent from the transaction menu are ordered into a first sequence of agent-selected transactions that are to be fulfilled in a call, and the first sequence is displayed. A selection of at least one additional transaction from the transaction menu is received after the agent has begun to address one of the agent-selected transactions from the first sequence but before the agent has completed all of the agent-selected transactions from the first sequence. Uncompleted ones of the agent-selected transactions including the at least one additional transaction are ordered into a second sequence of agent-selected transactions, and the second sequence is displayed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code to cause a computer system to perform acts of:

displaying on a screen a transaction menu that lists possible transactions that an agent of a call center can fulfill;

ordering a plurality of transactions selected by the agent from the transaction menu into a list of agent-selected transactions that are to be fulfilled for a call;

displaying on the screen the list of agent-selected transactions, the list including an indicator of a status of each of the agent-selected transactions and the list separated into a first group of agent-selected transactions that are completed and a second group of agent-selected transactions that are uncompleted;

receiving a selection of at least one additional transaction from the transaction menu after the agent has begun to address one of the agent-selected transactions from the list but before the agent has completed all of the agent-selected transactions from the list; and

updating the list to include the at least one additional transaction.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the selection of at least one additional transaction from the transaction menu is received after the agent has begun to address a transaction but before the agent has completed the transaction.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 wherein the acts further comprise:

displaying a script for the transaction.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 wherein the acts further comprise:

changing the indicator of the status of the transaction when the transaction has been completed.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the second group is ordered based on at least one business rule.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the second group is ordered to improve a handle time for customer contact.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the second group is ordered to improve an average handle time for customer contact based on at least one business rule.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the first group is highlighted on the screen to distinguish the first group from the second group.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the acts further comprise:

receiving at least one entry from the agent characterizing an emotional state of a person interacting with the agent via the call.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the acts further comprise:

launching a next agent-selected transaction in the second group when a particular agent-selected transaction is completed.

11. A method comprising:

displaying on a screen coupled to a computer system a transaction menu that lists possible transactions that an agent of a call center can fulfill;

using the computer system to order a plurality of transactions selected by the agent from the transaction menu into a list of agent-selected transactions that are to be fulfilled with respect to a call;

displaying on the screen the list of agent-selected transactions, the list including an indicator of a status of each of the agent-selected transactions and the list including a first group of agent-selected transactions that are completed and a second group of agent-selected transactions that are uncompleted;

receiving at the computer system a selection of at least one additional transaction from the transaction menu after the agent has begun to address one of the agent-selected transactions from the second group but before the agent has completed all of the agent-selected transactions from the list; and

updating the list to include the at least one additional transaction.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the selection of at least one additional transaction from the transaction menu is received after the agent has begun to address a particular transaction but before the agent has completed the particular transaction.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

displaying a script for the particular transaction.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

changing the indicator of the status of the current transaction when the particular transaction has been completed.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the second group is ordered based on at least one business rule.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the second group is ordered to improve a handle time for customer contact.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the second group is ordered to reduce an average handle time for customer contact based on at least one business rule.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the first group is highlighted on the screen to distinguish the first group from the second group.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving at least one entry from the agent characterizing an emotional state of a person interacting with the agent via the call.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

launching a next agent-selected transaction in the second group when a particular agent-selected transaction is completed.