Call center quality management tool

• US 8,715,179 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Price, David D., Nallasivan, Srinivasan
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, Bill
• Assistant Examiner(s): SORIANO, BOBBY GILES
• Application Number:
  US12/707,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20110201960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/301, 434/236, 434156-185, 705 2- 4
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4261 Evaluating exocrine secretion production A61B3/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6825 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/63 for estimating an emotional state
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Systems and methods for call center quality management are provided. A sensor may monitor a response of a dialogue participant. A reference index may correlate the response to a known condition. A processor device may detect the known condition or a threshold number of known conditions. The processor may relate the known condition to feedback. A feedback mechanism may provide the feedback to the participant. The feedback may be provided based on the known condition. The feedback may be configured to improve call center quality. The feedback may be transmitted during a call. The feedback may be based on the threshold number.

Claims

1. A system for inducing a change in a performance characteristic of a first individual conducting a dialogue with a second individual, the system comprising:

a sensor configured to sense said performance characteristic;

a machine readable memory configured to store a performance characteristic reference index;

a processor device configured to provide a comparison of said sensed performance characteristic to said reference index; and

a visual display configured to transmit information to the first individual, said information being based on said comparison and formulated to;

induce said change while the first individual is conducting the dialogue; and

affect the conducting of the dialogue.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensor includes a transmitter configured to transmit a wireless signal based on said performance characteristic.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensor is configured to sense temperature.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said reference index of a performance characteristic includes a logical link between a sensor output and an emotional state.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first individual is a customer service associate and said visual display comprises an electronic window that is configured to be displayed to the first individual along with a customer service associate customer interaction tool.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said information comprises an instruction formulated to regulate an emotional state.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the second individual is a customer and said emotional state is an emotional state of the second individual.

8. A method for inducing a change in a performance characteristic of a first individual, said first individual participating in a dialogue with a second individual, the method comprising:

using a receiver of a computer system, receiving from a sensor a signal corresponding to the performance characteristic;

using a processor of the computer system;

correlating the signal with a metric of the performance characteristic; and

linking the metric to an emotional state; and

using an output module of the computer system, providing to said first individual visual information formulated to change the emotional state, wherein the information comprises at least one instruction formulated to affect said first individual'"'"'s participating in the dialogue.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the providing comprises providing textual information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the providing textual information includes instructing said first individual to focus thoughts on a mental image.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the providing textual information includes instructing said first individual to focus thoughts on an electronically displayed image.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the providing further comprises providing audible information.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said instructing includes providing an image that is formulated to change said emotional state.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said instructing includes communicating via a real time textual chat dialogue.

15. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor on a computer system, perform a method for inducing a change in a performance characteristic of a first individual during an ongoing dialogue between the first individual and a second individual, the method comprising:

receiving from a sensor a signal corresponding to the performance characteristic, the performance characteristic detected during the dialogue;

correlating the signal with a metric of the performance characteristic;

linking the metric to an emotional state; and

providing to the first individual visual information formulated to change the emotional state during the ongoing dialogue, the information comprising at least one instruction.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15 wherein, in the method, the providing comprises providing textual information.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein, in the method, the providing textual information includes instructing the first individual to focus thoughts on a mental image.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein, in the method, the providing textual information includes instructing the first individual to focus thoughts on an electronically displayed image.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15 wherein, in the method, the providing comprises providing audible information.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19 wherein, in the method, said providing includes providing spoken information.