Customer callback reward system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8958538-B1
Application number	US-201314021749-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 9, 2013
Priority date	Jan 14, 2009
Publication date	Feb 17, 2015
Grant date	Feb 17, 2015

Abstract

A system, method and non-transitory computer readable medium including computer-executable instructions for handling calls. In an exemplary method of the disclosure, it may be determined whether a call should be transferred from the VSS to an agent based on, for example, agent availability or queue wait times. When it is determined to transfer the call to the agent, it may be determined whether a callback call should be offered to the caller. When it is determined to offer the callback call, one or more time blocks may be provided to which the caller can initiate the callback call to receive higher priority routing. Upon calling back into the system within one of the time blocks, the call may receive preferential routing treatment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
providing a first queue for queuing callers to a call center;
providing a callback queue for callback callers to the call center that is different to the first queue;
determining whether a call from a caller should be transferred from a Voice Self Service (VSS) server to an agent;
when it is determined to transfer the call to the agent, determining whether a callback call should be offered to the caller;
when it is determined to offer the callback call, informing the caller, by the VSS server, that estimated queue times are high and offering the callback call to the caller during one or more time blocks;
when the callback call offer is declined by the caller, placing the call in the first queue;
when the callback call offer is accepted by the caller, receiving the callback call and determining whether the callback call is from the caller of the call; and
when it is determined that the callback call is from the caller of the call, placing the callback call into the callback queue;
treating the callback queue with higher priority than the first queue.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the queue time is determined based on at least one of program logic and agent availability.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein when it is determined to offer the callback call, informing the caller, by the VSS server, that a call center can handle the call more efficiently at a later time.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, when the caller declines the callback call, transferring the call to a queue.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, when the caller accepts the offer of the callback call, determining the one or more time blocks to which the caller can initiate the callback call to receive higher priority routing.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the time blocks are determined by at least one of program logic and agent availability.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determination of the caller of the callback call is based on at least one of matching Automatic Number Identification (ANI), account information, and one or more Access Point Names (APNs).

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, when it is determined that the callback call is from the caller of the call, informing the caller that the caller is receiving preferential routing treatment.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein placing the callback call into the higher priority queue comprises placing the callback call into the higher priority queue ahead of other calls already in the higher priority queue.

10. A system, comprising:
a Voice Self Service (VSS) server structured to receive and route a call received from a caller;
a memory;
a first queue for queuing callers to a call center;
a callback queue for callback callers to the call center that is different to the first queue;
a processor communicably coupled to the memory, the processor structured to:
determine whether the call received at the VSS server should be transferred from the VSS server to an agent;
when it is determined to transfer the call to the agent, determine whether a callback call should offered to the caller;
when it is determined to offer the callback call, inform the caller, by the VSS server, that estimated queue times are high and offer the caller the callback call during one or more time blocks;
when the callback call offer is declined by the caller, place the call in the first queue;
when the callback call offer is accepted by the caller, receive the callback call and determine whether the callback call is from the caller of the call; and

when it is determined that the callback call is from the caller of the call, place the callback call into the callback queue;
treat the callback queue with higher priority than the first queue.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the memory stores at least one of program logic and agent availability data used by the processor to determine the queue time.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the VSS server and processor is structured to provide preferential routing treatment for the callback call including at least one of placing the callback call into a higher priority queue and placing the callback call into the queue ahead of other calls already in the queue.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer-executable instructions for:
providing a first queue for queuing callers to a call center;
providing a callback queue for callback callers to the call center that is different to the first queue;

determining whether a call from a caller should be transferred from a Voice Self Service (VSS) server to an agent;
when it is determined to transfer the call to the agent, determining whether a callback call should be offered to the caller;
when it is determined to offer the callback call, informing the caller, by the VSS server, that estimated queue times are high and offering the callback call to the caller during one or more time blocks;
when the callback call offer is declined by the caller, placing the call in the first queue;
when the callback call offer is accepted by the caller, receiving the callback call and determining whether the callback call is from the caller of the call; and
when it is determined that the callback call is from the caller of the call, placing the callback call into the callback queue;
treating the callback queue with higher priority than the first queue.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein the instructions determine the queue time based on at least one of program logic and agent availability.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13 , when the caller declines the callback call, the instructions are further for transferring the call to a queue.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein the instructions are further for, when the caller accepts the offer of the callback call, determining the one or more time blocks to which the caller can initiate the callback call to receive higher priority routing.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein the time blocks are determined by at least one of program logic and agent availability.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein the determination of the caller of the callback call is based on at least one of matching Automatic Number Identification (ANI), account information, and one or more Access Point Names (APNs).

19. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising, when it is determined that the callback call is from the caller of the call, informing the caller that the caller is receiving preferential routing treatment.

20. The method according to claim 13 , wherein placing the callback call into the higher priority queue comprises placing the callback call into the higher priority queue ahead of other calls already in the higher priority queue.

Assignees

• West Corp

Inventors

• Blaesi Duane

Classifications

• H04M3/5231 Primary

  with call back arrangements · CPC title

• H04M3/5232 Primary

  Call distribution algorithms · CPC title

• H04M3/5238

  with waiting time or load prediction arrangements · CPC title

• H04M2201/14

  Delay circuits; Timers · CPC title

• H04M2203/2072

  Schedules, e.g. personal calendars · CPC title