Abstract: A system and method for providing agent guidance is provided. Speech communicated by a user to an agent is monitored during a call within a call center. Traits of the user are identified during the call based on the speech of the user. A determination is made as to how likely the user is to accept an offer provided by the agent based on the user traits. The user is classified as belonging to one of a plurality of stages of persuasion based on the likelihood determination, and guidance is provided to the agent based on classification of the user in at least one of the classes. The offer is provided to the user based on the guidance.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for correlating activity within a user interface with special information is provided. A user interface with data entry fields is provided. One or more of the data entry fields is designated for special information. A first screen shot of the user interface is captured, and a second screen shot of the user interface is captured at a later time. The first and second screen shots are compared. A change comprising at least a portion of an entry within one of the data entry fields for special information in the second screen shot is identified between the first and second screen shots. The entry is rendered unintelligible.

Abstract: A system and method for automated call center operation facilitating agent-caller communication are provided. Multiple call sessions with users are simultaneously provided for an agent on a display. One of the call sessions is identified as active and the agent is allowed to communicate with the user of that call session. Speech utterances for each of the remaining call sessions are received from the user participating in that call session. Each received speech utterance is transcribed and displayed with the associated call session while the agent is communicating with the user of the active call. During the call sessions, text messages are received from one or more of the user of the active call and at least one of the users of the remaining call sessions. The text messages are displayed with the associated call sessions while the agent is communicating with the user of the active call session.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for determining call status is provided. A call from a caller to a recipient is identified and an identity of the caller is determined. A determination is made as to whether a security certificate of the caller is available. A status of the call is determined based on one of a presence and an absence of the security certificate. The identity of the caller is provided to the recipient. A type of notification for the call status is determined based on a type of the call status and the notification is delivered with the caller identity.

Abstract: A system and method for identifying special information is provided. Endpoints are defined within a voice recording. One or more of the endpoints are identified within the voice recording and the voice recording is partitioned into segments based on the identified endpoints. Elements of text are identified by applying speech recognition to each of the segments and a list of prompt list candidates are applied to the text elements. The segments with text elements that match one or more prompt list candidates are identified. Portions of the voice recording following the prompt list candidates that include special information are identified and the special information is rendered unintelligible within the voice recording.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for delivering group messages is provided. Users that are signed-on to and signed-off from one or more discussion groups are tracked. A voice message is received from one of the users signed-on to one of the discussion groups. A list of users associated with the discussion group is obtained and a sublist of signed-on users including those users from the list that are signed-on to the discussion group is built. The voice message is provided to the signed-on users of the discussion group and a copy of the voice message is stored for later access by the users in the discussion group that are signed-off.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for transcription error reduction is provided. A transcribed value is assigned to each utterance obtained from a user during a call and a confidence score is assigned to each transcribed value. An accuracy threshold is applied to the confidence scores and the transcribed values that satisfy the accuracy threshold are incorporated in a message. A grouping is generated for at least one of the utterances associated with one such transcribed value that fails to satisfy the accuracy threshold. The grouping includes the at least one utterance and related utterances from other calls. Further transcribed values for at least a portion of the utterances in the grouping are received from human transcribers. The remaining utterances in the grouping are provided to the human transcribers when the further transcribed values differ. The further transcribed value for the at least one utterance is incorporated in the message.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring customer satisfaction in an ongoing call center interaction is provided. Information about a signal indicating customer dissatisfaction is provided to one or more customers of a call center prior to a start of interactions between one or more agents of the call center and the one or more customers. The interactions are began, including connecting one of the customers to one of the agents by call center after the information is provided. The interactions are monitored for a receipt of the signal from the customer. An action is taken by the call center upon a receipt of the signal.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for facilitating appointments within a call center is provided. A list of agents within a call center is received from a user. Each agent is associated with a call queue and handles incoming customer calls to the call queue. An availability of each of the agents on the list is determined. One of the agents is selected as a most available agent. The user is provided with records for the most available agent and is automatically connected with the most available agent.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for determining a status of a call connection is provided. Metadata associated with a party to a call is obtained upon commencement of the call. An identification of the party and whether a security certificate is present is determined from the metadata. A status of unsecure is assigned to a connection of the call when the security certificate is not present. The call connection status is provided to another party to the call via a mobile device and a selection is received from the other party via the mobile device, in response to the call connection status provided.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for identifying call recordings for retention is provided. A call is received into a call center and assigned to one of an agent and an interactive voice response device. A recording of the assigned call is generated. A set of call retention criteria is maintained and each of the retention criteria is associated with one or more time periods during which the criteria can be applied to the call recording. A portion of the criteria in the set is identified based on a time at which the criteria is to be applied to the call recording. The identified criteria is applied to the call recording and the call recording is stored when the applied criteria are satisfied.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for processing caller responses is provided. Scripts each including at least one block of dialog are stored. Information is received from a caller during a call with an agent. A selection of a least one of the scripts is received from the agent based on the received information from the caller. The selected script is presented to the caller. A response is received from the caller. A direction of the call is changed. A further selection of one of the scripts is received from the agent based on the response from the caller. The further selected script is presented to the caller.

Abstract: A system and method for processing call data is provided. A call between a user and an agent is monitored. A selected script having a dialog grammar is received. The selected script is executed by converting at least a portion of the script into synthesized speech utterances and providing the synthesized speech utterances to the user. Speech utterances are received from the user in reply to each of the synthesized speech utterances from the script. Each received speech utterance is converted to text as a user message and a form is populated with the user messages. The user speech utterances and the form with the user messages are provided to the agent.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for group message delivery is provided. A voice message is received from a user associated with a personal communication device. An identification code for a discussion group to which the voice message is directed is obtained from the voice message. The voice message is added to a queue associated with the discussion group and a list of members associated with the discussion group is obtained. A sublist of personal communication devices associated with those members that are signed in to the discussion group is built. The voice message is transmitted to the personal communication devices on the sublist when the voice message reaches a top of the queue.

Abstract: A system and method for providing ongoing call center call assistance with the aid of a digital computer is provided. A call is received from a caller by an automatic call distributor in a call center and the caller is connected by the automatic call distributor to an agent of the call center. The agent's speech during the call is monitored by an intervention processor included in the call center. The intervention processor determines speech characteristics of the agent during the call, obtains predetermined speech characteristics for the agent, compares the predetermined speech characteristics to the speech characteristics determined during the call, and detects the agent being in need of assistance based on the comparison. The automatic call distributor determines a subject matter of the call and the intervention processor identifies an expert whose expertise matches the subject matter. The intervention processor patches the expert into the call.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating agent-caller communication during a call is provided. An incoming call is assigned to an agent and a script selection is received from the agent based on a particular problem identified during the call. The script is provided to a caller participating in the call. Text messages and voice input are received from the caller. The received text messages are directly forwarded to the agent. The voice input is transcribed into written text and provided to the agent. Text messages are received from the agent in response to one or more of the voice input and text messages from the caller. The text messages from the agent are transformed into synthesized speech utterances. A record of the call is generated by compiling the text messages and transcribed written text from the caller and the text messages from the agent.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for transcription error reduction during a live call is provided. Speech utterances are transcribed during a live call. A confidence score is assigned to each transcribed speech utterance. One of the transcribed speech utterances with a low confidence score is identified. An attempt is made to identify a pool of related transcribed speech utterances by monitoring other live calls for a predetermined amount of time. Similar transcribed speech utterances with low confidence scores are identified and a group of the similar transcribed speech utterances and the identified transcribed speech utterance is formed. A determination is made as to whether the group includes a predetermined number of transcribed speech utterances upon termination of the predetermined time. If so, a sample of the transcribed speech utterances in the pool is processed to verify a validity of the transcribed speech utterances.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for detecting events for use in an automated call center environment are provided. A plurality of messages is monitored by a call center. Those messages sharing one or more keywords representative of one or more potential events are identified. The one or more potential events are detected based on the shared keywords. At least one of the potential events is identified as an event based on the number of messages that share the keywords representative of that potential event. Metadata regarding the event is extracted from the messages sharing the keywords representative of the event. A message regarding the event that includes the extracted metadata is generated. The generated message from the call center is provided to at least one user related to the event.

Abstract: A system and method for message-based call communication is provided. Speech utterances are obtained from a caller during a call with an agent. Each of the speech utterances are transcribed into a text message and the text messages are provided to the agent. One or more written responses, in reply to each speech utterance from the caller, are received from the agent. The written responses are converted to synthesized speech for providing to the caller. The speech utterances from the caller and the synthesized speech from the agent are processed and one or more characteristics of the caller and the agent are identified. A role for each of the caller and the agent is determined based on the identified characteristics.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for determining call connection status is provided. A call initiated by a calling party to a receiving party is monitored. Metadata associated with the receiving party is obtained upon reaching a ring tone of the receiving party. An identity of the receiving party is determined via the metadata. A connection with the receiving party is determined to be secure during the call when the metadata comprises a security certificate. A status of the secure connection is provided to each of the calling party and the receiving party.