Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methods for facilitating communication between a customer at a retail store and a specialized agent at a remote location. The customer uses an in-store smart client kiosk to initiate a communication session with the agent. The agent can instruct the smart client kiosk to display information relevant to the customer's questions. In embodiments, the messages are XML messages transmitted between the agent's device and the smart client kiosk. The XML information contains information to retrieve content, rather than the content itself, which allows the communication to take place over a small bandwidth connection. Communication takes place in an environment that does not require co-browsing, which allows the agent to analyze large amounts of information but send only helpful information to the client.

Abstract: An approach for automated skills assessment over a network is provided herein. Test subjects request an evaluation session via a phone call, email exchange, instant message exchange, or facsimile transmission. An information capture system facilitates the evaluation session forwarding prompts to the test subject and forwarding responses to a processing system. Upon completion, the responses are stored along with the prompts and assigned a unique identifier. Assessors including humans and computer applications access the network through a data transfer system and receive the stored evaluation session. Assessments for each evaluation session are stored by the processing system for subsequent delivery to subscribers.

Abstract: Call center management with at home agent access based on caller language is provided herein. Calls from customers of a client are received at an interactive voice recognition (IVR) system, which determines a language of the caller by detecting the language or language selection by keypad entry. The IVR system determines an available at home agent with the proper language skills and forwards the call to be processed by the at home agent. The at home agents can call the call center to set their status. Information associated with the call may be collected and used by associated system(s) such as quality control, status monitoring, financial processing, and the like.

Abstract: An approach for over the phone interpretation call management is provided herein. Calls from customers of a client are received at an interactive voice recognition (IVR) system, which determines a language of the caller by detecting the language or language selection by keypad entry. The IVR system forwards the call along with a modified ANI number to a Call Management Center (CMC), which determines an appropriate agent to handle the call based on the client information and the modified ANI number. The call is then forwarded to the agent and a screen corresponding to the call is activated in a call service application for the agent. Additional applications such as quality monitoring are concurrently executed with the call processing.

Abstract: In embodiments, the present invention is directed to methods of handling calls received from customers. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a call from a customer who called a promotional telephone number. The phone call is connected to an IVR system. The IVR system maintains a set of rules for handling calls. The method further includes creating a call detail record, which includes a unique identifier, a source telephone number, and the promotional telephone number. A customized greeting is then played to the customer based on the promotional telephone number the customer dialed. Based on the rules for handling calls, the call is redirected from the IVR system to an agent along with transmitting and displaying the call detail record to the agent.