Abstract: In one implementation, a cloud service server supplements one or more call centers or data centers. The cloud service server receives a customer identification value from a call center, which may include a phone number or an address for the customer. The cloud service server generates a profile request for one or more social networking services for profile information based on the customer identification value and sends the profile information to the call center. The call center returns customer context data from the call center associated with the customer. The cloud service server stores the customer context data and the profile information in associated with the customer identification value.

Abstract: In one implementation, a cloud service server supplements one or more call centers or data centers. The cloud service server receives a customer identification value from a call center, which may include a phone number or an address for the customer. The cloud service server generates a profile request for one or more social networking services for profile information based on the customer identification value and sends the profile information to the call center. The call center returns customer context data from the call center associated with the customer. The cloud service server stores the customer context data and the profile information in associated with the customer identification value.

Abstract: In one implementation, customer service is managed by a contact center. The contact center includes a contact center server and an agent device. The contact center receives a customer service interaction, which may be a phone call, a text, an email, a chat, or a website communication. The contact center server accesses external social media to identify a social media post by a customer. The social media posts contain clues as to the subject matter of the customer service interaction. The social media post may be filtered by the customer names, product identities, and/or the nature of the post. In this way, information derived from the social media post is used to select an appropriate customer service agent to handle the customer interaction.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining a call from a caller, and determining whether to offer a first callback time to the caller. The first callback time is a future time for a contact between the caller and the call center. The method also includes providing the first callback time to the caller, obtaining a response from the caller, and scheduling the contact at the first callback time if the response indicates that the caller desires a contact at the first callback time. Providing the first callback time to the caller includes soliciting the response from the caller which indicates whether the caller desires the contact at the first callback time.

Abstract: In one implementation, customer service is managed by a contact center. The contact center includes a contact center server and an agent device. The contact center receives a customer service interaction, which may be a phone call, a text, an email, a chat, or a website communication. The contact center server accesses external social media to identify a social media post by a customer. The social media posts contain clues as to the subject matter of the customer service interaction. The social media post may be filtered by the customer names, product identities, and/or the nature of the post. In this way, information derived from the social media post is used to select an appropriate customer service agent to handle the customer interaction.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining information relating to an interaction between an agent associated with a contact center and a customer. The information includes an indicator of a satisfaction level of the customer and/or the agent. The method also includes providing at least the indicator to an expertise assessment arrangement and developing a characterization of an expertise of the agent using the expertise assessment arrangement. Developing the characterization of the expertise includes using the indicator.

Abstract: In one implementation, customer service is managed by a contact center. The contact center includes a contact center server and an agent device. The contact center server monitors external social media to identify a social media post by a customer. The social media post may be filtered by the customer names, product identities, and/or the nature of the post. The contact center server accesses a database storing a plurality of agent identities and searches the social media for a reply to the customer's social media post. Replies may be identified using subject line or a reply indicator. The contact center server stores the reply to the social media post.

Abstract: In one implementation, the information available in social networking services is leveraged by a customer service agent. Recent social media posts by customers may be accessed by a call center server either at the time of a customer service request or ahead of time. If the customer has provided any information in the social media posts related to why the customer is calling in, the customer service agent can save valuable time that is usually spent finding the source of the problem. The call center server includes a communication interface operable to receive a customer service request including a customer identity and a controller configured to query at sources of social media postings based on the customer identity. The call center server may transmit the social media postings to a device for displaying the social media postings to the customer service agent.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining a call from a caller, and determining whether to offer a first callback time to the caller. The first callback time is a future time for a contact between the caller and the call center. The method also includes providing the first callback time to the caller, obtaining a response from the caller, and scheduling the contact at the first callback time if the response indicates that the caller desires a contact at the first callback time. Providing the first callback time to the caller includes soliciting the response from the caller which indicates whether the caller desires the contact at the first callback time.