Abstract: A computer-implemented method for allocating services among a plurality of service operators where each capable of providing at least one service and each service operator operating a respective computer to receiving at a support server a request for service from at least one computer being operated by a user, generating a questionnaire to be answered by the user operating the at least one computer, selecting at least one service operator based upon the answered questionnaire, and establishing a service session between the at least one computer being operated by the user and the computer being operated by the at least one selected service operator for providing the requested service.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to managing user interactions and, more particularly, to performing analysis on data generated by user interactions. Embodiments of the invention use text mining to extract personal information of users from user interactions automatically. A topic model is used to reduce the number of dimensions required to represent the text, yet all the information of interest is highly pronounced. This enables a lower dimensional representation of the data leading to significantly faster computations.

Abstract: A system and method for aggregating state information in a contact center. Agent-owner nodes aggregate state information for the agents they own, and, upon request from a client-side adapter, provide partial agent-group state information to the client side adapter. The client-side adapter aggregates the partial agent-group state information to form full agent-group state information and provides this full agent-group state information to clients upon request.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed herein for an automated progressive dialer system. The system comprises maintaining a callee database for a calling campaign. A Presence registrar is maintains a list of call center agents, wherein the list comprises the agent's current state, account information and other metrics. An agent progressive dialer (APD) indicates an agent's current state to the Presence registrar and maintains an agent's open line to connect with a connected outbound call to a callee. One or more callees are selected to call based upon the agent's current state. Outbound calls are placed to the selected callee using a callee progressive dialer (CPD). Upon successfully connecting a call to a callee, the Presence registrar provides an available agent with an open line to receive the call. The CPD then bridges the successfully connected callee outbound call with the available agent's open line on the APD.

Abstract: In an example, a method for implementing a disclosure message requirement may include operations to detect a condition requiring an output of the disclosure message and to control output of the disclosure message, in a communication session that follows a process workflow. The process workflow may be modified to include pausing further actions in the process workflow, outputting of the disclosure message in the communication session, and then resuming actions in the process workflow in response to successfully outputting the entire disclosure message to a customer user. In some examples, the communication session involves a telephone call session between a customer service agent and a customer. In some examples, user interface functions related to the process workflow are disabled and then enabled, to prevent the agent from proceeding in the process workflow for a product or service until the disclosure has been successfully output.

Abstract: A communication system comprising at least one electric appliance (2, 17, 18, 19, 20) and a server (1, 21). The appliance (2, 17, 18, 19, 20) is linked to the server (1, 21), relevant data of the appliance (2, 17, 18, 19, 20) is reproduced in the server (1, 21) and the latter can be connected to a call center (5) via the Internet. When a request is made, the call center can access the server (1, 21) or the appliance (2, 17, 18, 19, 20) and the desired appliance (2, 17, 18, 19, 20) function or status can be achieved by the remote action of the center.

Abstract: A first call control server transmits line information of a line to be used by a terminal device calls of which are controlled by the first call control server to a second call control server when congestion is detected. The first call control server receives the line information to be used in call control from the second call control server, and establishes a connection with the terminal device using the received line information. The second call control server receives the line information from the first call control server, and receives a call control request for the terminal device, the call control request being addressed to the first call control server. The second call control server responds to the first call control server with the received line information, when the call control request is received.

Abstract: A method and system to contact a provider are described. The system may include a communication module to detect a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call to a seller; a suitable representative associated with the seller; a decision module to determine, utilizing the detected VoIP call to the seller; and a call routing module to route the VoIP call to the suitable representative.

Abstract: System and method to improve self-service operation in a contact center, the method including: monitoring progress of a self-service customer support session for a customer of the contact center; monitoring surplus status of agents in the contact center; determining a system state related to the customer by use of the monitored progress and the monitored surplus status; setting an indicator signal to a first state if the system state is in an agent-support domain, otherwise setting the indicator signal to a second state if the system state is in an self-support domain; and assigning the customer to an agent-supported session if the indicator signal is in the first state.

Abstract: Described are embodiments for providing real time feedback during communication between a customer and a contact center agent to allow a bad customer experience to be mitigated. Embodiments include a system that can identify and mitigate issues that may arise during the communication between the customer and the customer agent including a customer agent's performance, escalation to a supervisor, materials shared with the customer, wait time experience and/or other aspects of the communication. The feedback is provided while the customer and agent are still communicating. The feedback is linked to the specific session and agent. If an issue is identified, steps are taken to mitigate the issue.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, are described for providing unified communication services for communication sessions between client devices. A plurality of globally-distributed computing device clusters are coupled to each other over a communication network. Each cluster is configured to receive, from a client device, a transaction request associated with a communication session, including a presence event. Each cluster comprises a SIP server configured to process the transaction request, an event queue configured to extract the presence event from the transaction request for storage in the event queue, and a session state handler configured to retrieve the presence event from the event queue and notify an XMPP server of the presence event. The SIP server, XMPP server, and session state handler each stores and retrieves data associated with the communication session in a database shard at the cluster. The shards of each cluster collectively comprise a single logical database.

Abstract: A system and method for executing query plans preprocesses a user's queries to identify and extract select parameters of the query, creates a skeletal query with reference to the extracted parameters, creates and compiles an executable version of the skeletal query, then executes the compiled version of the skeletal query using the particular parameters in the current query. The compiled version of the parameterized skeletal query is stored, and when another query is submitted that matches the skeletal query (but with potentially different parameters), the previously compiled skeleton query is executed with the parameters of this latter query.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for analyzing conversations between customers and call center agents in real-time. An agent may be located at an agent station having a display screen. A continuous audio feed of the conversation between a customer and an agent may be received. For every second that the customer is speaking, a customer emotion score may be calculated in real-time. A frequency at which calculated customer emotion scores equal or exceed an emotion score threshold during a specified time interval may be calculated in real-time during the conversation. The calculated frequency for the customer may be compared, in real-time, to a plurality of specified frequency thresholds. A visual representation corresponding to a highest of the plurality of specified frequency thresholds that is equaled or exceeded by the calculated frequency for the customer may be displayed in real-time on the display screen of the agent station.

Abstract: A service level controlling system for a contact center is provided. The service level controlling system includes a monitoring module for monitoring predetermined operation statistics, such as call traffic, in the contact center. The service level controlling system further includes a publishing module for publishing pre-configured solutions to each of agents in the contact center based upon at least one of the monitored predetermined operation statistics falling outside a predetermined range. The service level controlling system further includes a controlling module for automatically bringing the at least one of the monitored predetermined operation statistics within the predetermined range based upon execution of the pre-configured solutions selected by the agents.

Abstract: A method, a system, and computer readable medium comprising instructions for real time adjustment for better caller experience are provided. The method comprises obtaining caller experience of a call flow, notifying a service provider of the caller experience, receiving at least one corrective action from the service provider, and implementing the at least one corrective action for better caller experience.

Abstract: A system and method for determining customer hold times is provided. A database of caller profiles is maintained. A call from a caller is received into a call center and assigned to an agent. A delay during which the caller is to be placed on hold is identified. A hold time for the delay is determined based on a length of a hold queue, a level of busyness of the agent and the caller profile associated with the caller.

Abstract: Methods and systems for data recording for customer-agent interactions are described. The described system may include a Desktop Data Recording Client (“DDRC”), which is an application or other module installed on an agent's computing system or device that collects and records various data types from a computer desktop and telephone during a phone or electronic interaction with a third party, such as a customer. The DDRC can be configured to stop and restart data collection and recording of sensitive data for security purposes to ensure that this type of data is not stored or retrievable. The specific data types that may be collected and recorded include: voice recording, computing device screen capture, desktop data collection at a summary and/or detailed level and in call-based on continuous modes, and recording start/stop indications.

Abstract: An automatic ambient environmental detection and lockout system that recognizes unacceptable background noise for agents and a method that requires agents and/or supervisors to take corrective action on detected noise issues prior to work assignment facilitates an effective and efficient environment appropriate for agents to handle contact center work.

Abstract: A method, a system and computer readable storage media facilitate establishing a plurality of simultaneously occurring communication sessions between call agent devices and customer devices at a call center communication system. Each communication session is monitored to determine a priority score associated with each communication session, where each priority score provides an indication of a potential problem associated with the corresponding communication session. An indication of the priority score associated with each communication session is provided to a supervisor device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for determining most effective call parameters for a representative-customer interaction for a representative working to recover payment in arrears. Embodiments of the invention retrieve call history data and date of payment data; correlate the call history data and the payment data; determine success information based on the correlation of call history data and payment data; and present the success information to the representative for improving likelihood of future success. Other embodiments retrieve call history data and determine best time and/or channel for contacting the customer in order to achieve customer contact.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring deployment states of a contact center. A processor migrates a state of the contact center from a first deployment state to a second deployment state. The processor records the steps in migrating from the first deployment state to the second deployment state, and stores the recorded steps in association with metadata describing the second deployment state. The processor monitors health of the second state, and takes an action for moving the state of the contact center to a healthy state in response to determining that the second deployment state is unhealthy. The migrating may be based on detecting a condition relating to operation of the contact center. The processor dynamically adjusts at least one hardware or software resource for the contact center based on the detected condition for migrating the state of the contact center from the first to the second deployment state.

Abstract: A contact center system can receive messages from consumers. The system can then interact with the consumer or customer using a dialog. Before conducting the session with the consumer, past interactions using the dialog are reviewed to determine words, phrases, and other information that caused the dialog to be successful. The information is stored as norms. Upon beginning a new interaction with the dialog, the norms and the past successful dialogs are retrieved and compared to the active dialog while the interaction is on-going. The comparison is then used to ensure that the present active dialog will lead to a successful outcome or to resolve any issued if the outcome is not likely to be successful.

Abstract: Methods and systems for supporting the monitoring and control of an automatic call distribution system are provided. In particular, a ranked list of candidate agents that can be assigned to handle contacts for a selected queue associated with an automatic call distribution system is presented to a supervisor. The supervisor can make agent assignments from the ranked list at the discretion of the supervisor. The assignment or reassignment can be effected by the supervisor through control inputs entered through the user interface. These control inputs can include reconfiguring agent and/or queue attributes. In addition, assignments can be effected through communications to agents made by the supervisor that are initiated through the user interface.

Abstract: A method and system for indicating in real time that an interaction is associated with a problem or issue, comprising: receiving a segment of an interaction in which a representative of the organization participates; extracting a feature from the segment; extracting a global feature associated with the interaction; aggregating the feature and the global feature; and classifying the segment or the interaction in association with the problem or issue by applying a model to the feature and the global feature. The method and system may also use features extracted from earlier segments within the interaction. The method and system can also evaluate the model based on features extracted from training interactions and manual tagging assigned to the interactions or segments thereof.

Abstract: A method of optimizing and managing processes for responding to requests (such as claims for benefits, or insurance applications) includes creating a process definition, performing an optimization of a resource employed for the process, and developing recommendations for process design or execution based on the simulation and optimization. In some cases, the resource being optimized is staffing. In some cases, the requests relate to acquisition of health insurance or governmental program services (for example, health insurance exchanges, benefit eligibility, Medicaid enrollment). The optimization may be non-deterministic and consider uncertainty factors. In some cases, a staffing level is estimated based on the optimization.

Abstract: A terminal and a method for prompting service failure in the video telephone service are disclosed, and the terminal comprises a processing module, a storing module and a setting module which are connected orderly. Said terminal sets and stores the corresponding relationship between different failure prompt information and prompting modes according to the user's command, and when the terminal receives a video telephone call request and the called user performs the failure prompting operation, the terminal generates a call failure prompt message according to the preset failure prompt information and the prompting mode corresponding to said failure prompt information and sends it to the calling user. After the calling user terminal receives said call failure prompt message, it analyzes and acquires the failure prompt information and the corresponding prompting mode, and displays and/or plays the failure prompt information to the calling user according to the prompting mode.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring deployment states of a contact center. A processor migrates a state of the contact center from a first deployment state to a second deployment state. The processor records the steps in migrating from the first deployment state to the second deployment state, and stores the recorded steps in association with metadata describing the second deployment state. The processor monitors health of the second state, and takes an action for moving the state of the contact center to a healthy state in response to determining that the second deployment state is unhealthy. The migrating may be based on detecting a condition relating to operation of the contact center. The processor dynamically adjusts at least one hardware or software resource for the contact center based on the detected condition for migrating the state of the contact center from the first to the second deployment state.

Abstract: A method, a system, and computer readable medium comprising instructions for intelligent network-based voice and data recording are provided. A recording of a call from a caller to an agent is initiated. The recording of the call is stored in a voice server. Analysis on voice and data of the recording is performed. A supervisor of the agent is notified of a result of the analysis.

Abstract: A contact center is provided that includes a plurality of agents for servicing incoming contacts and an event manager that is operable to monitor various administrative changes made within the contact center, determine if those changes had a positive or negative effect on the contact center performance (either locally or globally), and reverse the change if it is determined that the change resulted in negative effect on the contact center.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for customer contact management via voice, chat, e-mail and social network contacts includes a balanced service process (BSP) that includes a plurality of cause or response codes for maximizing first contact resolution (FCR) and CSAT. The BSP is incorporated within a contact center (single center, multiple centers and/or work at home), which receives voice calls, SMS messages, email, chat, or social media communications from customers. The BSP in real-time determines dispositions of such contacts, monitors and manages the performance of individual resolvers.

Abstract: A system, method, and device for forming contextualized competitions in a work environment are disclosed. The system includes a performance metric computation component which computes performance metrics, a visualization component which generates a visual interface for display to a supervisor, and a processor which implements the components. The method includes receiving information related to a set of agents operating in a work environment. A first aggregated value for a first performance metric and a second aggregated value for a second performance metric are computed. The first and second values are visualized, and a predicted effect on the second performance metric when the first performance metric is altered is visualized. The device serves as a decision-making support tool including a plurality of control mechanisms for altering at least one performance metric and displaying the predicted effect on another.

Abstract: An operator evaluation support device includes a speech recording unit that records speech times of a customer and an operator during a telephone call; a display recording unit that records a display time of a screen on an operator terminal, with screen identification information; a content recording unit that records screen content information with the screen identification information; a providing unit that creates call information indicating the speech times, the display time, and the screen content information, and sends the call information and voice files of speeches of the customer and the operator to an administrator terminal; and a determining unit that receives, from the administrator terminal, a selection of the speech, and when the selected speech is included in a predetermined time from a switching timing of the screen, the determining unit determines, as play speeches, the selected speech and another speech included in the predetermined time.

Abstract: A communications system for general business environments that exploits knowledge of user state to provide advantages of efficiency and control for individual users and for the business. The communications system also provides particular advantages in environments where users have multiple communication devices and for communications of a business with external parties. In other aspects, the communication system provides features of application flexibility and system fault-tolerance with broad applicability to communication systems. The communication system includes a controller that receives requests for establishing communications when a user is in an appropriate state to receive communications and communicates state of the user to other users.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a robust customer service environment employing “Key Performance Indicators” (KPIs), which represent both customer interaction experiences and also the overall efficacy of agent performance on an interaction-by-interaction basis. A KPI can be any metric for measuring a category of information related to a call center interaction, e.g., customer satisfaction or agent ability/performance. Input from customer experiences is catalogued and linked to one or more KPIs. Key performance indicators are associated with a key performance indicator template, which is linked with a project comprising routing rules, triggers, and specific actions that are driven as a result of the key performance indicator template. The project may be a phone/IVR project, Web CallBack project, email project, or a Chat project. Execution of the key performance indicator template triggers pre-, during, and/or post-call, -chat, -CallBack, or -email input from a call center user.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer readable medium for feedback of survey results comprises a data center, a call center, and a survey platform communicably coupled to the data center and to the call center, wherein the data center receives a communication initiated by an individual, wherein the communication is routed to the survey platform after an event, wherein data related to at least one of: the individual and the communication is collected, wherein the individual is prompted for participation in a survey, if the individual agrees to participate in the survey, the data is routed to the call center, based on the data and information related to the individual, the individual is routed to an agent within a call center, wherein the agent conducts a survey, and wherein results of the survey are dynamically provided to quality control database.

Abstract: An event logging and analysis system and method are disclosed. The event logging and analysis system are described as being configured to analyze decisions made by a work assignment engine in a contact center, map the decisions to one or more events for a contact center entity, and storing information about the event in a buffer associated with the contact center entity, the information stored in the buffer describing how the new decision affected the contact center entity.

Abstract: An agent presence application for monitoring target agent resources and rendering agent states to subscribing applications is provided. The presence application has at least one first portion for collecting data regarding states of activity of the target agent resources, and at least one second portion for integrating the data and rendering the agent states to the subscribing applications.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing estimated wait times are provided. More particularly, an estimated wait time is calculated based at least in part on agent availability information entered by the agent. The agent availability information may be obtained from the agent through a user interface provided by a contact center communication device. The user interface may include soft keys. In addition, the estimated wait time can be provided to client communication devices.

Abstract: A method and system for aggregating and reporting data from a plurality of data sources in a contact center is provided. The method includes: maintaining by a computer device the data for a sliding interval including a plurality of panes, the data including an ongoing component for ongoing events and a completed component for completed events; updating by the computer device the data for the sliding interval based on updates for the sliding interval received from one or more of the data sources; and reporting by the computer device an aggregation of the ongoing and completed components of the data sources for the sliding interval to a client in accordance with an expiring of one of the panes. The system includes a processor and a non-transitory physical medium. The medium has instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to execute the method.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for updating customer service agent skillset definitions within a customer relationship management system. According to one embodiment, updating a skillset definition for an agent in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can comprise defining an initial skillset for the agent including indications of areas of expertise for which the agent is available to handle related customer requests. A request can be received from the agent to update the initial skillset definition to indicate a new area of expertise for which the agent wishes to be considered qualified. A determination can be made as to whether the agent is qualified for the new area of expertise. In response to determining the agent is qualified, the skillset for the agent can be updated to indicate the agent is qualified to begin handling customer requests related to the new area of expertise.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods for determining an adaptive threshold, including specifying a variable, where the variable comprises a real-time state of a contact center; specifying a threshold, where the threshold is related to the variable; monitoring the variable; and adjusting the threshold in relation to a change in the variable.

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 method and apparatus for displaying a list of information items, which are selected depending on whether each information item contains certain information. An information display method displays a list having at least one information item. When a user command is input, the at least one information item is classified into shown-information items and hidden-information items according to a display rule. The list is modified in response to the user command to show only the shown-information items.

Abstract: Aspects are directed towards methods including creating multiple states from at least two call center data sources; and combining at least two of the multiple states to obtain a data model, where the data model comprises an attribute related to the call center, and methods including collecting a set of call data from multiple sources, where the multiple sources comprise a management module source and at least one source not controlled by the management module, and analyzing the set of call data.

Abstract: A contact center is provided that includes a plurality of agents for servicing incoming contacts and an evolutionary routing mechanism that is capable of dynamically testing and analyzing the performance/skills of each agent. As the evolutionary routing mechanism detects that the skills of the agent have sufficiently changed, the evolutionary routing mechanism may cause the skills of that agent to be updated, thereby altering the routing algorithm.

Abstract: An information managing system for managing contact center information is disclosed. The information managing system includes a plurality of receivers for receiving information from at least one data collector. The information managing system further includes a plurality of databases for storing the information received from the at least one data collector. The information managing system further includes a report generator comprising a user interface for receiving a plurality of search queries from a plurality of users. The information managing system further includes a database interface layer for performing one or more lookups on the plurality of databases based on the plurality of search queries received from the plurality of users, wherein results of the one or more lookups are displayed on the user interface of the report generator.

Abstract: A history management apparatus includes: an acquisition part that acquires a fragment data set indicating an action of a switchboard to a call, and an execution time of the action; a history generation part that generates a historical data set indicating a history of response states of an agent to one call, from a plurality of fragment data sets acquired; an extraction part that extracts a historical data set satisfying predetermined conditions, respectively, among the historical data sets; an image generation part that generates data of a display image displaying information specifying a call corresponding to the historical data set extracted, along with information indicating the predetermined conditions; and a display control part that causes the display image to be displayed on a display unit.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and visualizing contact center routing strategies via a graphical user interface. The graphical user interface displays a routing diagram depicting a contact center routing strategy. The routing diagram includes a plurality of blocks each associated with logic for managing an interaction with the contact center. A processor monitors contact center performance as interactions with the contact center are managed according to the routing strategy. The processor identifies one of the plurality of blocks affected by the contact center performance, and further identifies a threshold associated with the identified block. The processor determines whether the contact center performance satisfies the threshold, and modifies a visual appearance of the identified block based on the determination.

Abstract: To check the status of an agent assigned to a call center in which geographic areas are respectively associated with geographic area identifiers (IdZ) communication terminals (TC) are respectively associated with geographic areas, a mobile terminal (TM) in possession of a monitor capable of moving within geographic areas determines the geographic area's identifier within which an agent is located. The mobile terminal transmits a request comprising the geographic area's identifier to the data management server in order to retrieve from a lookup table an identifier (IdA) of the agent associated with the geographic area's identifier, and transmits a request comprising the agent's identifier (IdA) to the call center's server (SCA) in order to retrieve from a lookup table the identifier of the agent's status data (DonA) associated with the agent's identifier (IdA), then provides the agent's status to the monitor through graphical display based on the agent's retrieved status data (DonA).

Abstract: A call center system optimizing rules enforced over interactions with customers, including: an infrastructure including a module for handling interactions with customers, and hardware for at least maintaining the communication with said customers; management rules comprising one or more rule parameters, enforcing interaction behavior during all interactions with customers; and an adaptive, self learning module, for: monitoring interactions with customers; upon completion of each interaction, recording a corresponding set of full interaction details, which includes rule parameters that were enforced during said interaction, and those additional interaction parameters that are specific to that interaction; and using an adaptive engine, periodically analyzing said sets of recorded full interaction details, and producing one or more modified rules having modified rule, parameters, and enforcing said modified rules over future interactions with customers.