Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for routing inbound communications at call centers in order to enhance customer experience and call center agent efficiency. In order to effectively route communications, customer service call types and one or more agent performance rates responding to said customer service calls are analyzed in order to determine which one or more call center agents should be routed which specific customer service call type. Additionally, tools are disclosed for analyzing call center agent performance rates and assigning call center agents to service specific customer service call types.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods concerning call routing are disclosed. In an example embodiment, a call alert message, indicative of the call answer options, is communicated from the VoIP server to the communication device, determined in response to receiving an incoming VoIP call for a communication device at a VoIP server. A selected option is received from the communication device. In response to the selected option indicating the first call answer option, the call is routed to the communication device as a VoIP call via a data network. In response to the selected option indicating the second call answer option, the call is routed to the communication device via a PSTN.

Abstract: An electronic computing device establishes a communication session between a lender of a loan and a recipient of the loan. A debt owed to the lender by the recipient is tracked. Upon an initial communication between the lender and the recipient, a debt reminder is displayed on a display screen of the electronic computing device. The debt reminder provides a reminder to the lender that the debt is owed to the lender by the recipient.

Abstract: An example approach for navigation is provided with an apparatus comprising: a navigation processor configured to generate at least one navigation command; and an audio processor configured to determine at least one directional audio parameter so as to provide a direction, the at least one directional audio parameter being based on the navigation command and further configured to process at least one audio signal based on the at least one directional audio parameter such that a virtual sound image of a navigation routing is generated based on the processed at least one audio signal.

Abstract: Embodiments provide a method for providing a call center supplemental workflow tool, including: receiving from a database a workflow decisional matrix, a plurality of questions, and a plurality of scripts; displaying a web-based graphical user interface on a display providing at least one question or one script; receiving user input; determining, at least another question or at least another script, to be displayed, wherein determining is based upon the user input and the decisional matrix and advances the workflow; based upon the decisional matrix, determining that the workflow has been completed; providing an output of the questions displayed and the user input received; and the output being provided to a primary software application. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Abstract: A method for allocating resources to modules of a contact center includes: receiving a first interaction in a first state; determining a first load of a first module of the contact center to be low; in response to determining that the first load is low, routing the first interaction to the first module of the contact center, the first module transitioning the first interaction from the first state to a second state; receiving a second interaction in the first state; determining a second load on the first module of the contact center to be high; and in response to determining that the second load is high, routing the second interaction to a second module configured to transition the second interaction from the first state to the second state, the second module having different resource requirements than the first module.

Abstract: Provided are a call deflection and response system and method, wherein a voice call from a caller device is received, a skill group is determined to resolve an issue associated with the call, and a callback or a text response to the issue is provided to the caller device, providing a context-based personalized response. A caller leaves a detailed voicemail explaining an issue needing resolution, which is electronically transcribed and then run through a classifier to determine concepts and intents associated with the call. Based on the concepts and intents, responsibility for the call and associated files are transferred to a particular skill group on a response system for resolution. A response entity from the appropriate skill group determines and provides an issue response via callback or text message to the caller device, e.g., to the caller's mobile phone.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes receiving a trigger operation indication that content has been selected by a user device, and determining whether the content offers a recurring audio content data. The operation may also include retrieving a first audio content and transmitting the first audio content to the user device.

Abstract: A communications handler receiving incoming communications determines an appropriate contact center agent to receive the communication and modifies a graphical user interface (“GUI”) to notify the agent of the incoming communication. A plurality of communication session indicators provide status information for various communication sessions, and allow the agent to select one of several simultaneous communication sessions, which in turn alters the GUI to present information about that selected communication session. By selecting the corresponding communication session identifier, the agent can replace information for one communication session with another. The communication session indicators are updated to reflect the corresponding status of the communication session. The communication sessions include voice and non-voice channel types, wherein the non-voice channel types may include chat sessions, text sessions, and email sessions.

Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing telephone solicitation prevention using enhanced voice over Internet protocol (“VoIP”) functionalities in conjunction with STIR/SHAKEN protocols. In various embodiments, in response to receiving a call setup message or a call request from a calling party, a call server might send a verification request to a secure telephone identity (“STI”) verification server (“VS”). The STI-VS might verify and send the call setup message to a no solicitation application server, which might instruct a media server to connect to a first gateway device and to play a no solicitation message requesting a response from the calling party, and which might verify whether the response is an appropriate response. If so, a call is established. If not, the call might be disconnected and/or forwarded to a voicemail server to play a voicemail message to the calling party in accordance with preferences of the called party.

Abstract: A computer system routes contact center interactions. Interactions between contact center agents and contact center queries that are received at a contact center are monitored. A ranking model is trained according to the categories of the contact center queries and the interaction scores of each handled query using machine learning. The ranking model is tested according to various metrics to ensure that the ranking model ranks the agents according to one or more selected business outcomes. A net score may be determined for each contact center agent for each query category based on a predicted interaction score and one or more non-interaction features. Incoming queries may then be routed to an appropriate contact center agent based on the category of the incoming query. Embodiments may further include a method and program product for routing contact center interactions in substantially the same manner described above.

Abstract: A system capable of connecting a device to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) using an adapter. During a telephone call using the PSTN, the adapter may receive an incoming call from the PSTN and send caller identification to remote server(s). The remote server(s) may determine an identity of a first user currently on the telephone call and determine that the incoming call is directed to a second user. Based on the caller identification, the remote server(s) may send a notification to the second user indicating the incoming call. Alternatively, the remote server(s) may interrupt the current telephone call to announce the incoming call. For example, if a parent is on the telephone when an incoming call for a child is received, the remote server(s) may send a text message to the child without interrupting the current telephone call.

Abstract: A system for managing a conference call, the system comprising a call answering server configured to receive a call from an attendee device that has been forwarded from a host device, identify a conference call associated with the host device for the attendee device to join, receive a request from the attendee device to join the conference call, and connect the attendee device to the conference call.

Abstract: The method and system may provide a seamless handoff of user information from a drugstore to a call agent. When a customer communicates with a drugstore device regarding a drugstore-related inquiry, the drugstore device attempts to identify an answer to the drugstore-related inquiry. When the drugstore device does not identify an answer to the drugstore-related inquiry, the drugstore device initiates communication between the customer and a contact center. A transcribed version of the communication may be stored in a database accessible by the contact center along with additional user information for the customer related to the customer's experiences with the drugstore. The user information may be provided to a call agent's contact center device for display and in this manner, the call agent may be made aware of the communication to avoid asking repeat questions and to quickly and efficiently answer the customer's drugstore-related inquiry.

Abstract: An electronic device measures noise variability of background noise present in a sampled audio signal, and determines whether the measured noise variability is higher than a high threshold value or lower than a low threshold value. If the noise variability is determined to be higher than the high threshold value, the device categorizes the background noise as having a high degree of variability. If the noise variability is determined to be lower than the low threshold value, the device categorizes the background noise as having a low degree of variability. The high and low threshold values are between a high boundary point and a low boundary point. The high boundary point is based on an analysis of files including noises that exhibit a high degree of variability, and the low boundary point is based on an analysis of files including noises that exhibit a low degree of variability.

Abstract: A method of authenticating a service agent on behalf of a user, the method performed at a server and including: obtaining a unique identifier associated with a first communication session established over a first communication channel; storing the unique identifier in a data store; receiving, via a second communication channel, a validation request comprising verification information associated with the user; attempting authentication of the service agent by comparing the verification information with the unique identifier, and in response outputting a validation response via the second communication channel. If the verification information corresponds with the unique identifier, the validation response indicates successful authentication of the service agent, and if the verification information does not correspond with the at least one unique identifier, the validation response indicates unsuccessful authentication of the service agent.

Abstract: Disclosed in some examples are methods, systems, machine-readable media, and devices to provide a personalized experience, by making user data available to a skill in a personal assistant service. In an example, a third-party skill such as an automated bot may obtain user data (such as user profile and contextual information at runtime) to personalize and adjust an interaction to the user. Operations to implement the techniques may include: providing a data interface of the personal assistant service to expose user data maintained by the personal assistant service, based on user data privacy settings and third-party skill permissions; receiving a request from the third-party skill, via the data interface, to obtain the user data to in connection with performing some action of the third-party skill; and providing the user data to the third-party skill in response to the request, based on the permission settings and the privacy settings.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for changing an interaction taking place between an agent and a party from a first channel of communication to a second channel of communication. A communication assembly comprising the interaction is linked to a first communication session currently being held between the agent and party using the first channel of communication. A second communication session to be held between the agent and party using the second channel of communication at a future time is reserved and linked to the communication assembly. The first communication session is then terminated and at the future time, a communication involving the party and using the second channel of communication is established. Accordingly, the communication is linked with the second communication session and routed to the agent so that the agent can interact with the party over the second channel of communication.

Abstract: Systems and methods for limiting volume in an audio playback device using a feedback controller are disclosed herein. In one example, a gain stage modulates gain of an audio signal based in part on feedback from a downstream limiter. The gain stage receives a first audio signal as well as a feedback signal from the feedback controller. Based at least in part on the feedback signal from the feedback controller, the gain stage modulates a gain of the first audio signal to provide a second audio signal. The second audio signal is delivered to the limiter, which limits the second audio signal to produce an output signal. The output signal is played back via a transducer. The feedback controller receives a gain reduction value from the limiter and determines a feedback signal to provide to the gain stage upstream of the limiter.

Abstract: Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for enhancing a customer service process. Aspects include receiving customer data associated with a customer and creating a customer profile based on the customer data. Aspects also include obtaining customer service representative data comprising a customer service profile for each of a plurality of customer service representatives and determining a matching subset of the plurality of customer service representatives for the customer based upon the customer profile and the customer service representative data. Next, aspects include displaying, to the customer, the matching subset of the plurality of customer services representatives for the customer. Aspects also include selecting a first customer service representative from the matching subset of the plurality of customer service representatives for the customer based on a customer input.