Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for establishing a communication connection between a client of a website and an agent of the website. The method includes the steps of downloading a webpage from the website to the client, such webpage including an embedded agent access applet and a communication system port identifier of the agent, the communication port identifier of the agent being different than a communication port identifier of the web site, activating the agent access applet within the downloaded webpage and forming a communication connection between the client and the communication system port of the agent based upon operation of the activated applet.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for distributing customer contacts to a transaction processing entity of a transaction processing system. The method includes predicting a time for assignment of a customer contact to a transaction processing entity in the transaction processing system. In an alternative embodiment, the method also includes finding a transaction processing entity that is available to process the customer contact and routing the customer contact to the found transaction processing entity. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that may allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for prompting an agent of an automatic contact distributor during a customer service contact with a client. The method includes the steps of detecting a state of the customer service contact with the client via operation of a terminal of the agent; selecting a set of possible responses for use by the agent from a plurality of sets of possible responses that are appropriate to the detected state of the customer service contact and visually prompting the agent with the selected set of possible responses.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing a call with a client detected by a call center to an agent of the call center. The method includes the step of providing a call object for the call, collecting attributes of the call within the call object, associating an agent object with the call object and displaying client data to an agent of the call center based upon a view process of the associated agent object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for accepting a call by an automatic call distributor and for automatic call handling of the call. The apparatus for automatic call handling has: a call receiving system that outputs at least one voice signal; a text voice converter having an input for the at least one voice signal, the text voice converter converting the voice signal to a text stream and providing the text stream on an output thereof; an emotion detector having an input for the at least one voice signal, the emotion detector detecting at least one emotional state in the voice signal and producing at least one tag indicator indicative thereof on an output of the emotion detector; and a scripting engine having inputs for the text stream and the at least one tag indicator, the scripting engine providing on an output thereof at least one response based on the text stream and on the at least one tag indicator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for allocating resources within a call center based upon a predetermined business rule of an enterprise controlling the call center. The method includes the steps of analyzing records from a plurality of call transactions based upon the predetermined business rule, recognizing a correlation among the call transaction records based upon the predetermined business rule and adjusting a resource of the call transactions based upon the recognized correlation and predetermined business rule.

Abstract: A method and system for routing incoming calls from callers to agents associated with an automatic call distribution system, where the incoming calls are based on non-voice dialog communication, the method includes the steps of: identifying a plurality of transaction-handling skills representative of skills possessed by the agents in handling the non-voice dialog communication, calculating a skill level possessed by each agent for at least some of the plurality of transaction-handling skills, forming an agent profile for each agent corresponding to the calculated skill levels, assigning a weight to each calculated skill level for each agent, identifying agents who are available to handle the incoming call, selecting an available agent based on the weighted calculated skill levels, and transferring the incoming call to the selected agent.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining and tracking the locations of agents using wireless units to process calls directed through an automatic call distribution system. Based on signals with different cells or based on independent navigation information, locations of wireless units can be monitored and stored for later analysis. In addition, location information can be compared to an agent location schedule to determine adherence and provide adherence reports.

Abstract: A system and method for providing informative communications while a connection is being established between two communications devices, such as computers or facsimile machines. The method includes suppressing audio tones that are sent between the modems and presenting information to a user of the communications device while the connection is being established. The information includes advertisements, music, movie clips, news headlines, sports scores, stock quotes, weather, time of day, calendar reminders, horoscopes, and inspirational sayings. Such information is more informative to the user than the traditional audio tones utilized by the modems and therefore are suppressed in an embodiment of the current invention.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing calls in a call processing center provided for support of enterprise activities of an organization. The method includes the steps of receiving a query about the enterprise activities of the organization from a caller through the call center, translating the query into voice extensible mark-up language, forming an answer to the translated query within an artificial intelligence engine and providing the determined answer to the caller.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for reducing deviations between worked hours of an agent and a schedule of hours for the agent. The method includes the steps of determining a metric comparing a work status of the agent during a time period with a scheduled status of the schedule of hours and comparing the metric with an agent call assignment threshold and when the agent call assignment threshold exceeds the determined metric, preferentially assigning calls to other agents.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing calls in a transaction processing system using a plurality of transaction processing entities. The method includes the steps of determining an average profit generated by each entity of the plurality of entities for previously processed calls and assigning an entity of the plurality of entities with a highest relative profit to each new processed call.

Abstract: A transaction processing system includes at least one agent computer, where each agent computer has a processor, an agent display device, and a memory storage subsystem. The processor is operatively coupled to the agent display device and to the memory storage subsystem, and a virtual reality (VR) processor is operatively coupled to the processor. Also included is a VR agent interface configured to provide a common transaction-based VR environment between the agent and the caller to permit a transaction to be initiated and completed in the common VR environment.

Abstract: The method and apparatus improves call transactions in a communication system having an automatic call distribution system. A personality profile of each agent of a plurality of agents in the system is determined. A respective personality profile is one of a plurality of predetermined personality profile types. The determined personality profile type for respective agents are stored as personality profile records in a database. A personality profile of a caller is then determined, the personality profile of the caller being one of the plurality of personality profile types. A priority hierarchy is provided for matching a personality profile types of the caller to personality profile types of the agents. The personality profile type of the caller is then compared to the personality profile type of the agents according to this priority hierarchy. An agent is selected from the plurality of agents based on the comparison of the personality profile types.

Abstract: Systems and methods of predicting transaction outcomes based on monitoring customer and agent interactions in a customer contact center including monitoring a customer and agent interaction for current attributes and analyzing the current attributes and an attribute history to determine an outcome probability for the interaction. The outcome probability is indicated to the agent and the current attributes and the outcome probability are stored in the attribute history. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Abstract: The method and apparatus improve transactions in a communication system, such as a communication system having an automatic call distributor. In one embodiment, an assessment is performed in substantially real time of respective stress levels of at least one of a caller and an agent in a call transaction. A third party is engaged in the transaction when at least one of the stress levels of the caller and the agent exceeds a threshold. This third party may include, for example, a virtual party or an automated input source. The third party may engage in the background of the transaction or in the foreground of the transaction, thus communicating either only with the agent or with both the caller and the agent, respectively.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for accepting a call by an automatic call distributor and for automatic call handling of the call. The apparatus for automatic call handling has: a call receiving system that outputs at least one voice signal; a text voice converter having an input for the at least one voice signal, the text voice converter converting the voice signal to a text stream and providing the text stream on an output thereof; an emotion detector having an input for the at least one voice signal, the emotion detector detecting at least one emotional state in the voice signal and producing at least one tag indicator indicative thereof on an output of the emotion detector; and a scripting engine having inputs for the text stream and the at least one tag indicator, the scripting engine providing on an output thereof at least one response based on the text stream and on the at least one tag indicator.

Abstract: The method and apparatus teach agents in a communication system, such as an automatic call distribution system. In a first step of one embodiment of the method, a previously stored call transaction having a plurality of dialog portions and decision points is provided to the agent. The call transaction is replayed, and at least one decision of the respective decision point in the call transaction is simulated. This simulation is different than an original decision at the respective decision point in the call transaction. The results are evaluated and presented to the agent. In one embodiment at least one decision is a best practice decision. Also, the method further may overlay preferred paths of a call transaction based on stored best practice call transactions. The apparatus implements the method for replaying call transactions.

Abstract: A novel method and apparatus which in one embodiment provides for prioritizing and presenting calls routed from callers through a communication network to an agent station having an associated agent, where the calls are based on voice-dialog communication and/or text-dialog communication. The method includes the steps of receiving a call from the communication network, determining a contact evaluation parameter associated with the call, and applying one or more selected business rules to the contact evaluation parameter to generate a priority value corresponding to the call. The call is assigned the priority value and is routed to a selected agent station. The call is displayed with an indication of its assigned priority value so that the agent may service the calls in priority order.

Abstract: A media handler is used in a transaction processing system, where the system is configured to route incoming calls from callers to agents associated with the transaction processing system, and the incoming calls are based on voice-mode communication and text-mode communication. The media handler includes a media translator operatively incorporated into the transaction processing system and configured to facilitate translation between the voice-mode communication and the text-mode communication. An agent preference setting is selectable by the agent between a voice-mode and a text-mode. Also included is a speech recognition unit configured to convert the voice-mode communication to the text-mode communication and a speech synthesizer configured to convert the text-mode communication to the voice-mode communication.