Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a computer system that facilitates the providing of an answer to a question. During operation, the computer system receives the question from a user, where the question is related to income taxes. Then, the computer system performs content-dependent processing of the question based on a tax-information data structure to produce the answer to the question. Note that the tax-information data structure includes: tax phrases, context information associated with the tax phrases, tax concepts that encompass multiple tax phrases, and/or statistical association metrics between the tax phrases and the tax concepts. Next, the computer system provides the answer to the user.

Abstract: Before routing a question submitted to a question and answer based customer support system to support resources, and before any specific answer data is generated, the submitted question data is analyzed to predict asking user engagement with the question and answer based customer support system after the asking user's question is submitted. In this way, the question itself is analyzed and questions determined to be low engagement probability questions submitted by asking users that have a low probability of further engagement with the question and answer based customer support system are provided to the support resources on a low priority basis and questions determined to be high engagement probability questions submitted by asking users that have a high probability of further engagement with the question and answer based customer support system are provided to the support resources on a high priority basis.

Abstract: Reduction in latency between question submissions and response submissions in a question and answer based customer support system is reduced by facilitating the use of mobile devices by customer support personnel to submit question responses. The answerability of a question from a mobile device is predicted by analyzing the attributes of the question itself before the answer is generated. Questions being entered into the question and answer based customer support system that are conveniently answerable from a mobile device are routed to a mobile question and answer queue that enables mobile device users to review and respond to the mobile device answerable questions. A question is determined to be answerable from a mobile device if a predicted answer to the question has a length that is within a predetermined threshold, so that customer support personnel are not burdened with generating long responses from mobile devices.

Abstract: A method for decoding a natural language user query involves obtaining the user query submitted by a user, segmenting the user query into words, generating a character embedding for each of the words, and generating a word embedding for each of the words. The method further involves obtaining a clickstream from tracked clicks of the user, generating a clickstream embedding from the clickstream, and for each of the words, generating a unified feature representation based on the character embedding and the word embedding for each of the words, and the clickstream embedding. The method also involves decoding the unified feature representations to obtain a decoded user query, and processing the user query using the decoded user query.

Abstract: Disclosed methods and systems provide domain-specific type ahead suggestions for search query terms with a customer self-service system for a tax return preparation system, according to one embodiment. Type ahead suggestions include suggestions for completing a single search query term and/or suggestions for completing a search query having multiple search query terms. The customer self-service system receives one or more search query terms in a search text box, searches for potential search queries that are likely to complete the one or more search query terms, and provides a selected one of the potential search queries in the search text box as a type ahead suggestion, adjacent to the received one or more search query terms, according to one embodiment. The customer self-service system selects one of the potential search queries based on the received search query terms, the user's profile, and/or the user's tax data, according to one embodiment.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for adjusting a ranking of information content of a software application based on feedback from a user. One embodiment presented herein includes a method comprising receiving, at a computing device, an audio stream comprising audio of the user, the audio being indicative of feedback related to information content. The method further comprises analyzing the audio stream for paralinguistic information to determine an attribute of the user. The method further comprises adjusting a ranking of the information content based on at least one of the feedback and additional feedback and the determined attribute of the user.

Abstract: Embodiments presented herein provide techniques for inferring the current emotional state of a user based on paralinguistic features derived from audio input from that user. If the emotional state meets triggering conditions, the system provides the user with a prompt which allows the user to connect with a support agent. If the user accepts, the system selects a support agent for the user based on the predicted emotional state and on attributes of the support agent found in an agent profile. The system can also determine a priority level for the user based on the score and based on a profile of the user and determine where to place the user in a queue for the support agent.

Abstract: Reduction in latency between question submissions and response submissions in a question and answer based customer support system is reduced by facilitating the use of mobile devices by customer support personnel to submit question responses. The answerability of a question from a mobile device is predicted by analyzing the attributes of the question itself before the answer is generated. Questions being entered into the question and answer based customer support system that are conveniently answerable from a mobile device are routed to a mobile question and answer queue that enables mobile device users to review and respond to the mobile device answerable questions. A question is determined to be answerable from a mobile device if a predicted answer to the question has a length that is within a predetermined threshold, so that customer support personnel are not burdened with generating long responses from mobile devices.

Abstract: Disclosed methods and systems determine levels of search sophistication for users of a customer self-help system to personalize a content search user experience provided to the users, to increase a likelihood of users' satisfaction with the search experience. The customer self-help system analyzes submitted search queries and provides an advanced content search user experience to users who are determined to have an advanced level of search sophistication and provides a simplified content search user experience to users who are determined to have a basic or less-experienced level of search sophistication. Providing users with personalized content search user experiences that are based on users' levels of search sophistication allows less-experienced users to feel comfortable searching and allows advanced users to search more quickly or precisely.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for adjusting a ranking of information content presented to a user based on voice-of-customer feedback. In one embodiment, a user may provide feedback on information content presented to the user. Such feedback may be evaluated to identify at least one topic referenced in the received feedback. If an application determines that the at least one topic is related to topics of the information content, the application determines sentiment regarding the information content based on the feedback, and adjusts a ranking of the information content based on the determined sentiment.

Abstract: Disclosed methods and systems provide domain-specific type ahead suggestions for search query terms with a customer self-service system for a tax return preparation system, according to one embodiment. Type ahead suggestions include suggestions for completing a single search query term and/or suggestions for completing a search query having multiple search query terms. The customer self-service system receives one or more search query terms in a search text box, searches for potential search queries that are likely to complete the one or more search query terms, and provides a selected one of the potential search queries in the search text box as a type ahead suggestion, adjacent to the received one or more search query terms, according to one embodiment. The customer self-service system selects one of the potential search queries based on the received search query terms, the user's profile, and/or the user's tax data, according to one embodiment.

Abstract: Embodiments presented herein provide techniques for inferring the current emotional state of a user based on paralinguistic features derived from audio input from that user. If the emotional state meets triggering conditions, the system provides the user with a prompt which allows the user to connect with a support agent. If the user accepts, the system selects a support agent for the user based on the predicted emotional state and on attributes of the support agent found in an agent profile. The system can also determine a priority level for the user based on the score and based on a profile of the user and determine where to place the user in a queue for the support agent.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for selecting a response to a self-support query. One example method generally includes receiving an audio stream query including spoken content from a user recorded by a mobile device and determining a set of paralinguistic features from the spoken content. The method further includes estimating an emotional state of the user based on the set of paralinguistic features and identifying subject matter of the spoken content in the audio stream query. The method further includes determining two or more query responses corresponding to the subject matter to present to the user and transmitting at least one query response to the mobile device.

Abstract: Systems of the present disclosure adjust an interface mode of an application based on paralinguistic features of audio input. The audio input is via a microphone associated with a computing device. A predictive model uses paralinguistic features of the audio input and additional features received from sensors or a user profile to predict an interface mode that a user would currently prefer to use. The interface mode specifies how output is provided and how input is received. The interface mode may also specify which elements of a graphical user interface are displayed, where the elements are placed, and how the elements are sized.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for finding and navigating information in financial management systems. In some implementations, a customer self-service system provides incremental search results that are based on user profile information, customer self-service content, and navigation history of a user within a financial management system. The user profile information may include one or more of an estimated income level of the user, an estimated education level of the user, business financial records of the user, tax return information of the user, or personal financial records of the user. The customer self-service system provides the search results incrementally, thereby allowing the user to receive references to transactions or transaction details in real-time as the user provides search query terms for the customer self-service system.

Abstract: Disclosed methods and systems improve search results by recency boosting customer support content for a customer self-help system associated with one or more financial management systems. The customer self-help system retrieves content relevance from a variety of sources, such as media outlets, taxation agencies and news feeds for the financial management system. The customer self-help system generates content relevance weights from the content relevance data, and applies the content relevance weights to customer support content maintained by the customer self-help system. In response to receiving a search query from a user, the customer self-help system provides relevant portions of customer support content that has been recency boosted (e.g., adjusted by the content relevance weights), to increase the likelihood that the customer support content provided to the user is relevant to the user's search query.

Abstract: A method for decoding a natural language user query involves obtaining the user query submitted by a user, segmenting the user query into words, generating a character embedding for each of the words, and generating a word embedding for each of the words. The method further involves obtaining a clickstream from tracked clicks of the user, generating a clickstream embedding from the clickstream, and for each of the words, generating a unified feature representation based on the character embedding and the word embedding for each of the words, and the clickstream embedding. The method also involves decoding the unified feature representations to obtain a decoded user query, and processing the user query using the decoded user query.

Abstract: Embodiments presented herein provide techniques for inferring the current emotional state of a user based on paralinguistic features derived from audio input from that user. If the emotional state meets triggering conditions, the system provides the user with a prompt which allows the user to connect with a support agent. If the user accepts, the system selects a support agent for the user based on the predicted emotional state and on attributes of the support agent found in an agent profile. The system can also determine a priority level for the user based on the score and based on a profile of the user and determine where to place the user in a queue for the support agent.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for determining application experience of a user based on paralinguistic information determined for the user. One embodiment presented herein includes a computer-implemented method, which includes receiving, at a computing device, one or more audio streams. Each audio stream includes audio from a user interacting with at least one page of an application. The computer-implemented method also includes generating paralinguistic information from at least one of the audio streams. The paralinguistic information characterizes acoustic aspects of the audio stream that are distinct from verbal content of the audio stream.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for dynamically generating a data set representative of search results in response to a query and using the data set to accurately rank search results in response to a domain specific search query. Upon receiving the search query, features of the query and features of each search result are extracted. A relevance ranking may be assigned to each search result based on a comparison of the features of the query and each search result. The relevance ranking of each search result may be adjusted based on metrics related to user interactions. A data set may be created which includes the query, search results, extracted features, and metrics. The data set may be used to train a machine learning model to accurately determine a ranking of search results in response to a subsequent search query.