Abstract: Configuration parameters are defined for indicating when and how a call handled by a call handler is to be streamed to a speech analytics system (“SAS”). The parameters may indicate when a call is to be streamed by identifying certain campaigns or agents in which calls associated therewith are to be streamed to the SAS. The parameters may also identify how the streaming is to occur, namely via a single audio stream, a mixed audio stream, or dual audio streams. When using dual audio streams, a stream for the agent audio is established separately from a stream for the remote party audio. In addition, procedures are indicated for determining whether licenses are available for interfacing with the SAS. The number of licenses used for a call depends on whether the configuration parameters indicate one or two streams are to be established.

Abstract: A call center compliance system is used to ensure that agents adhere to call center policies and applicable regulations when handling calls. A call handler processing a call between an agent and a remote party bridges on a speech analytics component. A keyword set is used by the speech analytics component to analyze the remote party's or the agent's speech. If a keyword is detected, an event notification is provided from the speech analytics component to the call handler. A logic script executing in the call handler defines what actions are to occur in response to receiving the event notification. The call handler can provide information to the agent, record a violation, or await further event notifications. In one embodiment, detection of a first keyword in a first keyword set spoken by a remote party causes the agent's speech to be monitored using a second keyword set.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for pacing outbound communications that generate inbound communications. A number of outbound communications is set to be sent during a first time period and a number of inbound communications expected to be received as a result of sending the outbound communications is determined based on historical data along with a second time period during which the inbound communications are expected to be received. Accordingly, a present capacity is determined during the first time period with respect to one or more resources that are to be used during the second time period to handle the number of inbound communications expected to be received. A determination is made as to whether the present capacity is at an acceptable level and if so, then the outbound communications are sent.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for generating a roster template used in scheduling agent resources to conduct a campaign involving sending outbound communications using a first channel of communication to generate inbound communications using a second channel of communication. Specifically, a forecast is generated establishing a success rate for generating an inbound communication using the second channel of communication as a result of sending an outbound communication using the first channel of communication and an average response time to receive the inbound communication. Further, the forecast identifies a number of inbound communications predicted to be received for the campaign.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for predicting an outcome for an event of interest associated with a contact center communication. That is to say, various embodiments of the invention involve predicting an outcome for an event of interest associated with a party involved in a contact center communication based on characteristics and content of the communication conducted with the party by utilizing one or more classifier models.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for generating a roster template used in scheduling agent resources to conduct a campaign involving sending outbound communications using a first channel of communication to generate inbound communications using a second channel of communication. Specifically, a forecast is generated establishing a success rate for generating an inbound communication using the second channel of communication as a result of sending an outbound communication using the first channel of communication and an average response time to receive the inbound communication. Further, the forecast identifies a number of inbound communications predicted to be received for the campaign.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for pacing outbound communications that generate inbound communications. A number of outbound communications is set to be sent during a first time period and a number of inbound communications expected to be received as a result of sending the outbound communications is determined based on historical data along with a second time period during which the inbound communications are expected to be received. Accordingly, a present capacity is determined during the first time period with respect to one or more resources that are to be used during the second time period to handle the number of inbound communications expected to be received. A determination is made as to whether the present capacity is at an acceptable level and if so, then the outbound communications are sent.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for predicting an outcome for an event of interest associated with a contact center communication. That is to say, various embodiments of the invention involve predicting an outcome for an event of interest associated with a party involved in a contact center communication based on characteristics and content of the communication conducted with the party by utilizing one or more classifier models.

Abstract: A call center compliance system is used to ensure that agents adhere to call center policies and applicable regulations when handling calls. A call handler processing a call between an agent and a remote party bridges on a speech analytics component. A keyword set is used by the speech analytics component to analyze the remote party's or the agent's speech. If a keyword is detected, an event notification is provided from the speech analytics component to the call handler. A logic script executing in the call handler defines what actions are to occur in response to receiving the event notification. The call handler can provide information to the agent, record a violation, or await further event notifications. In one embodiment, detection of a first keyword in a first keyword set spoken by a remote party causes the agent's speech to be monitored using a second keyword set.

Abstract: Configuration parameters are defined for indicating when and how a call handled by a call handler is to be streamed to a speech analytics system (“SAS”). The parameters may indicate when a call is to be streamed by identifying certain campaigns or agents in which calls associated therewith are to be streamed to the SAS. The parameters may also identify how the streaming is to occur, namely via a single audio stream, a mixed audio stream, or dual audio streams. When using dual audio streams, a stream for the agent audio is established separately from a stream for the remote party audio. In addition, procedures are indicated for determining whether a license is available for interfacing with the SAS. The number of licenses used for a call depends on whether the configuration parameters indicate one or two streams are to be established.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for handling an audio path failure and/or non-conformant QoS for a call between a contact center agent and remote party. Specifically, an audio path is established to a first telephony device being used by the agent and a call is bridged onto the audio path so that audio can be streamed back-and-forth between the first telephony device and a second telephony device being used by the party. Accordingly, various embodiments of the invention involve monitoring the audio path to detect an audio path failure and/or non-conformant QoS for the audio and bridging the call onto a second audio path when a failure or non-conformant QoS is detected so that the call is not disconnected from the second telephony device and a third device (e.g., IVR) can stream audio over the second audio path to the second telephony device.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for setting up a callback for a party placed on hold. In particular embodiments, speech analytics is used to listen in on a party once the party has been placed on hold for a keyword spoken by the party indicating the party would like to receive a callback. In response to detecting the keyword spoken by the party, a notification is sent to a component such as an IVR and in turn, the IVR interacts with the party to obtain information from the party with respect to placing a callback to the party. Accordingly, this information is recorded so that a callback can be placed to the party at a later time by some type of call handler component such as, for example, a dialer or PBX.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for generating a roster template used in scheduling agent resources to conduct a campaign involving sending outbound communications using a first channel of communication to generate inbound communications using a second channel of communication. Specifically, a forecast is generated establishing a success rate for generating an inbound communication using the second channel of communication as a result of sending an outbound communication using the first channel of communication and an average response time to receive the inbound communication. Further, the forecast identifies a number of inbound communications predicted to be received for the campaign.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for setting up a callback for a party placed on hold. In particular embodiments, speech analytics is used to listen in on a party once the party has been placed on hold for a keyword spoken by the party indicating the party would like to receive a callback. In response to detecting the keyword spoken by the party, a notification is sent to a component such as an IVR and in turn, the IVR interacts with the party to obtain information from the party with respect to placing a callback to the party. Accordingly, this information is recorded so that a callback can be placed to the party at a later time by some type of call handler component such as, for example, a dialer or PBX.

Abstract: Telemarketing calls may originate from a call center based on processing a telephone number record which includes a telephone number. The telephone number record may also include other information pertaining to the telephone number, including whether it is a wireline or wireless number. Further information may indicate whether the solicitation call is being originated on behalf of a wireless carrier serving the wireless subscriber associated with the telephone number. The call center may use location information associated with the wireless number to ascertain a location of the wireless subscriber and to then ascertain a time zone of the wireless subscriber, so as to originate the telemarketing call within the appropriate regulatory calling time window. A dialer may originate calls for an agent using a list of wireline numbers and then using a list of wireless numbers.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for determining whether a local time for a first party is within a calling window of time for originating a communication by a second party to a mobile device of the first party. For particular embodiments, information about the mobile device is retrieved by a computer-program application residing on the device. Depending on the embodiment, this information may comprise contact preferences, a current time of a location where the mobile device is located, a geo-location of the device, and/or a time zone for the location where the device is located. In various embodiments, once the information has been retrieved, at least a portion of the information is sent to the second party to be used to determine whether the local time for the first party is within the calling window for originating the communication to the mobile device.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for determining whether a local time for a first party is within a calling window of time for placing a telephone call by a second party to a mobile device of the first party. For particular embodiments, information about the mobile device is retrieved by a computer-program application residing on the device. Depending on the embodiment, this information may comprise a current time of a location where the mobile device is located, a geo-location of the device, and/or a time zone for the location where the device is located. In various embodiments, once the information has been retrieved, at least a portion of the information is sent to the second party to be used to determine whether the local time for the first party is within the calling window for placing the telephone call to the mobile device.

Abstract: A call center compliance system is used to ensure that agents adhere to call center policies and applicable regulations when handling calls. A call handler processing a call between an agent and a remote party bridges on a speech analytics component. A keyword set is used by the speech analytics component to analyze the remote party's or the agent's speech. If a keyword is detected, an event notification is provided from the speech analytics component to the call handler. A logic script executing in the call handler defines what actions are to occur in response to receiving the event notification. The call handler can provide information to the agent, record a violation, or await further event notifications. In one embodiment, detection of a first keyword in a first keyword set spoken by a remote party causes the agent's speech to be monitored using a second keyword set.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for setting up a callback for a party placed on hold. In particular embodiments, speech analytics is used to listen in on a party once the party has been placed on hold for a keyword spoken by the party indicating the party would like to receive a callback. In response to detecting the keyword spoken by the party, a notification is sent to a component such as an IVR and in turn, the IVR interacts with the party to obtain information from the party with respect to placing a callback to the party. Accordingly, this information is recorded so that a callback can be placed to the party at a later time by some type of call handler component such as, for example, a dialer or PBX.

Abstract: A location determination rule is applied by a dialer when processing a telephone number of a target party in record from a dialing list. The location determination rule indicates how a geo-location of the target party is to be ascertained, so that the time zone of the target party is ascertained. Once the time zone is known, then a local time of the target party is ascertained, and a determination can be made whether a call can be originated to the target party within a prescribed calling window. The calling window indicates the beginning and ending times, local to the target party, when calls can be attempted to the target party. In one embodiment, the location determination rule can be defined for each record in the dialing list or for all records in the dialing list.