Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for bridging a third party onto a communication such as a telephone call or Web chat that is being conducted between a first party and a second party. Specifically, a contact, such as a telephone number or webpage address, is linked with the communication being conducted between the first and second parties and a text message is sent to the third party that includes the contact. For instance, in particular embodiments, this contact may be embedded in the text message so that the third party can simply select the contact from the text message to initiate being bridged onto the communication. Accordingly, the third party makes use of the contact to be bridged onto the communication so that the third party can converse with the first party and the second party.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for allowing an agent to interact with a party using multiple channels of communication. A notification is received of a communication involving a party that uses a first channel of communication. In response, a first communication session is identified that involves a series of communications between the party and an agent using a second channel of communication different than the first channel of communication. Furthermore, a communication assembly linked with the first communication session is identified that represents an interaction taking place between the agent and the party. Accordingly, a second communication session is begun for the communication and is linked with the assembly. The communication is then routed to the agent so that the agent can interact with the party over the first channel of communication while interacting with the party over the second channel of communication.

Abstract: A communications handler determines an appropriate contact center agent to receive an incoming communication session. Communication session indicators provide status information to the agent, both aurally and visually, for the various communication sessions. The communication sessions include voice and non-voice channel types, wherein the non-voice channel types comprise chat sessions, text sessions, and email sessions. The agent may receive an aural notification indication related to the status of a non-voice communication sessions, as well as a voice communication session. The aural notifications are provided using a whisper bridge, which ensures only the agent hears the aural notification and any remote party connected to a current voice communication session will not hear the aural notification. Provision of an aural notification to the agent allows the agent to focus on other portions of the screen display, and provides flexibility in informing the agent of communication session status changes.

Abstract: A party associated with multiple contact addresses, such as a home, cell, and/or work telephone numbers, is contacted by a dialer using a contact attempt sequence that defines how the various contact addresses are used. A graphical user interface allows a user to create a visual representation of the contact attempt sequence flow for contacting the party, e.g., a template, where logic is defined indicating how and when the various contact addresses are to be used. Thus, in one instance, the dialer may use the template to make multiple attempts to reach the party using first their home number and then their cell phone number, and if such attempts are unsuccessful, then make a further attempt to the reach the party using their work number, wherein attempts to reach the party using the home, cell, and/or work phone numbers may be limited over one or more defined time periods.

Abstract: An architecture and process flow for a system that processes event notifications from a speech analytics system for the purpose of controlling the recording of calls in a contact center for various contexts. Based on the regulatory context of the call, call recording may require requesting and receiving consent from the remote party to record the call. A speech analytics system operating in conjunction with an event handler module and a call recording application specific module can facilitate automatically recording the call and minimize agent intervention. The application specific module may provide icons and text on the agent's display to remind or inform the agent of the context and various conditions. The application specific module may also control various recording equipment.

Abstract: A real-time speech analytics system (“RSTA system”) detects speech during a call involving a contact center agent and a remote party. Upon detecting the speech, an event message is generated by the RTSA system and transmitted to a module, which is configured to generate a topic meta-data record stored in a topic meta-data file. A real-time topic dashboard indication may be presented on a graphical user interface to a user based on analysis of a plurality of topic meta-data records. Selection of the topic dashboard indicator may result in presentation to the user of further text-based information about detection of the speech event for one or more calls. Selection of the further information for a particular call may result in a corresponding portion of recorded audio of that call associated with the speech event to be retrieved using the corresponding topic meta-data record and played to the user.

Abstract: A speech analytics system monitors speech from a remote party and/or agent to determine when a whisper is to be provided to the agent. A whisper is aural information that may assist the agent at certain opportune times. The whisper may be verbal or non-verbal in nature. A whisper bridge is used that allows the whisper to be heard by the agent, but not by the remote party. In one embodiment, the speech analytics system may cause visual-based agent information to be provided to the computer used by the agent, and monitor the agent's speech to ascertain if an expected speech response to the whisper was provided by the agent. If not, the speech analytics system may cause the whisper to be provided to the agent, as a form of reminder.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide a tool for reviewing the content of communications conducted between parties. A communication is analyzed between a first and second party to determine the words present. A set of keywords are developed that represent a subset of the words determined to be present in the communication. Occurrences of the keywords in the communication are mapped to times at which they occur. An interface is provided to a user that displays a representation of the communication comprising an identifier, such as an icon, representing a particular occurrence of a keyword with respect to a timeline. The user can search, locate and review a corresponding portion of audio containing the occurrence of the keyword. This may involve playing the corresponding portion of the audio containing the occurrence of the keyword and/or displaying the corresponding portion of a transcript of the audio portion.

Abstract: A call record processing module retrieves call records from a database associated with accounts to be dialed, either as voice calls or text calls, wherein the called party may have a plurality of postal addresses indicated in the call record. A most restrictive calling window for a dialer by the call record processing module the multiple postal addresses of the account, along with other information in the call record, such as the telephone number. This information is then used to either schedule a time for originating a call or determining whether the call can originate currently. In other embodiments, the determination of the calling window may be modified by other restrictions, such as do not call lists, prior call attempts, state regulations, etc. Once the plurality of potential states are known, various regulations can be consulted for determining whether or when to originate the call.

Abstract: A system is disclosed that assists contact center agents with servicing customer enquiries. A wireless caller with an enquiry calls a contact center and is prompted to leave a voice message and accept a text callback as a response. The voice message is processed by a speech analytics system that extracts certain keywords in the voice message and develops a transcript as well. Upon selecting an available agent to provide the response, the keywords and transcript are presented to the agent along with a draft text response, formulated by the system using the identified keywords. Additional resources may be provided as necessary to the agent, who can also review the original audio recording. Upon reviewing and potentially editing the text response, the agent causes the text to be sent to the wireless caller, which may be sent as an SMS text, or in some other form.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a secure mechanism operates in conjunction with a three-way bridge in a contact center to protect against inadvertent exposure of sensitive information provided during a call. During the call, an agent may bridge on an interactive voice response system (“IVR”) onto the call prompting the party to enter sensitive information, such as a credit card account number, to effect a payment. The information may be provided by the party using dual-tone multiple frequency (“DTMF”) tones or speech. The IVR may provide a confirmatory announcement indicating the sensitive information received. A switch may be controlled by the IVR so that any sensitive information expected from the party or provided by the IVR in a confirmatory announcement is not presented to the agent or to a recording system. In this manner, the IVR suppresses the exposure of sensitive information to the agent and/or a recording system.

Abstract: A command set and associated capabilities are defined for a speech analytics component (“SAC”) in a call center. The speech analytics component is used to monitor speech of an agent and a remote party on a call for the purpose of determining whether the agent is complying with various call center policies or applicable regulations. The command set allows the call handler to instruct the SAC to load a keyword set into memory for future use, apply the keyword set to an indicated call and for an indicated party, to remove use of the keyword set, and to release the keyword set from memory. This allows the SAC to monitor speech as required for a particular context, which is known to the call handler, but not necessarily by the SAC. In this way, efficient use of the SAC processing resource is obtained for various call contexts.

Abstract: An architecture is provided for handling event notifications generated by a speech analytics module (“SAM”) that recognizes keywords present in the audio of a call between an agent in a contact center and a remote party. In one embodiment, an event handler module receives and forwards the event notifications to various application specific modules (“ASMs”). The forwarding process may vary on the content and/or type of event notification received. Each ASM performs the processing for a particular audio context and may generate call instance data that pertains to the audio context and indicates whether the agent complied with various requirements during the call. The call instance data may be stored in a file for evaluating the agent's performance. The ASM may also perform other actions as appropriate, such as providing visual indicators on the agent's computer desktop or notify the agent's supervisor.

Abstract: A contact center dialing a telephone number to a destination party, such as a debtor, may discover that the number is subject to a prohibition of being autodialed. In other embodiments, a number that was subject to the prohibition of being autodialed is now discovered to no longer be subject to such prohibition. Various mechanisms may be defined to indicate how such a prohibition associated with the number may be indicated in a dialing list and how various contact center architectures may be used to process the dialing list. In one embodiment, separate sub-systems are used to dial separate dialing lists based on whether the number is to be manually dialed or dialed using an autodialer. In another embodiment, another architecture is used to process an integrated dialing list to determine whether a number is to be manually dialed or autodialed.

Abstract: In various embodiments, two-dimensional (“2D”) barcodes are used in conjunction with a general purpose reloadable debit card (“GPR card”) to facilitate various user administration and management actions. The 2D barcode allows a user to easily perform various actions without having to enter account information. The actions may be initiated upon reading the 2D barcode, and may include accessing a web site, initiating a voice call, sending a text message, or sending an email message. The communications may include indication of the account number, so that a contact center, upon receiving the communication, can quickly ascertain the purchase transaction history. In addition, a destination address encoded in the 2D barcode may be used to uniquely identify the brand of GPR card and/or type of card within a brand. An originating address associated with the communication may be verified against address information associated with the account number.

Abstract: In various embodiments, advertising campaigns can be defined that incorporate technologies such as two-dimensional barcodes or embedded links in electronic material, for directing a user to communicate with a call center. For instance, in particular embodiments, the reading of a two-dimensional barcode by a user with a smart phone may cause various forms of communication requesting a return communication. The communication from the smart phone may be sent to, and received at, the call center, where a calling campaign associated with an advertising campaign is identified using information associated with the communication. A responding communication may be initiated from the call center to the user.

Abstract: An architecture and process flow for a contact center that receives payments prevents the agent from hearing sensitive financial information during the payment transaction. During a call with a remote party, the agent determines an appropriate time to bridge on a bank card payment processing system to receive and process a payment. Audio of the call to the agent is then interrupted so as to avoid the agent hearing any sensitive financial information provided by the remote party. A speech analytics system (“SAS”) is bridged onto the call and monitors the payment transaction. The SAS provides status indications displayed to the agent so that the agent is able to monitor the progression of the payment transaction without hearing the contents of the call. The SAS determines when the payment transaction has completed and causes the agent audio to be restored.

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: A speech analytics system monitors speech from a remote party and/or agent to determine when a whisper is to be provided to the agent. A whisper is aural information that may assist the agent at certain opportune times. The whisper may be verbal or non-verbal in nature. A whisper bridge is used that allows the whisper to be heard by the agent, but not by the remote party. In one embodiment, the speech analytics system may cause visual-based agent information to be provided to the computer used by the agent, and monitor the agent's speech to ascertain if an expected speech response to the whisper was provided by the agent. If not, the speech analytics system may cause the whisper to be provided to the agent, as a form of reminder.

Abstract: A real-time speech analytics system (“RSTA system”) detects speech during a call involving a contact center agent and a remote party. Upon detecting the speech, an event message is generated by the RTSA system and transmitted to a checkpoint and alert reporting module, which is configured to generate and update a checkpoint widget displayed to the agent. The checkpoint widget provides visual information regarding the status of the checkpoints encountered during the call. Checkpoint widgets may be stored for each call handled by an agent, and subsequently may be requested for display to a supervisor for reviewing of the agent's performance. Upon providing appropriate filter information, the selected widgets associated with the agent are displayed. By selecting a particular checkpoint indicator on a widget, audio from the call associated with that checkpoint is retrieved and streamed to the supervisor, thus allowing auditory review of that portion of the call.