Abstract: A user may provide electronic consent to a contact center authorizing the origination of a subsequent call by transmitting a text call in the form of a short message service to the contact center. The contact center receives the electronic consent, stores the electronic consent in an electronic consent database, where the electronic consent is associated with the telephone number of a mobile device used by the user to provide the electronic consent. The contact center may then retrieve the electronic consent prior to originating another call to the individual, and may further update the electronic consent based on requests from the individual to withdraw consent. In some embodiments, the electronic consent may be generated by the mobile device in response to the user reading a two-dimensional code using the mobile device using an appropriate mobile application.

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: A speech analytics system (“SAS”) monitors speech from a remote party and agent to determine when text-based guidance information (“TBGI”) and a script control icon is to be provided to the agent. The agent may respond to a particular context with certain information, either by verbally informing the remote party or causing a prerecorded script to be played to the remote party. In one embodiment, the SAS monitors the agent's speech to ascertain if an expected speech response is provided by the agent within a first time period. If not, the SAS may cause another TBGI and script control icon to be presented to the agent, and again monitor the agent's speech to ascertain if an expected speech response is provided by the agent within a second time period. If the agent again fails to respond properly, then data may be written indicating a compliance failure.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for identifying an occurrence during a conversation being conducted between a first party and a second party where sensitive information is conveyed by the first party or the second party. In particular embodiments, speech analytics is used to monitor audio of the conversation and a first speech characteristic is detected indicating a start event identifying a start of an occurrence where sensitive information is conveyed by the first party or the second party. Following the detection of first speech characteristic, a second speech characteristic is detected in the audio indicating an end event identifying an end of the occurrence. Accordingly, identifiers for the start and end events are then recorded in various embodiments as metadata along with a recording of the audio of the conversation to identify where in the recording the occurrence takes place.

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: A contact center dialing a telephone number to a destination party, such as a debtor, may discover that the number is obsolete, e.g., the number has been reassigned to a new subscriber. A purportedly current number may be obtained for the debtor, which may be a wireless number. Until the new number has been confirmed as being associated with the debtor, an agent manually dials that number to minimize liability to the contact center. Once the agent has verbally confirmed the new number is associated with the debtor, a record for this number in a dialing list is updated allowing future dialing attempts to occur automatically, by using a predictive dialer. In one embodiment, a dialing list module processes the dialing list so as to reflect when a number is obsolete and update the corresponding record when the new number is confirmed.

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 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: A contact center dialing a telephone number to a destination party, such as a debtor, may discover that the number is obsolete, e.g., the number has been reassigned to a new subscriber. A purportedly current number may be obtained for the debtor, which may be a wireless number. Until the new number has been confirmed as being associated with the debtor, an agent manually dials that number to minimize liability to the contact center. Once the agent has verbally confirmed the new number is associated with the debtor, a record for this number in a dialing list is updated allowing future dialing attempts to occur automatically, by using a predictive dialer. In one embodiment, a dialing list module processes the dialing list so as to reflect when a number is obsolete and update the corresponding record when the new number is confirmed.

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 maintains various pools of telephone numbers, where each telephone number pool comprises a plurality of telephone numbers in a geographic area. A call originating to a called number uses a calling telephone number that is selected from one of a plurality of telephone number pools based on the area designated by the called number. An index value is used to select the telephone number from the selected telephone number pool. The selected telephone number is used to as a calling telephone number when originating a call to the called party.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for determining a pattern for communications conducted between agents at a contact center and contact parties. In particular embodiments, the pattern is based on a utilization of one or more information resources by the agents during the communications. Depending on the embodiment, the communications may comprise one or more of telephone calls, text messages, emails, and Web chats. In addition, in various embodiments, a particular information resource from among the one or more information resources is identified based on the pattern and is associated with a keyphrase found in at least two of the communications. Accordingly, as a result of the association, the particular information resource is made available to at least one agent at the contact center during a time the agent is fielding a subsequent communication in which the keyphrase is detected.

Abstract: Electronic consent for telemarketing calls can be obtained by soliciting consent from an individual using two-dimensional barcodes, such as quick response (“QR”) codes. The QR code can be printed on an advertisement and read by a smart phone. The reading of the QR code causes communication to be originated from the individual's smart phone for the purpose of requesting the individual to be contacted for a particular purpose. The communication can be construed by the enterprise as providing electronic consent for the enterprise to contact the individual with a subsequent telemarketing call. The sender's telephone number and other relevant information can be stored in an electronic consent database used to ensure compliance with appropriate marketing regulations.

Abstract: In various embodiments, advertising campaigns can be defined that incorporate technologies such as two-dimensional bar codes 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 bar code 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: Various methods, systems, and computer-program products are provided for indicating a message characteristic indicator (“MCI”) in conjunction with a stored voice message. In various applications where voice messages may be received, a speech analytics system processes the voice message to ascertain a non-semantic speech-related characterization of the message. An indication of a corresponding MCI, such as an emoticon, is associated with the stored message, which can be used to display the corresponding MCI on a user interface. In one embodiment, the stored voice message is a voice mail message received in conjunction with a call to a wireless user. A voice mail storage system utilizes a speech analytics system to process the voice data and ascertain the non-semantic speech-related characterization of the message and a message is sent to the subscriber's mobile phone indicating the appropriate MCI to display in conjunction with the meta-data of the voice mail message.

Abstract: A speech analytics system (“SAS”) monitors speech from a remote party and agent to determine when text-based guidance information (“TBGI”) and a script control icon is to be provided to the agent. The agent may respond to a particular context with certain information, either by verbally informing the remote party or causing a prerecorded script to be played to the remote party. In one embodiment, the SAS monitors the agent's speech to ascertain if an expected speech response is provided by the agent within a first time period. If not, the SAS may cause another TBGI and script control icon to be presented to the agent, and again monitor the agent's speech to ascertain if an expected speech response is provided by the agent within a second time period. If the agent again fails to respond properly, then data may be written indicating a compliance failure.

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: 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: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for providing a plurality of speech analytics engines in a speech analytics module for detecting semantic and non-semantic speech characteristics in the audio of a call involving an agent in a contact center and a remote party. The speech analytics module generates event notification messages reporting the detected semantic and non-semantic speech characteristics and these messages are sent to an event handler module that forwards the messages to one or more application specific modules. In turn, the application specific modules provide functionality based on the semantic and non-semantic speech characteristics detected during the call such as, for example, causing information to be presented on the screen of a computer used by the agent during the call.