Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for recording media communication. An exemplary method comprises the steps of: receiving an incoming call from a calling phone; routing the incoming call to a called phone in a contact center; transmitting voice communications associated with the incoming call via the calling phone; duplicating the voice communications via the called phone; transmitting the duplicated voice communications via the called phone; and recording the duplicated voice communications.

Abstract: The present solution can include a method for using dialog contracts for contact center interactions. The method can include a step of determining a context that applies to a caller who is communicating with a contact center. A dialog contract can be identified that corresponds to the determined context. The dialog contract can specify requirements for a real-time contact center session. The contact center can transfer the caller to a contact center agent. The real-time communication session can be conducted. A software program, referred to as an agent monitor, can analyze input of the caller and the contact center agent during the communication session and can automatically update a session file as requirements of the dialog contract are satisfied. The session file can be used as a quality measurement of the communication session.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer readable medium for contact center call routing by agent attribute, that comprises, detecting a caller voice attribute, sampling at least one agent voice attribute, storing the at least one agent voice attribute, matching the detected caller voice attribute to the stored voice attribute of the at least one agent, and routing a call based upon the matched agent voice attribute to the detected caller voice attribute.

Abstract: A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code having programming instructions tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium. The programming instructions are operable to receive an audio stream of a communication between a plurality of participants. Additionally, the programming instructions are operable to filter the audio stream of the communication into separate audio streams, one for each of the plurality of participants, wherein each of the separate audio streams contains portions of the communication attributable to a respective participant of the plurality of participants. Furthermore, the programming instructions are operable to output the separate audio streams to a storage system.

Abstract: The problem of an automated telephony system having only a single way to measure a caller's difficulty in processing a transaction when using the system is solved by selecting from multiple thresholds for measuring the caller's difficulty. Having a choice of alternative thresholds to measure the caller's difficulty, referred to as inefficiency thresholds, allows for a more responsive approach to managing an automated telephony system. This choice of inefficiency thresholds overcomes multiple problems of systems only using one inefficiency threshold, such as: (1) transferring a call to a live agent too quickly, (2) transferring a call to a live agent too slowly, and (3) giving a caller a feeling that the automated telephony system is unresponsive to his or her needs. Having multiple inefficiency thresholds allows for a more dynamic response to a diverse audience of callers and serves different needs of a caller during various parts of a call.

Abstract: The present invention is related to improving a conversation quality of calls in a call center setup/environment. The system of the present invention allows monitoring of several live ongoing audio conversations to alert supervisor regarding vulnerable/deviations in the call being handled by a call center agent. The alerts are displayed on the supervisor console by way of providing graphical visual display in order to seek attention of the supervisor. The system also facilitates the supervisor to listen to the live conversation on his desktop by clicking on the visual display.

Abstract: A method includes receiving speech of a call from a caller at a processor of a call routing system. The method includes using the processor to determine a first call destination for the call based on the speech. The method includes using the processor to determine whether the caller is in compliance with at least one business rule related to an account of the caller. The method includes routing the call to the first call destination when the caller is in compliance with the at least one business rule and routing the call to a second call destination when the caller is not in compliance with the at least one business rule.

Abstract: It is possible to efficiently evaluate utterance while ensuring the effectiveness of the result of the evaluation. A selection unit 4 selects recognition data, which is used in agent evaluation from a data storage unit 7, from recognition data generated by a voice recognition unit 6 on the basis of voice data of utterance by applying a selection operation corresponding to evaluation viewpoint information with reference to an evaluation viewpoint management table 2 through an evaluation viewpoint management unit 3. An evaluation unit 5 displays recognition data and plays the voice data by an evaluation viewpoint management unit 3 by applying an output operation corresponding to evaluation viewpoint information with reference to an evaluation viewpoint management table 2.

Abstract: A system and method for balancing call session assignments on an agent console is provided. Incoming call sessions and one or more agent consoles, each managed by an agent, are monitored. An absolute upper limit on a number of the call sessions allowed at each agent console at any given time is assigned. A load of call session assignments is balanced on each agent console. Objective conditions regarding call sessions already assigned to each agent are collected. Subjective conditions regarding the agent's opinion of a current call session are also collected. The objective and subjective conditions are evaluated against the absolute upper limit to determine a load factor. Each incoming call session is assigned to one such agent console based on the load factor.

Abstract: Some general aspects of the invention relate to systems and methods for improving contact center agent performance, for instance, by integrating real-time call monitoring with speech analytics to present agents with information useful to the handling of the current calls. In some implementations, phonetically based speech analysis techniques are applied to process live audio streams to identify key words and/or phrases of relevance, based on which knowledge articles can be selectively presented to agents to drive more efficient business processes.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for automatically prioritizing contacts in a contact handling system for the purpose of monitoring are disclosed. The method can include a plurality of contacts, each contact being associated with a particular agent and a particular customer. The method can include comparing an attribute associated with each contact to a priority factor. The method can include assigning each contact a supervision priority based on the comparison of the attribute of each contact to the priority factor associated with the attribute. The method can include presenting a first contact of the plurality of contacts to a supervisor at a supervisor workstation based on the priority assigned each contact. The method can include displaying a representation of the first contact at a display associated with the supervisor workstation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for recording media communications. An exemplary method is comprised of the following steps: configuring an endpoint recording device for relaying an incoming call to an endpoint component; receiving the incoming call from a communication system; determining whether to relay the incoming call to the endpoint component based on the configurations of the endpoint recording device; responsive to determining that the incoming call is to be relayed, relaying media communications associated with the incoming call to the endpoint component via the endpoint recording device; and recording the relayed media communications at the endpoint component.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for capturing, sharing, annotating, archiving, and reviewing phone calls and related computer video output in a computer document format. The system creates a portable, transferable computer file recording of a phone call & computer video (“phone voice recording,” or “PVD”) that contains attached data to help identify, sort, and archive the file while maintaining the integrity of the file. Another aspect of the invention includes a method of using the system comprising initiating a phone call between two parties; beginning a recording of the call and initiating a PVD for the recording; and terminating the call and creating the PVD for the call. Another aspect of the invention includes a method of accessing a PVD by a user, reviewing and/or modifying the PVD, capturing the modified PVD, and sharing the PVD with another user.

Abstract: A system and method for central recording of telephone calls are provided. The method may include transferring a telephone call from a session border controller (SBC) to a contact center and to a central recording unit, transferring of CTI information from the contact center to the central recording unit, associating the CTI information to the telephone call and determining by the central recording unit whether to record the call.

Abstract: A method is provided for the production of accurate waiting time estimates based on at least one of (i) a queue arrival rate and (ii) estimated queue length. In a first embodiment of the present invention, the waiting time for a caller is determined on the basis of a queue arrival rate. In a second embodiment of the present invention, the waiting time for a caller is determined on the basis of a queue length estimate. The queue length estimate is a prediction of the size of the queue at a given time instant.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring conversations to control telecommunications is provided. In one embodiment, a method for identifying undesirable data within voice communications to control telecommunications, comprising processing voice communications between at least two entities and analyzing the voice communications to determine indicia of undesirable data.

Abstract: A data recording system that includes a plurality of network interface cards that may be employed within a single recording device. Each card may be provided with a plurality of network connecting ports to receive packetized data, such as real-time protocol (RTP) streams. For each RTP packet stream being recorded, the system may note the sequence number for the most recently accepted packet and any packet received with a lower sequence number can be readily discarded. The system then may record payload associated with the RTP streams into an audio file saved on a storage device.

Abstract: According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a monitoring device can be provided that facilitates a supervisor in a contact center to recognize the status of each operator easily, and to recognize an irregularity in operation quickly. For example, a server can be connected to a telephone switchboard and a terminal which can include a display unit that, via a communication line; can receive operational status data indicating an operating status of a telephone from the telephone switchboard, measure an elapsed time after a change in the operational status, read out the configuration data associated and stored beforehand according to the received operational status data, generate display data for displaying an image indicating the operational status and the elapsed time, at a prescribed position on the display unit corresponding to a seating position of the operator, based on the configuration data and the elapsed time, and transmit the data to the terminal.

Abstract: The problem of an automated telephony system having only a single way to measure a caller's difficulty in processing a transaction when using the system is solved by selecting from at least two thresholds for measuring the caller's difficulty. Having a choice of alternative thresholds to measure the caller's difficulty, referred to as inefficiency thresholds, allows for a more responsive approach to managing an automated telephony system. This choice of inefficiency thresholds overcomes multiple problems of systems only using one inefficiency threshold, such as: (1) transferring a call to a live agent to quickly, (2) transferring a call to a live agent to slowly, and (3) giving a caller a feeling that the automated telephony system is unresponsive to his or her needs. Having multiple inefficiency thresholds from which to choose allows for a more dynamic response to a diverse audience of callers and to different needs of a single caller during the various parts of a call.

Abstract: Included are embodiments for recording communications. At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving an invite message relating to a communication between a first communications device and a second communications device, extracting information associated with the communication, and tagging the extracted information from a header, the extracted information being associated with the communication.

Abstract: A semantic contact center management method and system is provided in which the resources of a contact center (including agents and contacts) are represented as resources connected by properties such as skills and shared prior interactions. Contacts are allocated to agents based on the degree of connectedness and the availability of agents, and this provides visual tools to represent the state of the contact center and to enable automated and supervisor intervention.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and reporting automated call-processing performance is disclosed. Initially, performance metrics can be established for normal or acceptable system performance. Performance metrics may be determined for individual components and/or a combination of components in a system, wherein the individual metric may help to provide a performance indicator for the call processing system. The performance metrics can be established by utilizing historical data gathered from past operating characteristics or operating parameters. The performance metric can be calculated from past operating characteristics and could be a statistical distribution or a statistical value. This statistical distribution will often conform to a Gaussian distribution also known as a bell curve. However, acceptable performance limits can be set based on nearly any statistical distribution.

Abstract: In an information/call center where calls are received, requesting information concerning entities, goods and services, directions to a given destination, etc., data is collected in processing such calls. In accordance with the invention, the collected data is analyzed to generate dynamic data to supplement and/or improve the traditional databases, typically searched by an operator for responses to the information requests. In providing a public information assistance service, such dynamic data may concern, e.g., the most popular movies, restaurants, requested categories, etc. In providing a personalized information assistance service, such dynamic data may concern, e.g., previous telephone connections made for a subscriber, the most popular telephone connections requested by a subscriber, etc. In addition, based on the past search behavior, “fuzzy” logic is developed for correlating between search terms.

Abstract: Call center queue management includes a method for calculating an average capability for each of a plurality of agents obtaining all completion data for each agent. The call completion data is used to calculate a historical average for each agent. The historical average is used to calculate an average capability for each agent.

Abstract: A skill-value computing apparatus classifies inquiries into groups of easy and difficult inquiries, and computes a total skill value of an agent by taking into account the difficulty level of each inquiry.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for recording media communications. An exemplary method is comprised of the following steps: configuring an endpoint recording device for relaying an incoming call to an endpoint component; receiving the incoming call from a communication system; determining whether to relay the incoming call to the endpoint component based on the configurations of the endpoint recording device; responsive to determining that the incoming call is to be relayed, relaying media communications associated with the incoming call to the endpoint component via the endpoint recording device; and recording the relayed media communications at the endpoint component.

Abstract: An agent's emotional state is used to assist with determining how to route an incoming communication. The factoring in of emotional state can be combined with other performance metrics that can include, for example, any suitable metric for expressing or describing agent performance or agent skill level. For example, the metrics can include revenue generated, revenue generation rate, profitability, profitability generation rate, number of units sold, rate of unit sales, average duration of the contact, a rating quantifying the agents proficiency in handling a contact, the occurrence of a trouble ticket, agent requests assistance, a no sale situation, customer satisfaction indicators, customer attention, value of collections, time to close a sale, one-and-done, and/or any other metric indicating the customer's relationship with the business.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer-readable media for scheduling outbound agents are provided. A representative system incorporates a user interface and scheduling software that receives scheduling data, at least some of which is provided via the user interface, and generates scheduling constraints. The scheduling data includes historical call connect rates related to time intervals for which a schedule is to be generated and information corresponding to a desired service goal for the schedule. The desired service goal indicates a level of service to be provided by the schedule. The search engine uses the scheduling constraints to generate potential schedules for outbound agents. The push forward discrete modeler analyzes the potential schedules to compute at least one of overstaffing and understaffing with respect to the potential schedules.

Abstract: A method, a system and a computer program product for analyzing customer service quality is disclosed. A plurality of customer call service quality parameters is identified using historical data. The plurality of customer call service quality parameters is quantified and correlated. The customer service quality is analyzed using the plurality of customer call service quality parameters. A repository is generated using the historical data of a plurality of customer calls and a set of pre-defined customer call flow templates. A subset of service quality queries is identified using contextual information of the customer call from the repository of service quality queries. The subset of service quality queries is then interspersed in the customer call. The customer service quality is analyzed using responses to the subset of service quality queries.

Abstract: An exemplary method for training call center agents over a communications network using automatically selected training scenarios comprises the steps of obtaining confirmations of availability of a plurality of call center agents, determining a proctor based on proctor attributes stored in a database, selecting an agent from the plurality of agents, based on agent attributes stored in the database, to be trained by the proctor, automatically determining a training scenario based on the selected agent's attributes, and enabling the proctor and the agent to engage in the training scenario.

Abstract: The system and method establish a communication with a first party. A first emotion is detected during a first step during the communication. Steps in the communication can include: establishing a call, waiting in a queue, talking with an agent, communicating with an IVR system, and the like. A second emotion is detected at a different step in the communication. Alternatively, the first and second emotions are detected in two different but related communications. The detection of the first and/or second emotion determines how to process the communication. Examples of processing a communication can include routing the communication differently, selecting a different script for an agent, selecting a different agent, and the like. In addition, the communication can also be processed differently based on other additional parameters.

Abstract: Communicating a call having a number of dialogs includes initiating a call between a first endpoint and a second endpoint. A first connection for a primary dialog of the call is established according to a feature. The first endpoint determines that the primary dialog has reached a predetermined state, and determines whether the second endpoint is operable to accept the second connection for the secondary dialog. The second connection for the secondary dialog is established if the second endpoint is operable to accept the second connection.

Abstract: A call flow guidance system helps a call center agent navigate the maze of complex call flows that apply to an enormous spectrum of caller issues, and further improves adoption rates and training timelines for the call center agents. Through the system, call center agents easily navigate multiple call flows and view information tailored to improve average handle time (AHT) and first call resolution (FCR). The system provides dynamic content attached to call flows and improve call flow navigation by implementing links that bridge nodes between display sections of a particular call flow and links that cross from one call flow to another.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for recording media communications an exemplary method is comprised of the following steps: receiving instructions at a gateway to record an incoming call; receiving the incoming call from a calling communication device; determining whether to record the incoming call based on the received instructions; routing the incoming call to a called communication device in a customer center; responsive to the determination to record the incoming call, duplicating the media communications via the gateway; transmitting the duplicated media communications associated with the incoming call via the gateway; and recording the duplicated media communications.

Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for detecting emotion using statistics. First, a database is provided. The database has statistics including human associations of voice parameters with emotions. Next, a voice signal is received. At least one feature is extracted from the voice signal. Then the extracted voice feature is compared to the voice parameters in the database. An emotion is selected from the database based on the comparison of the extracted voice feature to the voice parameters and is then output.

Abstract: This apparatus calculates, from the spoken dialogue data between a customer and an operator, the speech length of each speech. Then, it estimates the structure of the spoken dialogue data based on the speech length and specifies a speech-length-characteristic change time point (time) when the speaker who makes longer speeches changes. Then it extracts an information search time point (time) when the operator performs information search from operation log information about operator's operations performed during this conversation and determined both the ending time point of a part-to-elicit from the information search time point and the starting time point of the part-to-elicit from the speech length-characteristic change time point.

Abstract: A system allows an agent to execute an interaction protocol, to create an interaction between the agent and a contact. The agent or a computer dialing system initiates a call to a contact and the agent selectively interleaves responses to the contact with a live voice or with a recorded script. The interleaving of responses to the contact from the human agent and the recorded script approximates seamless transitions. The system includes a script player for outputting scripted voice waveforms over a phone line to a contact and a signal processor configured to provide a normalized signal selected from the output device and the script player.

Abstract: Provided are methods and systems associated with interactive voice response (“IVR”) systems that control the amount of time a user interacts with the system. According to the invention, an IVR system utilizes a timer or series of timers to determine how long a user has been interacting with the IVR system. When threshold events occur, the IVR system will analyze the status of the call and may switch the user to a predefined destination, such as to an operator queue, directly to a live operator, or to another designated navigation point in the IVR navigation structure. In this manner increasing the efficiency of manner in which the IVR system interacts with a caller.

Abstract: A system for call processing is disclosed that includes voice recognition enabled activity code support. The system operates routes a received call to an agent, based on dialed number, other caller provided information, and/or load balancing across agents. The call is then handled by the agent as appropriate. After the call is ended, the system allows the agent to describe the call using voice commands or phrases that result in one or more associated activity codes being electronically recorded in association with the call. The stored activity codes can then be used as the basis for various types of high level functions, such as report generation, customer billing, etc. Voice commands are also recognized relating to agent status. Such agent status commands may, for example, include commands indicating changes in agent status, such as when an agent logs off the system, or when the agent becomes temporarily unavailable to take calls.

Abstract: Call features for an Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system implemented within a packet-based telephone environment are disclosed. Within a packet-based network, data messages are transferred between the ACD system and customer telephone stations while the customer waits for an attendant to become available. These data messages allow the customer to be informed of his/her current status within the priority order and further allows the customer to initiate a number of customer oriented operations. These operations include selecting music to listen to while waiting, requesting to be alerted when an attendant becomes available, and initiating a browser session for accessing data information. Overall, the status reports in combination with the initiating of one or more of the customer oriented operations can make the time spent waiting for an attendant a more productive and pleasant experience for the customer.

Abstract: A call-handling system and its method of operation are disclosed. The call-handling system comprises a communication system and a call center. The communication system receives a call, and in response, transfers a query. The call center receives and processes the query to select a packet address of a call center resource at the call center. The call center transfers a response indicating the selected packet address of the call center resource. The communication system receives the response indicating the selected packet address of the call center resource and transfers the call to the call center in voice packets having the selected packet address of the call center resource. The call center receives the voice packets having the selected packet address of the call center resource and routes the voice packets to the call center resource based on the selected packet address.

Abstract: A system and method for handling a call from a caller to a call center includes an automatic call distributor (ACD) to receive the call and to route the call to an agent. A module operates to compute a rate of speech of the caller, and a display graphically displays the rate of speech of the caller to the agent during the call session. 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. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Abstract: An outbound-operation support apparatus extracts a set of materials corresponding to received contents of an operation from a material database (DB) and extracts a theme and a knowledge-level value having a success rate larger than a predetermined threshold value from a value DB. Thereafter, a set of customer identifications corresponding to each of the extracted themes and the knowledge-level values is extracted from another value DB, and customer information corresponding to each of the customer identifications is extracted from a customer DB. The extracted material and the customer information are associated with each another and transmitted to an outbound agent terminal.

Abstract: According to the invention, a system and method for integrating agent scripting, call routing and workforce management functions in contact centers, enabling them to work together without opposing the influence of the workforce management system against those of the other two systems, is disclosed. In an embodiment of the invention, a feedback mechanism is provided between the agent scripting engine and either the forecasting engine or the adherence module of the workforce management system, or both. This feedback mechanism is used to pass useful information dynamically between the said workforce management system and the said agent scripting engine, said information exchange being unidirectional in either direction, or bidirectional. A similar feedback mechanism is provided between the routing system and either the forecasting engine or the adherence module of the workforce management system, or both.

Abstract: A computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein agent training program in which when each agent has been performing an answer, agent identifier, and enquiry contents and contents of the answer are stored in a storage device. An enquiry pattern is extracted from enquiry contents. Respective agents' answers are evaluated, for each enquiry pattern, and by a model contents of the answer extraction section, contents of the answer of an agent with highest evaluation is extracted as model contents of the answer. The contents of the answer of a trainee agent and model contents of the answer are divided into predetermined phases, and corresponding phase of both are mutually compared to calculate ineptitude-degrees in respective phases of trainee agent.

Abstract: Provided are methods and systems associated with interactive voice response (“IVR”) systems that control the amount of time a user interacts with the system. According to the invention, an IVR system utilizes a timer or series of timers to determine how long a user has been interacting with the IVR system. When threshold events occur, the IVR system will analyze the status of the call and may switch the user to a predefined destination, such as to an operator queue, directly to a live operator, or to another designated navigation point in the IVR navigation structure. In this manner increasing the efficiency of manner in which the IVR system interacts with a caller.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating transcription of an audio recording, with auditing. An IVR (Interactive Voice Response) unit makes a set of audio recordings of a caller's input during a call. The set of audio recordings is stored in a database and queued for transcription by remote agents. The recordings are forwarded to a first agent who listens to the audio and completes a form with text corresponding to the audio. The system then determines whether to audit the first agent's transcription by having another agent transcribe the same set of recordings. The recordings may be re-queued and transcribed multiple times, until two (or more) of the transcriptions match, or until some threshold number of transcriptions have been obtained. An agent may contact the caller (e.g., via telephone or electronic mail) if a recording cannot be fully transcribed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for recording media communication. An exemplary method comprises the steps of: receiving an incoming call from a calling phone; routing the incoming call to a called phone in a contact center; transmitting voice communications associated with the incoming call via the calling phone through a conference bridge; duplicating the voice communications via the conference bridge; transmitting the duplicated voice communications via the conference bridge; and recording the duplicated voice communications.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for disposing of calls. The apparatus includes a call initiation module, a transfer module, and a presentation module. The call initiation module initiates a plurality of calls. The transfer module transfer a plurality of calls to at least one agent. The presentation module simultaneously presents a plurality of transferred calls to an agent for disposition.

Abstract: Systems and methods for recording a communication session between a customer and an agent of a customer center communication system are provided. In this regard, a representative method comprises: communicating with the customer center communication system via a proxy server; determining whether to record a media stream associated with the communication session based on communication between the customer center communication system and the proxy server; and responsive to determining that the media stream is to be recorded, recording the media stream from the communication session.