Abstract: A trend is identified by examining multiple communications in a contact center. For example, a trend can be a specific issue or problem related to a product. A communication related to the trend is identified. Based on identification of the trend, a process for routing the communications in the contact center is altered. In one embodiment, different menus/items in an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system are changed based on the identified trend. In other embodiments, communications related to the trend are identified and moved to different queues or held in queues until there is a valid response. The identified communications can be responded to automatically, by specific agents, by group mailings, and the like. In addition, prior communications that relate to the trend are identified. This allows additional responses to be sent or processes to be altered in order to provide the customer with a better quality of service.

Abstract: Click-to-dial function whereby the URL sent to the contact center is appended with additional information used within the contact center (ACD) for routing. Function is known under the terms such as: extended URL, URL Encoding, Percent-encoding and the query string (part of a URL that contains data to be passed to web applications such as CGI programs). The method to route a communication from a caller to a specific endpoint in a contact center comprises the routing (124) of the communication from an entry point of the contact center routing parameter contained in a hypertext link selected by a caller on his endpoint, this contact center routing parameter being irrelevant for routing the communication over Internet. Relates to use of RFC 3986 in call center environment.

Abstract: It is disclosed a system for providing a help desk service to several facilities of various organizations. The system includes a computer network interface, a management unit and a cellular network interface. The computer network interface receives service calls from web browsers operated by users at the facilities, and conveys the service calls to the management unit. The management unit receives service calls originated at a communications channel such as the computer network interfacing the computer network interface, identifies individuals associated with handling the service calls, and outputs messages associated with handling the service calls, and identification of the individuals. The cellular network interface receives the messages and the respective identification of the individuals, and uses SMS to submit the messages to the respective individuals.

Abstract: A system and method is provided to allow for real-time communication between a web browser application and a contact center resource, where media codecs supported by the two parties may differ. A processor is configured to bridge the media exchanged between the browser and contact center resource. In bridging the media, the processor transcodes the media based on a first media codec for media directed to and from the web browser application, and further transcodes the media based on the second media codec for media directed to and from a contact center resource.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for aggregating phone numbers for contact. Embodiments retrieve the contact record corresponding to the customer; determine any phone numbers associated with the contact record; determine any financial accounts owned or otherwise associated with the customer; determine any phone numbers associated with the financial accounts; determine whether any of the phone numbers associated with the financial accounts are not included in the phone numbers associated with the contact record; and, in response to determining that at least one phone number associated with the financial accounts is not included in the phone numbers associated with the contact record, update the contact record to indicate the at least one phone number associated with the financial accounts.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for assisting a user to select a customer service representative of a financial institution in preparation for a customer service conference. Embodiments determine that an operative connection is being established between a user device of the user and a system associated with the financial institution, such that the user and the representative of the financial institution may conduct the conference; recognize the user as a customer enrolled in a representative pre-selection program; determine at least one representative from a pool of potential representatives, the at least one representative determined for presentation to the user for user selection and determined based at least in part on the user having previously conferenced with the at least one representative; and receive user input selecting one of the at least one representatives for conference connection.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for selling goods and services on in conjunction with the Internet. The system receives session information on a customer's website session from the enterprise's website and may also receive customer information on the customer from the enterprise's system. The system determines from the received information, based on the interaction between matching rules created using the system by the enterprise and the system's matching engine, whether the customer is a candidate for assistance from a sales associate. The system creates and indexes information on available sales associates and their performance, selling capabilities and product expertise. The system further matches the customer with at least one sales associate, ideally the most appropriate sales associate, based on the customer, session, and sales profile associate information, and facilitates communication between the sales associate and the customer.

Abstract: The methods, apparatus, and systems described herein are designed to route customer communications to the best available agent. The methods include predicting a personality type of the customer, determining the occupancy level of agents to provide a list of available agents, providing a routing recommendation based on the predicted personality type of the customer and agent data such as proficiency in handling customers with the predicted personality type, and/or analyzing real-time customer-agent interactions.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable storage media for managing customer service agent workload in a customer service environment. In some implementations, one or more servers receive a communication associated with a customer case item. The one or more servers determine one or more case attributes associated with the customer case item and identify a first customer service agent having one or more agent attributes that match the one or more case attributes of the customer case item. The one or more servers assign the customer case item to the first customer service agent and provide first data of the customer case item to a first display device associated with the first customer service agent, the first display device configured to display a user interface including a first component indicating the first data of the customer case item.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for simultaneously processing multiple call sessions is provided. Multiple call sessions assigned to an agent are monitored. Content of each call session is displayed to the agent on an agent console. A script selected by the agent is identified and provided as synthesized speech to a caller of one of the call sessions. A verbal conversation between the agent and a caller of another one of the call sessions is simultaneously monitored while the script is provided to the caller.

Abstract: A web-based hosted solution through which business entities create and manage communications campaigns is described. To reduce latency of customer-to-agent connections, the system implements an agent stay-on-line function by which a persistent telephony connection is established and maintained between the system infrastructure and an available agent. In this manner, the agent may handle multiple customers while avoiding an ACD hold queue. In addition, preferably a service-side hold queue also is established and maintained on the service-side of the infrastructure. This hold queue maintains calls that are waiting to be connected to available agents. It ensures that any customer abandons do not impair the connections being established and maintained to the agents.

Abstract: An automated multimedia call center device may receive a verbal request for information from a user device during a multimedia session between the automated multimedia call center device and the user device. The automated multimedia call center device may further obtain a group of recognition results for the verbal request using speech recognition, cause at least two recognition results of the group of recognition results to be visually displayed on the user device, receive selection of one recognition result of the at least two recognition results, perform a search using the selected one recognition result to obtain multimedia content, and provide the multimedia content to the user device.

Abstract: Aspects of systems and methods for maintaining and operating agent nodes are provided. In some embodiments, calls, contacts, and other work units may be routed to individual customer service agents via a centralized queue based on a variety of factors. Some embodiments may provide market-based call pricing and customer service agent compensation.

Abstract: A user-interactive music system is described. The system includes a web application in communication with an electronic device such as a mobile device. The web application receives an input from the electronic device, requesting a specific song or preference of songs be played on a music player at a remote location. The web application communicates with a music player, communicating the requests from the electronic device. The music player plays the requested songs or preference of songs on the music player.

Abstract: Activities performed by a client at a site of an organization are monitored and stored in an activity database. A call is thereafter received from the client at a telephone system of the organization, which performs an identification of the client. The identification is provided to a cross-channel router as a request for a prediction on where the call from the client should be routed, and the router indexes into the activity database based on the identification of the client to obtain the monitored activity of the client. The router employs predicting rules and the obtained activity to generate a prediction of client needs, and returns the generated prediction to the telephone-based system, which presents prioritized telephone prompts to the client according to the returned prediction to help in routing the call.

Abstract: As system and method for dynamically selecting a dial plan includes a processor that detects a new telephony call placed by a contact center agent in a first operations environment. The processor automatically identifies a state of the contact center agent without the agent having to expressly enter digits into a telephony device. The state may identify whether the agent is logged in, a work state of the agent, and/or whether the agent is handling a call. The processor selects a dial plan based on the determined state, and transmits a message for routing the call based on the selected dial plan.

Abstract: A system and method for providing contact center services in a hybrid operations environment. A first controller in a first operations environment is configured to receive a first message for establishing a media session, and transmit a request for media service. A media controller in a second operations environment is configured to provide media to a target device during the media session in response to the request; receive during the media session a second message from the first controller; and control the media based on the second message from the first controller.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to facilitate searches for information to request for real time communication connections. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving a request, via a communication reference embedded in a web page and storing data to associate the communication reference with the web page based on the request. The communication reference is assigned to represent contact information of a callee. In one embodiment, a search is performed using the stored data that associates the communication reference with the web page; and web pages in the search result are ranked based at least in part upon the usage of the communication reference embedded in the corresponding web page.

Abstract: An agent presence application for monitoring target agent resources and rendering agent states to subscribing applications is provided. The presence application has at least one first portion for collecting data regarding states of activity of the target agent resources, and at least one second portion for integrating the data and rendering the agent states to the subscribing applications.

Abstract: A method, system, computer system and computer program product determine that a communication connection has switched between an active state and an inactive state and cause a user interface for communicating via the connection to be updated asynchronously to correspond to the current state. For example, the user interface can indicate that the connection is active or inactive and allow or disallow initiation of communication via the connection accordingly. For example, consider a call center agent using a computer system as the user interface to the telephone channel, but the user does not click a “hang up” button when the caller hangs up the telephone. The disconnection of the telephone is determined and the user interface is asynchronously updated, thereby allowing the agent to make another call. In one embodiment, a communication server determines the change in state and causes a web browser user interface to be updated asynchronously.

Abstract: According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, a processor determines whether an application is launched on a mobile device. The application is stored locally on the mobile device. When the application is launched on the mobile device, a unique identifier associated with a session of the application launched on the mobile device is generated. User interactions with the application are captured during the session and associated with the unique identifier.

Abstract: A communication center has agents operating at workstations and enabled to interact with customers, a router for routing incoming transactions from customers to agents, and routing rule sets associated with specific customers. Individual ones of the rule sets include one or more contact constraints set by the customer associated with the rule set.

Abstract: An agent assisting system for providing assistance to agents of contact center during calls is provided. The agent assisting system includes a monitoring module configured to monitor parameters of a call coming to the contact center. The agent assisting system further includes a sentiment detector module configured to detect sentiments of a user during the call. The agent assisting system further includes a pattern matching module configured to determine a script for an agent handling the call, based on the parameters of the call and the sentiments of the user during the call, wherein the script providing instructions to the agent to improve handling of the call. The agent assisting system further includes a script publishing module configured to publish the script to the agent handling the call.

Abstract: A contact received by a service center from a customer may be assigned to one of a plurality of agents or representatives based on any prior experience with the customer or with the contact, any preferences of the customer or any skills required in order to address the contact. Preferably, an agent who previously handled an issue on behalf of the customer may be identified, and the contact may be assigned to that agent. Alternatively, the contact may be assigned to an agent preferred by the customer, or to a particularly skilled agent. If no preferred agents or particularly skilled agents are available to respond to the contact, the contact may be assigned at random to one or more particular agents. The contact may be initiated by way of a reply to a message containing a response to a previous contact, and the message may include metadata that associates the reply with the previous contact.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for contact channel redirection to improve agent routing/assignment efficiency and customer experience. For example, the system may redirect a customer, waiting in a queue for an agent for telephonic communications, to a chat agent for online chat.

Abstract: Embodiments described can more effectively complete complicated service transactions in a more efficient manner by having a team of well-trained professionals who are instantly “streamed” into any location as necessary. A two-way communication system can provide instant or quick access to the right expert at the right point in time, thereby converting what might otherwise be a negative customer experience into a positive sales and service opportunity.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating service representatives' self-scheduling of work. Work may be released for a given work period (e.g., one week) in multiple rounds, with the period being broken into multiple timeslots, each timeslot having one or more seats for representatives. A representative may be limited as to the number of timeslots he can commit to in a given scheduling round. A representative operates a user interface to access his personalized schedule, which indicates the status of each timeslot through different appearances (e.g., colors, line patterns). The representative commits to timeslots that have work available for which he is qualified, and the schedule is updated in real-time as work availability changes. Seats may be distributed among multiple virtual rooms in a timeslot, and a representative may need to be qualified to sit in a special room.

Abstract: A user of a personal computing device may identify an item of interest displayed in a user interface provided by a network-based service and would like to obtain more information. The user may submit one or more electronic contact requests to a contact service in communication with a contact distribution system in order to obtain more information. The contact distribution system determines accurate, real-time availability of service agents and enables communications between the customer and an agent to be established in accordance with user contact information provided by the user.

Abstract: A dynamic call connection distributor and a related method, the distributor including an agent pool, having information of call agents, the agent pool is at least partly configurable by a plurality of individual call agents, a recipient dialer, including circuitry for dialing at least one number of predefined potential recipients for establishment of a recipient connection, an agent dialer including circuitry for establishing an agent connection from the dynamic connection distributor to a call agent, and a call linker, having circuitry for linking the agent connection with the recipient call.

Abstract: Requests for communications and for establishing communication sessions with an intended addressee are detected and notifications regarding the pending communication request are provided to the intended addressee. If the addressee is operating on-line in an IP environment, the messages are delivered to the addressee via a real-time mechanism. However, if the addressee is not operating on-line in an IP environment, a message is sent via an alternate means, such as SMS, email etc. For on-line addressees, if the addressee is presently running an application program, the type of application program can be ascertained and the notification message can be compatible with the rendering functions of the application program.

Abstract: A message processing application may receive at least one inquiry message from a user device in the form or a text message, email or other communication message format. The message may be received and processed to identify the content of the inquiry message to determine whether the inquiry message should be transferred to a live agent or whether the inquiry message should be responded to with an automated response stored in a database.

Abstract: A system and method for improved voice and data communication is described. One embodiment includes a method for data communication with an end user, the method comprising connecting to an agent device; receiving a data session request from the agent device, wherein the data session request comprises a target telephone number; establishing a data session with an end-user device associated with the target telephone number; and transmitting data messages between the end-user device and the agent device using the data session.

Abstract: A computing device generates a plurality of visual indications of connections made between customers and service representatives by an automated dispatcher system. The computing device further provides animations of the plurality of visual indications moving on a map between customer locations associated with the customers and service representative locations associated with the service representatives.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for managing customer service calls using a localhost service operating within a desktop environment. The system includes a web-based application configured to display browser windows including an overlayed or embedded softphone component, and a desk top application which serves a telephony application configured to receive call status information from a CTI adapter.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-usable medium are disclosed for improved processing of calls within an interactive voice response (IVR) system. An inbound call comprising a call origination identifier is received by a call processing module, which uses the call origination identifier to retrieve call record and call processing information associated with a prior call session. The call record and call processing information is processed to determine the state of the prior call session and its point of termination when it was terminated. If the point of termination was associated with a human operator, then the call processing module determines whether the same human operator is available. If not, the user is provided a choice of call session options including being placed in a hold queue until the same or another human operator is available, requesting a return call from a human operator, or selecting another call session process.

Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, a networked contact center that includes multiple platforms to host multiple tenants. Example embodiments include receiving a message associated with one of the tenants and identifying one or more of the platforms associated with the message. For some example embodiments, the networked contact center may allow the platform to access a data location that is both associated with the tenant and shared by two or more of the multiple tenants.

Abstract: An IP-based call center is able to route video and audio calls. The call routing is skills-based, and can be configured to give preference first to representatives or agents associated with an entity, and then to representatives or agents within a network associated with that entity. If no representative is available in-house or in-network, the call can be transferred to an external representative or agent. In other embodiments, an entity can configure prioritized layers for routing calls, in order to favor specific service providers.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for obtaining and providing data about a phone call to a representative. A data repository can be used as transient storage while a phone call is ongoing (and possibly for some time afterwards). Data can be retrieved and stored in the data repository, as well as sent to external systems that a representative might use. A data interface can handle communications between the data repository and the external systems in a controlled manner so that exchanges of particular pieces of data can occur efficiently. A graphical user interface (GUI) can be provided for setting up rules for treating a call. The GUI can provide a convenient interface for specifying a mechanism for exchanging data with an external system. A central control can sent voice, data, and control commands across various channels to various devices when processing an incoming call.

Abstract: A company/organization is enabled to optimize sessions from an agent's perspective across multiple channels. Actions may be performed, such as monitoring the journey of a user across a self service application, raising alerts to the agent based on the journey, selecting an appropriate agent to whom a session may be routed, raising alerts for a supervisor, enabling the supervisor to track sessions and intervene if required, enable the agent to run commands from an interaction window, push links to launch applications to supplement the primary interaction through appropriate mechanisms, show appropriate responses to the agent on analyzing the session, and providing shortcut keys for the agent to allow the agent to insert appropriate responses into a chat session. Analysis is provided for the sessions, data is extracted from the sessions, and appropriate forms are populated with the data from the session and with agent information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically sectioning an interaction into sections, in order to get more insight into interactions. The method and apparatus include training, in which a model is generated upon training interactions and available tagging information, and run-time in which the model is used towards sectioning further interactions. The method and apparatus operate on context units within the interaction, wherein each context unit is characterized by a feature vector relate to textual, acoustic or other characteristics of the context unit.

Abstract: At least one device receives a call request from a calling party to a called party. The device routes the call request to an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) core when a first condition is met and bypasses the IMS core when a second condition is met.

Abstract: The method and system of the present invention include, responsive to a receipt of a customer input, customizing an agent interface menu. The customizing includes selecting a plurality of action items for the agent interface menu, and ordering the plurality or more action items in the agent interface menu. The customizing is performed using the customer input and an item of stored customer information. The method further includes presenting an item of the customer input in an agent interface. The agent interface includes the agent interface menu, a communication window, and a customer attributes display. Responsive to a selection of one of the plurality of action items, wherein the plurality of action items is presented by the agent interface menu, an input field in a form provided in support of an action selected from the agent interface menu is populated with the customer input received from the customer interface.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for location based call routing to a subject matter specialist. A call request is received from a computing device which includes an identifier of a network page. A topic specialist for the network page is identified from the contents of the network page. The call request is completed by establishing a call between the computing device and another computing device which is operated by the topic specialist.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing transaction data in a packet network is described. In one embodiment, at least one routed call is received. Transaction data is subsequently obtained from the at least one routed call. In turn, the transaction data is provided to an entity (e.g., a business or store) associated locally to the at least one routed call.

Abstract: The present system and method comprises an improved marketplace for providing and consuming services. Using the present system, generally via one or more APIs, comprises a method for integrating value added services within a network of participants, for instance, a payment network. The network can use service switching capabilities to route service calls to and from the service consumers and providers using routing elements defined in a message specification. Network participants can be both consumers and providers of services. The network can route service messages to the appropriate provider depending on details in the message.

Abstract: In one example, a method provides at least one service to a web-enabled user by detecting a stalled web session related to the user accessing the at least one service and providing a stall alert to a computer telephony interface, the stall alert based on the stalled web session. In response to the stall alert, the method includes using a computer telephony interface to automatically query availability of an agent. If the query determines an agent is available, the method includes automatically communicating instructions from a real-time chat module in communication with the computer telephony interface to a computing device operated by the user, the instructions to initialize a real-time chat application executed on the computing device. The method includes providing the agent with outbound call specifications related to the user and disabling the stall alert when the stalled web session is no longer detected.

Abstract: Communications using intelligent virtual service agents are provided by assigning a first individualized responsibility to a first intelligent virtual service agent implemented on at least one computer platform with a processor and a memory, and a second individualized responsibility to a second intelligent virtual service agent implemented on the at least one computer platform. The first intelligent virtual service agent analyzes content provided by a user via a communications medium and determined to fall under the first individualized responsibility of the first intelligent virtual service agent. The first intelligent virtual service agent generates a response to the content in accordance with the analysis by the first intelligent virtual service agent and provides the response.

Abstract: The present system and method comprises an improved marketplace for providing and consuming services. Using the present system, generally via one or more APIs, comprises a method for integrating value added services within a network of participants, for instance, a payment network. The network can use service switching capabilities to route service calls to and from the service consumers and providers using routing elements defined in a message specification. Network participants can be both consumers and providers of services. The network can route service messages to the appropriate provider depending on details in the message.

Abstract: The present system and method comprises an improved marketplace for providing and consuming services. Using the present system, generally via one or more APIs, comprises a method for integrating value added services within a network of participants, for instance, a payment network. The network can use service switching capabilities to route service calls to and from the service consumers and providers using routing elements defined in a message specification. Network participants can be both consumers and providers of services. The network can route service messages to the appropriate provider depending on details in the message.

Abstract: The present system and method comprises an improved marketplace for providing and consuming services. Using the present system, generally via one or more APIs, comprises a method for integrating value added services within a network of participants, for instance, a payment network. The network can use service switching capabilities to route service calls to and from the service consumers and providers using routing elements defined in a message specification. Network participants can be both consumers and providers of services. The network can route service messages to the appropriate provider depending on details in the message.