Abstract: A system for analyzing an interactive voice response (IVR) system of a call processing center determines a complete sequence of events occurring within the IVR system. The IVR system being operable to automatically accept calls from callers and respond to input from the callers. The system models a call flow of the IVR system as a non-deterministic finite-state automaton. A recording of a plurality of calls to the call processing center is split, such that each of plural calls to the call center is in one audio file. For a plurality of calls, the system detects a complete sequence of DTMF and/or speech input to the IVR system, detects selected prompts issued by the IVR system, and inputs the detected sequence of DTMF and/or speech input as well as the detected prompts issued by the IVR system into the finite-state automaton to determine a call-event sequence for that call. The call-event sequence includes information regarding how that call left the IVR system.

Abstract: A system and method for updating contact records automates analysis of contact results for one or more contact devices performing a contact campaign in order to select contact records for skip trace updates to contact information with the updated contact information for real time use by the contact devices. For instance, an update engine analyzes contact records returned by dialers to a distribution module to select contact records to skip trace based on rules, such as where a wrong number code is indicated, or cost analysis, such as where the predicted result of an update has a value greater than the cost of obtaining the update. The distribution model provides the updated contact information for real time use by the dialers of the updated contact numbers.

Abstract: Presented is a method and system for visually depicting performance levels in a time-varying environment such as a workplace experiencing time-varied workloads. A call center is one example of such a workplace. One embodiment includes a graphical depiction with a reference time period, such as a work day, on a the horizontal axis. A vertical axis displays, for example, the length of time an incoming call must wait before being answered. As calls come into the call center a symbol is placed horizontally on the graph corresponding to the time during the reference time period that the call was received, and vertically according to the time the caller had to wait before a call center agent answered the call. Other information may also be superimposed on the graph, such as a call center service metric, and abandoned calls.

Abstract: A call list update processing system including a call list controller, responsive to a source of call records, a predictive dialer, and a call list update processing system. The call list update processing system including a call list update processor, said processor including a call list update file. The call record update data including an updated call record that corresponds to a call record in the call list and a comparator. The source of call records includes a host processor and the call list update processor includes a host update file, for storing call records update data received by an agent during a telephone call with a third party until said call record update data is transmitted to said host processor by said call list update processor.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the performance of a CTI enabled business application for a call center is described. The method comprises the steps of acquiring telephony network information such as an Automatic Number Identification from the telephony network when a telephone call is made to the call center and searching for information stored by the business application such as the customer name which is associated with the ANI from the telephony network. This search is made at the beginning of the call and the customer name is stored with ANI in a call log. Additional information associated with the call such as an order taken during the call is searched for after the call is completed and this additional business information is also stored with said telephony information in the call log.

Abstract: A contact center records and analyzes customer communications. The contact center includes a monitoring system which records customer communications and a customer experience analyzing unit which reviews the customer communications. The customer experience analyzing unit identifies at least one parameter of the customer communications and automatically determines whether the identified parameter of the customer communications indicates a negative or unsatisfactory experience. This customer experience analyzing unit can perform a stress analysis on audio telephone calls to determine a stress parameter by processing the audio portions of the telephone calls. It can then be determined whether the customer experience of the caller was satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for universal call identification. One embodiment includes a method in a telephone call processing system for maintaining information about a call. The method includes creating a universal call identification for the call the call is received in the system. A call includes each of a multiple call segments that occur between a first connection of a caller resource to a call processing system resource and a disconnection of the caller resource from the call processing system. The method also includes creating a record of each of the call segments.

Abstract: A system and method for providing telemarketing services through a hypertext network that interconnects a telemarketing server system with a customer computer and an agent computer. The telemarketing server accepts a telemarketing request from the customer, and forwards the request to the agent if the agent is available, and to a queue if the agent is not available. When an agent receives a request, communications are either established between the customer and agent at once, or else scheduled for a later time. Telemarketing functions are implemented separately from media transport functions through a hypertext network such that the need for geographic centralization of telemarketing agents is eliminated.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for retrieving records in, for example, a computer telephony integration (CTI) architecture. Initially, a telephone call is received from a user. During the telephone call, an identifier associated with the user is ascertained. Information associated with the user is then retrieved utilizing the identifier. The retrieval of information is based on criterion that is customizable.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for common account based distribution of contact records. A comparison engine analyzes call record accounts to identify and tag related call records, such as call record accounts related to the same individual. A common account tag detector detects related accounts and communicates with a common account controller of a distribution module that distributes contact attempts in pools and queues. The common account controller locates related accounts, such as by searching for accounts having the same tag, to prevent additional contact attempts to the individual associated with the related accounts. The related accounts are forwarded to the operator who made the successful contact to coordinate resolution of the related accounts along with the account that originated the contact attempt.

Abstract: A system and method of distributing outbound telephony service including voice communications over a computer network is provided. The system includes a master call center, including a computer telephony integration (CTI) system and a digital communication server, located at a first location. The system further includes at least one distributed call center, including a distributed CTI system and a digital communications server, located at at least one remote location. The system is configured to connect at least one connected party with whom voice communications are established at a distributed call center over a local telephone line and then route the voice communications to at least one call center agent interfacing the master call center over a computer network, such as the Internet. The method begins by linking a master call center to at least one distributed call center over a computer network. Next, at least one call list group is distributed to the distributed call center.

Abstract: An automated calling system includes a database comprising phone numbers and one or more data fields associated with each phone number. Phone numbers (callees) in the database are selected based on the data fields associated therewith. A recorded voice message is transmitted to callees through a plurality of outgoing phone lines, and callees are prompted to enter one of several vocal or TOUCH TONE responses, which is recorded. The database record for the callee is automatically updated based on the vocal or TOUCH TONE response, so that the updated field may be used to select whether to send a future call to the callee.

Abstract: Calls or other communications requiring a particular skill for handling are placed in a corresponding skill queue in a call center. One of a plurality of different values is assigned to each of the communications in the skill queue, with each of the values corresponding to a particular level of priority for access to the skill. For example, high, mid and low values may be assigned for communications placed in a technical support skill queue. A given communication is selected from the queue as a function of the assigned values, time advantages associated with the values, and the wait times of the communications in the queue. This communication selection process may include, for example, identifying communications in the queue which are candidates for out-of-order selection, computing an adjusted wait time for each of the identified communications, and selecting the communication with the highest adjusted wait time.

Abstract: A system and method for transferring voice and data from an outbound call platform to an inbound call platform. The outbound and inbound call platforms are separate hardware platforms connected to a controlling device using computer telephone integration (CTI) links and connected together using one or more communication paths, such as trunks or T1 lines. If an outbound agent connected to the outbound call platform determines that an outbound call should be handled by an inbound agent connected to the inbound call platform, the outbound agent can request a transfer of that outbound telephone call. The outbound dialer then transfers the voice portion of the outbound telephone call to a predetermined extension on the inbound platform, and the inbound platform assigns a call ID to the transferred outbound call. The transferred outbound call is assigned to the appropriate ACD queue until an inbound agent is available to handle the call.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for integrating business data and transaction data in a transaction processing environment comprises a telephone call processing system including a call distribution device connected to several agent devices through one type of communication link. The call distribution device is connected to an information server through another type of communication link. The information server includes a database for storing business data associated with call data for a particular call. A machine implemented method for storing data related to a call comprising the steps of transmitting a host data value from an agent device to the information server during a transaction, and, if a host data signal is received by the data warehouse during the transaction, associating the host data value with a transaction identifier and storing the host data value in the database a predetermined time after a termination of the call.

Abstract: A telephony call center has agent workstations having telephones connected to station-side ports of a telephone switching apparatus adapted to receive and switch conventional telephone calls to the telephones, and also computer platforms connected on a local area network (LAN). A processor also connected on the LAN has a wide area network (WAN) port and is adapted to receive and distribute computer-simulated telephone calls from the WAN to computer platforms at the agent stations. At individual agent stations the telephone and computer platform is connected by a Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge. Status of calls of both types at agent workstations is communicated to a network-level router by the processor having a WAN connection, which may also receive computer-simulated calls. The router may then make routing decisions based on agent status relative to both kinds of calls.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a call list update processing system is provided. The system is incorporated into a predictive dialing system, which includes a call list controller, responsive to a source of call records for establishing and storing at least one call list. Each call record includes at least one telephone number to be called. The system includes a predictive dialer, which is responsive to the call list controller for dialing the telephone numbers included in the call records in the call list. The system is used to update a call list on a periodic basis and includes, at least a call list update processor, which itself includes at least a call list update file and a comparator. The call list update file is where call record update data, which is received periodically from the source of call records, is stored. The comparator compares the call record update data stored in the call list update file with call record data stored in the stored call records.

Abstract: A system is disclosed in which a caller may provide certain information during a call to an interactive voice response unit, prior known information about the caller may be stored in a computerized database, and an agent terminal may access the information in the database and collected at the interactive voice response unit, during the call, such that information collected from the caller before arriving at the agent does not have to be recollected from the caller by the agent.

Abstract: An inbound/outbound call record processing system and method processes outbound call records for use with inbound telephone calls. The call record processing system includes a call record finder that finds outbound call records that match an inbound telephone call, for example, by searching a call record index table including a plurality of indexed call records corresponding to a plurality of outbound call records in one or more outbound call lists. One way of finding matching outbound call records is by receiving and automatically identifying a telephone number associated with the inbound telephone call and searching for an indexed call record having a searchable key field that matches the telephone number. If no records are found by searching for the telephone number, a search can be made based upon requested information provided by the calling party.

Abstract: A system and method of retrieving customer records regardless of area code change affecting customer telephone numbers stored in customer records is provided. The method begins by providing an area code changes user interface on a system user display, which is configured to accept area code changes input by the system. Area code changes, which include actual area codes and old area codes are input using the interface. Next, each input area code change is stored in an area code changes memory. An ANI string corresponding to an incoming telephone call is then received and at least one customer record database is searched to identify any call records that include a telephone number corresponding to the ANI string. If no customer records are identified, then the area code changes memory is searched to identify if the ANI string includes an area code corresponding to an actual area code stored in the area code changes memory.