Telephonic communications – Special services – Service profile
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-03
2004-03-02
Smith, Creighton (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Special services
Service profile
C379S207150
Reexamination Certificate
active
06700965
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to telecommunications systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for customer specification of response service.
2. Background of the Related Art
In today's customer relations management services environment, many enterprises have deployed mechanized Customer Relationship Management (CRM) services/systems to lower costs by avoiding staffing live customer agents. CRM services/systems generally refer to the transaction of business or information by a telecommunications medium and typically involve a CRM provider capable of simultaneously handling a number of incoming calls, requests, inquiries, etc. Enterprises deploying mechanized CRM services/systems often use either male or female voices for interacting with their customers. A CRM service/system puts hardware, software, and networking in place that improves a supplier's/distributor's/seller's relationships/dealings with customers. Exemplary CRM service/system providers can be included in any industry, such as airline, hotel, and car reservation systems, restaurant, tourism, and credit card systems, and even small business industries. The application of a mechanized service/system for customer service in any industry, business, or entity is increasing as the number of humans interacting with computer systems grows greater every day.
In a simple example, a customer might like to be able to access a supplier's package tracking system, so the customer can find out whether packages were shipped, when the packages were shipped, and where the packages are currently. During the process of accessing the package tracking system, the customer receives a mechanized greeting in a particular voice spectrum, for example, in a female voice or male voice. Customers calling a conventional CRM service/system, however, are left with no option as to the particular voice spectrum used by the CRM service/system provider. When the mechanized CRM service/system utilizes a female voice, all customers receive the same voice during a transaction.
Further, when the mechanized voice, whether male or female, interacts with a customer in a manner that is not pleasing to the customer's ear, the customer must choose to remain with the dispensing voice with which to interact, find another way for obtaining the desired service, or find an entirely different provider. For example, consider a customer calling a clothing distributor to obtain a shirt of a certain type, color, and size. In the case when a mechanized voice is dispensing to the customer, the customer only has the option of remaining on the line and completing the transaction with the displeasing voice, attempting to obtain the desired shirt by another manner, such as through the clothing distributor's online retail store, or disconnecting and trying a different clothing distributor altogether.
Systems exist for utilizing the Automatic Number Identification (ANI), the Calling Line Identification (CLI), or the Mobile Identification Number (MIN), as a trigger for certain network/service actions such as network routing, call distribution, language handling, etc. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,470 to Lee relates to a method and apparatus that uses the ANI of a caller to route a call to a specific agent who previously handled a call from the same ANI. Nevertheless, the Lee system does not allow a customer/caller to choose a preferred mechanized voice spectrum or a preferred interactive video response choice from a plurality of options.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,038 to Hogan et al. relates to a call processing system and method that provides a wide range of enhanced calling products and features to subscribers. The call processing system is implemented to provide system flexibility and to offer users the option of choosing the level and types of features, products and services they receive. The Hogan et al. system, however, does not allow a customer/caller to choose a preferred mechanized voice spectrum or a preferred interactive video response choice from a plurality of options.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,103 B1 to Surface et al. relates to a method that includes executing a voice user interface and controlling the voice user interface to provide voice user interface with a personality. The Surface et al. method, however, does not allow a customer/caller to choose a preferred mechanized voice spectrum or a preferred interactive video response choice from a plurality of options based upon user identification information.
What is needed is a technique that allows a user to choose a preferred mechanized voice spectrum from a plurality of options and a technique that allows a user to choose a preferred interactive video response choice from the plurality of options based upon user identification information. As used herein, the term user is defined to include customer and caller.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a technique that allows a user to choose a preferred mechanized voice spectrum from a plurality of options. The present invention also provides a technique that allows a user to choose a preferred interactive video response choice from a plurality of options.
The advantages of the present invention are provided by a method and a system for utilizing the ANI/MNI/CLI or other form of identification (such as an account number) of a user as a pointer/index to an identity of a preferred mechanized voice spectrum of a user that the CRM platform of a service provider would use to handle the call of the user. The identity of the preferred voice spectrum could be based on gender, age, language, public personalities, appearance, audio fidelity, or combinations thereof for distinguishing a particular voice spectrum.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the method/system allows a user to pre-select a preferred voice spectrum choice and have the system store the selection in a database for future transactions. Additionally, an exemplary method/system of the present invention allows the user to specify an on-demand choice among a list of options at the time of the call.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method/system utilizes the ANI/MNI/CLI or other form of identification (such as an account number) of a user as a pointer/index to an identity of a preferred mechanized video response choice of a user that the CRM platform of a service provider would use to handle the multimedia call of the user. The identity of the preferred video response choice could be based on gender, age, language, public personalities, animation, appearance, humor, audio fidelity, video fidelity, or combinations thereof for distinguishing a particular video response choice.
Yet another aspect of the present invention provides for storage of the pre-selected user-preferred video response choice in a database for future transactions. Additionally, an exemplary method/system of the present invention allows a user to specify an on-demand choice among a list of options at the time of the call.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method/system utilizes an Internet Protocol Address (IPA) or other form of identification of a user as a pointer/index to an identity of a user-preferred mechanized voice spectrum choice that a CRM platform of a service provider would use to handle the transaction of the user. One such application is by use of a service provider for an online customer purchase catalogue. The exemplary method/system allows the user to choose a voice spectrum for audio commentary and/or direction during the online transaction from a plurality of options. Again, the identity of the preferred voice spectrum choice could be based on gender, age, language, public personalities, humor, audio fidelity, or combinations thereof for distinguishing a particular voice spectrum.
Further still, yet another aspect of the present invention provides for storage of the pre-selected user-preferred voice spectrum choice in a database for future t
Ferrer Juan dela Cruz
Wright William F.
AT&T Corp.
Banner & Witcoff , Ltd.
Smith Creighton
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