Method and apparatus for network based customer service

Details Method and apparatus for network based customer service Method and apparatus for network based customer service

1998-08-21

2001-01-23

Ho, Ruay Lian (Department: 2771)

Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system

Display driving control circuitry

Controlling the condition of display elements

C707S793000, C705S001100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06177932

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to customer service, and more specifically, to network based customer service.
BACKGROUND
A recent business trend is to reduce help desk traffic by promoting the Internet as a way for customers, and individuals within a corporation, to access information. The Internet is particularly suited for this because of its global reach and relatively easy accessibility.
One prior art method of providing customer service is by posting a question in a Question and Answer (Q&A) list, and waiting until either service personnel or other customers provide an answer by posting it to the same Q&A list. The answer may or may not be correct.
Another prior art Internet based customer service solution is posting a large “frequently asked questions” (FAQ) list that answers most typical questions.
While using the Internet reduces costs, for most prior art systems it reduces customer satisfaction. The customer does not feel that he or she is receiving individual attention. Furthermore, there is no assurance that the answer is correct for the specific situation in which the customer finds himself or herself.
One prior art method of providing more interactive customer service on the Internet is a web based help-desk. The customer logs on to a “help page,” that is separate from the area in which the customer had trouble. The customer then fills out a help request, including answering a series of questions regarding the problem. While the customer is connected to this help page on the Internet, the customer's computer system sends configuration information to service technicians. The service technicians evaluate the data from the computer and the help request. The service technicians then call the customer to discuss the problem.
However, this requires the same amount of help desk traffic as a direct 800 number help desk. Additionally, filling out the help request is a chore that takes considerable time. Furthermore, some customers do not like having the contents of their personal computers surveyed, especially if at least some sections of that computer are not relevant to the problem, and contain private information. In addition, the customer must leave the web page on which he or she encountered the problem to log on to the help page to start this help process. This interrupts normal work, and is a hassle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method and apparatus for improving network based customer service is as follows. In response to a client requesting help, a menu including three levels of interaction is displayed. One level of interaction is self-help searching in a database of information. A second level of interaction is asynchronous help, requesting help and receiving a reply. The third level of interaction is synchronous help, interaction with an advisor. If the client selects synchronous help, the method includes the steps of alerting the advisor and displaying a list of previously visited sites by the client to the advisor. The synchronous help method further includes providing a synchronized display between the client and the advisor, such that the advisor sees an identical display to the client.
This method offers several advantages over the prior art. It allows the client to receive help from an advisor without leaving the web page on which a problem occurred. It enables a client to send information helping the selection of a solution or selection of an advisor able to determine a solution. It enables the advisor to see customer information and web context information that may assist an advisor in finding a solution. It provides the advisor a synchronized display with the client, so that the client can clearly demonstrate the problem to the advisor.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of present invention will be apparent from the company drawings and from the following detailed description.


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