Device and system to facilitate remote customer-service

Abstract

A device and system for providing customer-service over the Internet via remote browser control, text communication and two-way audio / one-way video link is disclosed. A user at a customer workstation accesses the system through a network, such as the Internet. The user is then identified by a queue manager. The queue manager then queries a customer database to determine which operators previously communicated with the user and the nature of the information previously requested. The queue manager then connects the user with operators with which the user previously communicated with. The user communicates with the operators by sending information by means of text, audio and / or video. Generally, video signals will only be sent one way from the operator to the customer. During the idle time while the user is waiting for an operator, the queue manager sends information to the user in the form of text audio and / or video relating to information which the user previously requested. The call can also be transferred from one operator to another over the data network.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 671,680 filed Sep. 28, 2000 and entitled “Device and System to Facilitate Remote Customer-Service”.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to a device, system and process for facilitating remote customer service. More particularly, the present invention relates to a data transfer device to facilitate communication between a plurality of users and a plurality of human customer service representatives using text, audio, video and workspace remote-control mechanisms to improve the human-to-human aspect of the customer service experience. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] In the competitive market of internet services, from book selling to banking, from furniture selling to tax advice, customer confusion using web-tools is a large source of lost revenue. Customers engaged in online-transactions will often find themselves confused, or in doubt as to the meaning or purpose of part ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a system and method for improving remote customer service by increasing the rapport between customers and operators. The system includes a queue management device that connects customers with operators, a database that associates previous customers with specific operators, and a process for identifying the operator a customer previously communicated with. The system also allows for the efficient and effective delivery of two-way audio / one-way video stream from the operator to the customer, making the portrayal of the operator via the audio / video medium more realistic. The system also allows for the customization of the audio / video information displayed while the customer waits for the operator, and provides a means for the operator and user to view the same browser information without opening up the user's entire desktop or computer. The system allows for the customer to continue work unimpeded, and the operator to navigate the customer's browser back to the point where the call is made."

Problems solved by technology

In the competitive market of internet services, from book selling to banking, from furniture selling to tax advice, customer confusion using web-tools is a large source of lost revenue.

Customers engaged in online-transactions will often find themselves confused, or in doubt as to the meaning or purpose of part of the process they are following.

However, in some specific fields, such as tax services, the process by its very nature cannot be simplified.

While these systems aid internet-literate customers with common problems, it often alienates novice internet users and trepidatious customers.

However, despite the obvious advantages of a multimedia call center over previous methods for providing customer help online, there are several disadvantages to the current technology.

One of the disadvantages to the existing technology arises out of the concept of a pool of help operators.

Non-multimedia help sessions, where the customer hears the call operator's voice, but does not see the operator, results in a level of impersonal service, such that the customer and operator develop very little rapport.

As a result, call centers treat the operators in an operator pool as equal resources, and attach no specific benefit to a customer talking to one operator over another.

However, customer-operator rapport takes time to develop.

However, this violates one of the basic precepts of existing call queuing systems, namely that all call operators are equivalent.

Existing queue management systems cannot take this into account, but rather simply send a customer to one of the operators in the pool each time a customer calls.

A further disadvantage of existing queue management techniques in existing multimedia call center technology is that operator queues are managed in terms of the companies for which help service is being offered, rather than being centered around the customer-operator relationship.

Therefore, prior art queue management techniques suffered for the disadvantage that they were focussed around the central help database, rather than the customer.

Another disadvantage of the existing technology is that video conferencing means employed do not take into account optimizations which can be made for one-way conferencing.

However, while the customer and operator must engage in two-way communication, there is very little value added when the operator can see the customer.

First, the rapport generated between the customer and operator is intended for the customer's benefit, so seeing the customer does not help the operator.

Secondly, the operator must access knowledge-based software and perform remote-control functions to facilitate explanations to the customer, which effectiveness would be lessened by the presence of a video feed from the customer.

Thirdly, customer privacy is impinged by the use of a customer to operator video feed.

Another disadvantage of the existing technology is that during the customer idle time, as the customer's call has been initiated, and the queue management system is locating and queuing the operator, there is no mechanism to use the captured customer data to help retain the customer during the wait period.

A further disadvantage of the existing technology as it applies to the remote control aspect of multimedia call center systems, is that existing remote-control applications allow the operator access to the entire user desktop.

Access to the entire desktop represents a security compromise that may cause many would-be-users to avoid the multimedia call center service, on grounds that relinquishing control of the desktop is too great a risk, or a violation of security policy.

A further disadvantage of the existing technology in the domain of remote control, applies to the possibility of intercepted communications between the user and the operator.

A scenario exists in the current technology whereby a third-party can intercept and monitor the application under remote-control, thereby violating the privacy of the user.

A further scenario exists whereby a malicious third-party may insert control imperatives into the communication channel between user and operator, and cause unwanted activity on the user's and operator's system, thereby compromising the security of both.

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