Information processor, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processor, an information processing method, and a program that can reduce impact of language impairment on a business operation in a text-based customer support operation.SOLUTION: An information processor of the present invention includes a reception unit, a cooperation unit, and a time-line control unit. The reception unit receives first transmission contents including a character string in a first language from a first user. The cooperation unit cooperates to acquire second transmission contents including a character string in a second language from a customer. The timeline control unit controls the first transmission contents and the second transmission contents where at least a part of a character string is translated into the first language to be displayed on a first timeline for display in the first language, and controls so that the second transmission contents and the first transmission contents having at least a part of a character string translated into the second language are displayed on a second timeline for display in the second language.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in customer service operations such as call centers, the use of an automatic response system in which a computer automatically responds to inquiries in the form of text from customers has been increasing. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic response system that utilizes artificial intelligence. However, the current situation is that the automatic responses by artificial intelligence have many unnatural aspects and do not reach the level of responses by humans. For this reason, an automatic response program (chatbot) that progresses a conversation based on a combination of predetermined dialogue templates called scenarios is often used.

[0003] However, today, the content of inquiries from customers has diversified, and it is difficult to create a scenario that covers all patterns in advance. For this reason, in order for an automatic response based on a scenario to enable flexible and sophisticated responses on the fly, it may be used in combination with a response by a human operator. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a call center support system that uses a chatbot that makes an automatic response to an inquiry in the form of text. The system according to Patent Document 2 can repeatedly transmit an automatic response message along a scenario and acquire a plurality of response information from a customer, and then switch from an automatic response to a response by an operator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, even when combining an automatic response and a response by an operator, generally, the labor cost of an operator engaged in customer service work is high, and the number of employees hired is limited. As a result, there has been a problem that the response ability to a plurality of customers is significantly restricted. The labor cost can be suppressed to some extent, for example, by hiring a person who lives in a country with a relatively low labor cost as an operator. However, such an operator generally requires a specialized skill of being proficient in a language different from the mother tongue (hereinafter, may be described as the first language). Therefore, not only is the population of candidates small, but the labor cost reduction effect is small, and there has been a problem that a sufficient number of people cannot be hired to ensure the response ability to a plurality of customers.

[0006] In addition, a general customer service support system only supports a specific one language (for example, the mother tongue of the customer (hereinafter, may be described as the second language)), and it has not been assumed that an operator who uses a first language different from the second language used by the customer performs work in the first language. Therefore, when hiring a person who lives in a country with a relatively low labor cost as an operator, at least one of an operator whose mother tongue is the first language and a manager whose mother tongue is the second language who manages the work needs to use a language that is not the mother tongue, which has contributed to a decrease in work efficiency.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and provides an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program capable of reducing the influence on work performance due to obstacles caused by language ability in customer service work based on text.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] An information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a reception unit, a cooperation unit, and a timeline control unit. The reception unit receives first transmission content including a character string in a first language from a first user. The cooperation unit is cooperatively connected so as to be able to acquire second transmission content including a character string in a second language from a customer. The timeline control unit controls the first transmission content and the second transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language to be displayed on a first timeline for display in the first language, and controls the second transmission content and the first transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the second language to be displayed on a second timeline for display in the second language.

[0009] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be exemplified. The embodiments shown below can be combined with each other. [1] An information processing apparatus including a reception unit, a cooperation unit, and a timeline control unit. The reception unit receives first transmission content including a character string in a first language from a first user. The cooperation unit is cooperatively connected so as to be able to acquire second transmission content including a character string in a second language from a customer. The timeline control unit controls the first transmission content and the second transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language to be displayed on a first timeline for display in the first language, and controls the second transmission content and the first transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the second language to be displayed on a second timeline for display in the second language. [2] The information processing apparatus according to [1], further including a translation unit. The translation unit translates the character string included in the first transmission content into the second language and translates the character string included in the second transmission content into the first language. The information processing apparatus according to [3][1] or [2], wherein the reception unit receives third transmission content including a character string in the second language from a second user, and the timeline control unit controls the third transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language to be displayed on the first timeline, and controls the third transmission content to be displayed on the second timeline. The information processing apparatus according to any one of [4][1] to [3], wherein the cooperation unit enables the first user who has logged in to the system provided by the information processing apparatus to obtain transmission content from a customer using a plurality of accounts in an external service, and cooperates so that the transmission content from the first user can be transmitted to the customer. The information processing apparatus according to any one of [5][1] to [4], wherein the cooperation unit enables the first user who has logged in to the system provided by the information processing apparatus to obtain transmission content from a customer using an account of an external first service, transmit the transmission content from the first user to the customer, obtain transmission content from a customer using an account of an external second service, and cooperate so that the transmission content from the first user can be transmitted to the customer. The information processing apparatus according to any one of [6][1] to [5], further comprising an escalation unit, wherein the escalation unit escalates to a second user based on an escalation request from the first user. The information processing apparatus according to any one of [7][1] to [6], further comprising an analysis unit and an escalation unit, wherein the analysis unit performs sentiment analysis on at least any one of the first transmission content, the second transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language, and the first transmission content in which at least a part of the character string of the second transmission content is translated into the second language, and the escalation unit escalates to a second user based on the result of the sentiment analysis. [8]An information processing method executed by a computer, including a reception step, a cooperation step, and a timeline control step. In the reception step, a first transmission content including a character string in a first language from a first user is received. In the cooperation step, cooperation is enabled to obtain a second transmission content including a character string in a second language from a customer. In the timeline control step, the first transmission content and the second transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language are controlled to be displayed on a first timeline for display in the first language, and the second transmission content and the first transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the second language are controlled to be displayed on a second timeline for display in the second language. Information processing method. [9]A program that causes a computer to execute information processing including a reception step, a cooperation step, and a timeline control step. In the reception step, a first transmission content including a character string in a first language from a first user is received. In the cooperation step, cooperation is enabled to obtain a second transmission content including a character string in a second language from a customer. In the timeline control step, the first transmission content and the second transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language are controlled to be displayed on a first timeline for display in the first language, and the second transmission content and the first transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the second language are controlled to be displayed on a second timeline for display in the second language. Program.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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[0011] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The various characteristic matters shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Further, an invention can be established independently for each characteristic matter.

[0012] <First Embodiment> (Outline of System Configuration) An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is an information processing apparatus 10 such as a server that constitutes a part of a customer support system 1 as shown in FIG. 1. The customer support system 1 includes the information processing apparatus 10, a first user terminal 20 used by a first user such as an operator, and a second user terminal 30 used by a second user such as a manager. The information processing apparatus 10 is configured to be communicable with the first user terminal 20 and the second user terminal 30 via a communication line 5. The system (particularly, the information processing apparatus 10) can communicate with a customer terminal 40 via the communication line 5. When there are a plurality of customers, customer terminals 40a, 40b,... used by each customer (customer a, customer b,...) are respectively connected to be communicable with the information processing apparatus 10 via the communication line 5. Also, a plurality of the first user terminals 20 and the second user terminals 30 may exist. That is, first user terminals 20a, 20b,... used by first users a, b,... and second user terminals 20a, 20b,... used by second users a, b,... may be respectively connected to be communicable with the information processing apparatus 10 via the communication line 5. Further, the communication between the information processing apparatus 10 and the customer terminal 40 may transmit and receive information via an external service or the like as necessary, for example, via a queuing service such as Amazon SQS.

[0013] (Hardware Configuration) FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing apparatus 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13. The information processing apparatus 10 may also include an operation input unit 15 (not shown) that receives inputs of various operations configured by a keyboard and a mouse, etc., and a monitor 16 (not shown) such as a liquid crystal display device that displays various images.

[0014] The control unit 11 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor, etc., and controls the overall operation of the information processing apparatus 10.

[0015] A part of the memory unit 12 is composed of, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc., and is used as a work area or the like when executing processing based on various programs by the control unit 11. Also, a part of the memory unit 12 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores various data and programs used in the processing of the control unit 11.

[0016] The programs stored in the memory unit 12 are, for example, an OS (Operating System) for realizing the basic functions of the information processing apparatus 10, drivers for controlling various hardware, programs for realizing various functions, etc., and include the computer program according to the present embodiment.

[0017] The communication unit 13 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Controller) and has a function of connecting to the communication line 5. Note that the communication unit 13 may have a function of connecting to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a function of connecting to a wireless WAN (Wide Area Network), a function enabling short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and infrared communication, instead of or together with the NIC. The information processing apparatus 10 is communicably connected to other information processing apparatuses such as the first user terminal 20 and the second user terminal 30 via the communication line 5, and can transmit and receive various data to and from other information processing apparatuses.

[0018] These including the control unit 11, the memory unit 12, and the communication unit 13 (and the operation input unit 15 and the monitor 16 as necessary) are electrically connected to each other via the system bus 14. Therefore, the control unit 11 can access the memory unit 12 and access various communication networks and other information processing apparatuses via the communication unit 13.

[0019] In addition, as the first user terminal 20, the second user terminal 30, and the customer terminal 40, a personal computer (PC), a smartphone, a tablet, or the like can be used. The first user terminal 20, the second user terminal 30, and the customer terminal 40 may have the same configuration as the information processing apparatus 10, and a control unit 21 (not shown), a control unit 31 (not shown), and a control unit 41 (not shown), which are each a CPU (processor) or the like, control the overall operation.

[0020] (Functional Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus 10) As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 includes a reception unit 11a, a cooperation unit 11b, and a timeline control unit 11c. Further, the control unit 11 may further include a translation unit 11d, an analysis unit 11e, an escalation unit 11f, and an automatic response unit 11g. Note that the control unit 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 may have various other functions, but here, only the functions characteristic in this embodiment will be described, and illustration and description of other known functions and the like will be omitted.

[0021] The reception unit 11a is configured to be able to receive first transmission content including a character string in a first language from a first user who is an operator or the like. The cooperation unit 11b is configured to be able to acquire second transmission content including a character string in a second language different from the first language from a customer. The timeline control unit 11c controls the first transmission content and the second transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language to be displayed on a first timeline for display in the first language, and is configured to be able to control the second transmission content and the first transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the second language to be displayed on a second timeline for display in the second language. With such a configuration, it becomes possible for a first user such as an operator whose mother tongue is the first language to engage in customer support work in the mother tongue, and it is possible to reduce the influence on work performance due to obstacles caused by language ability.

[0022] The translation unit 11d may be configured to translate the character string included in the first transmission content into the second language and translate the character string included in the second transmission content into the first language. The translation unit 11d may be configured to translate, for example, by using an API through an external translation service, or may be configured to translate by a generative AI such as GPT, or may be configured to translate by translation software installed in the information processing apparatus 10. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to display the translated first transmission content or second transmission content in the first timeline or the second timeline, and it is possible to reduce the impact on business performance due to language ability-related obstacles.

[0023] In addition, the reception unit 11a may be configured to receive a third transmission content including a character string in the second language from a second user who is a manager or the like. The timeline control unit 11c may be configured to control to display the third transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language on the first timeline, and may be configured to be controllable to display the third transmission content on the second timeline. With such a configuration, not only the first user such as an operator but also the second user such as a manager can engage in customer support work, and it is possible to reduce the impact on business performance due to language ability-related obstacles.

[0024] The translation unit 11d may be configured to translate the character string included in the third transmission content into the first language.

[0025] In addition, the reception unit 11a may be configured to receive a third transmission content including a character string in a third language (a language different from both the first language and the second language) from a second user who is a manager or the like. At this time, the translation unit 11d may be configured to translate the character string in the third language included in the third transmission content into the first language.

[0026] Note that the translation unit 11d may be configured to determine the language of the character strings included in each transmission content and be able to translate them into the languages specified in each timeline. Also, when the transmission content includes character strings in multiple languages, the translation unit 11d may translate the character strings split by sentence unit or split by language into the languages specified in each timeline respectively. For parts that do not require translation (for example, parts of character strings in the languages specified in each timeline), translation processing may not be performed.

[0027] In addition, the timeline control unit 11c may control to display the second transmission content in which all the character strings in the second language included in the second transmission content are translated into the first language on the first timeline for display in the first language, and control to display the first transmission content in which all the character strings in the first language included in the first transmission content are translated into the second language on the second timeline for display in the second language.

[0028] The cooperation unit 11b is configured to be able to cooperate so that the first user who logs in to the system (service) provided by the information processing apparatus 10 can obtain the transmission content from the customer using one account in an external service and transmit the transmission content from the first user to the customer. The cooperation with an external service such as LINE (registered trademark) can be realized, for example, by using an API. Also, the cooperation unit 11b may be configured to be able to cooperate so that the first user who logs in to the system (service) provided by the information processing apparatus 10 can obtain the transmission content from the customer using a plurality of accounts in an external service and transmit the transmission content from the first user to the customer. With such a configuration, the first user such as an operator can engage in customer support work using a plurality of accounts in an external service such as LINE (registered trademark).

[0029] In addition, the cooperation unit 11b may be configured to be cooperable such that a first user who has logged in to a system (service) provided by the information processing apparatus 10 can acquire the transmission content from a customer using an account of an external first service, transmit the transmission content from the first user to the customer, acquire the transmission content from the customer using an account of an external second service, and transmit the transmission content from the first user to the customer. With such a configuration, a first user such as an operator can engage in customer support work using a plurality of external services such as SNSs such as LINE (registered trademark), emails, and SMSs.

[0030] The escalation unit 11f may be configured to be escalable to a second user based on an escalation request from the first user. With such a configuration, for example, when a problem occurs in the customer support of a first user such as an operator, it can be escalated to a second user such as a manager, thereby preventing further deterioration of the problem. Note that escalation refers to, for example, when a trouble or incident occurs and it is difficult for on-site staff such as an operator to solve or handle it, delegating the handling to a supervisor or person in charge in a higher position or seeking instructions.

[0031] The analysis unit 11e may be configured to be able to perform sentiment analysis on at least any one of the first transmission content, the second transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language, and the first transmission content in which at least a part of the character string of the second transmission content is translated into the second language. In addition, the escalation unit 11f may be configured to be escalable to the second user based on the result of the sentiment analysis. With such a configuration, a second user such as a manager can recognize the occurrence or sign of a problem in the customer support of the first user even when there is no escalation request from the first user such as an operator.

[0032] The analysis unit 11e can be configured to execute sentiment analysis by a generative AI such as GPT using, for example, an API. The sentiment analysis method by the generative AI is not particularly limited. For example, an existing sentiment analysis plugin may be used, or various prompt engineering methods such as a method of giving a role to the generative AI and obtaining an answer according to the role may be used.

[0033] The automatic response unit 11g may be configured to automatically conduct a text-based conversation with a customer by advancing a scenario based on a preset combination of templates. Due to the presence of the automatic response unit 11g, there is no need for the first user or the second user to constantly monitor all conversations with the customer, thus reducing labor costs and improving work efficiency.

[0034] The above-described functional configurations may be realized by software (including so-called apps) appropriately installed in the information processing device 10, the first user terminal 20, or the second user terminal 30, respectively, or may be realized by hardware. When realized by software, the control unit 11, control unit 21, or control unit 31 incorporated in the information processing device 10, the first user terminal 20, or the second user terminal 30 can execute a program constituting the software to realize various functions.

[0035] When realized by executing a program, the program may be stored in the storage unit 12, storage unit 22, or storage unit 32 incorporated in the information processing device 10, the first user terminal 20, or the second user terminal 30, or may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium or a non-transitory recording medium. Also, a program stored in an external storage device may be read out and realized by so-called cloud computing. Alternatively, when realized by hardware, it can be realized by various circuits such as ASIC, SOC, FPGA, or DRP. Further, the functional configurations described as functions of the information processing device 10 may be processed by the first user terminal 20 or the second user terminal 30, etc. by software or hardware for some of the functional configurations.

[0036] (Processing flow) The following describes the flow of the above-described functions (steps in the information processing method and program) executed by the control unit (such as a processor) of each device in the customer support system 1.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow of the automatic response by the customer support system 1. The following describes each step in detail.

[0038] First, steps S400, S100, S102, S410, and S104 are executed in this order. In step S400, the control unit 41 transmits the inquiry text input by the customer to the information processing device 10. In step S100, the automatic response unit 11g starts an automatic response based on a scenario for advancing the conversation based on a preset combination of templates. In the automatic response, a scenario for obtaining basic information such as the customer's name and address progresses. In step S102, the cooperation unit 11b transmits a question in a second language to the customer terminal 40 through an external service such as LINE (registered trademark). In step S410, the control unit 41 transmits the answer in the second language from the customer to the information processing device 10 through an external service such as LINE (registered trademark). In step S104, the cooperation unit 11b obtains the answer from the customer. Depending on the scenario, steps S102, S410, and step S104 may be repeatedly executed.

[0039] In one aspect, for example, when a customer who has seen an advertisement provided by a clinic or the like registers as a friend via the QR code for friend registration or the search ID of LINE (registered trademark) published in the advertisement, the automatic response unit 11g can detect the friend registration notification from the customer and start an automatic response based on the scenario without going through step S400.

[0040] Next, step S106 is executed and the automatic response ends. If the scenario progresses smoothly and the desired customer information is obtained only through the automatic response, usually, it does not switch to the operator response. However, for example, if there are blanks in the customer's answer, if there are defects such as misspellings or omissions in the answer content, or if the customer's answer contains content outside the scenario assumptions, etc., when the scenario does not progress smoothly, the automatic response unit 11g switches from the automatic response to the operator response.

[0041] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow by the customer support system 1 when switching to the operator response after the automatic response ends. In step S108, the timeline control unit 11c transmits all the questions to the customer by the automatic response in the second language and the answers from the customer to the second user terminal 30, and controls them to be displayed on the second timeline within the screen of the customer support system 1 used by the second user such as the manager. In step S300, the second user terminal 30 (for example, a display control unit that may be provided in the control unit 31) displays the questions by the automatic response in the second language and the answers from the customer on the second timeline within the screen of the customer support system 1 used by the second user such as the manager. Also, in step S110, the translation unit 11d translates the questions by the automatic response in the second language and the answers from the customer into the first language. In step S112, the timeline control unit 11c transmits the questions by the automatic response translated into the first language and the answers from the customer to the first user terminal 20, and controls them to be displayed on the first timeline within the screen of the customer support system 1 used by the first user such as the operator. In step S200, the first user terminal 20 (for example, a display control unit that may be provided in the control unit 21) displays the content translated into the first language on the first timeline within the screen of the customer support system 1 used by the first user such as the operator. Note that step S110 may be executed before step S108. Also, step S112 may be executed simultaneously with or before step S108.

[0042] Next, steps S210, S114, and S116 are executed in this order. In step S210, based on the history grasped by the first user who refers to the first timeline in the customer support system 1 displayed on the screen of the first user terminal 20, the first user inputs the first transmission content in the first language, which is the mother tongue of the first user, into the input form in the customer support system 1 displayed on the screen of the first user terminal 20, and the first transmission content is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10. In step S114, the reception unit 11a receives the first transmission content including the character string in the first language from the first user. In step S116, the translation unit 11d translates the character string included in the first transmission content into the second language. Note that step S116 may be executed after the transmission request in step S220 described later.

[0043] Next, steps S220 and S118 are executed in this order. In step S220, the first user such as an operator presses the transmission button in the customer support system 1 displayed on the screen of the first user terminal 20, thereby transmitting a transmission request related to the first transmission content to the information processing apparatus 10. In step S118, the cooperation unit 11b transmits the first transmission content translated into the second language to the customer terminal 40 using an account of an external service such as LINE (registered trademark).

[0044] Next, step S120 is executed. In step S120, the timeline control unit 11c controls the first transmission content to be displayed on the first timeline within the screen of the customer response support system 1 used by the first user such as an operator.

[0045] Next, steps S230 and S310 are executed. In step S230, the first user terminal 20 (for example, a display control unit that may be provided in the control unit 21) displays the first transmission content on the first timeline. In step S310, the second user terminal 30 (for example, a display control unit that may be provided in the control unit 31) displays the first transmission content translated into the second language on the second timeline.

[0046] A customer who has seen the first transmission content from the first user uses an account of an external service such as LINE (registered trademark) to input the second transmission content in the second language. Then, in step S420, the second transmission content is transmitted from the customer terminal 40 to the information processing apparatus 10, and the cooperation unit 11b acquires the second transmission content.

[0047] In step S122, the timeline control unit 11c controls the second transmission content to be displayed on the second timeline within the screen of the customer support system 1 used by the second user such as a manager. In step S320, the second user terminal 30 (for example, a display control unit that may be provided in the control unit 31) displays the second transmission content on the second timeline.

[0048] Next, steps S124, S126, and S240 are executed in this order. In step S124, the translation unit 11d translates the character string included in the second transmission content into the first language. In step S126, the timeline control unit 11c controls the translated second transmission content to be displayed on the first timeline within the screen of the customer support system 1 used by the first user such as an operator. In step S240, the first user terminal 20 (for example, a display control unit that may be provided in the control unit 21) displays the second transmission content translated into the first language on the first timeline. Note that step S124 may be executed before step S122.

[0049] In this way, text-based conversations are conducted between a first user such as an operator and a customer. Also, a second user such as a manager can confirm the interaction between the first user and the customer in a second language. If necessary, the above-described steps S210 to S240 may be repeatedly executed. For example, the processes from the input of the transmission content by the first user to the transmission (S210, S114, S116, S220, S118) may be repeated to perform continuous message transmissions. Also, the processes from the input of the transmission content by the customer side to the transmission (S420, S122, S124, S126) may be repeated to perform continuous message transmissions. By executing such processes, both the first user such as an operator and the second user such as a manager can perform their respective tasks using their native languages.

[0050] In one aspect, the cooperation unit 11b enables a first user who has logged in to the customer support system 1 to use a plurality of accounts in an external service to acquire the transmission content from the customer and cooperate to be able to transmit the transmission content from the first user to the customer. For example, when a customer makes an inquiry via a plurality of advertisements in which QR codes for adding friends or search IDs of different LINE (registered trademark) are posted, different LINE (registered trademark) accounts are operated for each advertisement, and different scenarios may be developed. In such a case, a first user such as an operator can set a LINE (registered trademark) account for each advertisement in the customer support system 1 and acquire the transmission content from the customer and transmit the transmission content from the first user to the customer by the method described above. Note that the customer may be one person or a plurality of persons.

[0051] In one aspect, the cooperation unit 11b enables the first user who has logged in to the customer support system 1 to obtain the transmission content from the customer using the account of an external first service and transmit the transmission content from the first user to the customer, and also enables the cooperation to obtain the transmission content from the customer using the account of an external second service and transmit the transmission content from the first user to the customer. For example, if a QR code for adding friends on LINE (registered trademark) or a search ID is posted in advertisement A, and an email address is posted in advertisement B, the first user such as an operator responds to the customers flowing in from advertisement A using the account of LINE (registered trademark), which is the first service, and responds to the customers flowing in from advertisement B using email, which is the second service. The display control destination of the conversation content between the first user or the second user and the customer by the timeline control unit 11c is always the same first timeline and second timeline regardless of the type of the external service. Therefore, the first user and the second user can always use the same first timeline or second timeline without particularly caring about the type of the external service during business operations (that is, without changing the timeline according to the type of the external service). Note that the external first service and second service are not particularly limited, and their combination is also not particularly limited. For example, SMS (Short Message Service) may be used as the first service, and LINE (registered trademark) may be used as the second service. Further, if necessary, a third service, a fourth service, etc. different from the first service and the second service may be used.

[0052] In one aspect, the cooperation unit 11b can cooperate to enable the transmission content input by the first user to be batch transmitted to a plurality of customers using the accounts of a plurality of external services.

[0053] The above described the responses by the first user such as the automatic response and the operator. Next, the response by the second user such as the manager will be described. The second user such as the manager who refers to the second timeline can input the third transmission content in the second language into the input form in the customer support system 1 displayed on the screen of the second user terminal 30 and transmit it to the customer via the information processing apparatus 10. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow when the second user such as the manager inputs the third transmission content and transmits it to the customer. In step S330, the third transmission content including a character string in the second language is input by the second user who has grasped the past history with reference to the second timeline and is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10. In step S128, the reception unit 11a receives the third transmission content including the character string in the second language from the second user. In step S340, the second user such as the manager transmits a transmission request related to the third transmission content to the information processing apparatus 10 by pressing the transmission button in the customer support system 1 displayed on the screen of the second user terminal 30. In step S130, the cooperation unit 11b uses an account of an external service such as LINE (registered trademark) to transmit the third transmission content to the customer terminal 40.

[0054] Next, steps S132 and S350 are executed. In step S132, the timeline control unit 11c controls the third transmission content to be displayed on the second timeline within the screen of the customer support system 1 used by the second user such as the manager. In step S350, the second user terminal 30 (for example, a display control unit that may be provided in the control unit 31) displays the third transmission content on the second timeline.

[0055] Next, steps S134, S136, and S250 are executed. In step S134, the translation unit 11d translates the string included in the third transmission content into the first language. In step S136, the timeline control unit 11c controls the translated third transmission content to be displayed on the first timeline within the screen of the customer support system 1 used by the first user such as an operator. In step S250, the first user terminal 20 (for example, a display control unit that may be provided in the control unit 21) displays the third transmission content translated into the first language on the first timeline. Note that step S134 may be executed before or after step S130.

[0056] By executing such processing, not only the first user such as an operator but also the second user such as a manager can handle customer responses in their native language. Note that the second user can input the third transmission content at an arbitrary timing. That is, step S330 in FIG. 6 may be executed, for example, immediately after any of steps S300, S310, and S320 in FIG. 5. Also, the series of steps shown in FIG. 6 may be repeatedly executed as necessary.

[0057] Although the response by the second user such as a manager has been described above, next, escalation will be described.

[0058] In one aspect, the information processing apparatus 10 includes an escalation unit 11f, and the escalation unit 11f escalates to the second user based on an escalation request from the first user. The first user such as an operator can easily escalate to the second user such as a manager at an arbitrary timing by pressing an escalation button within the screen of the customer response support system 1.

[0059] In one aspect, when the reception unit 11a receives an escalation request from the first user, the cooperation unit 11b escalates to the second user through an external service such as mail, SMS, or LINE (registered trademark).

[0060] In one aspect, the information processing apparatus 10 includes an analysis unit 11e and an escalation unit 11f. The analysis unit 11e performs sentiment analysis on at least any one of the first transmission content, the second transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language, and the first transmission content in which the second transmission content and at least a part of the character string are translated into the second language. The escalation unit 11f escalates to the second user based on the result of the sentiment analysis. The timing at which the sentiment analysis is performed is not particularly limited. For example, it can be set to perform the sentiment analysis immediately after the first transmission content or the second transmission content is transmitted (that is, immediately after step S118 or S420 in FIG. 5). Further, when a second user such as a manager transmits third transmission content, the analysis unit 11e may perform sentiment analysis on the above content and the third transmission content.

[0061] (Screen 50 of the customer support system 1) FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the screen 50 of the customer support system 1 when the tab 62 is selected, and FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the screen 50 of the customer support system 1 when the tab 61 is selected. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the first language, which is the mother tongue of the first user such as an operator, is English, and the second language, which is the mother tongue of the second user such as a manager and the customer, is Japanese. However, the first language and the second language are not limited to these and can be changed as appropriate.

[0062] A timeline 67 is displayed in the area 60. The timeline 67 is a first timeline in the first language or a second timeline in the second language. When the tab 62 described as "Timeline" in English, which is the first language, is selected as shown in FIG. 7, the first timeline is displayed. When the tab 61 described as "タイムライン" in Japanese, which is the second language, is selected as shown in FIG. 8, the second timeline is displayed. In the timeline 67, the chat history with the customer is displayed in chronological order in chat format, including the content of the automatic response.

[0063] In addition, an input form 63, a template selection button 65, and a send button 66 are displayed in the area 60. The first user or the second user can input text to be sent to the customer in the input form 63 and send the text to the customer by pressing the send button 66. The first user or the second user can manually input text into the input form 63 using an input means such as a keyboard, or can press the template selection button 63 to display a list of templates in the first language or the second language, select any template from them, and insert it into the input form 63. Also, manual text input and template insertion can be combined. When there are multiple first users or second users, the use of templates can reduce the variation in the response content by people, and maintain or improve the quality of customer service operations.

[0064] In addition, an escalation button 64 is displayed in the area 60. The first user, such as an operator who refers to the timeline 67, can press the escalation button 64 as needed to escalate to the second user, such as a manager.

[0065] In the area 70, a customer image and customer information about the customer in the timeline 67 are displayed. For example, in the area 70, a customer image such as the customer's LINE (registered trademark) icon and the display name of an external service such as LINE (registered trademark) (in FIG. 7, "Hanako"), the name (in FIG. 7, "Yamada Hanako"), the birthday (in FIG. 7, "2000 / 11 / 21"), etc. of the customer are displayed. Note that the customer information is displayed in the first language as shown in FIG. 7 when the user logged in to the customer support system 1 is the first user, and is displayed in the second language as shown in FIG. 8 when the user is the second user.

[0066] In area 80, a list of customers who have sent and received messages is displayed. In area 80, along with a customer image such as an icon of LINE (registered trademark), the customer name, a part of the message most recently sent and received, the official account name of an external service such as LINE (registered trademark) used by the first user or the second user, etc. are displayed. In one aspect, customers with more recent talk dates and times are displayed higher up in area 80. The first user or the second user can display the talk history with the said customer on the timeline 67 by pressing a specific customer image. In this case, the customer image and customer information regarding the said customer are displayed in area 70.

[0067] In area 90, buttons with various function names are displayed. In Fig. 7, a plurality of buttons with various function names such as "Template", "Scenario", "Auto-answer", "Mass Message", "Tag" are displayed. When any of these buttons is pressed by the first user or the second user, setting items, execution buttons, etc. related to the corresponding function are displayed within the screen 50 of the customer support system 1 or on a newly appearing separate screen. Note that in Fig. 7, the user logged in to the customer support system 1 is the first user, and buttons with various function names described in English, which is the first language, are displayed. However, when the user logged in to the customer support system 1 is the second user, buttons described in Japanese, which is the second language, are displayed as shown in Fig. 8.

[0068] <Other Embodiments> The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the application of the present disclosure is not limited to the above content.

[0069] The connection unit 11b may be configured to be connected to an external CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system using an API so that data can be transmitted and received between them. For example, when the scenario progresses smoothly and the desired customer information can be obtained only by an automatic response, or when the desired customer information is obtained by the response of the first user or the second user, the connection unit 11b may be configured to be able to transmit customer information to an external CRM system having a customer management database.

[0070] The control unit 11 may have a reservation management unit (not shown). For example, during a customer response in a talk through the customer support system 1, when reservation information such as a reservation date and time for a service provided by the advertiser who is the source of customer inflow (for example, when the advertiser is a beauty clinic, an interview, a surgery, etc.) is included, the reservation management unit can acquire the reservation information and store it in a reservation information database (not shown) inside or outside the information processing apparatus 10, or transmit it to an external CRM system.

[0071] The control unit 11 may have a tag generation unit (not shown). The tag generation unit generates basic information called tags, for example, based on a customer response obtained by an automatic response or a response by the first user or the second user. For example, the generated tags are stored in a database (not shown) inside or outside the information processing apparatus 10 together with the customer response. The tags can be used in the customer support system 1 for searching customer information, analyzing the customer inflow route, and scenario branching in an automatic response.

[0072] In one aspect, the tag generation unit extracts keywords from a customer response to generate tags. For example, in a customer's address response, when "Shibuya-ku, Tokyo" is included, keywords such as "Tokyo" and "Shibuya-ku" are extracted to generate a plurality of tags.

[0073] In the area 90 on the screen 50 of the customer support system 1 shown in FIG. 7, buttons with other function names may be further displayed. Examples of other function names include "Tag", "Inflow Route Analytics", "Appointment Information", and the like.

[0074] In the screen 50 of the customer support system 1 shown in FIG. 7, an area different from the areas 70 to 90, including a talk search form, may be displayed. For example, the talk search form can be configured to allow the first user or the second user to input or select an account name in an external service such as LINE (registered trademark), a customer ID name in the external service, the presence or absence of escalation, the presence or absence of response by the first user or the second user, a specific tag, etc. The first user or the second user can execute a search using the talk search form and select an arbitrary talk from the displayed search results. The talk selected by the first user or the second user is displayed on the timeline 67, and a customer image and customer information about the customer who is the other party of the talk are displayed in the area 70.

[0075] Also, in the screen 50 of the customer support system 1 shown in FIG. 7, an area different from the above-described areas, including a calendar for reservation management, may be displayed. For example, the reservation date included in the reservation information acquired by the reservation management unit may be emphasized in a specific color such as red in the calendar for reservation management.

[0076] Note that a part of the character string included in the transmission content may be translated by a human translator. The translation unit 11d can control to apply the translation content of the translator to the part determined to be impossible or inaccurate to translate. The translation unit 11d can send a request to the translator and receive the translated content. The translation unit 11d may send a request to the translator based on an instruction from a user such as the first user or the second user.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, the mode in which the information processing apparatus 10 and the like mainly include each function has been described. However, as long as it is permitted by its nature, for some functions, the first user terminal 20, the second user terminal 30, etc. may include them, or a configuration in which both the information processing apparatus 10 and the like and the first user terminal 20, the second user terminal 30, etc. include them can be adopted.

[0078] Also, regarding each step described as being to be executed by the information processing apparatus 10 and the like in the above-described embodiment, as long as it is permitted by its nature, the first user terminal 20, the second user terminal 30, etc. can be made to execute them.

[0079] Further, the information processing apparatus may include not only a device physically configured as one unit, but also a plurality of devices connected so as to be communicable by wire or wirelessly and functioning as substantially one information processing apparatus. Also, the information processing apparatus may be configured using a virtual server (such as a cloud server).

[0080] Further, the present invention can also be realized as a program for operating the above-described system.

[0081] Further, the present invention can also be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing the above-described program or a recording medium readable by a computer recording the above-described program.

[0082] As described above, various embodiments of the present invention have been described, but these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0083] 1: Customer support system, 5: Communication line, 10: Information processing device, 11: Control unit, 11a: Reception unit, 11b: Cooperation unit, 11c: Timeline control unit, 11d: Translation unit, 11e: Analysis unit, 11f: Escalation unit, 12: Memory unit, 13: Communication unit, 14: System bus, 15: Operation input unit, 16: Monitor, 20: First user terminal, 21: Control unit, 30: Second user terminal, 31: Control unit, 40: Customer terminal, 41: Control unit, 50: Screen, 60: Area, 61: Tab, 62: Tab, 63: Input form, 64: Escalation button, 65: Template selection button, 66: Send button, 67: Timeline, 70: Area, 80: Area, 90: Area, 91: Button

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising a reception unit, a cooperation unit, and a timeline control unit, wherein the reception unit receives first transmission content including a character string in a first language from a first user, the cooperation unit is cooperatively connected so as to be able to acquire second transmission content including a character string in a second language from a customer, and the timeline control unit controls to display the first transmission content and the second transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language on a first timeline for display in the first language, and controls to display the second transmission content and the first transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the second language on a second timeline for display in the second language. An information processing apparatus.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a translation unit, wherein the translation unit translates the character string included in the first transmission content into the second language, and translates the character string included in the second transmission content into the first language. An information processing apparatus.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the reception unit receives third transmission content including a character string in the second language from a second user, and the timeline control unit controls to display the third transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language on the first timeline, and controls to display the third transmission content on the second timeline. An information processing apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cooperation unit is cooperatively connected such that the first user logged in to the system provided by the information processing apparatus can acquire transmission content from a customer using a plurality of accounts in an external service and transmit the transmission content from the first user to the customer. An information processing apparatus.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cooperation unit is such that the first user logged in to the system provided by the information processing apparatus acquires transmission content from a customer using an account of an external first service, transmits the transmission content from the first user to the customer, acquires transmission content from a customer using an account of an external second service, and is cooperatively connected so as to be able to transmit the transmission content from the first user to the customer. An information processing apparatus.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising an escalation unit, The escalation unit is an information processing device that escalates to a second user based on an escalation request from the first user.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising an analysis unit and an escalation unit, The analysis unit performs sentiment analysis on at least any one of the first transmission content, the second transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language, and the first transmission content in which at least a part of the character string of the second transmission content is translated into the second language, The escalation unit is an information processing device that escalates to a second user based on the result of the sentiment analysis.

8. An information processing method executed by a computer, including a reception step, a cooperation step, and a timeline control step, In the reception step, the first transmission content including a character string in the first language from the first user is received, In the cooperation step, cooperation is enabled to obtain the second transmission content including a character string in the second language from the customer, In the timeline control step, The first transmission content and the second transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language are controlled to be displayed on a first timeline for display in the first language, An information processing method for controlling the second transmission content and the first transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the second language to be displayed on a second timeline for display in the second language.

9. A program for causing a computer to execute information processing including a reception step, a cooperation step, and a timeline control step, In the reception step, the first transmission content including a character string in the first language from the first user is received, In the cooperation step, cooperation is enabled to obtain the second transmission content including a character string in the second language from the customer, In the timeline control step, The first transmission content and the second transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the first language are controlled to be displayed on a first timeline for display in the first language, A program for controlling the second transmission content and the first transmission content in which at least a part of the character string is translated into the second language to be displayed on a second timeline for display in the second language.

Images