Contact center systems and programs
The contact center system enables users to transition to human operators for unresolved inquiries, allowing for real-time updating of chatbot responses, thus improving response accuracy.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BEWITH
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-27
Smart Images
Figure 2026087374000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0005]
[0001] The present invention relates to a contact center system and a program for responding to questions and requests from users regarding products and the like.
Background Art
[0002] Call centers where companies providing products and services receive inquiries and consultations from users by phone have been widely used conventionally. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, in order to enable an operator to respond quickly and appropriately to a user's inquiry, when there is an inquiry by voice call from a user terminal having a web browser function to an operator at an inquiry window of a company, information related to the user's inquiry is displayed on the operator terminal of the operator.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] These days, for the purpose of labor-saving in a call center system, at first, instead of a human operator, a chatbot interacts with a user to receive an inquiry, presents a stereotyped answer to the received inquiry, or guides the user to a web page on which FAQs are described, that is, a contact center system that performs so-called automatic response is also widely used. However, when a user's question or request cannot be solved by a stereotyped answer, it is common for a human operator to handle it. In this case, since the reason for the need for operator handling may be that the stereotyped answer was insufficient, it is desirable to provide a mechanism that can appropriately update the FAQs.
[0005] The following disclosure aims to provide a contact center system that allows for easy updating of standardized responses used in automated responses, such as chatbots, after a user's request has not been resolved by an automated response system and has been handled by a human operator. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] To solve the above problems, the contact center system disclosed herein is: A contact center system equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, When a user request is received from the user terminal, the system extracts a standard response message corresponding to the request from a storage unit that stores standard response messages and presents it to the user terminal. If the request is not resolved by the standard response, the process includes presenting an interactive element to the user terminal, along with the standard response, for the user to initiate verbal communication with the operator. After the verbal communication between the user and the operator is completed, a process is performed to display a screen on the operator's terminal or the administrator's terminal for the operator or administrator to update the standard response text. The process of reflecting the updated standard response text in the storage unit is executed.
[0007] In the contact center system described above, pre-written responses to user requests are displayed on the user's terminal. If the request cannot be resolved by these pre-written responses, the user can initiate verbal communication with an operator. Furthermore, after verbal communication between the user and the operator, the operator or administrator updates the pre-written responses. This update includes at least one of the following: editing, deleting, or adding to the pre-written responses. This allows the system to automatically provide updated and appropriate pre-written responses when requested by the user, thereby improving the accuracy of chatbot responses. [Effects of the Invention]
[0008] As described above, this system provides a contact center that allows for easy updating of standardized responses after a user's request is not resolved by automated responses and a human operator takes over. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of one embodiment of a contact center system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the server's processing flow. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a screen displayed on the user's terminal. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a screen displayed on the user's terminal. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a screen displayed on the user's terminal. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of a screen displayed on the user's terminal. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of a screen displayed on the user's terminal. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of a screen displayed on the user's terminal. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the correspondence between standard response phrases and the telephone number (connection destination) of the department to which the operator in charge belongs. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the server's processing flow. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows an example of a screen displayed on an operator's terminal. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows an example of a screen displayed on the administrator terminal. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0010] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. The contact center system of one embodiment disclosed herein is a system for a business operator providing goods and services (hereinafter simply referred to as "business operator") to receive and respond to various inquiries and requests (hereinafter collectively referred to as "user requests") from users regarding goods and services. The contact center system may be operated by the business operator itself, or it may be operated by a party commissioned by the business operator. In this context, "user" may include not only those who have purchased goods or received services, but also so-called prospective customers, such as those who are considering purchasing goods or using services. Furthermore, the "user requests" received by the contact center system may include a variety of content, such as inquiries and requests to the business operator regarding goods and services, as well as reports and complaints regarding goods and services.
[0011] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of one embodiment of a contact center system. The contact center system shown in Figure 1 includes a server 1. Server 1 is a computer equipped with a processor that operates according to a predetermined program and can communicate with user terminals 2 via a network (not shown). Although only one server 1 is shown in Figure 1, the contact center system may have multiple servers, and in that case, the multiple servers may be distributed across remote locations. User terminals 2 are personal computers, tablets, or smartphones, etc. Server 1 can also connect to an LLM (Large Language Model) 3 via the network.
[0012] In addition, the server 1 can access the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) database 5. The FAQ database 5 is a database managed by the business operators who provide products and services. Each business operator stores and manages in the FAQ database 5 the questions and requests frequently sent by users regarding their own products or services, as well as the standard answer texts for those questions. The server 1 of the contact center system uses the FAQs stored in the FAQ database to respond to the requests from users.
[0013] In addition, the server 1 can also be connected to the administrator terminal 7 via a network. As will be described later, the administrator terminal 7 is a terminal for the administrator to perform the update work of the FAQs stored in the FAQ database 5 based on the reports from the operators.
[0014] The contact center system receives the requests from the user terminal 2 and first answers with the standard answer texts. If the user's request cannot be resolved with the standard answer texts, then if the user wishes, it is connected to an operator, enabling oral and text (chat) communication between the user and the operator. In this contact center system, for each of the standard answer texts, the operator (operator group) to handle the case when it remains unresolved is predetermined, and by presenting the connection destination (phone number) of the corresponding operator group to the user and connecting them, smooth cooperation between the user and the operator is realized.
[0015] For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, there are operator groups G1 and G2 with different scopes of corresponding matters. For example, in the case of the call center of a business operator selling electrical products, the operator group G1 responds to inquiries regarding the usage method of a certain electrical product, and the operator group G2 responds to inquiries regarding the defects of the same electrical product. Different phone numbers (extension numbers) are assigned to the operator group G1 and the operator group G2.
[0016] In Figure 1, two operator groups and two operator terminals 4 are shown, but the number of operator groups and operator terminals is arbitrary. The operator terminals 4 can be personal computers, tablets, smartphones, or telephones, and may be a combination of two or more of these. In other words, one operator may be configured to use, for example, a personal computer and a telephone. Furthermore, the operator terminals 4 that include telephones are connected to the PBX (private branch exchange) 6 within the call center.
[0017] In the configuration shown in Figure 1, all components except Server 1 are external to the contact center system. That is, the contact center system is operated under contract from a service provider, but the FAQ database 5, PBX 6, and the operators and their terminals are the assets of that service provider. The contact center system is contracted by multiple service providers, allowing access to the FAQ databases 5 of multiple service providers and coordinating with each service provider's call center.
[0018] The following describes the processes performed by Server 1, referring to Figures 2 to 8. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of processes performed by Server 1. Figures 3 to 8 are examples of screens displayed on User Terminal 2. As shown in Figure 2, Server 1 first receives the user's request, which is entered via text chat into the reception screen displayed on User Terminal 2, via the network (Step S1). Here, as shown in Figure 3, the screen 201 displayed on User Terminal 2 initially shows a message from the chatbot saying, "Please enter a message and tell us about your inquiry." This screen 201 is displayed on User Terminal 2 when the user accesses the business's web page on User Terminal 2, opens an application provided by the business on User Terminal 2, or opens a chat screen with the business's account by opening an SNS application on User Terminal 2, etc.
[0019] Here, as shown in Figure 4, the user can enter a request such as "How do I pay for the service?" via text chat from screen 201. When the user's request is entered, server 1 receives this request from user terminal 2 and extracts an appropriate standard response from FAQ database 5 to resolve the request (step S2 in Figure 2).
[0020] The extraction of pre-defined response sentences to user requests is performed using LLM3. Server 1 sends an instruction (prompt) to LLM3 to generate a search query to select the most appropriate pre-defined response sentence from the FAQ database 5 based on the user request entered as natural language in text chat. Server 1 retrieves the most appropriate pre-defined response sentence from the FAQ database 5 by searching the FAQ database 5 using the search query generated by LLM3. If LLM3 is allowed to access the FAQ database 5, it may also be instructed to extract the most appropriate pre-defined response sentence from the FAQ database 5 to answer the user's request.
[0021] Note that the use of LLM3 is not mandatory. Alternatively, morphological analysis or similar methods can be performed on user requests entered via text chat to extract keywords, and then a suitable pre-defined response to the user's request can be obtained from the FAQ database 5 by searching the FAQ database 5 based on the extracted keywords.
[0022] Alternatively, the system could present multiple pre-defined response phrases that are highly likely to be appropriate as answers to the user's request, allowing the user to select one. Furthermore, as the user types their request in the text chat, the system could present candidate pre-defined response phrases based on the words already entered, and then narrow down the candidates based on any additional words entered as the user continues typing.
[0023] The standardized response text extracted from the FAQ database 5 is sent from the server 1 to the user terminal 2 and displayed on screen 201, for example, as shown in Figure 5 (step S3 in Figure 2). In the example in Figure 5, in response to the user's inquiry, "How do I pay for the service?", the standardized response text, "You can pay for the service by credit card or bank transfer. For details, please check the 'Payment Information' section in 'My Page'," is extracted from the FAQ database 5 and displayed on screen 201 of the user terminal 2, along with the message, "The following FAQ seems to be close to your question." Note that in the example shown in Figure 8, the extracted standardized response text is stored in the FAQ database 5 with the FAQ ID "1335" assigned to it, which is indicated by the display "FAQ:1335".
[0024] In addition to this standard response, Server 1 also displays the message, "If the issue cannot be resolved, please let us know and we will connect you to an operator!" along with two buttons on screen 201: "Resolved" and "Connect to an operator." The user can then touch either of these buttons. If the user touches the "Resolved" button (YES in step S4 of Figure 2), the interaction with this user is complete. Before completing the interaction, a screen may be displayed asking the user for their satisfaction with the user experience.
[0025] On the other hand, if the user wishes to be connected to an operator and touches the "Connect me to an operator" button (NO in step S4 of Figure 2), the selection of that button is displayed on screen 201 as a chat message from the user saying "Connect me to an operator," as shown in Figure 6.
[0026] If the user selects to connect to an operator, Server 1 displays a button on screen 201 for connecting to an operator (Step S5 in Figure 2). In the example in Figure 7, two buttons, "Chat" and "Phone," are displayed on screen 201 along with the message, "Please select the type of support you would like." When the user touches either button, Server 1 connects the user terminal 2 to the operator terminal 4 in the format selected by the user (Step S6).
[0027] If "Chat" is selected, Server 1 checks the number of people waiting for operator assistance via chat. If there is availability, a message such as "Please wait while we connect you to an operator" is displayed on screen 201, and when an operator becomes available, chat is enabled between User Terminal 2 and Operator Terminal 4. For example, a chat between a user and an operator can be started using the following procedure: Server 1 displays a list of chats waiting for operator connection on Operator Terminal 4. When an operator checks the contents of the chat list and selects a chat they can handle, Server 1 initiates a chat between User Terminal 2, which is waiting for connection, and the operator's terminal 4. Alternatively, an administrator can be set up in the operator group, and the administrator's terminal can display a list of chats waiting for operator connection. The administrator can then check the contents of the chat list and assign a suitable operator, causing Server 1 to initiate a chat between the assigned operator's terminal 4 and User Terminal 2.
[0028] If "Phone" is selected, Server 1 displays a button (interactive element) on screen 201 for making a phone call to an operator (step S6 in Figure 2). For example, as shown in Figure 8, screen 201 displays a button with the message "For this inquiry, please contact this department," along with the name of the operator's department (in the example in Figure 8, "Billing Consultation Department") and the phone number (in the example in Figure 8, "0000-000-000"). By tapping this button, the user can make a phone call to the operator from user terminal 2. Displaying the operator's phone number on screen 201 is not mandatory.
[0029] When "Telephone" is selected, the telephone number set in the interactive element presented to user terminal 2 (the dial button in the example above) is linked to the standard response displayed on screen 201. For example, as shown in Figure 9, the FAQ ID uniquely assigned to each standard response stored in the FAQ database 5 and the telephone number (connection destination) that connects to an operator group familiar with inquiries related to that standard response are stored in a storage device accessible by server 1. The storage device that stores this data may be a disk device built into server 1, or it may be an external storage device. Alternatively, the connection destination may be linked and stored in the FAQ database 5 for each standard response.
[0030] For example, suppose the telephone number for operator group G1 shown in Figure 1 is "xxxxxxxxx,1" and the telephone number for operator group G2 is "xxxxxxxxx,2". Here, as shown in Figure 9, for standard response messages with FAQ IDs such as "0000001", operator group G1 (telephone number "xxxxxxxxx,1") is used as the connection destination, and for standard response messages with FAQ IDs such as "0000101", operator group G2 (telephone number "xxxxxxxxx,2") is used as the connection destination. By associating each standard response message with the department to which the operator to be connected belongs in this way, when a user's request is not resolved by a standard response message, server 1 can connect the call to an operator who has the skills to resolve the request that could not be resolved by that standard response message, thereby smoothly resolving the user's request.
[0031] The "xxxxxxxxx" portion of the above phone number is the phone number of the business call center shown in Figure 1, and the "1" and "2" after the comma "," are numbers that identify the operator group within PBX6. This phone number setting follows the so-called soft pause function, where the user terminal 2 dials the phone number shown before the comma, pauses for 2 seconds for each comma, and then pushes the number following the comma. If a pause longer than 2 seconds is needed, two or more commas can be used consecutively. PBX6 then routes incoming calls to the operator group according to the number after the comma. In other words, in the examples shown in Figures 8 and 9, a call is received by PBX6 when the user terminal 2 dials the phone number "xxxxxxxxx," and after a 2-second pause, PBX6 receives a push-transmitted "1" or "2" and routes the incoming call to the designated operator group. In other words, PBX6 routes incoming calls to operator group G1 if the number pressed is "1", and to operator group G2 if it is "2". By setting the phone number in this way, users can directly connect calls from terminal 2 to the operator group within the carrier's call center. Note that the method for configuring incoming call routing to PBX6 is not limited to the specific example of soft pause shown here, and other methods can be used.
[0032] As described above, once the user has begun verbal communication with the operator and the operator has finished their response, Server 1 asks the operator via the screen of Operator Terminal 4 whether there are any areas for improvement in the accuracy of the FAQ (i.e., whether the FAQ needs to be updated) (Step S7 in Figure 2). If it is determined that the reason the user's request could not be resolved with a standard response and led to verbal communication with the operator was due to the insufficient accuracy of the standard response, the operator will perform an operation on Operator Terminal 4 to call up the improvement report input screen. In response to this operation, Server 1 displays the improvement report input screen on Operator Terminal 4 (Step S11 in Figure 10).
[0033] Figure 11 shows an example of the improvement report input screen displayed on the operator terminal 4. In the example in Figure 11, the user's request is entered in the "Inquiry Details" field, and the standard response provided by the chatbot to this user's request is displayed as "AI Response." A link to the FAQ (Question) that the chatbot referenced to obtain this standard response is displayed in the "Referenced FAQ" field. The operator can check the referenced FAQ by operating this link. Furthermore, there is a "AI Response Evaluation" field for the operator to select an evaluation of the standard response provided by the chatbot. In addition, although not shown in Figure 11, there is also a "Free Entry Field" where the operator can freely enter evaluations and improvement suggestions regarding the standard response. Once the operator has completed inputting information into the improvement report input screen and has pressed the "Save" button (not shown in Figure 11), the information entered into the improvement report input screen is sent from the operator terminal 4 to the server 1 and temporarily stored on the server 1.
[0034] In this way, the improvement report displays the questions entered by the user and the answers provided by the AI. The operator then fills out the improvement report, indicating whether there is an FAQ that can address the question, and whether the quality of the FAQ is sufficient for self-resolution without requiring operator intervention. If the user asks multiple questions and the AI provides multiple answers, an improvement report is created for each of those questions. On the other hand, if a suggestion function (a function that predicts the question the user is about to enter based on keywords and context as the user is typing) is implemented, the questions and standard answers displayed as suggestions are not displayed as AI-generated answers on the improvement report screen because the AI has not identified the FAQ.
[0035] When Server 1 receives an improvement report, it displays a message on the screen of Administrator Terminal 7 notifying the administrator that an improvement report exists (S12 in Figure 10).
[0036] An administrator operating administrator terminal 7 can view a list of improvement reports received on server 1 by clicking the above message, etc., on administrator terminal 7. Furthermore, based on the improvement reports, the administrator can edit or delete existing FAQs, or add new FAQs, on administrator terminal 7. For example, Figure 12 shows the screen for creating and adding a new FAQ, displayed on administrator terminal 7. On this screen, the administrator can input the FAQ category, anticipated user questions, answers to those questions, images to attach to the answers (if necessary), and the contact information (department name and phone number) for operators if the created FAQ is forwarded to them. The administrator can also add questions that show the same answer by using the "Add questions showing the same answer" button on this screen. In other words, multiple questions with different wording or phrasing can be registered for a single answer. This allows the FAQ to be updated to provide appropriate answers to various user questions and requests.
[0037] As described above, when an administrator updates an FAQ by editing, deleting, or adding information on the administrator terminal 7 and then clicks the "Apply" button (not shown), the updated FAQ is sent to server 1. Server 1 receives the updated FAQ (step S13 in Figure 10) and reflects it in the FAQ database 5 at a predetermined time (step S14). The reflection in the FAQ database 5 may be done immediately each time an FAQ is updated, or it may be done in a batch process at an appropriate time.
[0038] As described above, in the contact center system disclosed herein, after verbal communication between the user and the operator, the FAQ database is updated based on improvement reports from the operator. This allows for the provision of more appropriate standard responses when requested by the user, thereby improving the accuracy of responses provided by the chatbot.
[0039] [Differentiation] The above description represents one embodiment of a contact center system and does not limit the scope of the rights of this application. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways.
[0040] For example, in the above explanation, if a user's request is not resolved by a standard response, verbal communication would be conducted by calling an operator (human), but the person being communicated with could also be a digital human.
[0041] Furthermore, the above explanation provided an example of a contact center system operated under contract from multiple businesses. However, a contact center system may also be built as a dedicated system for a single business. In this case, server 1 of the contact center system can also be operated as an asset of the business.
[0042] Furthermore, in the above explanation, it was assumed that operator terminal 4 (the telephone used by the operator) is connected to PBX6. This PBX6 may be a traditional telephone exchange that connects the telephone line to the operator's telephone, or it may be a so-called IP-PBX that uses a TCP / IP network (such as an internet connection).
[0043] Furthermore, the above explanation illustrates a configuration in which one PBX6 is installed in the business call center, and incoming calls to operator groups G1 and G2 are routed by the PBX6 according to the numbers specified by soft pauses. However, it is also possible to configure the system so that each of the multiple operator groups is assigned a direct telephone number.
[0044] Furthermore, Figure 7 shows an example where buttons labeled "Chat" and "Phone" are displayed on screen 201 as interactive elements for selecting an operator collaboration method. However, the interactive elements that the user interacts with to initiate communication with an operator are not limited to buttons displayed on the screen; any UI can be applied.
[0045] For example, the above explanation illustrates a configuration in which Server 1 accesses the service provider's FAQ database to extract FAQs that correspond to user requests. However, a copy of the service provider's FAQ database may be installed in an environment accessible to Server 1 via the local network or in an environment managed by the contact center system operator. In this case, the copy accessed by Server 1 should be updated each time the service provider's FAQ database is updated, or at an appropriate time.
[0046] Furthermore, while the above explanation states that FAQ Database 5 is managed by the business operator, it is also acceptable for FAQ Database 5 to be managed by the operator of the contact center system.
[0047] In the above explanation, we illustrated a configuration in which there is an administrator terminal 7 within the contact center system, and the administrator of the contact center system uses the administrator terminal 7 to update the FAQs. However, it is also possible to configure the system so that the administrator of the business system is an asset of the business operator, and the administrator of the business operator's system updates the FAQs.
[0048] Alternatively, operators may be allowed to update the FAQs on their operator terminal 4. In this case, the administrator terminal 7 does not need to be involved in the FAQ updates. Alternatively, operators may be allowed to create proposals for FAQ updates (editing, deleting, adding) on their operator terminal 4, and these proposals may be reflected in the FAQ database 5 after being approved by the administrator on the administrator terminal 7.
[0049] The embodiments disclosed herein can be described as follows.
[0050] [Item 1] A contact center system equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, When a user request is received from the user terminal, the system extracts a standard response message corresponding to the request from a storage unit that stores standard response messages and presents it to the user terminal. If the request is not resolved by the standard response, the process includes presenting an interactive element to the user terminal, along with the standard response, for the user to initiate verbal communication with the operator. After the verbal communication between the user and the operator is completed, a process is performed to display a screen on the operator's terminal or the administrator's terminal for the operator or administrator to update the standard response text. The process of reflecting the updated standard response text into the memory unit is executed. Contact center system.
[0051] [Item 2] The aforementioned processor, A process that displays a screen on the operator's terminal for the operator to create an improvement report for standardized response texts, The process further involves displaying the aforementioned improvement report on the administrator terminal and accepting updates to the administrator's standard response text. The contact center system described in item 1.
[0052] [Item 3] A program that controls the operation of the processor in a contact center system, The aforementioned processor, When a user request is received from the user terminal, the system extracts a standard response message corresponding to the request from a storage unit that stores standard response messages and presents it to the user terminal. If the request is not resolved by the standard response, the process includes presenting an interactive element to the user terminal, along with the standard response, for the user to initiate verbal communication with the operator. After the verbal communication between the user and the operator is completed, a process is performed to display a screen on the operator's terminal or the administrator's terminal that allows the operator or administrator to modify a standard response or create a new standard response. A process to reflect the modified or newly created standard response text into the storage unit, A program that executes something. [Explanation of symbols]
[0053] 1: Server, 2: User terminal, 3: LLM, 4: Operator terminal, 5: FAQ database, 6: PBX, 7: Administrator terminal
Claims
1. A contact center system equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, When a user request is received from the user terminal, the system extracts a standard response message corresponding to the request from a storage unit that stores standard response messages and presents it to the user terminal. If the request is not resolved by the standard response, the process includes presenting an interactive element to the user terminal, along with the standard response, for the user to initiate verbal communication with the operator. After the verbal communication between the user and the operator is completed, a process is performed to display a screen on the operator's terminal or the administrator's terminal for the operator or administrator to update the standard response text. The process of reflecting the updated standard response text into the memory unit is executed. Contact center system.
2. The aforementioned processor, A process that displays a screen on the operator's terminal for the operator to create an improvement report for standardized response texts, The process further involves displaying the aforementioned improvement report on the administrator terminal and accepting updates to the administrator's standard response text. The contact center system according to claim 1.
3. A program that controls the operation of the processor in a contact center system, The aforementioned processor, When a user request is received from the user terminal, the system extracts a standard response message corresponding to the request from a storage unit that stores standard response messages and presents it to the user terminal. If the request is not resolved by the standard response, the process includes presenting an interactive element to the user terminal, along with the standard response, for the user to initiate verbal communication with the operator. After the verbal communication between the user and the operator is completed, a process is performed to display a screen on the operator's terminal or the administrator's terminal for the operator or administrator to update the standard response text. A process to reflect the updated standard response text in the memory unit, A program that executes something.