Callback reservation support device, callback reservation support method, program, and recording medium

Abstract

This disclosure aims to provide a callback reservation support device that enables prompt scheduling of callbacks. [Solution] The callback reservation support device of this disclosure includes an application information acquisition unit, a reservation-related information generation unit, and a reservation processing unit, wherein the application information acquisition unit acquires application information, the application information includes information regarding the desired date and time for a callback to the target person, the reservation-related information generation unit generates reservation-related information based on the application information, and the reservation processing unit performs reservation registration processing based on the reservation-related information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a callback reservation support device, a callback reservation support method, a program, and a recording medium.

Background Art

[0002] In telephone answering services, a technique for realizing telephone transfer to an operator who can appropriately respond to customer requests has been disclosed (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The technique of Cited Document 1 transfers a call to a provisional operator based on the desired item selected by the customer, further confirms the details, and realizes an appropriate call transfer by inputting the confirmation result by the operator. However, in telephone answering, problems such as the waiting time of the caller at the time of connection become issues.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a callback reservation support device that can quickly reserve a callback.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a callback reservation support device according to the present disclosure includes an application information acquisition unit, a reservation-related information generation unit, and a reservation processing unit, the application information acquisition unit acquires application information, the application information includes information regarding the desired date and time of a callback, the reservation-related information generation unit generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The aforementioned reservation processing unit performs reservation registration processing based on the aforementioned reservation-related information.

[0007] The method for supporting return reservations in this disclosure is: This includes the application information acquisition process, the reservation-related information generation process, and the reservation processing process. The aforementioned application information acquisition process acquires application information, The aforementioned application information includes information regarding the preferred date and time for a follow-up call. The aforementioned reservation-related information generation process generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The aforementioned reservation processing step performs reservation registration processing based on the reservation-related information, This method involves each step being performed by a computer.

[0008] The program disclosed herein is This includes procedures for obtaining application information, generating reservation-related information, and processing reservations. The above procedure for obtaining application information involves obtaining application information, The aforementioned application information includes information regarding the preferred date and time for a follow-up call. The aforementioned reservation-related information generation procedure generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The aforementioned reservation processing procedure performs reservation registration processing based on the aforementioned reservation-related information, This is a program that instructs a computer to execute each step.

[0009] The recording medium disclosed herein is This includes procedures for obtaining application information, generating reservation-related information, and processing reservations. The above procedure for obtaining application information involves obtaining application information, The aforementioned application information includes information regarding the preferred date and time for a follow-up call. The aforementioned reservation-related information generation procedure generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The aforementioned reservation processing procedure performs reservation registration processing based on the aforementioned reservation-related information, This is a computer-readable recording medium that stores a program that causes a computer to execute each of the aforementioned procedures. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to quickly reserve a return contact.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a return reservation support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a return reservation support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing operation of a return reservation support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another example of the configuration of a return reservation support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing another example of the processing operation of a return reservation support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a reference diagram showing an example of a management form for managing reservable frames in a return reservation support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing yet another example of the configuration of a return reservation support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing yet another example of the processing operation of a return reservation support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the specific processing flow of a return reservation support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing yet another example of the configuration of a return reservation support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing yet another example of the processing operation of a return reservation support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing yet another example of the configuration of a return reservation support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing yet another example of the processing operation of the callback reservation support device according to this disclosure. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a block diagram showing yet another example of the configuration of the callback reservation support device according to this disclosure. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing yet another example of the processing operation of the callback reservation support device according to this disclosure. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a block diagram showing yet another example of the configuration of the callback reservation support device according to this disclosure. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a flowchart showing yet another example of the processing operation of the callback reservation support device according to this disclosure. [Figure 18] Figure 18(A) is a reference diagram illustrating an example of a search screen for the reservation status of the callback reservation support device according to this disclosure. Figure 18(B) is a reference diagram illustrating an example of the search results obtained from the search screen. [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a reference diagram illustrating another example of search results regarding the reservation status of the callback reservation support device relating to this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. This disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. In the following drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the descriptions of each embodiment can be used interchangeably with those of the others, and unless otherwise specified, the configurations of each embodiment can be combined.

[0013] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, an example of the configuration of the callback reservation support device 10 (hereinafter also referred to as "the device 10") in this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the device 10 includes an application information acquisition unit 11, a reservation-related information generation unit 12, and a reservation processing unit 13. In addition, although not shown, the device 10 may also include, for example, an input unit, an output unit, a display unit, and / or a storage unit.

[0014] The device 10 may be, for example, a single device including the aforementioned parts, or it may be a device in which each of the aforementioned parts can be connected via a communication network. Furthermore, the device 10 can be connected to an external device described later via the communication network. The communication network is not particularly limited and can use a known network, for example, it may be wired or wireless. Examples of the communication network include the Internet, WWW (World Wide Web), telephone lines, LAN (Local Area Network), SAN (Storage Area Network), DTN (Delay Tolerant Networking), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), L5G (Local 5G), etc. Examples of wireless communication include Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Local 5G, LPWA, etc. The wireless communication may be in the form of direct communication between devices (Ad Hoc communication), infrastructure communication, indirect communication via an access point, etc. The device 10 may be incorporated into a system server, for example. Furthermore, the device 10 may be, for example, a personal computer (PC, e.g., desktop or notebook), smartphone, tablet terminal, etc., on which the program of this disclosure is installed. In addition, the device 10 may be in the form of cloud computing or edge computing, for example, in which at least one of the aforementioned parts is on a server and the other aforementioned parts are on a terminal.

[0015] Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the device 10 will be described using Figure 2. The device 10 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU, GPU, etc.) 101, memory 102, bus 103, storage device 104, input device 105, output device 106, communication device 107, etc. Each part of the device 10 is interconnected via the bus 103 through its respective interface (I / F).

[0016] The central processing unit 101 operates in cooperation with other components via controllers (system controller, I / O controller, etc.) and is responsible for the overall control of the device 10. In the device 10, the central processing unit 101 executes, for example, the program disclosed herein or other programs, and also reads and writes various types of information. Specifically, for example, the central processing unit 101 functions as an application information acquisition unit 11, a reservation-related information generation unit 12, and a reservation processing unit 13. If the device 10 includes the output unit, the central processing unit 101 may function as the output unit. The device 10 may also include other computing devices such as a CPU, GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) as its computing device, or it may include a combination of a CPU and these.

[0017] Bus 103 can also be connected to external devices, for example. Examples of such external devices include a user terminal, an external storage device (such as an external database), a printer, an external input device, an external display device, and an external imaging device. The device 10 can be connected to an external network (the aforementioned communication network) via a communication device 107 connected to bus 103, and can also be connected to other devices via the external network.

[0018] Memory 102 may be, for example, main memory. When the central processing unit 101 performs processing, memory 102 reads various operational programs, such as the program of this disclosure, stored in the storage device 104 (described later), and the central processing unit 101 receives data from memory 102 and executes the program. The main memory may be, for example, RAM (random access memory). Alternatively, memory 102 may be, for example, ROM (read-only memory).

[0019] The storage device 104 is also called an auxiliary storage device, for example, in relation to the main memory (primary memory). As described above, the storage device 104 stores an operating program including the program of this disclosure. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a combination of a recording medium and a drive for reading and writing to the recording medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited and may be internal or external, for example, an HD (hard disk), CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, MO, DVD, flash memory, memory card, etc. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) in which the recording medium and the drive are integrated, or a solid state drive (SSD). If the device 10 includes the storage unit, for example, the storage device 104 functions as the storage unit. The storage unit can store, for example, application information, reservation-related information, response voice information, and inquiry information, which will be described later.

[0020] In this device 10, the memory 102 and storage device 104 can also store various types of information, such as log information, information obtained from an external database (not shown) or external devices, information generated by this device 10, and information used by this device 10 when executing processing. In this case, the memory 102 and storage device 104 may store, for example, the application information. At least some of the information may be stored on an external server other than the memory 102 and storage device 104, or it may be stored in a distributed manner across multiple terminals using blockchain technology or the like.

[0021] The device 10 further includes, for example, an input device 105 and an output device 106. The input device 105 may include, for example, a pointing device such as a touch panel, trackpad, or mouse; a keyboard; imaging means such as a camera or scanner; a card reader such as an IC card reader or magnetic card reader; an audio input means such as a microphone; and so on. The output device 106 may include, for example, a display device such as an LED display or liquid crystal display; an audio output device such as a speaker; a printer; and so on. In this embodiment 1, the input device 105 and the output device 106 are configured separately, but the input device 105 and the output device 106 may be configured as an integrated unit, such as a touch panel display.

[0022] Next, an example of the callback reservation support method in this disclosure will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 3. The callback reservation support method in this disclosure is implemented, for example, using the device 10 in Figure 1 or Figure 2, as follows. However, the callback reservation support method in this disclosure is not limited to the use of the device 10 in Figure 1 or Figure 2.

[0023] First, the application information acquisition unit 11 acquires application information (S1, application information acquisition step). The application information includes information regarding the desired date and time for a return call to the target person (e.g., customer). The method of the return call is not particularly limited as long as it is a means of contacting the target person. Specific examples of return call methods include, for example, telephone, IP call, text message (e.g., email, chat, SMS (Short Message Service), SNS (Social Networking Service) DM (Direct Message), etc., but not limited to these), holding and inviting a web conference, holding and inviting a face-to-face meeting, etc. In this disclosure, "reservation" means, for example, a reservation for a return call to the target person. In this disclosure, "reservation" is also called, for example, a callback reservation. The information regarding the desired date and time includes, for example, information regarding whether or not there is a desired date and time. If the information regarding the desired date and time includes a desired date and time, the desired date and time may be, for example, information specifying an arbitrary point in time, or information specifying a period. The aforementioned time point may be, for example, information specifying a date, information specifying a time, information specifying a day of the week, or a combination thereof. The aforementioned period may be, for example, information specifying a period of dates, information specifying a period of times, or information specifying a period of days of the week. Furthermore, the time point and period included in the desired date and time may be, for example, one or multiple. The application information may be any information necessary for, for example, the reservation registration process for the return call, without any particular limitations. The application information is not limited to the desired date and time, and may also include, for example, contact information for the return call (e.g., telephone number, identification information for IP calls, SNS account information, address and name of the person concerned, etc.), a category of inquiry content, etc. The application information acquisition unit 11 can acquire the application information based on, for example, at least one of a telephone call from the person concerned and an application from the website. When the application information acquisition unit 11 acquires the application information based on a telephone call from the person concerned, for example, the application information acquisition unit 11 can acquire the application information based on, for example, input by button operation on a telephone.The application information acquisition unit 11 may, for example, acquire the application information based on the voice information of the applicant. In this case, the application information acquisition unit 11 can acquire the application information by, for example, using a technology for acquiring telephone number information from incoming call information. Furthermore, the method by which the application information acquisition unit 11 acquires the application method may be any method that is based on telephone.

[0024] The following describes the case in which the application information acquisition unit 11 acquires the application information based on a reservation made from a website. In this case, the person making the reservation for a callback (the person to be called back) first accesses a website where the services of this device 10 are available using their own terminal. On the website, the person can, for example, select and input information regarding their desired date and time (for example, the desired date and time slot) from a calendar. The person can also directly input information necessary for the reservation, such as their last name, first name, telephone number, email address, and inquiry details, from the website. Furthermore, it is possible to display reservation availability information on the website screen. In this way, a level of detail not possible with telephone reservations is possible. Therefore, this device 10 may allow users to select website reservations in addition to, or as an alternative to, telephone reservations.

[0025] Next, the reservation-related information generation unit 12 generates reservation-related information based on the application information (S2, reservation-related information generation step). The reservation-related information is not particularly limited and includes, for example, information related to the execution of the reservation registration process. Specifically, the reservation-related information includes, for example, reservation registration information, reservation guidance information, input support information, etc. The reservation registration information is, for example, information necessary to execute the reservation registration process described later. The reservation registration information includes, for example, information such as application date and time, desired date and time, return telephone number, and category of inquiry content. The reservation-related information generation unit 12 can generate reservation-related information including the reservation registration information by, for example, extracting the reservation registration information from the application information. The reservation guidance information includes, for example, information including explanatory matters for the target person when performing the reservation registration process described later. The reservation guidance information includes, for example, information regarding confirmation matters to check whether there are any errors in the desired date and time and telephone number, and instructions to input the desired time slot by showing availability. The input support information is, for example, information that guides the target person on the operations they can perform in response to the reservation guidance information. The input support information may also include, for example, information that guides the target person on how to input the information. The reservation guidance information and the input support information will be described later in Embodiment 2. The reservation-related information is not limited to the examples given above, and may include any information necessary for proceeding with the reservation registration process.

[0026] Next, the reservation processing unit 13 performs a reservation registration process based on the reservation-related information (S3, reservation processing step). The reservation registration process is, for example, the process of registering a reservation for the date and time to make a return call to the person concerned. The reservation processing unit 13 can perform the reservation process by, for example, registering the information necessary for the reservation in an external database that manages the reservation of return call reservations to the person concerned. The external database may be, for example, a reservation management database operated by the service provider that performs the return call process, but is not limited to this. The reservation processing by the reservation processing unit 13 is not limited to registration in an external database. The reservation processing unit 13 may, for example, perform the reservation processing by storing the reservation-related information in the storage unit of the device 10. The reservation processing by the reservation processing unit 13 may be performed by any method that allows the reservation to be managed based on the reservation-related information. Furthermore, the reservation processing is not limited to the registration of the information necessary for the reservation, and may include processes associated with reservation registration, such as notifying the person in charge of the return call and displaying it on a screen for relevant parties.

[0027] The callback reservation support device described herein can promptly process reservations based on phone calls from the target person. Therefore, it can eliminate the situation where the target person is kept waiting on the phone.

[0028] When making a reservation via the website, the user can, for example, select and enter their desired date and time from a calendar. Furthermore, the user can directly enter necessary reservation information, such as their last name, first name, phone number, email address, and inquiry details, through the website. In addition, the website can display reservation availability information. This allows for a level of personalized service not available with telephone reservations. Therefore, this device 10 may also allow users to choose to make reservations via the website in addition to telephone reservations.

[0029] [Embodiment 2] Embodiment 2 is another example of the callback reservation support device according to the present disclosure. The callback reservation support device of this embodiment checks the reservation status and performs reservation processing.

[0030] Hereinafter, an example of the configuration of the callback reservation support device 10B (hereinafter also referred to as "this device 10B") in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of this device 10B. As shown in Figure 4, this device 10B includes, for example, a reservation status confirmation unit 14 in addition to the configuration of this device 10 described in Embodiment 1 (application information acquisition unit 11, reservation-related information generation unit 12, and reservation processing unit 13). In this device 10B, the configuration other than including, for example, a reservation status confirmation unit 14 is the same as described in Embodiment 1, and that description can be used by reference. Furthermore, the hardware configuration of this device 10B is the same as that of this device 10 in Embodiment 1, except that the central processing unit 101 functions as, for example, a reservation status confirmation unit 14, so that description can be used by reference.

[0031] Next, an example of the callback reservation support method in this disclosure will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 5. The callback reservation support method in this disclosure is implemented as follows, for example, using the device 10B shown in Figure 4. However, the callback reservation support method in this disclosure is not limited to the use of the device 10B shown in Figure 4.

[0032] In this device 10B, the application information acquisition process (S1) is the same as in the first embodiment, so the explanation can be applied thereto.

[0033] The reservation status confirmation unit 14 confirms the reservation status (S2A, reservation status confirmation process). First, the device 10B manages, for example, the available reservation slots for callback reservations. The available reservation slots are information indicating the upper limit of the number of times a callback service can be reserved, provided to allow confirmation of reservation availability. The available reservation slots may be set for each location (e.g., a contact center) that performs callback services, for each reservation date and time, for each service provider that performs callback services, or for any combination thereof. A reference diagram in Figure 6 shows an example of a management form for managing available reservation slots. As shown in Figure 6, for example, available reservation slots are provided for each location (location A, location B, and location C in Figure 6) and for each time slot (9-12, 12-14, 14-16, 16-18), and an upper limit on the number of reservations is set for each available reservation slot. Furthermore, the device 10B may also manage the reservation status for each available reservation slot (e.g., the number of reservations and the number of available slots) for each available reservation slot. Note that the available reservation slots are not limited to management by a management form; for example, a uniform number that can be processed in the same time period may be set, or any method that allows for the understanding of reservation availability may be used. Also, the time period divisions may be determined as appropriate according to the actual situation, or management may be done only by date without defining divisions. The reservation status management unit 14, for example, extracts the desired date and time for a callback reservation requested by the target person (applicant) based on the application information, refers to the reservation management slots as shown in Figure 6, and checks the reservation availability based on the number of confirmed reservations corresponding to the available reservation slots for the extracted desired date and time. Note that the method of confirmation is not limited to this, and for example, the method of confirmation may include the prospective reservation person in the judgment, or may be determined as appropriate according to the actual situation.

[0034] Next, the reservation-related information generation unit 12 generates reservation-related information according to the reservation status (S2B, reservation-related information generation process). The reservation-related information generation unit 12 generates reservation-related information that presents the target person with the results of checking reservation availability as reservation guidance information. The reservation-related information acquisition unit 12 also generates information that guides the user on how to input the desired date as input support information. For example, if the target person inputs the desired date using their telephone, the reservation status confirmation unit 14 acquires the target person's desired reservation date based on the input operation. Next, the reservation status confirmation unit 14 checks the availability of each time slot on the acquired desired reservation date. For example, if the available time slots on the desired reservation date are from 10:00 to 11:30 and from 14:00 to 15:00, the reservation-related information generation unit 12 generates a message indicating that reservations are possible during the available time slots. In addition, the reservation-related information generation unit 12 generates a message instructing the user to select a desired time slot from the available time slots, providing a selection number. For example, if there are no available slots at the date and time requested by the user, the reservation-related information generation unit 12 generates a message instructing the user to re-enter the desired date. Furthermore, if, for example, no time slot is specified, confirmation from the user is unnecessary, and the availability of a reservation has been confirmed, the reservation-related information generation unit 12 may generate information to execute the reservation registration. In this way, the reservation-related information generation unit 12 generates reservation-related information according to the reservation status confirmed by the reservation status confirmation unit 14. Note that the reservation-related information is not limited to the examples described above and may be set in any way.

[0035] In this embodiment as well, the reservation processing step (S3) is the same as in Embodiment 1, so the explanation therein can be applied.

[0036] In this embodiment, reservation processing is performed after checking the availability of reservations, etc., so appropriate reservation processing can be executed. With the telephone callback reservation support device of this embodiment, for example, reservation slots can be set for each time period and / or for each location. Therefore, for example, the operational status of each location that performs telephone callback processing can be easily predicted. Furthermore, with the telephone callback reservation support device of this embodiment, for example, it becomes possible to suppress the occurrence of surplus or shortage of personnel at each location that performs telephone callback reservation processing and to allocate appropriate personnel to each location (contact center).

[0037] [Embodiment 3] Embodiment 3 is another example of the callback reservation support device according to the present disclosure. The callback reservation support device of this embodiment is capable of voice response.

[0038] Hereinafter, an example of the configuration of the callback reservation support device 10C (hereinafter also referred to as "this device 10C") in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of this device 10C. As shown in Figure 7, in addition to the configuration of this device 10 described in Embodiment 1 (application information acquisition unit 11, reservation-related information generation unit 12, and reservation processing unit 13), this device 10C includes, for example, a speech synthesis unit 15A and a speech output unit 15B. In this device 10C, the configuration other than including, for example, a speech synthesis unit 15A and a speech output unit 15B is the same as described in Embodiment 1, and that description can be used by reference. Furthermore, the hardware configuration of this device 10C is the same as that of this device 10 in Embodiment 1, except that the central processing unit 101 functions as, for example, a speech synthesis unit 15A and a speech output unit 15B, so that description can be used by reference.

[0039] Next, an example of the callback reservation support method in this disclosure will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 8. The callback reservation support method in this disclosure is implemented, for example, using the device 10C shown in Figure 7, as follows. Note that the callback reservation support method in this disclosure is not limited to the use of the device 10C shown in Figure 7.

[0040] In this embodiment as well, the application information acquisition step (S1) is the same as in Embodiment 1, so the explanation therein can be used. In actual reservation processing, for example, after an announcement of input instructions is read aloud, the person enters the necessary application information according to the instructions in the announcement. Furthermore, for example, new reservation-related information is generated based on the entered application information, and the voice output unit 15B may read out an announcement of instructions to the person. In this way, each step described in the flowchart of Figure 8 is repeated as necessary in the reservation processing procedure. Therefore, the order in which each step is performed may be different from the order in the flowchart of Figure 8.

[0041] The reservation-related information generation unit 12 generates reservation-related information based on the application information, similar to other embodiments (S2B). The reservation-related information is not limited to information necessary for reservation registration, and may include, for example, information regarding confirmation items and input instructions for the target person. The reservation-related information is information based on the application information from the target person. The device 10C may, for example, limit the period during which the target person can make a reservation. For example, the dates on which the target person can make a reservation may be limited to the following day and up to 7 days later. Therefore, for example, if the date entered by the target person is outside the specified range, the reservation-related information generation unit 12 generates a message instructing the user to re-enter the date. Even if the date is within the specified range, the reservation-related information generation unit 12 may generate a message to confirm whether there is an error in the entered date in order to check for input errors. In this way, the reservation-related information generation unit 12 may generate messages regarding confirmation items and input instructions corresponding to the application information of the target person. Furthermore, the reservation-related information may be based on the reservation status, similar to the case of Embodiment 2. Therefore, the reservation-related information generation unit 12 may generate a message indicating the availability of reservations and instructing the user to select a desired date and time. Note that the reservation-related information is not limited to the examples given above and may be freely set according to the purpose.

[0042] The speech synthesis unit 15A uses speech synthesis processing to convert reservation-related information into speech information and generate response speech information (S2C, speech synthesis process). The speech synthesis processing is a process that replaces text information with speech information. For example, the speech synthesis unit 15A performs a process to replace text information generated as reservation-related information with speech information. The method of speech synthesis processing is not limited to this, and for example, text information acquired as application information may be replaced with speech information and incorporated into speech information prepared as a template. The speech synthesis processing by the speech synthesis unit is not limited to the above examples, and any method that can generate the speech information necessary for voice response may be used. In this way, the speech synthesis unit 15A converts the parts of the reservation-related information that require voice response into speech information and generates response speech information.

[0043] Next, the voice output unit 15B reads out the response voice information (S2D, voice output process). The voice output unit 15B performs the process of reading out the generated response voice information, for example, through a voice communication device. By reading out the response voice information, the user can understand, for example, the input procedure, the availability of reservations, the status of the procedure, etc. Therefore, the reading by the voice output unit 15B is not limited to reading out the response voice information generated by the voice synthesis unit 15A, but may also include, for example, the reading out of pre-prepared standard announcements. For example, if the period during which reservations can be made is limited, the voice output unit 15B may read out a standard announcement such as, "Please enter a four-digit number for the date you would like to be called back, within the range of 7 days from the next day."

[0044] The following shows a specific example of the processing flow using the device 10C in this embodiment. Note that the following description is just one example of a specific process, and the callback reservation support device and callback reservation support method described herein are not limited to the following description, nor are the callback reservation support method described herein limited to the use of the device 10C.

[0045] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a specific processing flow. In the processing shown in Figure 9, first, the voice output unit 15B reads out an explanation to the user regarding the procedure for obtaining application information. The explanation to the user regarding the procedure for obtaining application information may include, for example, "We will ask for your desired date, time, and contact phone number in order, so please enter the numbers according to the voice guidance. Reservations can be made from tomorrow onwards, up to 7 days in advance, between 10:00 and 15:00, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. There is a limit to the number of reservation slots, so you may not be able to select your desired date and time. In that case, please also use the inquiry form via email." Furthermore, the voice output unit 15B reads out instructions to the user regarding the input of the desired date. The instructions regarding the input of the desired date may include, for example, "Please enter your desired date in 4 digits. For example, if it is April 1st, please enter "0401". You can specify a date from tomorrow onwards, up to 7 days in advance, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays." In response, the user enters the desired date. The application information acquisition unit 11 acquires the information of the desired date and time. In this case, the application information acquisition unit 11 may, for example, read aloud an instruction to confirm the desired date and time, and reconfirm the desired date and time. An example of such instruction to confirm the desired date and time is, "Is Month Day correct? Press 1 if it is correct, or 2 if you wish to change it." If the applicant presses "2" on the terminal, the application information acquisition unit 11 reads aloud the instruction regarding the input of the desired date and time again. If the applicant presses "1" on the terminal, the reservation-related information generation unit 12 checks whether the desired date and time is a date that can be reserved. If it is not a date that can be reserved (No), it generates reservation-related information instructing the applicant to re-enter the desired date, such as, "We are sorry, but there are no available slots for Month Day. Please enter a different date." Next, the speech synthesis unit 15A converts the reservation-related information into response speech information, which is voice information. Then, the voice output unit 15B reads aloud the response speech information. The person in question will re-enter their desired date following the instructions read aloud.Furthermore, if the desired date entered by the user falls within the target range (Yes), the reservation status confirmation unit 14 checks the availability of reservations on the desired date. If there are no available time slots on the desired date (No), the device 10C instructs the user to re-enter the desired date and time according to the procedure described above. If there are available time slots on the desired date (Yes), the reservation-related information generation unit 12 generates reservation-related information that informs the user of the available time slots and instructs them to select a desired time slot, based on the information about the available time slots. For example, the reservation-related information that instructs the user to select a desired date and time may include: "On [Month] [Day], you can choose from 10:00-11:30, 14:00-15:00, or no time specified. Press 1 for 10:00-11:30, 3 for 14:00-15:00, or 5 for no time specified. Press 6 to select from the date again." The reservation-related information is converted into voice information by the speech synthesis unit, and the voice output unit performs a reading process. The user selects a desired time slot according to the instructions read aloud. The device 10C may, for example, further reconfirm whether there is availability at the selected date and time. In this case, if there is availability on the selected date but not at the time slot, the device 10C may read out reservation-related information again, instructing the user to select a desired time slot. In this way, the user's input and the information and instructions provided by the device 10C are repeated, and once the necessary confirmations are completed, the reservation processing unit 13 registers the necessary reservation information in an external database that manages reservations. In this way, the user can complete the reservation procedure solely through interaction with the automated voice system.

[0046] According to this embodiment, the reservation procedure can be completed solely through the user and automated voice communication. Therefore, the user can easily make a reservation for a callback by telephone alone.

[0047] [Embodiment 4] Embodiment 4 is another example of the callback reservation support device according to the present disclosure. The callback reservation support device of this embodiment records the content of inquiries based on telephone calls from the target person and converts it into text information.

[0048] Hereinafter, an example of the configuration of the callback reservation support device 10D (hereinafter also referred to as "this device 10D") in this embodiment will be described using Figure 10. Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of this device 10D. As shown in Figure 10, in addition to the configuration of this device 10 described in Embodiment 1 (application information acquisition unit 11, reservation-related information generation unit 12, and reservation processing unit 13), this device 10D includes, for example, a call information acquisition unit 16A, an inquiry information generation unit 16B, and an inquiry information output unit 16C. The configuration of this device 10D, other than including, for example, a call information acquisition unit 16A, an inquiry information generation unit 16B, and an inquiry information output unit 16C, is the same as described in Embodiment 1, and that description can be used by reference. Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the device 10D is the same as that of the device 10 in Embodiment 1, except that the central processing unit 101 functions as, for example, a call information acquisition unit 16A, an inquiry information generation unit 16B, and an inquiry information output unit 16C, so the explanation of Embodiment 1 can be applied.

[0049] Next, an example of the callback reservation support method in this embodiment will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 11. The callback reservation support method in this disclosure is implemented, for example, using the device 10D shown in Figure 10, as follows. However, the callback reservation support method in this disclosure is not limited to the use of the device 10D shown in Figure 10.

[0050] The call information acquisition unit 16A of this device 10D records call information, including the content of the inquiry based on the phone call from the target person, and acquires call audio information (S6A, call information acquisition process). The target person is instructed to speak the inquiry within a time limit, for example, within one minute. Following the instructions, the target person verbally states the inquiry. The call information acquisition unit 16A records the inquiry spoken by the target person. Note that the time limit for uttering the inquiry is not limited to within one minute, but can be freely set to, for example, 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, etc. Also, there is no time limit at all.

[0051] Next, the inquiry information generation unit 16B converts the call audio information into text information and generates inquiry information (S6B, inquiry information generation step). The conversion to text information can be performed using speech recognition technology. The text conversion processing unit 16B converts the audio information into text information, for example, by speech analysis using AI.

[0052] Next, the inquiry information output unit 16C outputs the inquiry information (S6C, reservation information output process). The inquiry information allows the person responsible for the callback to confirm the content in advance. Furthermore, compared to information provided via voice, information in writing is easier to confirm and can be reviewed in a shorter time. Therefore, the inquiry information is useful for the person responsible to review in advance. The method of outputting the inquiry information is not particularly limited. For example, the output method is sending an email to the person responsible. However, it is not limited to this, and the output method may be anything, such as displaying it on a dedicated site that can be viewed by the relevant parties. The inquiry information may be sent together with a notification of reservation-related information, such as a callback reservation being made, which is notified by the reservation processing unit 13. Also, the person responsible may want to confirm the details of the callback they have already reserved. Therefore, the inquiry information may be notified to the person responsible, for example, together with the reservation information notification described later. The notification may be sent by any method, such as notification via SMS communication or making it available on a dedicated site that can be used by the person responsible.

[0053] According to this embodiment, the person responsible for returning phone calls can understand the content of the inquiry before returning the call. This enables a more appropriate response when returning phone calls.

[0054] [Embodiment 5] Embodiment 5 is another example of the callback reservation support device according to the present disclosure. The callback reservation support device of this embodiment notifies the target person of reservation information.

[0055] Hereinafter, an example of the configuration of the callback reservation support device 10E (hereinafter also referred to as "the device 10E") in this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 12. Figure 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the device 10E. As shown in Figure 12, the device 10E includes, for example, a reservation information notification unit 17 in addition to the configuration of the device 10 described in Embodiment 1 (application information acquisition unit 11, reservation-related information generation unit 12, and reservation processing unit 13). In the device 10E, the configuration other than including, for example, the reservation information notification unit 17 is the same as described in Embodiment 1, and that description can be used by reference. Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the device 10E is the same as that of the device 10 in Embodiment 1, except that the central processing unit 101 functions as, for example, the reservation information notification unit 17, so that description can be used by reference.

[0056] Next, an example of the callback reservation support method in this disclosure will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 13. The callback reservation support method in this disclosure is implemented, for example, using the device 10E shown in Figure 12, as follows. Note that the callback reservation support method in this disclosure is not limited to the use of the device 10E shown in Figure 12.

[0057] In this embodiment as well, each step from the application information acquisition step (S1) to the reservation processing step (S3) is the same as the steps described in other embodiments, so those descriptions can be applied. The notification of reservation information to the target person will be described below.

[0058] The reservation information notification unit 17 notifies the target person of information regarding the reservation result (S7, reservation information notification step). The notification is, for example, sent via SMS to the target person to inform them of the completed reservation. However, the notification is not limited to this, and may also be sent to a dedicated website accessible to the target person so that they can check the reservation details. The notification is not limited to the examples given above, and may be any method that informs the target person of the reservation details.

[0059] According to this embodiment, the reservation details can be notified to the person concerned. Therefore, return phone calls can be handled smoothly.

[0060] [Embodiment 6] Embodiment 6 is another example of the callback reservation support device according to the present disclosure. The callback reservation support device of this embodiment allows for the modification and cancellation of reservation registrations.

[0061] Hereinafter, an example of the configuration of the callback reservation support device 10F (hereinafter also referred to as "this device 10F") in this embodiment will be described using Figure 14. Figure 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of this device 10F. As shown in Figure 14, in addition to the configuration of this device 10 described in Embodiment 1 (application information acquisition unit 11, reservation-related information generation unit 12, and reservation processing unit 13), this device 10F includes, for example, an update information receiving unit 18A and an update processing unit 18B. In this device 10F, the configuration other than including, for example, an update information receiving unit 18A and an update processing unit 18B is the same as described in Embodiment 1, and that description can be used by reference. Furthermore, the hardware configuration of this device 10F is the same as that of this device 10 in Embodiment 1, except that the central processing unit 101 functions as, for example, an update information receiving unit 18A and an update processing unit 18B, so that description can be used by reference.

[0062] Next, an example of the callback reservation support method in this disclosure will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 15. The callback reservation support method in this disclosure is implemented, for example, using the device 10F shown in Figure 14, as follows. Note that the callback reservation support method in this disclosure is not limited to the use of the device 10F shown in Figure 14.

[0063] Each step from the application information acquisition step (S1) to the reservation processing step (S3) in this embodiment is the same as the steps described in other embodiments, so those descriptions can be applied. Information related to reservations is stored in an external database, for example. However, the storage of information related to reservation registration is not limited to an external database; for example, it may be in the storage unit of this device 10, or any other form that can manage information related to reservation registration.Therefore, after the reservation processing has been performed, for example, if the person wishes to change the reservation, this device 10F can process the reservation change based on the information regarding the person's wish to change the reservation.The management of reservation registration information related to reservation changes and cancellations, which has been added in this embodiment, will be described below.

[0064] The update information receiving unit 18A acquires update information that includes at least one of the changes or cancellations of application information by the target person (S8A, update information receiving process). For example, if the target person wishes to change their reservation, they can apply for a reservation change by telephone, just as they would for a new reservation. Reservation changes are not limited to changes in the date and time of the reservation; for example, they may change only the time slot, change the contact telephone number, change the person who will receive the return call, or any other change related to the reservation registration. The target person can also cancel the reservation itself. The method of contact by the target person for reservation changes, etc., is not limited to telephone; for example, they may choose to do so via the web.

[0065] The update processing unit 18B performs update processing for the reservation registration based on the update information (S8B, update processing step). This update processing is performed, for example, by registering information related to the reservation change in an external database that manages reservations. This update processing may also involve, for example, notifying the person in charge of returning phone calls. The description of the update processing is the same as the description of the reservation processing in Embodiment 1, so that description can be used by reference.

[0066] According to this embodiment, the user can change or cancel their reservation. This allows for efficient handling of return phone calls.

[0067] [Embodiment 7] Embodiment 7 is another example of the callback reservation support device according to the present disclosure. The callback reservation support device of this embodiment is capable of displaying the reservation status.

[0068] Hereinafter, an example of the configuration of the callback reservation support device 10G (hereinafter also referred to as "this device 10G") in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 16. Figure 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of this device 10G. As shown in Figure 16, this device 10G includes, for example, a reservation status display unit 19 in addition to the configuration of this device 10 described in Embodiment 1 (application information acquisition unit 11, reservation-related information generation unit 12, and reservation processing unit 13). In this device 10G, the configuration other than including, for example, a reservation status display unit 19 is the same as described in Embodiment 1, and that description can be used by reference. Furthermore, the hardware configuration of this device 10G is the same as that of this device 10 in Embodiment 1, except that the central processing unit 101 functions as, for example, a reservation status display unit 19, so that description can be used by reference.

[0069] Next, an example of the callback reservation support method in this disclosure will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 17. The callback reservation support method in this disclosure is implemented, for example, using the device 10G shown in Figure 16, as follows. Note that the callback reservation support method in this disclosure is not limited to the use of the device 10G shown in Figure 16.

[0070] Each step from the application information acquisition step (S1) to the reservation processing step (S3) in this embodiment is the same as the steps described in other embodiments, so those descriptions can be applied. The display of reservation information will be described below.

[0071] The reservation status display unit 19 displays information regarding the reservation status (S9, reservation status display step). The display of the reservation status may be, for example, a list of reservation statuses. Figure 18 is a reference diagram showing an example of searching for reservation information. Figure 18(A) is an example of a reservation status search screen. In this way, the reservation search screen may be set up to allow searching by specifying, for example, the service content category, the corresponding location category, the reservation status category, the date and time range to be searched, as shown in Figure 18. By setting it up in this way, stakeholders can specify the range of information they want to search and perform searches efficiently. Note that the search screen is not limited to this and may be freely set up according to the purpose. Figure 18(B) is a reference diagram showing an example of search results from the search in Figure 18(A). As shown in Figure 18, the screen showing the search results may, for example, display the specific details of each reservation in a list format within the range that matches the conditions. Note that the search results screen may be, for example, printable. In this way, stakeholders can check the individual reservation status by displaying the reservation status information. Furthermore, the displayed information is not limited to the examples given above. For example, it may display the reservation rate for each time slot over a certain period, as shown in Figure 19. Any display method is acceptable as long as it allows users to check the reservation status. This allows stakeholders to not only check individual reservation details but also to grasp trends in the reservation status, and to consider setting reservation registration settings, such as setting available reservation slots.

[0072] According to this embodiment, the person responsible for making return calls can appropriately grasp the reservation status. This enables the person responsible to reliably handle return calls and to consider setting up a reservation method that is tailored to the actual situation.

[0073] [Embodiment 8] The program in this disclosure is a program that causes a computer to execute each step of the aforementioned callback reservation support method. Specifically, the program in this disclosure is a program that causes a computer to execute, for example, an application information acquisition procedure, a reservation-related information generation procedure, and a reservation processing procedure.

[0074] The above procedure for obtaining application information involves obtaining application information, The aforementioned application information includes information regarding the preferred date and time for a return call to the applicant, The aforementioned reservation-related information generation procedure generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The aforementioned reservation processing procedure performs reservation registration processing based on the aforementioned reservation-related information.

[0075] Furthermore, the program in this disclosure can also be described as a program that causes a computer to function, for example, as a procedure for obtaining application information, a procedure for generating reservation-related information, and a procedure for processing reservations.

[0076] The program in this disclosure can be based on the descriptions in the aforementioned return reservation support device and return reservation support method. In each of the aforementioned procedures, for example, "procedure" can be read as "process." The program of this embodiment may also be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, for example. The recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited and includes, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk (HD), flash memory (e.g., SSD (Solid State Drive), USB flash memory, SD / SDHC card, etc.), optical disc (e.g., CD-R / CD-RW, DVD-R / DVD-RW, BD-R / BD-RE, etc.), magneto-optical disk (MO), floppy disk (FD), etc. The program of this embodiment (for example, also called a programming product or program product) may also be delivered, for example, from an external computer. The aforementioned "distribution" may be, for example, distribution via a communication network, or distribution via a wired connected device. The program of this embodiment may be installed and executed on the distributed device, or it may be executed without being installed.

[0077] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure are possible, as can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0078] <Note> Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: (Note 1) This includes an application information acquisition unit, a reservation-related information generation unit, and a reservation processing unit. The aforementioned application information acquisition unit acquires application information, The aforementioned application information includes information regarding the preferred date and time for a return call to the applicant, The aforementioned reservation-related information generation unit generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The reservation processing unit performs reservation registration processing based on the reservation-related information. Callback reservation support device. (Note 2) Furthermore, including the reservation status confirmation section, The aforementioned reservation status confirmation unit confirms the reservation status, The aforementioned reservation-related information generation unit generates reservation-related information according to the reservation status. The callback reservation support device described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) Furthermore, it includes a speech synthesis unit and a speech output unit, The speech synthesis unit uses speech synthesis processing to convert the reservation-related information into speech information and generate response speech information. The aforementioned audio output unit reads out the response audio information. The callback reservation support device described in Appendix 1 or 2. (Note 4) Furthermore, it includes a call information acquisition unit, an inquiry information generation unit, and an inquiry information output unit. The aforementioned call information acquisition unit records call information, including the content of inquiries based on telephone calls from the target person, and acquires call audio information. The aforementioned inquiry information generation unit converts the call audio information into text information and generates inquiry information. The aforementioned inquiry information output unit outputs the aforementioned inquiry information. A callback reservation support device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 3. (Note 5) Furthermore, including the reservation information notification section, The aforementioned reservation information notification unit notifies the target person of information regarding the reservation result. A callback reservation support device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 4. (Note 6) Furthermore, including the update information receiving unit and the update processing unit, The aforementioned update information receiving unit acquires update information that includes at least one of the changes and cancellations of the application information by the subject, The update processing unit performs the reservation registration update process based on the update information. A callback reservation support device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 5. (Note 7) Furthermore, including the reservation status display section, The aforementioned reservation status display unit displays information regarding the reservation status. A callback reservation support device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 6. (Note 8) The application information acquisition unit acquires the application information based on at least one of the application received by the applicant via telephone or via the website. A callback reservation support device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 7. (Note 9) This includes the application information acquisition process, the reservation-related information generation process, and the reservation processing process. The aforementioned application information acquisition process acquires application information, The aforementioned application information includes information regarding the preferred date and time for a return call to the applicant, The aforementioned reservation-related information generation process generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The aforementioned reservation processing step performs reservation registration processing based on the reservation-related information, Each step is performed by a computer. How to support return bookings. (Note 10) Furthermore, including the reservation status confirmation process, The aforementioned reservation status confirmation process involves confirming the reservation status, The aforementioned reservation-related information generation process generates reservation-related information according to the reservation status, The return reservation support method described in Appendix 9. (Note 11) Furthermore, it includes a speech synthesis process and a speech output process, The aforementioned speech synthesis process uses speech synthesis processing to convert the reservation-related information into speech information and generate response speech information. The aforementioned audio output step reads out the response audio information, The return reservation support method described in Appendix 9 or 10. (Note 12) Furthermore, it includes a call information acquisition process, an inquiry information generation process, and an inquiry information output process. The aforementioned call information acquisition process involves recording call information, including the content of inquiries based on telephone calls from the target person, and acquiring call audio information. The aforementioned inquiry information generation process converts the call audio information into text information and generates inquiry information. The aforementioned query information output step outputs the query information, The callback reservation support method described in any of the appendices 9 to 11. (Note 13) Furthermore, including the reservation information notification process, The aforementioned reservation information notification process involves notifying the target person of information regarding the reservation result, The callback reservation support method described in any of the appendices 9 to 12. (Note 14) Furthermore, including the update information reception process and the update processing process, The aforementioned update information receiving process acquires update information that includes at least one of the changes and cancellations of the application information by the target person. The update process performs the reservation registration update process based on the update information. The callback reservation support method described in any of the appendices 9 to 13. (Note 15) Furthermore, including the reservation status display process, The aforementioned reservation status display step displays information regarding the reservation status, The callback reservation support method described in any of the appendices 9 to 14. (Note 16) The application information acquisition process involves acquiring the application information based on at least one of the application received by the applicant via telephone or through a website. The callback reservation support method described in any of the appendices 9 to 15. (Note 17) This includes procedures for obtaining application information, generating reservation-related information, and processing reservations. The above procedure for obtaining application information involves obtaining application information, The aforementioned application information includes information regarding the preferred date and time for a return call to the applicant, The aforementioned reservation-related information generation procedure generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The aforementioned reservation processing procedure performs reservation registration processing based on the aforementioned reservation-related information, A program that instructs a computer to perform each step. (Note 18) Furthermore, including the procedure for checking the reservation status, The aforementioned reservation status confirmation procedure involves checking the reservation status, The reservation-related information generation procedure is the program described in Appendix 17, which generates reservation-related information according to the reservation status. (Note 19) Furthermore, it includes a speech synthesis procedure and a speech output procedure, The aforementioned speech synthesis procedure uses speech synthesis processing to convert the reservation-related information into speech information and generate response speech information. The aforementioned voice output procedure is a program described in Appendix 17 or 18 that reads out the response voice information. (Note 20) Furthermore, it includes a procedure for acquiring call information, a procedure for generating inquiry information, and a procedure for outputting inquiry information. The aforementioned call information acquisition procedure involves recording call information, including the content of inquiries based on a phone call from the target person, and acquiring call audio information. The aforementioned inquiry information generation procedure involves converting the call audio information into text information and generating inquiry information. The query information output procedure is a program described in any of the appendices 17 to 19 that outputs the query information. (Note 21) Furthermore, including the reservation information notification procedure, The aforementioned reservation information notification procedure is a program described in any of the appendices 17 to 20 that notifies the target person of information regarding the reservation result. (Note 22) Furthermore, it includes the procedure for receiving update information and the procedure for processing updates. The aforementioned update information reception procedure obtains update information that includes at least one of the changes and cancellations of the application information by the target person, The update processing procedure is a program described in any of the appendices 17 to 21 that performs update processing of the reservation registration based on the update information. (Note 23) Furthermore, including the procedure for displaying the reservation status, The aforementioned reservation status display procedure is a program described in any of the appendices 17 to 22 that displays information regarding the reservation status. (Note 24) The procedure for obtaining the application information is a program described in any of Appendix 17 to 23, which obtains the application information based on at least one of the application received by the applicant by telephone or via the website. (Note 25) This includes procedures for obtaining application information, generating reservation-related information, and processing reservations. The above procedure for obtaining application information involves obtaining application information, The aforementioned application information includes information regarding the preferred date and time for a return call to the applicant, The aforementioned reservation-related information generation procedure generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The aforementioned reservation processing procedure performs reservation registration processing based on the aforementioned reservation-related information, A computer-readable recording medium containing a program that causes a computer to perform each of the aforementioned steps. (Note 26) Furthermore, including the procedure for checking the reservation status, The aforementioned reservation status confirmation procedure involves checking the reservation status, The reservation-related information generation procedure is a recording medium described in Appendix 25 that generates reservation-related information according to the reservation status. (Note 27) Furthermore, it includes a speech synthesis procedure and a speech output procedure, The aforementioned speech synthesis procedure uses speech synthesis processing to convert the reservation-related information into speech information and generate response speech information. The aforementioned audio output procedure involves a recording medium described in Appendix 25 or 26, which reads out the response audio information. (Note 28) Furthermore, it includes a procedure for acquiring call information, a procedure for generating inquiry information, and a procedure for outputting inquiry information. The aforementioned call information acquisition procedure involves recording call information, including the content of inquiries based on a phone call from the target person, and acquiring call audio information. The aforementioned inquiry information generation procedure involves converting the call audio information into text information and generating inquiry information. The query information output procedure is a recording medium described in any of appendices 25 to 27 that outputs the query information. (Note 29) Furthermore, including the reservation information notification procedure, The aforementioned reservation information notification procedure is a recording medium described in any of the appendices 25 to 28, which notifies the target person of information regarding the reservation result. (Note 30) Furthermore, it includes the procedure for receiving update information and the procedure for processing updates. The aforementioned update information reception procedure obtains update information that includes at least one of the changes and cancellations of the application information by the target person, The aforementioned update processing procedure performs the update processing of the reservation registration based on the aforementioned update information, using the recording medium described in any of the appendices 25 to 29. (Note 31) Furthermore, including the procedure for displaying the reservation status, The aforementioned reservation status display procedure uses a recording medium described in 30 of any of the appendices 25 to 25 to display information regarding the reservation status. (Note 32) The procedure for obtaining the application information described above involves obtaining the application information based on at least one of the application received by telephone from the applicant or from the website, using the recording medium described in any of the appendices 25 to 31. [Industrial applicability]

[0079] According to this disclosure, it is possible to promptly process reservations based on phone calls from the target individuals. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the situation where target individuals are kept waiting on the phone. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 10, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G Return reservation support device 11. Application Information Acquisition Department 12. Reservation-related information generation unit 13 Reservation Processing 14. Reservation Status Confirmation Department 15A Speech Synthesis Unit 15B Audio Output Section 16A Call information acquisition section 16B Inquiry Information Generation Unit 16C Inquiry Information Output Unit 17 Reservation Information Notification Department 18A Update Information Reception Department 18B Update Processing Unit 19. Reservation status display section 101 Central Processing Unit 102 memory 103 Bus 104 Storage device 105 Input device 106 Output device 107 Communication devices

Claims

1. This includes an application information acquisition unit, a reservation-related information generation unit, and a reservation processing unit. The aforementioned application information acquisition unit acquires application information, The aforementioned application information includes information regarding the preferred date and time for a follow-up call. The aforementioned reservation-related information generation unit generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The reservation processing unit performs reservation registration processing based on the reservation-related information. Callback reservation support device.

2. Furthermore, including the reservation status confirmation section, The aforementioned reservation status confirmation unit confirms the reservation status, The aforementioned reservation-related information generation unit generates reservation-related information according to the reservation status. The callback reservation support device according to claim 1.

3. Furthermore, it includes a speech synthesis unit and a speech output unit, The speech synthesis unit uses speech synthesis processing to convert the reservation-related information into speech information and generate response speech information. The aforementioned audio output unit reads out the response audio information. The callback reservation support device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Furthermore, it includes a call information acquisition unit, an inquiry information generation unit, and an inquiry information output unit. The aforementioned call information acquisition unit records call information, including the content of inquiries based on telephone calls from customers, and acquires call audio information. The aforementioned inquiry information generation unit converts the call audio information into text information and generates inquiry information. The aforementioned inquiry information output unit outputs the aforementioned inquiry information. The callback reservation support device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. Furthermore, including the reservation information notification section, The aforementioned reservation information notification unit notifies the customer of information regarding the reservation result. The callback reservation support device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. Furthermore, including the update information receiving unit and the update processing unit, The update information receiving unit acquires update information that includes at least one of the changes and cancellations of the application information by the customer. The update processing unit performs the reservation registration update process based on the update information. The callback reservation support device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. Furthermore, including the reservation status display section, The aforementioned reservation status display unit displays information regarding the reservation status. The callback reservation support device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The application information acquisition unit acquires the application information based on at least one of the customer's telephone application and the application from the website. The callback reservation support device according to claim 1 or 2.

9. This includes the application information acquisition process, the reservation-related information generation process, and the reservation processing process. The aforementioned application information acquisition process acquires application information, The aforementioned application information includes information regarding the preferred date and time for a follow-up call. The aforementioned reservation-related information generation process generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The aforementioned reservation processing step performs reservation registration processing based on the reservation-related information, Each step is performed by a computer. How to support return bookings.

10. This includes procedures for obtaining application information, generating reservation-related information, and processing reservations. The above procedure for obtaining application information involves obtaining application information, The aforementioned application information includes information regarding the preferred date and time for a follow-up call. The aforementioned reservation-related information generation procedure generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The aforementioned reservation processing procedure performs reservation registration processing based on the aforementioned reservation-related information, A program that instructs a computer to perform each step.

11. Furthermore, including the procedure for checking the reservation status, The aforementioned reservation status confirmation procedure involves checking the reservation status, The aforementioned reservation-related information generation procedure generates reservation-related information according to the reservation status, The program according to claim 10 for causing a computer to perform each of the above steps.

12. Furthermore, it includes a speech synthesis procedure and a speech output procedure, The aforementioned speech synthesis procedure uses speech synthesis processing to convert the reservation-related information into speech information and generate response speech information. The aforementioned voice output procedure reads out the response voice information, A program according to claim 10 or 11 for causing a computer to perform each of the above steps.

13. Furthermore, it includes a procedure for acquiring call information, a procedure for generating inquiry information, and a procedure for outputting inquiry information. The aforementioned call information acquisition procedure involves recording call information, including the content of inquiries based on customer phone calls, to acquire call audio information. The aforementioned inquiry information generation procedure involves converting the call audio information into text information and generating inquiry information. The above query information output procedure outputs the query information, A program according to claim 10 or 11 for causing a computer to perform each of the above steps.

14. Furthermore, including the reservation information notification procedure, The aforementioned reservation information notification procedure notifies the customer of information regarding the reservation result, A program according to claim 10 or 11 for causing a computer to perform each of the above steps.

15. Furthermore, it includes the procedure for receiving update information and the procedure for processing updates. The aforementioned update information reception procedure obtains update information that includes at least one of the changes and cancellations of the application information by the customer. The aforementioned update processing procedure performs the reservation registration update process based on the update information, A program according to claim 10 or 11 for causing a computer to perform each of the above steps.

16. Furthermore, including the procedure for displaying the reservation status, The aforementioned reservation status display procedure displays information regarding the reservation status. A program according to claim 10 or 11 for causing a computer to perform each of the above steps.

17. The procedure for obtaining the application information described above obtains the application information based on at least one of the customer's telephone application and the application from the website. A program according to claim 10 or 11 for causing a computer to perform each of the above steps.

18. This includes procedures for obtaining application information, generating reservation-related information, and processing reservations. The above procedure for obtaining application information involves obtaining application information, The aforementioned application information includes information regarding the preferred date and time for a follow-up call. The aforementioned reservation-related information generation procedure generates reservation-related information based on the application information, The aforementioned reservation processing procedure performs reservation registration processing based on the aforementioned reservation-related information, A computer-readable recording medium containing a program that causes a computer to perform each of the aforementioned steps.

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