Automatic callback method and system

Abstract

An automatic callback method and system are provided. The automatic callback method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a method performed by a computing system, and may comprise the steps of: receiving an inbound call from a customer terminal; in response to the inbound call, calculating an estimated wait time required to connect an agent, and transmitting the calculated estimated wait time to the customer terminal; receiving, from the customer terminal, a callback reservation in which callback is performed at a time point at which the estimated wait time has elapsed; and in response to the callback reservation, automatically performing a callback at the time point at which the estimated wait time has elapsed.

Description

Automatic callback method and system thereof

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an automatic callback method and system thereof. More specifically, it relates to an automatic callback method and system thereof that can effectively utilize consulting resources.

[0002] Due to the nature of the current callback system, when a callback call is assigned to a counselor's terminal in response to a customer's request for consultation, the counselor must accept the callback call and directly connect the call to the customer's terminal.

[0003] However, according to the current callback system, when a counselor accepts a callback call and directly connects the call to the customer terminal, the dialing time required to connect the call is found to be more than 15.1 seconds on average.

[0004] Current callback systems inevitably waste unnecessary resources due to the time required for dialing.

[0005] A technical problem to be solved in some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an automatic callback method and system that ensures reliability by allowing a customer to receive consultation at a time instructed when requesting consultation.

[0006] Another technical problem to be solved in some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an automatic callback method and system that can effectively utilize counselor-related human resources in response to a customer's consultation request.

[0007] The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art of the present disclosure from the description below.

[0008] An automatic callback method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure for solving the above technical problem may include a method performed by a computing system, the method comprising: receiving an inbound call from a customer terminal; calculating an estimated wait time required to connect to a counselor in response to the inbound call, and transmitting the calculated estimated wait time to the customer terminal; receiving a callback reservation from the customer terminal for performing a callback when the estimated wait time has elapsed; and automatically performing a callback when the estimated wait time has elapsed in response to the callback reservation.

[0009] In one embodiment, the step of receiving the callback reservation may include the step of automatically terminating the inbound call upon receiving the callback reservation.

[0010] In one embodiment, the step of receiving the callback reservation may include the step of transmitting information regarding the received callback reservation to an administrator terminal.

[0011] In one embodiment, the step of receiving the inbound call includes the step of adding the inbound call to a first waiting queue, which is a call queue, and the step of receiving the callback reservation includes the step of adding the callback reservation to a second waiting queue, which is a callback queue, wherein the second waiting queue may be managed by an administrator terminal.

[0012] In one embodiment, the step of automatically performing a callback may include a step of receiving, from the customer terminal receiving the callback, selection input information regarding whether to connect to a counselor as a first option or whether to end the consultation as a second option.

[0013] In one embodiment, the step of receiving the inbound call may further include the step of adding the inbound call to a first waiting queue, which is a call queue, and, if the selection input information is the first selection, the step of assigning a priority to the callback; and the step of adding the callback to which the priority is assigned to the first waiting queue.

[0014] In one embodiment, the method may further include a step of automatically terminating the callback when the selection input information is the second selection.

[0015] Another embodiment of the present disclosure for solving the above technical problem may include an automatic callback method, which is performed by a computing system, comprising: receiving an inbound call from a customer terminal; determining a schedule in which a counselor can be connected in response to the inbound call, and transmitting the determined schedule to the customer terminal; receiving a callback request including a callback request time from the customer terminal, wherein the callback request time is a time included in the schedule; and automatically performing a callback to the customer terminal when the callback request time arrives in response to the callback request.

[0016] In one embodiment, the step of receiving the callback request may include the step of automatically terminating the inbound call upon receiving the callback request.

[0017] In one embodiment, the step of receiving the callback request may include the step of transmitting information about the received callback request to the administrator terminal.

[0018] In one embodiment, the step of receiving the inbound call includes the step of adding the inbound call to a first waiting queue, which is a call queue, and the step of receiving the callback request includes the step of adding the callback request to a second waiting queue, which is a callback queue, wherein the second waiting queue may be managed by an administrator terminal.

[0019] In one embodiment, the step of automatically performing a callback may include a step of receiving, from the customer terminal receiving the callback, selection input information regarding whether to connect to a counselor as a first option or whether to end the consultation as a second option.

[0020] In one embodiment, the step of receiving the inbound call may further include the step of adding the inbound call to a first waiting queue, which is a call queue, and, if the selection input information is the first selection, the step of assigning a priority to the callback; and the step of adding the callback assigned the priority to the first waiting queue.

[0021] In one embodiment, the method may further include a step of automatically terminating the callback when the selection input information is the second selection.

[0022] Another embodiment of the present disclosure for solving the above technical problem includes an automatic callback system comprising: a communication interface; a memory in which a computer program is loaded; and one or more processors in which the computer program is executed, wherein the computer program may include instructions for performing the following operations: receiving an inbound call from a customer terminal; calculating an estimated wait time required to connect to a counselor in response to the inbound call and transmitting the calculated estimated wait time to the customer terminal; receiving a callback reservation from the customer terminal in which a callback is performed when the estimated wait time has elapsed; and automatically performing a callback when the estimated wait time has elapsed in response to the callback reservation.

[0023] Another embodiment of the present disclosure for solving the above technical problem includes an automatic callback system, comprising: a communication interface; a memory in which a computer program is loaded; and one or more processors in which the computer program is executed, wherein the computer program includes instructions for performing the following operations: receiving an inbound call from a customer terminal; determining a schedule in which a counselor can be connected in response to the inbound call and transmitting the determined schedule to the customer terminal; receiving a callback request including a callback request time from the customer terminal, wherein the callback request time is a time included in the schedule; and performing an operation in response to the callback request, automatically performing a callback to the customer terminal when the callback request time arrives.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a customer can receive assistance in resolving issues encountered while using the service by receiving a callback call after the expected waiting time (i.e., the scheduled time) has elapsed, as instructed by the server (10). Therefore, the user experience of the service user can be enhanced.

[0025] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the server (10) can automatically terminate inbound calls based on a customer's callback reservation, thereby effectively reducing the number of inbound calls received from multiple customer terminals (20). Therefore, some embodiments of the present disclosure have the advantage of resolving problems such as customer service delays, service quality degradation, and system overload caused by a large number of inbound calls.

[0026] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the administrator terminal (40) has the advantage of receiving information regarding a callback reservation including an expected waiting time transmitted to the customer terminal (20), and adjusting the number of idle counselors according to the received information, thereby assigning a counselor to the customer at a time when the expected waiting time has elapsed.

[0027] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, by managing a first waiting queue for inbound calls and a second waiting queue for callback reservations separately, administrators can easily monitor the status of callback reservations and take necessary system-wide actions to more quickly connect customers with callback reservations with a counselor. Therefore, some embodiments of the present disclosure have the advantage of maximizing the user experience for service users.

[0028] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, if a customer still desires to connect with a counselor after receiving a callback, they can receive counseling services more quickly than if they were to wait to be connected to a counselor on an inbound call. Therefore, some embodiments of the present disclosure can maximize customer satisfaction with the counseling service.

[0029] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the expected waiting time informed to the customer has elapsed and the customer receives a callback from the server (10), if the customer's desired problem has been resolved through consultation with a counselor, unnecessary service consultation calls can be prevented. Therefore, some embodiments of the present disclosure have the effect of effectively utilizing consultation-related resources. Furthermore, some embodiments of the present disclosure have the advantage of maximizing the user experience by providing consultation services according to the needs of consultation service users.

[0030] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, customers can receive guidance on a smooth connection schedule with a counselor and receive a callback call at the requested callback time within the schedule, thereby receiving assistance in resolving issues that arise during service use. This has the advantage of effectively enhancing the user experience and trust in the service.

[0031] The effects according to the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0032] Figure 1 is an example diagram to explain the problems of the existing callback system.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram for explaining the configuration and operation of a callback system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an automatic callback method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic callback method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are detailed flowcharts for explaining some operations of the automatic callback method described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an automatic callback method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 8 is a hardware configuration diagram of a computing device described in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the attached drawings. However, the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and may be implemented in various different forms. The following embodiments are provided only to complete the technical spirit of the present invention and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the present invention of the scope of the present invention, and the technical spirit of the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims.

[0040] In describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0041] Unless otherwise defined, the terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the following examples may be used with meanings commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains; however, this may vary depending on the intentions of engineers working in the relevant field, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0042] In the following examples, singular expressions include plural concepts unless the context clearly specifies that they are singular. Furthermore, plural expressions include singular concepts unless the context clearly specifies that they are plural.

[0043] In addition, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. used in the following embodiments are only used to distinguish certain components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms.

[0044] Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0045] Below, the problems of the existing callback system are explained with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the problems of the existing callback system.

[0046] Figure 1 sequentially illustrates a series of processes in which a counselor makes a callback to a customer terminal through a counselor terminal when a customer requests a consultation with a counselor, through a first screen (100), a second screen (200), a third screen (300), and a fourth screen (400).

[0047] First, when a customer requests a consultation with a counselor, a callback call is assigned to a specific counselor, and a notification is displayed on the counselor's terminal. Referring to screen 1 (100), the counselor assigned the callback call can accept the callback call by clicking the Accept button (110) displayed on the counselor's terminal. The counselor can accept the callback call by clicking the Accept button (110) within 30 seconds.

[0048] Next, referring to the second screen (200), the counselor can make a call to the customer's terminal by clicking the call button (210) displayed on the counselor terminal.

[0049] Thereafter, referring to the third screen (300), when the counselor clicks the call button (210), the customer's terminal may be put into a dialing state (310) in which a call is being connected.

[0050] Thereafter, referring to the fourth screen (400), the callback call attempted by the counselor can be connected by accepting the connection of the call received from the counselor terminal by the customer (410).

[0051] In the existing callback system, when a callback call is assigned to a counselor's terminal in response to a customer's request for consultation, the counselor must accept the callback call and directly connect the call to the customer's terminal.

[0052] However, according to the existing callback system, when the counselor accepts the callback call and directly connects the call to the customer's terminal, if the callback call is connected by the customer accepting the callback call attempted by the counselor, the dialing time required to connect the callback call was found to be 15.1 seconds on average. Furthermore, in this case, if the customer does not accept the callback call attempted by the counselor and the callback call is not connected, the dialing time required to attempt to connect the callback call was found to be 46.6 seconds on average.

[0053] Therefore, due to the characteristics of the existing callback system, there is a problem in that the average handling time for a counselor's callback call increases, which unnecessarily wastes human resources related to customer consultation and system resources for maintaining the existing callback system.

[0054] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7, an automatic callback method and system according to the present disclosure for solving the problem described in FIG. 1 will be described.

[0055] First, referring to FIG. 2, the configuration and operation of a callback system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram for explaining the configuration and operation of a callback system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 2, the callback system may be configured to include a callback management server (10), a customer terminal (20), a counselor terminal (30), and an administrator terminal (40). However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some cases, the callback system may be configured to further include modules / devices / systems not illustrated in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the callback system may be configured to exclude at least some of the components (10 to 40) illustrated in FIG. 2. In addition, it should be noted that there may be multiple customer terminals (20) and counselor terminals (30).

[0057] Hereinafter, for convenience of understanding, the callback management server (10) may be abbreviated as ‘management server’ or ‘server’.

[0058] The server (10) can receive an inbound call from a customer terminal (20). An inbound call refers to a call from a customer or other user. In response to the inbound call, the server (10) can calculate an estimated wait time (EWT) required to connect to a counselor. When the server (10) receives a callback reservation from the customer terminal (20) for a callback to be performed when the estimated wait time has elapsed, the server (10) can automatically perform a callback to the customer terminal (20) when the estimated wait time has elapsed.

[0059] In addition, the server (10) can receive an inbound call from a customer terminal (20). In response to the inbound call, the server (10) can determine a schedule in which a counselor connection is possible and transmit the determined schedule to the customer terminal (20). When the server (10) receives a callback request including a callback request time from the customer terminal (20), the server (10) can automatically perform a callback to the customer terminal (20) when the callback request time arrives.

[0060] The server (10) may automatically perform a callback and then automatically terminate the callback or assign the callback to a counselor terminal (30) based on the selection input information received from the customer terminal (20). When the callback is assigned to the counselor terminal (30), the customer is connected to a call with a counselor, thereby allowing the customer to resolve their inquiry.

[0061] The administrator terminal (40) may be a terminal that manages callback reservations and callback requests received by the server (10) from the customer terminal (20), and manages counselor-related resources required for customer consultation when performing a callback according to the callback reservations and callback requests. The administrator terminal (20) may notify the service manager of the callback reservation status and callback request status at a specific point in time, and manage and control counselor-related resources required for consultation.

[0062] Meanwhile, the administrator terminal (40) can receive information regarding the callback reservation from the server (10). The information regarding the callback reservation can include various information such as the expected waiting time transmitted to the customer terminal (20), the phone number of the customer terminal (20), the ID of the customer, and the inquiry. That is, the administrator terminal (40) can receive the information regarding the callback reservation including the expected waiting time transmitted to the customer terminal (20), and adjust the number of idle counselors according to the received information, thereby assigning counselors to the customer at the time when the expected waiting time has elapsed.

[0063] In addition, the administrator terminal (40) can receive information regarding the callback request from the server (10). The information regarding the callback request can include various information such as the callback request time received from the customer terminal (20), the phone number of the customer terminal (20), the ID of the customer, and the inquiry. That is, the administrator terminal (40) receives information regarding the callback request including the callback request time received from the customer terminal (20), and adjusts the number of idle counselors according to the received information, thereby assigning counselors to the customer at the time when the callback request time arrives.

[0064] For ease of understanding, the following description assumes that all steps / operations of the methods described below are performed on the aforementioned server (10). Therefore, if the subject of a specific step / operation is omitted, it can be understood that it is performed on the server (10). However, in an actual environment, some steps / operations of the methods described below may be performed on other computing devices.

[0065] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 3, the operation of an automatic callback method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically described. FIG. 3 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an automatic callback method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 3, a customer terminal (20) can make a call to a customer center. In this case, the server (10) can receive an inbound call from the customer terminal (20) (S30). Thereafter, the server (10) can calculate the expected waiting time required to connect to a counselor (S31). Upon receiving the inbound call from the customer terminal (20), the server (10) can calculate the expected waiting time by using the number of idle counselors, the number of customers waiting to be connected to a counselor, and the average waiting time for customers to be connected to a counselor.

[0067] In all the embodiments below, an inbound call is received from a customer terminal (20), but it is explained on the assumption that there is no idle counselor available to be assigned to the customer of the customer terminal (20) at the time of receiving the inbound call.

[0068] Thereafter, the server (10) can transmit the expected waiting time to the customer terminal (20) (S32). Upon receiving the expected waiting time, the customer terminal (20) can guide the customer to select either a counselor waiting connection or a callback reservation. A counselor waiting connection may mean that the customer continues to wait on an inbound call and attempts to connect to a counselor. On the other hand, a callback reservation may mean that the customer reserves to receive a callback from the server (10) after the expected waiting time, and the inbound call is terminated. The customer terminal (20) can guide the customer to select either a counselor waiting connection or a callback reservation in various ways. For example, the customer terminal (20) can guide the customer to select either a counselor waiting connection (number 0) or a callback reservation (number 1) as shown in the first guidance text below.

[0069] [Information text 1]

[0070] "We're sorry, all our agents are currently busy. The expected wait time is 10 minutes. Please wait. To remain on the line and be connected to an agent (Agent Waiting), press 0. To schedule a call (Ask a Callback), press 1."

[0071] If the customer selects 'Connect to a counselor on standby', the customer terminal (20) receives a counselor on standby connection (S33) and can maintain the inbound call with the customer center without disconnecting until a counselor is connected. On the other hand, if the customer selects 'Reserve a callback', the customer terminal (20) receives a callback reservation (S33) and can transmit the callback reservation to the server (10) (S34).

[0072] When the server (10) receives a callback reservation from a customer terminal (20), it can automatically terminate the inbound call (S35). By automatically terminating the inbound call, the server (10) can effectively reduce the number of inbound calls received from multiple customer terminals (20). Therefore, this has the advantage of resolving problems such as customer service delays, service quality degradation, and system overload caused by a large number of inbound calls.

[0073] Thereafter, the server (10) can transmit information regarding a callback reservation to the administrator terminal (40) (S36). The information regarding the callback reservation may include various information such as the expected waiting time transmitted to the customer terminal (20), the phone number of the customer terminal (20), the ID of the customer, and the inquiry. That is, the administrator terminal (40) receives the information regarding the callback reservation including the expected waiting time transmitted to the customer terminal (20), and adjusts the number of idle counselors according to the received information, thereby assigning counselors to the customer at the time when the expected waiting time has elapsed.

[0074] In addition, the server (10) can automatically perform a callback when the expected waiting time has elapsed in response to a callback reservation received from the customer terminal (20) (S37).

[0075] When the customer terminal (20) receives a callback from the server (10), it may guide the customer to select optional input information regarding whether to connect to a counselor or whether to end the consultation. Optional input information regarding whether to connect to a counselor may be optional input information that the customer may select when the problem the customer seeks to solve through consultation with the counselor is still not resolved even after the expected waiting time has elapsed. On the other hand, optional input information regarding whether to end the consultation may be optional input information that the customer may select when the problem the customer seeks to solve through consultation with the counselor has been resolved at the time the expected waiting time has elapsed and the customer receives a callback from the server (10).

[0076] The customer terminal (20) can guide the customer to select one of the above-mentioned optional input information in various ways. For example, the customer terminal (20) can provide guidance as in the second guidance text below, and the customer can select either optional input information regarding connection to a counselor (No. 1) or optional input information regarding termination of consultation (No. 2).

[0077] [Second guidance text]

[0078] "Hello, this is Customer Service. We'd like to connect you to the consultation call you've scheduled. If you'd like to speak to a counselor now, please press 1. If you'd like to end the call, please press 2."

[0079] When a customer selects optional input information regarding 'connection to a counselor', the customer terminal (20) can receive the optional input information (S38) and transmit the optional input information to the server (10) (S39). Thereafter, the server (10) can assign the callback to the counselor terminal (30) (S40), and a callback call can be connected between the customer of the customer terminal (20) and the counselor of the counselor terminal (30) (S41).

[0080] On the other hand, if the customer selects optional input information regarding 'end of consultation', the customer terminal (20) can receive the optional input information (S38) and transmit the optional input information to the server (10). Thereafter, the server (10) can transmit the third guidance text below to the customer terminal (20), and the customer terminal (20) can send out the third guidance text.

[0081] [Third Guidance Text]

[0082] "Thank you for using our service."

[0083] Afterwards, the server (10) can automatically terminate the callback.

[0084] Hereinafter, an automatic callback method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic callback method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 4, the server (10) can receive an inbound call from a customer terminal (20) (S100).

[0086] Thereafter, the server (10) may respond to the inbound call, calculate the estimated waiting time (EWT) required to connect to a counselor, and transmit the estimated waiting time to the customer terminal (20) (S200). The server (10) may transmit the estimated waiting time to the customer terminal (20), and the customer terminal (20) may inform the customer of the estimated waiting time, thereby allowing the customer to check the estimated waiting time and select either a counselor waiting connection or a callback reservation.

[0087] Thereafter, the server (10) may receive a callback reservation from the customer terminal (20) for a callback to be performed when the expected waiting time has elapsed (S300). A callback reservation may mean that the customer reserves the right to receive a callback from the server (10) after the expected waiting time, and the inbound call is terminated.

[0088] Thereafter, the server (10) can automatically perform a callback to the customer terminal (20) when the expected waiting time has elapsed in response to a callback reservation received from the customer terminal (20) (S400).

[0089] According to the above embodiment, the customer can receive assistance in resolving issues that arise during service use by receiving a callback call after the expected waiting time (i.e., the scheduled time) has elapsed, as instructed by the server (10). Therefore, the user experience of the service user can be enhanced.

[0090] Meanwhile, in one embodiment, when the server (10) receives a callback reservation from the customer terminal (20), it can automatically terminate the inbound call received from the customer terminal (20). That is, when the customer makes a callback reservation, the server (10) can automatically terminate the inbound call received from the customer terminal (20).

[0091] According to the above embodiment, the server (10) automatically terminates inbound calls based on a customer's callback reservation, thereby effectively reducing the number of inbound calls received from multiple customer terminals (20). Therefore, the above embodiment has the advantage of resolving problems such as customer service delays, service quality degradation, and system overload caused by a large number of inbound calls.

[0092] Meanwhile, in one embodiment, the server (10) may transmit information regarding a callback reservation to the administrator terminal (40). The information regarding the callback reservation may include various information, such as the expected waiting time transmitted to the customer terminal (20), the phone number of the customer terminal (20), the customer's ID, and the inquiry.

[0093] According to the above embodiment, the administrator terminal (40) receives information regarding a callback reservation including an expected waiting time transmitted to the customer terminal (20), and adjusts the number of idle counselors according to the received information, thereby having the advantage of being able to assign a counselor to the customer at the time when the expected waiting time has elapsed.

[0094] Hereinafter, an automatic callback method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a detailed flowchart illustrating some operations of the automatic callback method described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 5, the server (10) can add an inbound call received from a customer terminal (20) to a first waiting queue, which is a call queue (S110). The first waiting queue is a data structure in the form of a queue, and may be a first-in, first-out (FIFO) type data structure that processes the first inbound call first among the first inbound call received by the server (10) at a first point in time and the second inbound call received by the server (10) at a second point in time that is later than the first point in time. Since a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains is already familiar with the queue, a detailed description thereof will be omitted for the convenience of understanding.

[0096] Thereafter, the server (10) can add the callback reservation received from the customer terminal (20) to the second waiting queue, which is a callback queue (S310). The second waiting queue is a data structure in the form of a queue, and may be a data structure in the form of a first-in, first-out (FIFO) format that processes the first callback reservation first among the first callback reservation received by the server (10) at a third time point and the second callback reservation received by the server (10) at a fourth time point, which is later than the third time point.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the first waiting queue may be managed by the server (10), and the second waiting queue may be managed by the administrator terminal (40). However, the first waiting queue may be managed by another module / device / system, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The administrator of the administrator terminal (40) may take necessary measures in the system to ensure that the connection with the counselor for the callback reservation added to the second waiting queue is completed before the inbound call added to the first waiting queue.

[0098] According to the above embodiment, by managing a first waiting queue for inbound calls and a second waiting queue for callback reservations separately, the administrator can easily monitor the status of callback reservations and take necessary system-wide measures to ensure faster connection with a counselor for customers who have made callback reservations. Therefore, the above embodiment has the advantage of maximizing the user experience for service users.

[0099] Hereinafter, an automatic callback method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a detailed flowchart illustrating some operations of the automatic callback method described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 6, when the server (10) performs a callback as described with reference to step S400 of FIG. 4, the server (10) may receive selection input information regarding whether to connect to a counselor, which is a first option, or whether to terminate the counselor, which is a second option, from the customer terminal (20) that received the callback (S410). The selection input information regarding the first option may be selection input information that the customer can select when the problem that the customer wants to solve through consultation with the counselor is still not resolved even after the expected waiting time has elapsed. On the other hand, the selection input information regarding the second option may be selection input information that the customer can select when the problem that the customer wants to solve through consultation with the counselor has been resolved at the time when the expected waiting time has elapsed and the customer receives a callback from the server (10).

[0101] In one embodiment, the server (10) may add an inbound call to a first waiting queue, which is a call queue. The first waiting queue may be a data structure in the form of a priority queue, in which callbacks or inbound calls with higher priorities are processed regardless of the order in which they were added. The priority of the first waiting queue may be set based on the time a customer has waited to connect with a counselor on a callback or inbound call, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The first waiting queue may be managed by the server, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0102] In the above embodiment, if the selection input information received by the server (10) is the first selection (S420), that is, if the customer selects the selection input information regarding ‘connection to a counselor’, the server (10) can assign a priority to the callback (S500).

[0103] Thereafter, the server (10) can add the callback assigned the above priority to the first waiting queue (S600).

[0104] For example, let's say that a first inbound call is received by the server (10) at a first point in time, which is the same point in time as the selection input information regarding the first option is received from the customer terminal (20). That is, the above example means that the customer of the customer terminal (20) still wants to consult with a counselor even after receiving a callback call. In this case, the server (10) can set the waiting time for the callback at the first point in time to the expected waiting time informed to the customer, for example, 1000 seconds. However, the server (10) can assign a priority to the callback based on a standard other than the expected waiting time informed to the customer. On the other hand, the waiting time of the first inbound call is 0 seconds at the first point in time. That is, the server (10) can assign a higher priority to the callback than to the first inbound call by adding the expected waiting time to the callback at the first point in time.

[0105] Thereafter, the server (10) can add a callback assigned a priority, as in the example above, to the first waiting queue. In this case, the callback assigned a priority can be added to the first waiting queue with a priority higher than that of the first inbound call, corresponding to the expected waiting time the customer was informed of. Accordingly, the longer the expected waiting time, which is the priority assignment criterion, the more likely the callback assigned a priority can be processed before the first inbound call.

[0106] According to the above embodiment, if a customer still desires to connect with a counselor after receiving a callback, they can receive counseling services more quickly than if they were to wait to connect with a counselor on an inbound call. Therefore, the above embodiment has the advantage of maximizing customer satisfaction with the counseling service.

[0107] Again, this is explained with reference to Fig. 6.

[0108] On the other hand, in one embodiment, if the selection input information received by the server (10) is the second selection (S420), that is, if the customer selects the selection input information regarding ‘end of consultation’, the server (10) can automatically terminate the callback (S700).

[0109] According to the above embodiment, when the customer's expected waiting time has elapsed and the customer receives a callback from the server (10), unnecessary service consultation calls can be prevented if the customer's desired problem has been resolved through consultation with a counselor. Therefore, the above embodiment has the advantage of effectively utilizing consultation-related resources. Furthermore, the above embodiment has the advantage of maximizing the user experience by providing consultation services tailored to the needs of consultation service users.

[0110] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 7, the operation of an automatic callback method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically described. FIG. 7 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an automatic callback method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0111] Referring to Fig. 7, a customer terminal (20) can make a call to a customer center. In this case, the server (10) can receive an inbound call from the customer terminal (20) (S70). Thereafter, the server (10) can determine a schedule in which a counselor connection is possible (S71). The server (10) can determine a time period in which a counselor connection is expected to be possible as a schedule in which a counselor connection is possible by using statistical data on time periods in which consultation calls are concentrated and statistical data on the number of idle counselors by time period. For example, suppose that a specific consultation service does not receive a high concentration of consultation calls from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM and that there is a high probability of idle counselors. In this case, the server (10) can determine the schedule in which a counselor connection is possible as from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

[0112] In all the embodiments below, an inbound call is received from a customer terminal (20), but it is explained on the assumption that there is no idle counselor available to be assigned to the customer of the customer terminal (20) at the time of receiving the inbound call.

[0113] Thereafter, the server (10) can transmit the schedule for which the counselor connection is possible to the customer terminal (20) (S72). The customer terminal (20) receives the schedule and displays it to the customer through the UI of the customer terminal (20), and the customer can input a callback request including a callback request time (S73). At this time, the callback request time may be a time included in the schedule for which the counselor connection is possible. For example, if the server (10) determines that the schedule for which the counselor connection is possible is from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, the customer can input a callback request by setting 3:00 PM as the callback request time.

[0114] Afterwards, the customer terminal (20) can transmit the callback request entered to the server (10).

[0115] When the server (10) receives a callback request from a customer terminal (20), it can automatically terminate the inbound call (S75). By automatically terminating the inbound call, the server (10) can effectively reduce the number of inbound calls received from multiple customer terminals (20). Therefore, in this case, there is an advantage in that it can resolve problems such as customer service delays, service quality degradation, and system overload caused by a large number of inbound calls.

[0116] Thereafter, the server (10) can transmit information regarding a callback request to the administrator terminal (40) (S76). The information regarding the callback request may include various information such as the callback request time received from the customer terminal (20), the phone number of the customer terminal (20), the ID of the customer, and the inquiry details. That is, the administrator terminal (40) receives information regarding the callback request including the callback request time, and performs a callback to the customer according to the callback request time based on the received information, thereby increasing the service user's predictability regarding the consultation service.

[0117] In addition, the server (10) can automatically perform a callback when the callback request arrives in response to a callback request received from the customer terminal (20) (S77).

[0118] When the customer terminal (20) receives a callback from the server (10), it may guide the customer to select optional input information regarding whether to connect to a counselor or whether to end the consultation. Optional input information regarding whether to connect to a counselor may be optional input information that the customer may select when the problem the customer seeks to solve through consultation with the counselor is still not resolved even after the callback request time has elapsed. On the other hand, optional input information regarding whether to end the consultation may be optional input information that the customer may select when the problem the customer seeks to solve through consultation with the counselor is resolved at the time the callback request time has elapsed and the customer receives a callback from the server (10).

[0119] The customer terminal (20) can guide the customer to select one of the above-mentioned optional input information in various ways. For example, the customer terminal (20) can provide guidance as in the first guidance text below, and the customer can select either optional input information regarding connection to a counselor (No. 1) or optional input information regarding termination of consultation (No. 2).

[0120] [Information text 1]

[0121] "Hello, this is Customer Service. We'd like to connect you to the consultation call you've scheduled. If you'd like to speak to a counselor now, please press 1. If you'd like to end the call, please press 2."

[0122] If the customer selects optional input information regarding 'connection to a counselor', the customer terminal (20) can receive the optional input information (S78) and transmit the optional input information to the server (10) (S79). Thereafter, the server (10) can assign the callback to the counselor terminal (30) (S80), and a callback call can be connected between the customer of the customer terminal (20) and the counselor of the counselor terminal (30) (S81).

[0123] On the other hand, if the customer selects optional input information regarding 'end of consultation', the customer terminal (20) can receive the optional input information (S78) and transmit the optional input information to the server (10) (S79). Thereafter, the server (10) can transmit the following second guidance text to the customer terminal (20), and the customer terminal (20) can transmit the third guidance text.

[0124] [Second guidance text]

[0125] "Thank you for using our service."

[0126] Afterwards, the server (10) can automatically terminate the callback.

[0127] Meanwhile, in one embodiment, the server (10) can receive an inbound call from a customer terminal (20).

[0128] Thereafter, the server (10) can respond to the inbound call, determine a schedule for which a counselor can be connected, and transmit the determined schedule to the customer terminal (20). The server (10) can transmit the schedule to the customer terminal (20), and the customer terminal (20) can guide the customer to the schedule, thereby inducing the customer to check the schedule and determine a callback request time.

[0129] Thereafter, the server (10) may receive a callback request including a callback request time from the customer terminal (20). The callback request may mean that the customer reserves the right to receive a callback from the server (10) at the time the callback request time arrives, and the inbound call is terminated.

[0130] Thereafter, the server (10) can automatically perform a callback to the customer terminal (20) when the callback request time arrives in response to a callback request received from the customer terminal (20).

[0131] According to the above embodiment, customers are guided through a smooth schedule for connecting with a counselor, and receive callback calls at the requested callback times within the schedule, thereby receiving assistance in resolving any issues that arise during service use. Therefore, the user experience and trust in the service can be effectively enhanced.

[0132] Meanwhile, in one embodiment, when the server (10) receives a callback request from the customer terminal (20), it can automatically terminate the inbound call received from the customer terminal (20).

[0133] According to the above embodiment, the server (10) automatically terminates inbound calls upon a customer's callback request, thereby effectively reducing the number of inbound calls received from multiple customer terminals (20). Therefore, the above embodiment has the advantage of resolving problems such as customer service delays, service quality degradation, and system overload caused by a large number of inbound calls.

[0134] Meanwhile, in one embodiment, the server (10) may transmit information regarding a callback request to the administrator terminal (40). The information regarding the callback request may include various information, such as the time of the callback request received from the customer terminal (20), the phone number of the customer terminal (20), the ID of the customer, and the inquiry details. Since the above embodiment is as described above, a detailed description is omitted for convenience of understanding.

[0135] Meanwhile, in one embodiment, the server (10) can add an inbound call received from a customer terminal (20) to a first waiting queue, which is a call queue (S110).

[0136] Thereafter, the server (10) can add the callback request received from the customer terminal (20) to the second waiting queue, which is a callback queue.

[0137] In the above embodiment, the first waiting queue may be managed by the server (10), and the second waiting queue may be managed by the administrator terminal (40). However, the first waiting queue may be managed by another module / device / system, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0138] The above embodiment is the same as that described with reference to FIG. 5 except for the difference in the callback reservation and callback request compared to FIG. 5, and therefore, for the sake of convenience of understanding, a detailed description is omitted.

[0139] Meanwhile, in one embodiment, the server (10) may receive selection input information regarding whether to connect to a counselor (first option) or whether to terminate the counselor (second option) from the customer terminal (20) that received the callback. Since the above embodiment is as described above with reference to FIG. 6, a detailed description is omitted for convenience of understanding.

[0140] Meanwhile, in one embodiment, the server (10) may add the inbound call to the first waiting queue, which is a call queue. Thereafter, if the selection input information received by the server (10) is the first selection (S420), i.e., if the customer selects the selection input information regarding 'connection to a counselor', the server (10) may assign a priority to the callback. Thereafter, the server (10) may add the callback assigned the priority to the first waiting queue. Since the above embodiment has been previously described with reference to FIG. 6, a detailed description thereof will be omitted for convenience of understanding.

[0141] On the other hand, in one embodiment, if the optional input information received by the server (10) is the second option, i.e., if the customer selects the optional input information regarding 'end consultation', the server (10) can automatically terminate the callback. Since the above embodiment is as described above with reference to FIG. 6, a detailed description is omitted for convenience of understanding.

[0142] FIG. 8 is a hardware configuration diagram of a computing device described in some embodiments of the present disclosure. The computing system (1000) of FIG. 8 may include one or more processors (1100), a system bus (1600), a communication interface (1200), a memory (1400) for loading a computer program (1500) executed by the processor (1100), and a storage (1300) for storing the computer program (1500).

[0143] The computing system (1000) of FIG. 8 may present a hardware structure of one or more computing systems constituting the callback management server (10) described with reference to FIG. 2, for example.

[0144] The processor (1100) controls the overall operation of each component of the computing system (1000). The processor (1100) can perform operations for at least one application or program for executing methods / operations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The memory (1400) stores various data, commands, and / or information. The memory (1400) can load one or more computer programs (1500) from the storage (1300) to execute methods / operations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The storage (1300) can non-temporarily store one or more computer programs (1500).

[0145] The computer program (1500) may include one or more instructions implementing methods / operations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. When the computer program (1500) is loaded into the memory (1400), the processor (1100) may execute the one or more instructions to perform the methods / operations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0146] In one embodiment, the computer program (1500) may include instructions for performing the following operations: receiving an inbound call from a customer terminal; determining a schedule in which a counselor can be connected in response to the inbound call, and transmitting the determined schedule to the customer terminal; receiving a callback request including a callback request time from the customer terminal, wherein the callback request time is a time included in the schedule; and performing the operation of automatically performing a callback to the customer terminal when the callback request time arrives in response to the callback request.

[0147] Various embodiments of the present disclosure and the effects thereof have been described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 8 so far. The effects of the technical concept of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects not mentioned will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0148] Furthermore, even though the above embodiments have described multiple components as being combined or operating in combination, the technical concept of the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to these embodiments. That is, within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure, all of the components may be selectively combined and operated one or more times.

[0149] The technical concepts of the present disclosure described so far can be implemented as computer-readable code on a computer-readable medium. A computer program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium can be transmitted to another computing device via a network such as the Internet, installed on said other computing device, and thus used on said other computing device.

Claims

1. In a method performed by a computing system, A step of receiving an inbound call from a customer terminal; In response to the above inbound call, a step of calculating an estimated wait time required to connect to a counselor and transmitting the calculated estimated wait time to the customer terminal; A step of receiving a callback reservation for performing a callback when the expected waiting time has elapsed from the customer terminal; and In response to the above callback reservation, comprising a step of automatically performing a callback when the expected waiting time has elapsed. Automatic callback method.

2. In paragraph 1, The step of receiving the above callback reservation is: Upon receiving the callback reservation, a step of automatically terminating the inbound call is included. Automatic callback method.

3. In paragraph 1, The step of receiving the above callback reservation is: Including a step of transmitting information regarding the received callback reservation to the administrator terminal, Automatic callback method.

4. In paragraph 1, The step of receiving the above inbound call is: comprising the step of adding the above inbound call to a first waiting queue, which is a call queue; The step of receiving the above callback reservation is: Including the step of adding the above callback reservation to a second waiting queue, which is a callback queue, The above second waiting queue is, It is managed by the administrator terminal, Automatic callback method.

5. In paragraph 1, The step of automatically performing the callback above is: A step of receiving selection input information regarding whether to connect to a counselor, which is a first option, or whether to end the consultation, which is a second option, from a customer terminal that has received the callback. Automatic callback method.

6. In paragraph 5, The step of receiving the above inbound call is: comprising the step of adding the above inbound call to a first waiting queue, which is a call queue; If the above selection input information is the first selection, a step of assigning a priority to the callback; and further comprising the step of adding a callback assigned with the above priority to the first waiting queue; Automatic callback method.

7. In paragraph 5, If the above selection input information is the second selection, further comprising a step of automatically terminating the callback. Automatic callback method.

8. In a method performed by a computing system, A step of receiving an inbound call from a customer terminal; In response to the above inbound call, a step of determining a schedule for which a counselor can be connected and transmitting the determined schedule to the customer terminal; A step of receiving a callback request including a callback request time from the customer terminal, wherein the callback request time is a time included in the schedule; and In response to the callback request, a step of automatically performing a callback to the customer terminal when the callback request time arrives, Automatic callback method.

9. In paragraph 8, The step of receiving the above callback request is: When the callback request is received, a step of automatically terminating the inbound call is included. Automatic callback method.

10. In paragraph 8, The step of receiving the above callback request is: Including a step of transmitting information regarding the received callback request to the administrator terminal, Automatic callback method.

11. In paragraph 8, The step of receiving the above inbound call is: comprising the step of adding the above inbound call to a first waiting queue, which is a call queue; The step of receiving the above callback request is: Including the step of adding the above callback request to a second waiting queue, which is a callback queue, The above second waiting queue is, It is managed by the administrator terminal, Automatic callback method.

12. In paragraph 8, The step of automatically performing the callback above is: A step of receiving selection input information regarding whether to connect to a counselor, which is a first option, or whether to end the consultation, which is a second option, from a customer terminal that has received the callback. Automatic callback method.

13. In paragraph 12, The step of receiving the above inbound call is: comprising the step of adding the above inbound call to a first waiting queue, which is a call queue; If the above selection input information is the first selection, a step of assigning a priority to the callback; and further comprising the step of adding a callback assigned with the above priority to the first waiting queue; Automatic callback method.

14. In paragraph 12, If the above selection input information is the second selection, further comprising a step of automatically terminating the callback. Automatic callback method.

15. Communication interface; Memory into which computer programs are loaded; and Including one or more processors on which the above computer program is executed, The above computer program, An action of receiving an inbound call from a customer terminal; In response to the above inbound call, an action of calculating an estimated wait time required to connect to a counselor and transmitting the calculated estimated wait time to the customer terminal; An operation of receiving a callback reservation from the customer terminal at a time when the expected waiting time has elapsed, wherein the callback is performed; and In response to the above callback reservation, instructions for automatically performing a callback when the expected waiting time has elapsed. Automatic callback system.

16. Communication interface; Memory into which computer programs are loaded; and Including one or more processors on which the above computer program is executed, The above computer program, An action of receiving an inbound call from a customer terminal; In response to the above inbound call, an action of determining a schedule for which a counselor can be connected and transmitting the determined schedule to the customer terminal; An operation of receiving a callback request including a callback request time from the customer terminal, wherein the callback request time is a time included in the schedule; and In response to the callback request, instructions for automatically performing a callback to the customer terminal when the callback request time arrives. Automatic callback system.

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