Automated Dialer File for Disaster Relief Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a system to determine permission to contact customers via automated telephone equipment, particularly in compliance with regulations such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and to manage customer communications during disaster relief events or other situations where contact may be restricted.
Innovation Solution
A computer-based system that creates a temporary dialer file based on disaster relief event parameters, excluding certain telephone numbers and allowing users to override or manually suspend contact, while also considering delinquency stages and product types of customer accounts, to ensure compliance with regulations and customer communication preferences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated telephone equipment is used to contact customers, then communication efficiency and productivity are improved, but regulatory compliance becomes difficult to ensure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system (automated equipment permission determination system) that mediates between the automated telephone equipment and customers. This system checks permission status before allowing automated calls, ensuring TCPA compliance while maintaining automated communication capabilities. The intermediary verifies express consent and maintains permission records, resolving the contradiction by adding a compliance layer without eliminating automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where customer responses to automated calls are captured and processed. When customers indicate they do not wish to receive automated calls, the system updates permission status and provides feedback to prevent future automated calls to those numbers. This feedback loop ensures ongoing compliance while maintaining productive automated communication with consenting customers.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If customer contact is automatically suspended during disaster relief events, then customer sensitivity and ethical considerations are improved, but communication productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts contact suspension based on multiple factors including disaster severity, customer account status, and communication urgency. Rather than a static suspension for all customers, the system evaluates each account individually, suspending contact for affected customers while maintaining communication with non-affected or high-priority customers. This dynamic approach balances customer sensitivity with continued communication productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different contact suspension rules to different customer segments and account types. High-priority accounts, delinquent accounts, and accounts in different geographic locations may receive different treatment during disaster events. This localized quality approach ensures that sensitive customers receive appropriate care while maintaining communication productivity with other customer segments that do not require suspension.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual override capability is provided for contact suspension, then user control and flexibility are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary automated suspension actions based on disaster event detection, then provides manual override capability if needed. The preliminary automated action handles the common case efficiently, while the override mechanism addresses exceptional cases. This approach maintains simplicity for the majority of situations while providing flexibility when required, minimizing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically manages contact suspension based on disaster event parameters and customer account information, providing self-service functionality. Manual override is available but not required for standard operations. This self-service approach reduces the need for complex manual intervention systems while maintaining user control when necessary, balancing simplicity and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for providing disaster relief event call flagging. The system, method, and computer program product are configured to create a disaster relief event associated with a plurality of customer accounts maintained by an entity, wherein the disaster relief event comprises one or more parameters that identify locations associated with the disaster relief event; create a temporary dialer file for use in contacting the plurality of customers in reference to the accounts, wherein the dialer file is based at least partially on the one or more parameters of the disaster relief event, and automatically suspend contact to one or more customers based at least partially in response to the telephone numbers of the one or more customer being excluded from the temporary dialer file.