Dynamic Control Allocation in Contact Center Sessions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact center systems limit customer control during interactions, leading to inefficiencies and decreased customer satisfaction, as customers cannot easily join third parties or control aspects of their contact environment beyond collaborative web browsing.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allow customers to request and join third parties to their contact session, record conversations, and provide feedback, using either their own communication infrastructure or the contact center's, empowering customers with control over their interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the service agent maintains exclusive control of the customer contact environment, then the service agent can manage the interaction flow efficiently, but the customer does not perceive empowerment and satisfaction decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically shifts control between customer and service agent based on real-time conditions. The customer can request control of specific aspects (joining third parties, recording, feedback) while the service agent retains overall session management. This dynamic control allocation resolves the contradiction by providing customer empowerment without creating a static complex control structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is segmented into different functional areas: session control (agent), communication control (shared), recording control (customer-requested), and feedback control (customer). This segmentation allows the customer to have control over specific aspects without requiring complete system control, reducing the perceived complexity while improving ease of operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the customer can join third parties to the contact session, then customer empowerment and satisfaction improve, but the communication channel complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact center system acts as an intermediary that manages third-party connections. When a customer requests to join a third party, the contact center mediates the connection through its existing communication infrastructure, avoiding the need for direct complex peer-to-peer connections between customers and external parties. This maintains adaptability while controlling infrastructure complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact center's communication channel is designed to be universal, handling multiple functions: direct customer-agent communication, third-party connections, recording, and feedback. This multi-functionality allows the system to accommodate customer requests for third-party joining without requiring separate specialized infrastructure for each function.
3Reliability
If multiple customer contacts are needed to answer inquiries or resolve problems, then thorough service can be provided, but inefficiencies and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables continuous customer service interactions by allowing third parties to join the contact session. This continuity allows multiple stakeholders (customer, agent, third party experts) to participate in a single uninterrupted session, eliminating the need to end and restart contacts for different participants, thereby improving efficiency while maintaining service quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges multiple communication threads into a single unified contact session. Instead of requiring separate contacts for customer-agent interaction and customer-third party interaction, the system combines these into one continuous session where all parties can communicate simultaneously, improving productivity without sacrificing thoroughness.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is a system and method for sharing control of a customer service provided by a contact center. The method may include: receiving, from a customer, a customer contact to request the customer service; communicating by use of a communication channel between the customer and the contact center in order to provide the customer service; receiving a join request, from the customer, to join an outside party to the customer service; and joining the outside party to the customer service.