IVR Callback System for Queue Position Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current IVR solutions often leave customers waiting for extended periods when agents are unavailable, leading to a negative customer experience due to the need to remain on hold.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a proxy IVR application that holds the customer's place in the queue and offers a callback feature, allowing the IVR computer to reconnect the customer with an available agent with minimal or no wait time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If customers are placed in a holding queue when agents are unavailable, then the customer can remain connected to the IVR system, but the customer wait time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by placing the customer in a queue and providing a callback number before the agent is actually available. The customer is disconnected and given a callback number in advance, so when the agent becomes available, the system can quickly reconnect without the customer waiting on hold.
Solution Approach 2:
The customer is extracted from the continuous hold queue and disconnected from the IVR system. By removing the customer from the active call path and providing a callback mechanism, the system eliminates the need for the customer to remain on hold while maintaining the ability to reconnect when an agent is available.
2Ease of operation
If the IVR computer places the customer on hold until an agent is available, then the customer can speak with an agent eventually, but the overall customer experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The callback number serves as an intermediary between the customer and the agent. Instead of the customer remaining on hold, the system uses the callback number as a mediator to reconnect the customer with an agent when one becomes available, improving the customer experience while maintaining service accessibility.
3Speed
If the IVR computer maintains continuous connection with customers in the queue, then the customer can be immediately connected when an agent is available, but the system consumes more resources and increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The customer is extracted from the active call path and disconnected from the IVR system. By removing the continuous connection requirement, the system reduces resource consumption and complexity while still enabling quick reconnection through the callback mechanism when an agent becomes available.
Data Source
AI summary
A system related to connecting customers to agents of a business includes an inbound (INB) interactive voice response (IVR) computer, an outbound (OUTB) IVR, and a computer telephony interface (CTI) computer. The INB IVR computer receives an inbound call from a customer and determines that there is a delay in a call queue of a call center. The OUTB IVR places an agent outbound call (on behalf of the customer) to the INB IVR which is then placed into the queue of the call center in response to the customer selecting a call-back option. The CTI computer then monitors the call center, and sends a notification to the OUTB IVR processor in response to the agent outbound call connecting to the available agent. Responsive to the notification, the OUTB IVR computer places a customer outbound call to the customer to connect the customer to the available agent.