Repeat Contact Engine for IVR Menu Bypass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional customer care systems often require customers to repeat selections and actions during subsequent contacts, leading to frustration and inefficiency, as they lack the ability to leverage information from previous contacts to streamline the handling process.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a 'repeat contact engine' that connects to various data and communications networks, extracts information from incoming contacts, and uses this data to derive and apply rules for intercepting and handling subsequent contacts based on previous interactions, providing targeted responses and bypassing unnecessary menu options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If conventional customer care systems use automated IVR systems to provide main menu selection options to customers during each contact, then automation extent and productivity are improved, but customer frustration increases and service efficiency deteriorates due to customers having to repeat selections and actions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by analyzing previous contact information and customer data before the current contact occurs. The repeat contact engine proactively identifies customers who have contacted before and prepares customized contact information and streamlined menu options in advance, so that when the customer calls, the system can immediately present relevant options without requiring the customer to repeat previous selections or actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously accessing and analyzing historical contact data from the database, using this information to adapt and customize the current contact experience. The rule processor evaluates previous contact patterns and feeds this information back to modify the IVR menu structure and contact handling approach, creating a responsive system that learns from past interactions.
2Device complexity
If conventional customer care systems present the same main menu options to all customers during each contact, then device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but service efficiency deteriorates and customer frustration increases due to lack of personalized handling
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the customer base and contact handling processes based on previous contact history and customer characteristics. Instead of treating all customers uniformly, the repeat contact engine divides contacts into different categories (repeat contacts vs. new contacts, different contact purposes, different customer segments) and applies customized handling rules to each segment, enabling efficient personalized service without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces dynamics by making the IVR menu structure and contact handling approach adaptable and changeable based on real-time analysis of customer data and contact history. The rule processor dynamically generates customized menu options and contact routes for each customer based on their previous interactions, allowing the system to flexibly respond to different customer needs while maintaining operational efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of handling customer contacts at a customer care system that streamline the handling of such customer contacts based on information about previous contacts received from the same customers. The system includes a repeat contact engine, which is connectable to at least one data/communications network. The repeat contact engine includes a controller, at least one database communicably connected to the controller, and a data extractor communicably connected between the data/communications network and the database. The controller includes a server, a rule processor communicably connected to the server, and a policy engine associated with the rule processor. Based on information about at least one previous contact, the system can derive a rule that, in response to its application, would cause a predetermined response, representative of the predicted purpose of an incoming contact, to be provided over a corresponding channel through the data/communications network.