Technique for dynamically prioritizing communication calls to information/call centers
OwnerNeil Isenberginventor
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Abstract
In providing an information assistance service, an information assistance call from a user is placed in a call queue when operators are not available to answer the call. In accordance with the invention, the call may be accorded priority in the call queue based on a measure of an excess wait time (EWT) incurred in a prior call(s) from the same user. The EWT is defined as the wait time for the service in excess of a predetermined acceptable service wait time, which may be greater than or equal to zero. The queue prioritization in accordance with the invention increases the likelihood of answering the current call from a user, who experienced a EWT in a prior call(s), within the acceptable service wait time.
Claims24
A method for use in an information assistance system, comprising:
- receiving a current call from a user, and signals containing an identifier associated with the user;
- determining whether the current call should be placed in a queue to wait for a service provider to render an information assistance service;
- if the current call should be placed in a queue, searching a data source for data associated with the user based on the identifier, the data concerning at least one wait period before an information assistance service was rendered in at least one prior call to the system, the at least one prior call being identifiable by the identifier;
- and
- placing the current call in a queue based on the data.
An information assistance system, comprising:
- an interface for receiving a current call from a user, and signals containing an identifier associated with the user;
- a processor for determining whether the current call should be placed in a queue to wait for a service provider to render an information assistance service;
- a data source, if the current call should be placed in a queue, the data source being searched for data associated with the user based on the identifier, the data concerning at least one wait period before an information assistance service was rendered in at least one prior call to the system, the at least one prior call being identifiable by the identifier;
- and
- a mechanism for placing the current call in a queue based on the data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.