Voice and data transfer from outbound dialing to inbound ACD queue

A system for transferring voice and data from an outbound call platform to an inbound call platform, said outbound call platform including a plurality of outbound agent workstations, said inbound call platform including a plurality of inbound agent workstations, and wherein said outbound call platform and said inbound call platform are connected by way of at least one communication path, said system comprising:

• means for placing at least one outbound telephone call to a called party from said outbound call platform;
• means for connecting said outbound telephone call to an available outbound agent at one of said outbound agent workstations, wherein said available outbound agent determines that said called party needs to be handled by an inbound agent in said inbound call platform;
• means for transferring said outbound telephone call to a reserved extension on said inbound call platform over said at least one communication path;
• means for assigning a call identifier to said outbound telephone call when said outbound telephone call arrives at said inbound call platform;
• means for connecting said outbound telephone call to an available inbound agent at one of said inbound agent workstations in said inbound call platform;
• means for correlating called party data to said outbound telephone call using said call identifier;
• and
• means for transferring said called party data to said one of said inbound agent workstations.

An call center comprising:

• an outbound call platform including:
• a dialer for placing outbound telephone calls to called parties;
• and
• a plurality of outbound agent workstations, coupled to said dialer, for use by a plurality of outbound agents, wherein said outbound call platform connects said outbound telephone calls to available outbound agents at said plurality of outbound agent workstations;
• an inbound call platform including:
• an automatic call distributor (ACD) handling inbound telephone calls;
• and
• a plurality of inbound agent workstations, coupled to said ACD, for use by a plurality of inbound agents, wherein said inbound telephone calls are connected to available inbound agents at said inbound agent workstations;
• at least one communication path connecting said outbound call platform and said inbound call platform;
• and
• a controlling device coupled to said outbound call platform and to said inbound call platform device by way of computer telephony integration (CTI) links, wherein said controlling device instructs said outbound call platform to initiate a call on said at least one communication path to a reserved extension on said inbound call platform and instructs said outbound call platform to connect one of said outbound telephone calls to said at least one communication path such that a called party on said one of said outbound telephone calls is transferred to one of said inbound agents, and wherein said controlling device correlates called party data pertaining to said called party with said one of said outbound telephone calls transferred to said one of said inbound agents.