Universal multi-browser interface for customer service representatives

A method for providing customer service for a financial services provider, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing via a computer system an external user interface remotely accessible by customers via a global computer information network, the external user interface comprising a shared website browser that displays information in a specific format, has a specific functionality, and receives information entered by customers for processing;
• (b) supplying via a computer system an internal user interface accessible by one or more call-center customer service representatives (CSRs), the internal user interface comprising a plurality of browsers and access to an integrated computerized work distribution system displayed on a computerized desktop, the internal user interface comprising (i) the shared website browser that displays information in the specific format, has the specific functionality, and receives information entered by the CSRs for processing, the shared website browser displaying, in addition to information viewable by the customers, critical information about the customers viewable only by the CSRs, said critical information highlighted relative to information viewable by both the customers and the CSRs, (ii) an integrated client search and client data function that allows the CSRs to access and display critical information about a selected customer;
• (iii) a contact history function that displays previous telephone calls, website transactions, and mail correspondence with the service provider by the selected customer;
• (iv) access to images of paper-based documents including mail correspondence;
• and, optionally, (v) a customer needs assessment function that displays information for assisting the CSRs in conversing with the selected customer;
• (c) retrieving from one or more databases and displaying information on the internal user interface and the external user interface;
• (d) automatically storing information entered via the internal user interface and information entered via the external user interface, in the one or more databases;
• and
• (e) receiving and automatically processing transaction instructions entered via the internal user interface and transaction instructions entered via the external user interface.

A computerized system for facilitating interaction with a caller to a call-center of a service provider, the system comprising:

• means for providing an external user interface remotely accessible by customers via a global computer information network, the external user interface comprising a shared website browser that displays information in a specific format, has a specific functionality, and receives information entered by customers for processing;
• means for supplying an internal user interface accessible by one or more call-center customer service representatives (CSRs), the internal user interface comprising a plurality of browsers and access to an integrated computerized work distribution system accessible on a computer desktop, the internal user interface comprising (i) the shared website browser that displays information in the specific format, has the specific functionality, and receives information entered by the one or more CSRs for processing, the shared website browser configured to display, in addition to information viewable by the customers, critical information about the customers viewable only by the CSRs, said critical information highlighted relative to information viewable by both the customers and the CSRs, (ii) one or more limited access browsers accessible only by the one or more CSRs, the one or more limited access browsers configured to provide:
• a client search function that allows the one or more CSRs to locate computerized records for a selected one of the customers;
• a client data function that displays information about the selected customer;
• a contact history function that displays previous contacts with the service provider by the selected customer;
• a dialogue-prompting function that displays suggested dialogue for use by the one or more CSRs in conversing with the selected customer;
• or a combination thereof, and (iii) access to images of paper-based documents including mail correspondence;
• means for storing one or more databases accessible by the internal user interface and the external user interface, from which information is retrieved and displayed by the external user interface and the internal user interface and in which information entered via the internal user interface and information entered via the external user interface, is automatically stored;
• and
• means for receiving and automatically processing transaction instructions entered via the internal user interface and transaction instructions entered via the external user interface.

A computer system for facilitating interaction with a caller to a customer service call center, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more memory media accessible by the one or more processors, the memory media containing one or more databases and containing instructions for controlling the processor, the instructions causing the processor to effect steps of:
• (a) providing an external user interface remotely accessible by customers via a global computer information network, the external user interface comprising a shared website browser that displays information in a specific format, has a specific functionality, and allows entry of information by the customers for processing;
• (b) providing an internal user interface comprising a plurality of browsers and access to an integrated computerized work distribution system accessible on a computer desktop of a customer service representative (CSR), the internal user interface comprising (i) the shared website browser that displays information in the specific format, has the specific functionality, and receives information entered by the customer for processing, (ii) one or more limited access browsers accessible only by the CSR, the one or more limited access browsers configured to provide:
• a client search function that allows the CSR to locate computerized records for the customers;
• a client data function that displays information about the customers;
• a contact history function that displays previous contacts by the customers;
• a customer needs assessment function that displays information for assisting the CSR in conversing with the customers;
• or a combination thereof, and (iii) access to images of paper-based documents including mail correspondence;
• (c) retrieving from the one or more databases and displaying information on the internal user interface, external user interface, or both, including displaying client data comprising critical information about the customers in the shared website browser of only the CSR, said critical information highlighted relative to information viewable by both the customers and the CSR;
• (d) automatically storing information entered via the internal user interface and information entered via the external user interface in the one or more databases;
• and
• (e) receiving and automatically processing transaction instructions entered via the internal user interface and transaction instructions entered via the external user interface.