Method and apparatus for providing result-oriented customer service

Abstract

An automated customer service system and method which maintains and uses a customer sensitivity profile to contact the customer in a manner, at a time and date, and at a location which are preferred by the customer. The automated customer service system also maintains and uses an agent qualification profile, in conjunction with the customer sensitivity profile, to automatically assign agents to the various campaigns. An agent qualification profile identifies any special skills or qualifications that an agent may possess, such as language skills, type of voice, efficiency, and type of call processing skills. The system administrator devises a strategy script based upon the customer sensitivity requirements and the agent qualifications. The strategy script determines which agents meet which requirements, and whether there are adequate agents to handle the requirements of concurrent campaigns.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method for maintaining contact between a service and a customer, comprising the steps of: 
 determining an electronic mail address for said customer;    sending a message to said customer at said electronic mail address regarding a customer profile for the customer;    receiving a reply from said customer; and    updating the customer profile for said customer based upon information provided in said reply from said customer.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  and further comprising sending an additional message to said customer in response to receiving said reply from said customer.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  and further comprising performing a predetermined action based on said reply from said customer.  
     
     
         4 . A method for establishing contact between a service and a customer, comprising the steps of: 
 reviewing a customer profile of said customer to determine the manner in which said customer prefers to be contacted;    sending an electronic message to said customer in a manner preferred by said customer;    receiving a reply from said customer; and    communicating with said customer in response to receiving said reply from said customer.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said step of communicating with said customer comprises establishing a voice connection between said customer and said agent.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said step of communicating with said customer comprises establishing an electronic data connection between said customer and said agent.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said step of communicating with said customer comprises sending electronic mail to said customer at a preferred electronic mail address of said customer as contained in said customer sensitivity profile of said customer.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said step of communicating with said customer comprises selecting an agent from a plurality of agents based upon said customer profile and connecting said customer to said selected agent.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein each agent of said plurality of agents has an agent profile identifying characteristics of said agent, and wherein said step of selecting an agent comprises: 
 reviewing said customer profile to determine preferences of said customer;    reviewing said agent profiles to identify agents having characteristics corresponding to said preferences; and    selecting an agent from said identified agents.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step updating said customer profile based on said reply from said customer.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step updating said customer profile based on said step of communicating with said customer.  
     
     
         12 . A method for doing business, comprising the steps of: 
 reviewing a customer profile of a customer to determine if any action is required to be performed for said customer;    performing a predetermined action for said customer; and    notifying said customer that said predetermined action has been performed.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said step of performing said predetermined action comprises selecting said action from a predetermined set of actions.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said step of notifying said customer comprises sending electronic mail to said customer.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said step of notifying said customer comprises sending electronic mail to said customer at an electronic mail address of said customer as contained in said customer profile of said customer.  
     
     
         16 . A method for establishing contact between a service and a customer, comprising the steps of: 
 determining an electronic mail address for a customer;    sending a message to said customer at said electronic mail address;    receiving a reply from said customer; and    connecting said customer to an agent of said service in response to receiving said reply.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step of connecting said customer to said agent comprises establishing a voice connection between said customer and said agent.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step of connecting said customer to said agent comprises establishing an electronic data connection between said customer and said agent.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step of connecting said customer to said agent comprises placing said reply in a queue for an agent to respond via electronic mail.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step of connecting said customer to said agent comprises sending electronic mail to said customer.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step of connecting said customer to said agent comprises sending electronic mail to said customer at an electronic mail address of said customer as contained in said customer profile of said customer.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step of connecting said customer to said agent comprises sending electronic mail to said customer at a preferred electronic mail address of said customer as contained in said customer profile of said customer.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step of connecting said customer to said agent comprises selecting an agent from a plurality of agents based upon said customer profile and connecting said customer to said selected agent.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein each agent of said plurality of agents has an agent profile identifying characteristics of said agent, and wherein said step of selecting an agent comprises: 
 reviewing said customer profile to determine preferences of said customer;    reviewing said agent profiles to identify agents having characteristics corresponding to said preferences; and    selecting an agent from said identified agents.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising the step updating said customer profile based on said reply from said customer.  
     
     
         26 . A method for doing business, comprising the steps of: 
 determining an electronic mail address for a customer;    sending a message to said customer at said electronic mail address;    receiving a reply from said customer; and    connecting said customer to a business agent in response to receiving said reply.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said step of connecting said customer to said business agent comprises establishing a voice connection between said customer and said business agent.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said step of connecting said customer to said business agent comprises establishing an electronic connection between said customer and said business agent.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said step of connecting said customer to said business agent comprises placing said reply in a queue for a business agent to respond via electronic mail.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26  and further comprising sending an additional message to said customer in response to receiving said reply from said customer.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said electronic mail address is obtained from a customer profile.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said step of connecting said customer to said business agent comprises selecting a business agent from a plurality of business agents based upon a customer profile, and connecting said customer to said selected business agent.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein each business agent of said plurality of business agents has an agent profile identifying characteristics of said business agent, and wherein said step of selecting a business agent comprises: 
 reviewing said customer profile to determine preferences of said customer;    reviewing said business agent profiles to identify business agents having characteristics corresponding to said preferences of said customer; and    selecting a business agent from said identified business agents.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising the step of updating said customer profile based upon information obtained from said step of connecting said customer to said selected business agent.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising the step of selecting a business agent to address requirements of said customer based upon information obtained from said reply from said customer.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 26  and further comprising updating a customer profile for said customer based upon information provided in said reply from said customer.  
     
     
         37 . A method for providing a customer profile for a customer, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a communication from a customer;    identifying said customer based upon information provided in said communication; and    sending a communication to said customer about preferences of said customer;    updating a customer profile for said customer based upon information provided by said customer in response to said communication about said preferences of said customer.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said step of receiving a communication from a customer comprises receiving a voice communication from said customer.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said step of receiving a communication from a customer comprises receiving a facsimile communication from said customer.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said step of receiving a communication from a customer comprises receiving an electronic communication from said customer.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 37  and further comprising performing a predetermined action based on said information provided by said customer.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said preferences comprise at least one of the following: a manner of communication with said customer, a language for communication with said customer, a time for communication with said customer, and a person for communication with said customer.  
     
     
         43 . A method for communicating with a customer, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a communication from a customer;    identifying said customer based upon information provided in said communication;    reviewing a customer profile for said customer to determine preferences of said customer; and    communicating with said customer in response to said communication in accordance with at least one of said preferences.    
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein a preference is for voice communications and said step of communicating with said customer comprises establishing a voice connection between said customer and said agent.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein a preference is for electronic data communications and said step of communicating with said customer comprises establishing an electronic data connection between said customer and said agent.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein a preference is for electronic mail communications and said step of communicating with said customer comprises sending electronic mail to said customer.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein a preference is for electronic mail communications and said step of communicating with said customer comprises sending electronic mail to said customer at an electronic mail address of said customer as contained in said customer profile of said customer.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein a preference is for electronic mail communications and said step of communicating with said customer comprises sending electronic mail to said customer at a preferred electronic mail address of said customer as contained in said customer profile of said customer.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein a preference is for an agent having a particular characteristic and said step of communicating with said customer comprises selecting an agent having said particular characteristic from a plurality of agents and connecting said customer to said selected agent.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 43  wherein said step of identifying said customer comprises 
 receiving automatic number identification (ANI) data for said customer; and  
 identifying said customer based upon said ANI data.  
 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 43  wherein said step of identifying said customer comprises: 
 providing a message to said customer requesting said customer to provide customer identification information; and  
 identifying said customer based upon said customer identification information.  
 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 43  wherein said step of identifying said customer comprises: 
 reviewing said communication to determine at least one of the following items of customer identification information: an account number, a personal identification code, a street address, an electronic address, a customer name, or a customer telephone number; and  
 using said customer identification information to retrieve said customer profile.  
 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said step of communicating with said customer comprises transacting business in accordance with information contained in said customer profile.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said step of communicating with said customer comprises addressing issues contained in said customer profile.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said step of communicating with said customer comprises: 
 connecting said customer to a first agent;    transacting business in accordance with information contained in said customer profile;    identifying a second agent based upon issues raised in said step of transacting business; and    connecting said customer to said second agent.    
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55  wherein said first agent represents a first business, and said second agent represents a second business.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein a preference is for an agent having a particular characteristic, wherein each agent of said plurality of agents has an agent profile identifying characteristics of said agent, and wherein said step of selecting an agent comprises: 
 reviewing said agent profiles to identify agents having said characteristic corresponding to said preference; and    selecting an agent from said identified agents.    
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein each agent of said plurality of agents has an agent profile identifying characteristics of said agent, and wherein said step of communicating with said customer comprises: 
 inspecting said customer profile to determine business issues;    reviewing said agent profiles to identify agents having said characteristic corresponding to said business issues; and    selecting an agent from said identified agents for communicating with said customer.    
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein each agent of said plurality of agents has an agent profile identifying characteristics of said agent, and wherein said step of communicating with said customer comprises: 
 inspecting said customer profile to determine a primary business issue of said customer;    reviewing said agent profiles to identify agents having said characteristic corresponding to said primary business issue; and    selecting an agent from said identified agents for communicating with said customer about said primary business issue.