Abstract:
A system for routing outbound telephone calls between an outbound call workgroup and a third party is disclosed, including a predictive dialer configured to dial a first outbound telephone call, the predictive dialer configured and arranged to route the first outbound telephone call placed by the predictive dialer to an outbound call workgroup after a first voice authentication, the outbound call workgroup performing a second voice authentication, wherein the outbound call workgroup identifies a right-party contact on the first outbound telephone call based upon the second voice authentication, and wherein the predictive dialer dials a second outbound telephone call to the third party once the right-party contact on the first outbound telephone call is available to talk to the third party, and wherein the second outbound telephone call places the outbound call workgroup, the third party, and the right-party contact in communication with one another.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/563,368, filed on Apr. 19, 2004. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to telephone systems. In particular, the present invention relates to automated telephone systems and predictive dialers for establishing right-party contacts.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     The global marketplace is becoming more open and more efficient at providing goods and services. In the collection and telemarketing industries, firms use a call-handling station as the crucial link between the firms and the person being contacted. Efficiently establishing contact with a right-party as opposed to another person at the same telephone number (e.g., a family member, a babysitter, or a maid) helps reduce costs. Right-party contact systems for establishing contact with the targeted individual have long been known in the art. Typically these firms use call-handling stations to place outbound calls, receive inbound calls, ask for right parties, leave messages, return calls, and conduct business with the right parties. The call-handling stations are segregated into groups, groups are assigned to handle specific call types arriving or leaving on telephone trunk lines, and trunk lines are designated for particular purposes such as support, sales, and collections.  
         [0004]     One significant disadvantage of these existing call-center environments is that as few as ten percent of the calls result in contact with the right-party. Thus, the person manning the call-handling station spends most of his/her time trying to reach the right-party rather than conducting business with the right-party. As a result, the calling system requires a large staff to handle a significant volume of calls. A related problem is that the system requires call-handling equipment for each call-handler. The result is high overhead for wages, benefits, training, equipment, and the like.  
         [0005]     Therefore, there is a need for a call-center environment that increases efficiency and reduces costs to the firms. There is also a related need for a telephone system that reduces the amount of time that call-handlers spend handling calls. There is yet another need for a way to track the efficiency and productivity of the call-handlers. Increasing call-handling efficiency and productivity would result in lower personnel and facility costs to the firms.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned needs for a call handling system by providing a call handling system and method that routes outbound telephone calls between an outbound call workgroup and a third party.  
         [0007]     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a system for routing outbound telephone calls between an outbound call workgroup and a third party, including a predictive dialer configured to dial a first outbound telephone call, the predictive dialer configured and arranged to route the first outbound telephone call placed by the predictive dialer to an outbound call workgroup after a first voice authentication, the outbound call workgroup performing a second voice authentication, wherein the outbound call workgroup identifies a right-party contact on the first outbound telephone call based upon the second voice authentication, and wherein the predictive dialer dials a second outbound telephone call to the third party once the right-party contact on the first outbound telephone call is available to talk to the third party, and wherein the second outbound telephone call places the outbound call workgroup, the third party, and the right-party contact in communication with one another. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a flow chart diagrammatic illustration of an overview of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart diagrammatic illustration of the steps of call routing in accordance with the present invention of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is an additional flow chart diagrammatic illustration of an overview of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a representative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated as call routing system  10 . Call routing system  10  includes a calling database  12 , a predictive dialer  14 , and an outbound workgroup  18 .  
         [0012]     As is shown in  FIG. 1 , calling database  12  is in electronic communication with predictive dialer  14 . Calling database  12  may be a software application that is run on a computer. Such application software is loaded into memory from a storage medium, such as a hard drive, and contains data related to right-party customers (as detailed below) of a third party. Calling database  12  can hold data  13  related to personal information of a right-party customer, including but not limited to, the right-party contact&#39;s name, address, telephone number, and account information, security codes, and the like (also referred to as automatic number identification or ANI information herein).  
         [0013]     Calling database  12 , using data  13  contained therein, electronically transmits a telephone number to be dialed by predictive dialer  14 . Predictive dialer  14  receives data  13 , such as telephone numbers, or, alternatively, retrieves telephone numbers and corresponding account information (data  13 ) from the database  12  and automatically dials the telephone number over ISDN T1 lines  17 . Placing outbound calls  16  over ISDN T1 lines  17  permits data  13  to be uniquely coded. Thus, as detailed below, the uniquely coded data  13  can ultimately be transmitted to a third party inbound workgroup  26 , so as to permit third party inbound workgroup  26  to retrieve its own right-party data record in order to match a right party voice with its data records.  
         [0014]     Using ISDN T1 lines  17  allows for two ten-digit fields to be employed. The first ten-digit field allows for a first ten-digit number, such as a caller identification number, to be transmitted through call routing system  10 . The second ten-digit field allows for a second ten-digit number to be created that codes for the right-party&#39;s account information and is used to transmit coded account information relating to the right-party to a non-integrated third party system.  
         [0015]     By way of example, if the right-party has a fifteen-digit alpha-numeric account number, such as a policy number identification for insurance through a client insurance company, then call routing system  10  will create a cross-reference table to assign a ten-digit code specific to that particular fifteen-digit alpha-numeric account number. The cross-reference table is further provided to the client insurance company. After the right-party contact is established, as detailed below, the ten-digit code specific to that particular fifteen-digit alphanumeric account number is transmitted to the client insurance company. Using the cross-reference table previously provided, the client insurance company&#39;s database cross-references the transmitted ten-digit coded account information to identify the particular fifteen-digit alphanumeric account number that relates to the insured right-party. In this way, account information for a right-party account holder can be easily coded and decoded so as to permit both transmission over ISDN T1 lines  17  and a more secure method of data transmission. In another embodiment, the two ten-digit numbers are combined to create a 20-digit (or fewer) code. For example, the first four digits can be used as a means for the third-party to route the call as it would otherwise route a call based on a DNIS code. The remaining six digits could then be combined with the next ten digits to code a credit cardholder&#39;s number for retrieval of a credit cardholder&#39;s account information.  
         [0016]     If the predictive dialer  14  makes a connection with the telephone number dialed, the predictive dialer  14  routes outbound call  16  and corresponding account information from the database  12  to outbound workgroup  18 . In this manner, the voice information and the database information are simultaneously communicated to outbound workgroup  18 . A call handler  19  of outbound workgroup  18  is responsible for establishing right-party contact at the connected telephone number, skip tracing, data corrections, and leaving messages. Call handler  19  can then update data  13  of database  12  with notes on any conversation, updated telephone numbers, updated addresses, and the like.  
         [0017]     Call handler  19  of outbound workgroup  18  will ask the party who answered outbound call  16  if the right party is available to speak to call handler  19 . If the right party is not available, call handler  19  discontinues outbound call  16 . If the right party is available to speak to call handler  19 , call handler  19  will ask the party a series of questions designed to authenticate the party as the right-party contact. If call handler  19  fails to obtain appropriate responses to the series of questions, the party is deemed to be a non-authenticated party  20   b . A determination that the party is a non-authenticated party  20   b  results in outbound call  16  being terminated and database  12  placing that telephone number (and associated information) back into a list of telephone numbers to be dialed by predictive dialer  14 .  
         [0018]     If call handler  19  obtains appropriate responses to the series of questions, the party is deemed to be an authenticated party  20   a . A determination that the party is an authenticated party  20   a  results in outbound call  16  being electronically routed back to predictive dialer  14 .  
         [0019]     Predictive dialer  14  then initiates a second outbound call (conference call  22 ) over a public telephone network  24  to a non-integrated third party system, where it is received by a third party inbound workgroup  26 . Second outbound call/conference call  22  transmits caller identification and ANI information to third party inbound workgroup  26 , so that third party inbound workgroup  26  can identify the right party contact and access data from its own database pertinent to the right-party contact and the third party that third party inbound workgroup  26  represents.  
         [0020]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the representative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated through a flow-chart operation. As is shown in  FIG. 2 , once system  10  is started at start block  102 , block  104  is initiated. At block  104 , calling database  12  sends a telephone number to predictive dialer  14 . Predictive dialer  14  dials the telephone number, beginning outbound call  16 , at block  106 . Once outbound call  16  is answered, predictive dialer  14  determines if the B bit is low or high at block  108 . If the B bit is low, then outbound call  16  is terminated and disposition data is recorded in database  12  at block  112 . If the B bit is high, then it is determined whether a live voice is present at block  110 . If a live voice is absent, then outbound call  16  is terminated and disposition data is recorded in database  12  at block  112 . However, if a live voice is present, outbound call  16  is connected to outbound workgroup  18 .  
         [0021]     As discussed above, call handler  19  of outbound workgroup  18  asks and obtains responses to the series of questions, with appropriate responses resulting in the party receiving outbound call  16  being deemed an authenticated party  20   a . If the party receiving outbound call  16  is not deemed to be an authenticated party  20   a , then outbound call  16  is terminated and disposition data is recorded in database  12  at block  112 . A determination that the party is an authenticated party  20   a  results in data  13  being collected at block  114  and outbound call  16  being electronically routed back to predictive dialer  14 .  
         [0022]     At block  116 , predictive dialer  14  initiates a second outbound call/conference call  22  over a public telephone network  24  to a non-integrated third party system, where it is received by a third party inbound workgroup  26  to connect call handler  19 , right-party contact (authenticated party  20   a ), and third party inbound workgroup  26 . As discussed above, a unique coding is preferably assigned to authenticated party  20   a , shown at block  118 . At block  120 , second outbound call/conference call  22  transmits caller identification and ANI information to third party inbound workgroup  26 , so that third party inbound workgroup  26  can identify the right-party contact and access data from its own database pertinent to the right-party contact and the third party that third party inbound workgroup  26  represents.  
         [0023]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , second outbound call/conference call  22  is further detailed. Second outbound call/conference call  22  connects the customer  30 , which is also authenticated party  22   a , to third party inbound workgroup  26 , while keeping call handler  19  on the call. Once customer  30  and third party inbound workgroup  26  are connected, call handler  19  exits second outbound call/conference call  22 , so as to effectuate a “warm” transfer of customer  30  to third party inbound workgroup  26 . Via second outbound call/conference call  22 , predictive dialer  14  transmits caller identification and coded ANI information to a non-integrated system of third party inbound workgroup  26  over a public telephone network. The caller identification and ANI information permit third party inbound workgroup  26  to utilize its own database, which is not integrated to database  12 . Call routing system  10  of the present invention allows for itself to be non-integrated to a system of third party inbound workgroup  26  as a result of the use of coded ANI information as detailed above. Utilizing the cross-reference table created by call routing system  10  permits call routing system  10  and the non-integrated system of third party inbound workgroup  26  to have differing information for the same right-party contact.  
         [0024]     Also within the invention is a method of regulating the pace at which the predictive dialer  14  places outbound calls. The higher the pacing rate and therefore the shorter the gap between any one person&#39;s (i.e., person in a workgroup) calls, the higher the probability of placing a call that cannot be serviced by a person in a workgroup. In other words, the number of calls the predictive dialer has to make is based on the number of conference calls that are busy. In a method of regulating the pace at which the predictive dialer  14  will place outbound calls, pacing of the outbound dialer  14  is controlled by initially allocating a designated number of conference call ports based on the quantity of staff at the inbound call group. The dialer  14  monitors the number of conference call ports in use at all times. The dialer  14  also monitors statistics of how many new dials result in a conference call (i.e., an authenticated transfer). The dialer  14  is able to predict and launch new outbound calls based on the number of conference call ports currently available. This method requires no computer connectivity between workgroups or sites.  
         [0025]     Although only a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above and in the following Figures, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that numerous modifications to the exemplary embodiments are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims.