Customer relationship management (CRM) audio on hold

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for CRM audio on hold. In an embodiment of the invention, a CRM audio on hold method includes identifying a caller associated with the telephone call received in a call processing gateway, selecting a record in a CRM application pertinent to the caller and inserting the selected record into a variable field of a template. The method also includes text-to-speech (TTS) processing the template into audio and returning the audio to the call processing gateway for playback to the caller while the caller is on hold.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to CRM call processing and more particularly to caller on hold management in a CRM application.

2. Description of the Related Art

In business, beyond the sale of a product or service remains the fundamental management of the relationship between the vendor and the customer. CRM applications seek to provide a foundation upon which business can manage the relationship with the customer from the moment in time before one becomes a customer to the moment in beyond which one becomes a customer. Modern CRM applications provide this foundation through a collection of well organized database records relating to all aspects of the customers and the products and services provided by the vendor to the customers. A visual user interface presents a view to the database records so as to assist the business in visualizing the past, present and potentially future state of the relationship between the business and the customer.

CRM applications often are equipped to manage communications with customers. In the twenty-first century, a common mode of interacting with customers and even potential customers is electronic mail followed closely by instant messaging. However, the venerable telephone call remains part and parcel of the business-to-customer relationship. With respect to telephone call processing in CRM, at the outset, what is required is the receipt of a telephone call from the customer to the vendor—typically a call center of the vendor. As it is well-understood, however, in many instances, more telephone calls are received in the call center than there are available persons to process the call. Alternatively, oftentimes, a caller is compelled to wait while a call center operator processes a request of the caller. In either instance, the caller is placed on hold.

Traditionally, when a caller is placed on hold, music is played over the telephone call so as to entertain the caller, and also to provide a mental cue that the telephone call has not been dropped. Alternatively, generic messaging is presented over the call, reminiscent of a paid television programming or an “infomercial”. Of course, long hold periods for a caller can be frustrating—especially when the caller seeks assistance with a purchased product or service, or where the caller is impatient in seeking information regarding a potential purchase of a product or service. The generically provided music for a caller on hold seldom acts to alleviate the impatience experienced by the caller on hold. Further, corporate propaganda pertaining to generic infomercial material certainly does not act to sooth the caller on hold.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to caller on hold processing and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for CRM audio on hold. In an embodiment of the invention, a CRM audio on hold method includes identifying a caller associated with the telephone call received in a call processing gateway, selecting a record in a CRM application pertinent to the caller and inserting the selected record into a variable field of a template. The method also includes text-to-speech (TTS) processing the template into audio and returning the audio to the call processing gateway for playback to the caller while the caller is on hold.

In another embodiment of the invention, a CRM data processing system can be configured for CRM audio on hold. The system can include a host computing system that includes at least one computer with memory and at least one processor and a database coupled to the host computing system. The system also includes a CRM application executing in the memory of the host computing system and a call processing gateway processing telephone calls from callers over a public switched telephone network (PSTN). Finally, the system includes a CRM audio on hold module coupled to both the CRM application and the call processing module. The CRM audio on hold module includes program code enabled to identify a caller associated with a telephone call received in the call processing gateway, to select a record in a CRM application pertinent to the caller, to insert the selected record into a variable field of a template, to text-to-speech (TTS) process the template into audio and to return the audio to the call processing gateway for playback to the caller while the caller is on hold.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention provide for CRM audio on hold. In an embodiment of the invention, a call can be received into a call processing portion of a CRM system. A caller associated with the call can be determined by lookup of CRM contact records. Thereafter, responsive to the placement of the call on hold, a selection of records specific to the caller can be retrieved into memory and text-to-speech processed into audio corresponding to the selection of records. The audio corresponding to the selection of records can be complimented with generic audio of a template and providing context for the selected records. Thereafter, the audio in turn can be presented to the caller while the caller remains on hold. In this way, while the caller remains on hold, the caller on hold at least can receive information pertinent to the caller, such as a list of open cases in the CRM application and a status of those open cases.

In further illustration,FIG. 1pictorially shows a process for CRM audio on hold. As shown inFIG. 1, a call can be established as between a caller110and a call processing gateway120over a PSTN130. The call processing gateway120can place the caller110on hold and the call processing gateway120can provide to CRM audio on hold logic170call data150. The call data150can include the identity of the caller110and a context of the call. The context of the call can include, by way of example, an expected duration of time during which the caller110will remain on hold, a status of one or more records related to the caller110, a preference of the caller110to receive particular information while on hold, a job title or department associated with the caller110, whether the call originates from a home phone number or business phone number of the caller110, and the time of day or the date of the call, including whether or not the call has occurred during or after business hours.

Using the call data150, the CRM audio on hold logic170can select a contextual template160. The contextual template160can include a textual script with variable fields reserved for data specific to different individuals. For instance, the textual script can relate to a status of an open trouble ticket or customer issue record of the caller110, the textual script can relate to current announcements of products associated with the type of job or department of the caller110, or the textual script can relate to a knowledgebase article of one or more products associated with the caller110, to name only three possibilities. Utilizing CRM data190retrieved from a CRM system140, the CRM audio on hold logic170can replace the variable fields of the selected one of the contextual templates160with the CRM data190to produce a completed one of the templates190. Thereafter, the completed one of the templates190can be TTS processed and returned to the call processing gateway120as speech audio180. The speech audio180in turn can be played back to the caller110while the caller110remains on hold.

The process described in connection withFIG. 1can be implemented in a CRM data processing system. In yet further illustration,FIG. 2schematically shows a CRM data processing system configured for CRM audio on hold. The system can include a call processing gateway210configured for telecommunicative linkage to different telephone endpoint devices220over a PSTN230. The call processing gateway210further can be configured for data communicative coupling to a CRM system280over a data communications network240.

The CRM system280can include one or more computers, each with memory and at least one processor, and collectively supporting the execution of a CRM application (not shown) configured to provide access to CRM data250. The CRM system280can be coupled to a CRM audio on hold module300and can include program code enabled upon execution in the memory of a computer to respond to the receipt of call data from the call processing gateway210to select one or more contextual templates260based upon one or more template selection rules270.

The contextual templates260each can include generic text and one or more variable fields into which corresponding records from the CRM data250are to be inserted. The rules270in turn can include, by way of example, rules that accept as input a context of a call including an identity of a caller, a nature of an expected hold time for the caller, or both. The rules270further can specify based upon the context one or more templates260to be selected for use by the CRM audio on hold module300in producing speech audio for playback to a caller on hold. For example, with respect to an expected hold time for a caller on hold that is short in duration, a template of limited content can be selected, whereas with respect to an expected hold time for a caller on hold that is long in duration, a template of extensive content can be selected.

Once one or more of the contextual templates260has been selected by the program code of the CRM audio on hold module300based upon the application of one or more of the rules270, the program code of the CRM audio on hold module300can be enabled to retrieve one or more records from the CRM data250for an identified caller on hold in order to complete the selected one of the contextual templates260. Subsequently, the program code of the CRM audio on hold module300can direct the TTS processing of the complete one or more of the templates260in order to produce speech audio. Finally, the program code of the CRM audio on hold module300can be enabled to return the speech audio to the call processing gateway210for playback to the caller on hold.

In even yet further illustration of the operation of the CRM audio on hold module300,FIG. 3is a flow chart illustrating a process for CRM audio on hold. Beginning in block310, a caller identity of a call can be received from a call processing gateway for a caller on hold. In block320, a context for the call can be received and in block330, a template can be selected based upon the context. In block340, one or more variable fields can be identified and in block350, CRM data for the identified caller can be retrieved for inclusion in the selected template according to the variable fields in block360.

In block370, the template with CRM data for the identified caller placed in the variable fields can be TTS processed to produce speech audio. Optionally, the TTS processing can occur in a remote TTS service receiving the completed template from over a data communications network and returning the speech audio over the data communications network. Finally, in block380the speech audio can be provided to the call processing gateway for playback to the caller on hold.