SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ANSWERS IN AN ON-LINE CUSTOMER SUPPORT ENVIRONMENT

Methods and systems are provided for providing answers in an on-line customer support site. The method includes receiving a first question from a user, determining first results from a knowledge base, determining second results from a community, determining third results from an agent, and displaying the first results, the second results, and the third results responsive to the first question in a single, integrated feed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the subject matter described herein generally relate to systems and methods for implementing a three-tiered customer support paradigm involving an archival knowledge base, community or peer support, and interaction with a customer support agent (if necessary) seamlessly integrated into a single display feed.

Turning now toFIG. 1, an exemplary cloud based solution may be implemented in the context of a multi-tenant system100including a server102that supports applications128based upon data132from a database130that may be shared between multiple tenants, organizations, or enterprises, referred to herein as a multi-tenant database. Data and services generated by the various applications128are provided via a network145to any number of client devices140, such as desk tops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, Google Glass™, and any other computing device implemented in an automobile, aircraft, television, or other business or consumer electronic device or system, including web clients.

In addition to the foregoing “dedicated” syncing clients, the present disclosure also contemplates the automatic sharing of data and files into applications, such as Microsoft Word™, such that saving a document in Word would automatically sync the document to the collaboration cloud. In an embodiment, each client device, application, or web client is suitably configured to run a client application142, such as the Chatterbox file synchronization module or other application for performing similar functions, as described in greater detail below.

An alternative vector into the automatic syncing and sharing may be implemented by an application protocol interface (API), either in lieu of or in addition to the client application142. In this way, a developer may create custom applications/interfaces to drive the sharing of data and/or files (and receive updates) with the same collaboration benefits provided by the client application142.

Each application128is suitably generated at run-time (or on-demand) using a common application platform110that securely provides access to the data132in the database130for each of the various tenant organizations subscribing to the service cloud100. In accordance with one non-limiting example, the service cloud100is implemented in the form of an on-demand multi-tenant customer relationship management (CRM) system that can support any number of authenticated users for a plurality of tenants.

As used herein, a “tenant” or an “organization” should be understood as referring to a group of one or more users (typically employees) that shares access to common subset of the data within the multi-tenant database130. In this regard, each tenant includes one or more users and/or groups associated with, authorized by, or otherwise belonging to that respective tenant. Stated another way, each respective user within the multi-tenant system100is associated with, assigned to, or otherwise belongs to a particular one of the plurality of enterprises supported by the system100.

Each enterprise tenant may represent a company, corporate department, business or legal organization, and/or any other entities that maintain data for particular sets of users (such as their respective employees or customers) within the multi-tenant system100. Although multiple tenants may share access to the server102and the database130, the particular data and services provided from the server102to each tenant can be securely isolated from those provided to other tenants. The multi-tenant architecture therefore allows different sets of users to share functionality and hardware resources without necessarily sharing any of the data132belonging to or otherwise associated with other organizations.

The multi-tenant database130may be a repository or other data storage system capable of storing and managing the data132associated with any number of tenant organizations. The database130may be implemented using conventional database server hardware. In various embodiments, the database130shares processing hardware104with the server102. In other embodiments, the database130is implemented using separate physical and/or virtual database server hardware that communicates with the server102to perform the various functions described herein.

In an exemplary embodiment, the database130includes a database management system or other equivalent software capable of determining an optimal query plan for retrieving and providing a particular subset of the data132to an instance of application (or virtual application)128in response to a query initiated or otherwise provided by an application128, as described in greater detail below. The multi-tenant database130may alternatively be referred to herein as an on-demand database, in that the database130provides (or is available to provide) data at run-time to on-demand virtual applications128generated by the application platform110, as described in greater detail below.

In practice, the data132may be organized and formatted in any manner to support the application platform110. In various embodiments, the data132is suitably organized into a relatively small number of large data tables to maintain a semi-amorphous “heap”-type format. The data132can then be organized as needed for a particular virtual application128. In various embodiments, conventional data relationships are established using any number of pivot tables134that establish indexing, uniqueness, relationships between entities, and/or other aspects of conventional database organization as desired. Further data manipulation and report formatting is generally performed at run-time using a variety of metadata constructs. Metadata within a universal data directory (UDD)136, for example, can be used to describe any number of forms, reports, workflows, user access privileges, business logic and other constructs that are common to multiple tenants.

Tenant-specific formatting, functions and other constructs may be maintained as tenant-specific metadata138for each tenant, as desired. Rather than forcing the data132into an inflexible global structure that is common to all tenants and applications, the database130is organized to be relatively amorphous, with the pivot tables134and the metadata138providing additional structure on an as-needed basis. To that end, the application platform110suitably uses the pivot tables134and/or the metadata138to generate “virtual” components of the virtual applications128to logically obtain, process, and present the relatively amorphous data132from the database130.

The server102may be implemented using one or more actual and/or virtual computing systems that collectively provide the dynamic application platform110for generating the virtual applications128. For example, the server102may be implemented using a cluster of actual and/or virtual servers operating in conjunction with each other, typically in association with conventional network communications, cluster management, load balancing and other features as appropriate. The server102operates with any sort of conventional processing hardware104, such as a processor105, memory106, input/output features107and the like. The input/output features107generally represent the interface(s) to networks (e.g., to the network145, or any other local area, wide area or other network), mass storage, display devices, data entry devices and/or the like.

The processor105may be implemented using any suitable processing system, such as one or more processors, controllers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, processing cores and/or other computing resources spread across any number of distributed or integrated systems, including any number of “cloud-based” or other virtual systems. The memory106represents any non-transitory short or long term storage or other computer-readable media capable of storing programming instructions for execution on the processor105, including any sort of random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), flash memory, magnetic or optical mass storage, and/or the like. The computer-executable programming instructions, when read and executed by the server102and/or processor105, cause the server102and/or processor105to create, generate, or otherwise facilitate the application platform110and/or virtual applications128and perform one or more additional tasks, operations, functions, and/or processes described herein. It should be noted that the memory106represents one suitable implementation of such computer-readable media, and alternatively or additionally, the server102could receive and cooperate with external computer-readable media that is realized as a portable or mobile component or platform, e.g., a portable hard drive, a USB flash drive, an optical disc, or the like.

The application platform110is any sort of software application or other data processing engine that generates the virtual applications128that provide data and/or services to the client devices140. In a typical embodiment, the application platform110gains access to processing resources, communications interfaces and other features of the processing hardware104using any sort of conventional or proprietary operating system108. The virtual applications128are typically generated at run-time in response to input received from the client devices140. For the illustrated embodiment, the application platform110includes a bulk data processing engine112, a query generator114, a search engine116that provides text indexing and other search functionality, and a runtime application generator120. Each of these features may be implemented as a separate process or other module, and many equivalent embodiments could include different and/or additional features, components or other modules as desired.

The runtime application generator120dynamically builds and executes the virtual applications128in response to specific requests received from the client devices140. The virtual applications128are typically constructed in accordance with the tenant-specific metadata138, which describes the particular tables, reports, interfaces and/or other features of the particular application128. In various embodiments, each virtual application128generates dynamic web content that can be served to a browser or other client program142associated with its client device140, as appropriate.

The runtime application generator120suitably interacts with the query generator114to efficiently obtain multi-tenant data132from the database130as needed in response to input queries initiated or otherwise provided by users of the client devices140. In a typical embodiment, the query generator114considers the identity of the user requesting a particular function (along with the user's associated tenant), and then builds and executes queries to the database130using system-wide metadata136, tenant specific metadata138, pivot tables134, and/or any other available resources. The query generator114in this example therefore maintains security of the common database130by ensuring that queries are consistent with access privileges granted to the user and/or tenant that initiated the request.

With continued reference toFIG. 1, the data processing engine112performs bulk processing operations on the data132such as uploads or downloads, updates, online transaction processing, and/or the like. In many embodiments, less urgent bulk processing of the data132can be scheduled to occur as processing resources become available, thereby giving priority to more urgent data processing by the query generator114, the search engine116, the virtual applications128, etc.

In exemplary embodiments, the application platform110is utilized to create and/or generate data-driven virtual applications128for the tenants that they support. Such virtual applications128may make use of interface features such as custom (or tenant-specific) screens124, standard (or universal) screens122or the like. Any number of custom and/or standard objects126may also be available for integration into tenant-developed virtual applications128. As used herein, “custom” should be understood as meaning that a respective object or application is tenant-specific (e.g., only available to users associated with a particular tenant in the multi-tenant system) or user-specific (e.g., only available to a particular subset of users within the multi-tenant system), whereas “standard” or “universal” applications or objects are available across multiple tenants in the multi-tenant system.

The data132associated with each virtual application128is provided to the database130, as appropriate, and stored until it is requested or is otherwise needed, along with the metadata138that describes the particular features (e.g., reports, tables, functions, objects, fields, formulas, code, etc.) of that particular virtual application128. For example, a virtual application128may include a number of objects126accessible to a tenant, wherein for each object126accessible to the tenant, information pertaining to its object type along with values for various fields associated with that respective object type are maintained as metadata138in the database130. In this regard, the object type defines the structure (e.g., the formatting, functions and other constructs) of each respective object126and the various fields associated therewith.

Still referring toFIG. 1, the data and services provided by the server102can be retrieved using any sort of personal computer, mobile telephone, tablet or other network-enabled client device140on the network145. In an exemplary embodiment, the client device140includes a display device, such as a monitor, screen, or another conventional electronic display capable of graphically presenting data and/or information retrieved from the multi-tenant database130, as described in greater detail below.

Typically, the user operates a conventional browser application or other client program142executed by the client device140to contact the server102via the network145using a networking protocol, such as the hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) or the like. The user typically authenticates his or her identity to the server102to obtain a session identifier (“SessionID”) that identifies the user in subsequent communications with the server102. When the identified user requests access to a virtual application128, the runtime application generator120suitably creates the application at run time based upon the metadata138, as appropriate. However, if a user chooses to manually upload an updated file (through either the web based user interface or through an API), it will also be shared automatically with all of the users/devices that are designated for sharing.

As noted above, the virtual application128may contain Java, ActiveX, or other content that can be presented using conventional client software running on the client device140; other embodiments may simply provide dynamic web or other content that can be presented and viewed by the user, as desired. As described in greater detail below, the query generator114suitably obtains the requested subsets of data132from the database130as needed to populate the tables, reports or other features of the particular virtual application128.

In various embodiments, virtual application128may include a feed-based customer support platform such as, for example, Chatter Answers™ available from salesforce.com. In this context, a feed implies that data and information threads (including conversations) are updated and displayed to the user interface, either directly or via an iframe, in real time or near real time. In contrast, prior art customer support platforms typically employ static, list-based platforms. Chatter Answers™ provides tenants with embedded functionality for implementing an online customer support community under a company's unique proprietary branding scheme such as U.S. Bank's Answers™ and the CompassLearning™ support portal.

In accordance with various embodiments, the interaction model comprises a user interface (UI) for database searching, posting questions to the community and to a customer support agent, and for displaying the results in a single, integrated feed having three principle components: i) search results from the company's knowledge base (e.g., previous Q&A, articles, frequently asked questions (FAQ)); ii) community forums; and iii) a template for opening a customer support ticket to initiate interaction with a customer support agent (e.g., live chat, delayed chat, live video, or the like).

In various embodiments, the user begins by typing, speaking, or otherwise entering a question into a query field within the UI. The question may be deflected, for example by prompting the user to disambiguate from among a plurality of stored questions relating to the original query. For example, the system may ask did you mean . . . .” to better focus or improve the form of the question, or to conform the question to a previously structured category. In an embodiment, previous Q&A's are merged with knowledge-based articles including linking between the Q&A and the articles and sorted by relevance to create deflection targets. As described in greater detail below, navigation is configured to drive all users having the same question to the latest (and the same) answer.

Customer support inquiries may be initially processed by interrogating the company's continuously updated knowledge base (e.g., previous Q&A's including best answers, FAQ's, articles). In this regard, the user interface may be configured to navigate the user from the search page to an answer using a minimum number (e.g., two) of navigation clicks. By properly prioritizing and organizing the results, the user may obtain an answer from the knowledge base without having to register with or log into the system. In this regard, Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS) methods and practices may be employed to manage a company's customer/technical support organization. KCS practices are maintained by the Consortium for Service Innovation, and include the KCS-Verified program available at http://www.thekcsacademy.net/tools/.

If the initial search results do not yield a satisfactory answer, the user may register with and/or log into the system, whereupon the question may be “posted” to the community for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 24 hours) to allow the community to answer the question. In the context of various embodiments, by encouraging the community support itself, for example, by allowing members of the community to answer questions posted by other members, the company may reduce the costs otherwise incurred by customer support agents, currently (2013) estimated at about $7 USD to initiate a support ticket, and in the range of $50 to $200 to interact with an agent in answering a question. If the community provides a satisfactorily answer in a timely manner, the customer posing the question is satisfied, the member or members of the community providing assistance enhance their reputation within the community, and the company avoids the costs of an agent.

If neither the knowledge base nor the community provides a satisfactory answer, a customer support ticket may be opened, for example, by presenting the user with an interactive module (e.g., a pop-up window) to engage a customer support agent. The agent may interact with the user via text, audio, and/or video, in real time or otherwise. In addition, the customer support platform may be configured to communicate with the company's customer relationship management (CRM) system at the multitenant level. Consequently, when a user logs onto a company's customer support site, the system has the ability to identify the user's CRM data via the multitenant database server. Hence, a VIP customer may be prioritized over other customers in the support queue. Moreover, an agent servicing the call may simultaneous employ numerous other channels (e.g., Twitter, Facebook) in the feed to obtain a multidimensional view of the user.

Referring now toFIG. 2, an exemplary layout200for a customer support user interface includes a screen202within a browser window. The screen202includes one or more branding indicia204such as the company name, logo, and the like, a login button220, and a “sign up” or “register” function222. A question field206, a “Go” (or “Search”) virtual button208, and a deflection field210allow the user to enter search terms (e.g., in the form of a question) into the system. Alternatively, the user may browse currently open questions220, or quickly ascertain whether a particular question has a best answer associated with it by clicking a best answer button226.

With continued reference toFIG. 2, search results may be displayed in a real time, continuously updatable feed212configured to display knowledge base results214, community forum results216, and/or agent interaction218in a unified, integrated manner sorted in accordance with predetermined relevancy scoring protocols. In addition, the search results may be sorted using one or more source-based filters228and/or one or more content-based filters234. Source filters28may include, for example, articles230A, Q&A230B, forums230C, Ideas230D, blogs230E, or “all”232. Content filters234may include context specific topic filters.

FIG. 3is a schematic block diagram300of an exemplary interface module302(e.g., a pop-up window) for posting the question to the community and/or to a customer support agent. More particularly, if the user does not receive a satisfactory answer from the knowledge base, the user may copy or reformulate the question using a query field302. In one embodiment, the user may direct the question to the community by selecting a community field306, whereupon the community may provide answers within a predetermined (but configurable) period of time (e.g., 24 hours). If a satisfactory answer is not received from the community within the allotted window of time (or if an agent elects to override the window and provide an earlier response), the question may be assigned to a customer support agent. Alternatively, the user may bypass the community and direct the question immediately to an agent by deselecting the community field306.

With continued reference toFIG. 3, the user may designate the agent interaction as either private or public using a public/private indicator field308. Once a customer support ticket is opened, the question is presented to an appropriate level customer service/support agent.

FIG. 4is an exemplary agent window400for use in responding to the open ticket created inFIG. 3. In accordance with an embodiment, window400includes a question field402, a private sector404for providing a confidential response directly to the user, and a public sector406for providing an answer to the user which may also be shared with the community.

FIG. 5is an alternate embodiment of the agent window shown inFIG. 4. More particularly,FIG. 5depicts an agent window500including a question field502, a response field504, and a public/private toggle function506.

FIG. 6is an alternate implementation of the screen layout shown inFIG. 2. More particularly, in various embodiments the Chatter Answers™ platform can provide backend company data to a front-end social networking site community (for example, using an iframe) while maintaining the branding, look and feel, and consistent user experience the user expects from his or her social networking site of choice. For example, a company may present their community/support site on Facebook. The company data presents as standard Facebook styling instead of Chatter Answers standard styling. When users click to join the Facebook based community from the company's enterprise site, a user record is automatically created for them in the company portal, and they are seamlessly logged into the Chatter Answers community as a Facebook user. In one implementation, the user's Facebook photo may be displayed instead of a Chatter photo (e.g., in order to maintain consistency of experience for Facebook users).

As users turn more and more to social networking sites for answers to questions, application128may include the functionality of allowing companies to provide a presence on those sites to thereby seamlessly answer questions and concerns posted by users using the social networking site, without the user having to separately log onto the company site.

By providing this functionality directly into Facebook (Facebook becomes a Chatter Answers portal), answers can be provided directly from the company's knowledgebase and articles, including video information. In addition, questions can be deflected in Facebook, showing the Best Reply, which may be chosen by a Facebook user. Further, this system allows direct, private conversation with a support agent, in a Facebook-styled feed. A user can be notified via email or Facebook Messaging when a Best Reply has been chosen, or when an Agent has responded.

Returning now toFIG. 6, an exemplary layout600for a customer support user interface includes a screen602within a browser window. The screen602includes branding indicia604, a question field606, a “Go” (or “Ask”) virtual button608, an open questions function626, and a best answer button626. Search results may be displayed in a feed612configured to display knowledge base results, community forum results, and/or agent interaction in one or more feed fields614. In addition, the search results may be sorted using one or more source-based filters628and/or one or more content filters634, as described above in connection withFIG. 2.

FIG. 7is a flow diagram of an exemplary method700for answering a customer support question. The method700involves submitting a question by a user (Task702), and thereafter interrogating a database (Task704), interrogating at least one forum in a customer community (Task706), and interrogating or otherwise soliciting input from a customer support agent (Task708). The method700also includes displaying the knowledge base results, the community results, and the support agent results in a continuous integrated feed (Task710).

In yet a further alternative,FIG. 8shows the product in a more traditional branded setting. More particularly,FIG. 8depicts an exemplary layout800for a customer support user interface including a screen802within a browser window. The screen802includes branding indicia804and a question field606. Search results may be displayed in a feed812configured to display knowledge base results, community forum results, and/or agent interaction in one or more feed fields614.

A method is thus provided for providing answers in an on-line customer support site. The method may include: receiving a first question from a user; determining first results from a knowledge base; determining second results from a community; determining third results from an agent; and displaying the first results, the second results, and the third results responsive to the first question in a single, integrated feed.

In an embodiment, receiving the first question comprises: prompting the user to enter at least one search term; deflecting the at least one search term; and prompting the user to confirm the first question.

In another embodiment, deflecting comprises presenting the user with at least one candidate questions disambiguating the first question.

In another embodiment, the knowledge base comprises a first database of previously submitted questions and corresponding answers, and determining first results comprises interrogating the first database with the first question.

In a further embodiment, the community comprises at least one on-line forum, and determining second results comprises posting the first question to the at least one on-line forum. The agent comprises a human customer support agent, and determining third results comprises directing the first question to the agent and soliciting the third results from the agent.

In another embodiment, determining second results further comprises waiting a predetermined period of time after posting before directing.

A further embodiment involves opening a ticket and designating the ticket as either public or private.

In another embodiment, displaying comprises assigning respective relevance scores to the first, second, and third results, and ordering the first, second, and third results according to the respective relevance scores.

Another embodiment involves displaying at least one source filter and at least one content filter, and reordering the first, second, and third results in response to the user manipulating at least one of the at least one source filter and the at least one content filter.

In an embodiment, the method includes prompting the user to identify a best answer from among the first results, the second results, and the third results.

In a further embodiment, the method involves displaying the single, integrated feed in an iframe, and the on-line customer support site may comprise a cloud based multi-tenant computing environment.

In another embodiment, determining third results comprises presenting the first question to an agent console and feeding customer relationship management (CRM) data associated with the user to the agent on the console simultaneously with displaying the first question to the agent.

An on-line customer support user interface (UI) is also provided. The UI may include a first field configured for entering login information; a second field configured for entering a question; at least one source filter virtual button; and a single, integrated feed field configured to display search results from a knowledge database, a community forum, and agent interaction responsive to the question.

In an embodiment, the UI includes an interaction module configured to create a customer support ticket for facilitating the agent interaction.

In an embodiment, the knowledge base comprises a first database of previously submitted questions, corresponding answers, and linked articles; the community comprises at least one on-line forum; and the agent comprises a human customer support agent.

A computer application embodied in a non-transitory medium is also provided for operation by a computer processor associated with a multi-tenant server for performing the steps of: receiving a first question from a user; determining first results from a knowledge base; determining second results from a community; determining third results from an agent; and displaying the first results, the second results, and the third results responsive to the first question in a single, integrated feed.

In an embodiment, the computer application may be configured to wait for a predetermined period of time after determining the second results before determining the third results.

In another embodiment, displaying comprises presenting the first results, the second results, and the third results serially in a continuous feed which allows the user to scroll therethrough uninterrupted by conventional tabs.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the subject matter or the application and uses of such embodiments. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the technical field, background, or the detailed description. As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as exemplary is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations, and the exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the scope or applicability of the subject matter in any way.

For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to computer programming, computer networking, database querying, database statistics, query plan generation, XML and other functional aspects of the systems (and the individual operating components of the systems) may not be described in detail herein. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments may be practiced in conjunction with any number of system and/or network architectures, data transmission protocols, and device configurations, and that the system described herein is merely one suitable example. Furthermore, certain terminology may be used herein for the purpose of reference only, and thus is not intended to be limiting. For example, the terms “first”, “second” and other such numerical terms do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.

Embodiments of the subject matter may be described herein in terms of functional and/or logical block components, and with reference to symbolic representations of operations, processing tasks, and functions that may be performed by various computing components or devices. Such operations, tasks, and functions are sometimes referred to as being computer-executed, computerized, software-implemented, or computer-implemented. In this regard, it should be appreciated that the various block components shown in the figures may be realized by any number of hardware, software, and/or firmware components configured to perform the specified functions.

For example, an embodiment of a system or a component may employ various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, or the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. In this regard, the subject matter described herein can be implemented in the context of any computer-implemented system and/or in connection with two or more separate and distinct computer-implemented systems that cooperate and communicate with one another. That said, in exemplary embodiments, the subject matter described herein is implemented in conjunction with a virtual customer relationship management (CRM) application in a multi-tenant environment.