Abstract:
A system for handling a telephone call within a telephone network, comprising a multi-tenanted CTI server within a telecommunications network adapted to receive telephone calls on behalf of a plurality of outlets, wherein the CTI server is adapted for queuing an incoming call in the network when no agent is available and is further adapted to forward an incoming call to an agent when the agent becomes available. The CTI server is configured to use an indicia received with the received call to identify the caller and to retrieve a profile of the caller by matching the indicia to a previously-stored indicia in a call history database collocated with the CTI server, the profile comprising at least a plurality of previous orders processed by an outlet on behalf of the caller, the profile being used to provide priority call handling for certain callers.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/942,279, entitled “Method And Apparatus For Handling A Telephone Call”, filed on Nov. 19, 2007, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C.§119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/860,450, filed Nov. 20, 2006, also entitled “Method And Apparatus For Handling A Telephone Call”, by inventors Richard Pickering, Ashley Unitt, Jonathan Grant and Anthony Buxton. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The invention relates to a method and apparatus for handling a telephone call, especially for use in the context of a fast food delivery service and other similar businesses. 
         [0004]    2. Background of the Invention 
         [0005]    It is very common for customers to order a product over the telephone. One particular industry where this is a very widespread activity is for home delivery of fast food, for example pizzas. The characteristics of this business place significant constraints on the handling of customer calls. Thus frequently there is no pre-existing arrangement (e.g. a contract) that ties the customer to any given pizza delivery outlet. Rather, the customer will telephone one establishment, but if their call is not handled swiftly, they may then telephone another rival establishment. If they receive good service from this rival establishment, they may call the rival first next time they need a pizza. In other words, there is high customer mobility between competing businesses, and accordingly customer service standards have to be very high to retain customers. This particular applies to the handling of incoming telephone calls, which represent the first point of contact with the customer (when it is easiest for the customer to retract and go elsewhere). Existing systems generally do not provide a mechanism to reward and retain loyal customers. 
         [0006]    Another problem is that the call rate into pizza delivery outlets may be highly bunched. For example, if there is a popular event on television, there may be a sharp peak in calls immediately before or after the event, or during an interval (e.g. an advertising break). These variations in incoming call rate exacerbate the problem of providing a good telephone service to all customers. 
         [0007]    A further consideration is that most pizza delivery establishments are small businesses. They cannot afford large-scale call handling facilities, either in terms of the infra structure, or the staff to run them. 
         [0008]    It is also common for such pizza establishments to be franchise operations. The franchisor would like customers to experience a common customer interface irrespective of which franchisee they contact in order to build brand value for the franchise, but this is difficult with multiple franchisees each operating a highly local service. There is also a concern amongst franchisors that some franchisees might hide part of their business from the franchisor (in order to avoid royalty payments). 
         [0009]    Accordingly, there are significant challenges in providing good telephone service for pizza delivery outlets and other such businesses. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    One embodiment of the invention provides a method of handling a telephone call. The method includes providing a multi-tenanted computer-telephony integration (CTI) server. The different tenants correspond to various outlets for one or more product or service offerings. The CTI server is located outside the customer premises for the various outlets. The method further includes receiving a call directed to one of the outlets and using CLI for the call by the CTI server to identify the calling party and a customer profile for the calling party. The customer profile is based on previous orders. The method further includes queuing the call within the network if it is determined that the outlet is unable to currently service the call, and forwarding the call to the outlet to process the call. The CTI server uses the customer profile for providing priority call handling treatment for loyal customers. Such a method may be used in a fast food delivery business such as pizza ordering or in any other appropriate business. 
         [0011]    In one embodiment, the customer profile is used to provide a marketing message dependent on the customer profile. The marketing message may also be dependent on real-time information from an external source, for example weather data, current product availability, etc. The marketing message may also be dependent on the time spent in the queue. In one embodiment, the outlet is informed of the marketing message heard by the caller. For example, this enables the outlet to hear if the caller has heard about a particular promotion. 
         [0012]    In one embodiment, the priority call handling treatment includes accelerating the progress of the call through a queue of calls. Therefore customers who are loyal have their calls answered relatively early. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, the CTI server bridges the call with a call placed from the CTI server to an outlet. In other words, there is a first call arriving from the caller at the CTI server, and a second call from the CTI server to the pizza outlet (or other call handling facility). The first and second calls are bridged so that the existence of two separate calls is transparent to the caller. However, because the CTI server retains a presence in the two calls, it can collect call statistics, record the call, etc. The call recording may be performed by the CTI server itself or some device under the control of the CTI server, such as an IVR. 
         [0014]    In one embodiment, automated order status is pro vided to repeat callers (since they are frequently calling about order status). This frees up human agents to take calls for new orders. In one embodiment, the method further comprises maintaining a call history database, and comparing the CLI with the call history database to identify a repeat caller. 
         [0015]    In one embodiment, the method further comprises maintaining a local copy at the CTI server of customer profile data and accessing remote order data and/or product availability data for handling the call. Having the local copy at the CTI server of the customer profile data allows the CTI server to generally have a quicker response time for call processing. However order data and/or product availability data are generally stored at the various outlets themselves, since these change more frequently than customer profile data (and so would be harder to mirror in the network). 
         [0016]    In one embodiment, the CTI server collects aggregate statistics for calls to all the various outlets. These aggregated statistics can be made available for management purposes, for example to a franchisor, where the various outlets are franchise operations of the franchisor. 
         [0017]    Other embodiments of the invention provide a computer program and apparatus for implementing a method such as described above. The computer program may be provided as machine executable instructions on a computer readable medium. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    Various embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail by way of example only with reference to the following drawings: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a CTI system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a schematic flowchart of call handling for a pizza delivery service in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of a computer-telephony integration (CTI) system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. A customer  10  makes a call  60  to a pizza establishment  25 . The pizza establishment may be part of a chain. There may be a single shared number for all venues in the chain. However, in many cases pizza place  25  will have its own geographic telephone number, in order to emphasize proximity to customer  10 . 
         [0022]    Call  60  is intercepted within telephone network  101  by CTI server  80  based on the dialed number. The calling number (CLI/ANI) is generally presented to CTI server  80  by the network. In some embodiments, an interactive voice response (IVR) unit  95  is also provided. CTI server  80  may use the IVR to obtain the CLI (if this is not presented by the network), and/or to obtain additional information from caller  10 , for example an account number or other identifying or supplemental demographic information. 
         [0023]    CTI server  80  can answer call  60  (either directly or indirectly or with the IVR  95 ) and play an announcement to caller  10 . This announcement can be generic across a franchise operation in order to ensure branding consistency, but may also be customizable according to the requirements of the particular establishment to which a call is directed. For example, there may be a franchise-wide promotion of free garlic bread for an order above a certain value. All callers may be played a relevant marketing message about this promotion. However, if a management system  75  at a particular establishment detects that the particular establishment has run out of garlic bread, it can notify CTI server  80 , which can then stop playing the marketing message in relation to that promotion to callers for that particular venue. 
         [0024]    Information about all incoming calls is stored in call database  70  (and may subsequently be downloaded to management system  75  of relevant pizza establishments). Call database  70  is network-based; in other words, it is located away from customer premises  25 . In one implementation, call database  70  may be co-located with CTI server  80 . Note that call database  70  may be implemented by one or more physical databases as appropriate. 
         [0025]    The call database allows CTI server  80  to see if the CLI for a new call matches the CLI for a call recently received. In this case, there is a high likelihood that caller  10  is inquiring about the delivery status of an earlier order. Therefore, CTI server  80  can interrogate management system  75  of a relevant pizza delivery establishment to determine order status. CTI server  80  can then relay relevant information to caller  10 , for example, “your order has been dispatched with the delivery rider and should be delivered within the next 10 minutes”. Caller  10  may then be asked if any further service is required. This automated detection of recent callers allows calls that have a high probability of not representing new orders to be handled automatically without involving a human agent. 
         [0026]    CTI server  80  may also access information associated with caller  10  from CRM database  75  of a relevant pizza establishment. The information may be accessed based for example on the calling number or perhaps account number of caller  10 . If the system does not recognize the calling number, it may use IVR  95  to ask customer  10  if she has previously dealt with establishment  25 . If not, then no CRM data will be available (but may now potentially be first collected at this point). However, if caller  10  is an established customer, caller  10  may be prompted to enter more information to allow the system to locate her CRM data. For example, caller  10  may be asked to enter an alternative phone number, such as a home phone number, if for example caller  10  is calling from her work. 
         [0027]    In one embodiment, the information in CRM database  75  is processed to provide a customer profile. The customer profile might reflect information such as the overall value of the customer, participation in special promotions etc. CTI server  80  may then use the customer profile (rather than the raw CRM data) for handling the call. This allows applications running in conjunction with CTI server  80  to avoid accessing and processing all raw CRM data, which may be relatively time-consuming for real-time call handling. 
         [0028]    In preferred embodiment of the invention, a copy of the CRM data is uploaded from database  75  to CTI server  80 . This upload may be performed on a regular basis, for example daily or weekly; in some cases the CRM upload may not be a fully structured database, but may have a simpler file structure having a standardized data format, such as a spreadsheet (in which case CRM database  75  may be implemented by a spreadsheet file). For example, the spreadsheet may comprise a set of telephone numbers and a customer profile for each telephone number. 
         [0029]    Having a copy of the CRM data (in whatever format) local to CTI server  80  provides faster response times for real-time call handling. In general however, CTI server  80  goes across the network to management system  75  when checking order information and other relevant information (as described above). This is because order information and other such data are updated frequently at a pizza establishment  25  (and so it is more difficult and involves more network traffic to maintain a fully up-to-date copy at CTI server  80 ). 
         [0030]    The customer information (whether a profile or some other form of CRM data) may be used to determine, for example, whether customer  10  is a high value customer based on previous orders. This may lead to a call&#39;s  60  being given high priority for being passed through to a live agent. The system may also detect whether caller  10  always makes the same order. In such cases, the system might prompt a caller with his standard order, and ask if him if he wants to repeat that order. 
         [0031]    Note that CTI server  80  has a much larger capacity for incoming calls than any single pizza establishment generally would. Consequently, callers  10  avoid getting a busy tone, but rather can be entered into a queue, and played appropriate marketing or informational messages as suggested above. Callers  10  can also be offered incentives to stay in queue—for example, money off if they are queued for more than a certain period (this period might be adjusted in accordance with current queue length and overall call volume). 
         [0032]    CTI server  80  also has the capacity to record calls and to collect call statistics. This is attractive to franchisors. For example, if a particular establishment reports low sales, a franchisor can see whether the low sales are due to a low number of customer contacts or to a poor completion rate for calls. If the latter, the recordings of various calls can be used to investigate the poor completion rate. This information can then help improve the business performance of the relevant venue  25  (or to identify any fraud). 
         [0033]    Assuming that incoming call  60  is not a repeat call (for example, if no call has been received from that caller within the last hour), CTI server  80  attempts to forward call  60  to a desired pizza establishment  25  (in accordance with the dialed number). If establishment  25  is already busy handling calls, CTI server  80  may queue the call  60 . Another possibility is to overflow call  60  to a separate call handling facility  130  (that is, different from pizza establishment  25 ). Such an overflow operation may be performed immediately, or only after customer  10  has been held in a queue for a certain time period (which may be dependent upon a relevant customer profile—e.g. high priority customers might be overflowed more promptly). 
         [0034]    In one embodiment, call handling facility  130  comprises a call center  130 , which may serve multiple pizza establishments, thereby helping to smooth out variations in call rate on a statistical basis. Such a call center may also serve other businesses, not just pizza delivery. This allows most efficient use of telephone operatives. A further possibility is to overflow calls to other employees of a receiving firm such as a pizza chain, for example administrative employees who are at home. These employees may be paid on a stand-by basis as home-workers to provide an overflow capacity. Note that in some cases, a pizza establishment may outsource all incoming calls to a call center (rather than having any staff in pizza establishment  25  for this role). This then allows the staff at pizza delivery venue  25  to concentrate on order fulfillment. 
         [0035]    In one embodiment, CTI server  80  detects if a customer  10  abandons a call before being connected with an agent. CTI server  80  may then select to call customer  10  back directly (based on the CLI) and connect the customer  10  immediately to a live agent. 
         [0036]    In general CTI server  80  sets up a separate call to an agent who is to handle call  60  (whether at pizza establishment  25 , at a separate call handling facility  130 , or elsewhere). This call is then bridged with the original incoming call  60  from customer  10  to allow customer  10  to talk to the agent. Note that since CTI server  80  is still involved in call  60  (rather than linking customer  10  directly to the agent and then dropping out altogether), CTI server  80  can collect call statistics, perform call recording, etc. 
         [0037]    When CTI server  80  forwards a call  60  to an agent, it can also provide information associated with the call  60  to a workstation screen associated with the agent (e.g. work station  122  for a call to telephone  121  or to workstation  132  for a call to telephone  131 ). Note that this may occur even if call  60  is being directed to a homeworker (provided that the homeworker has the facility for separate incoming voice and data, such as broadband or some other suitable Internet connection). 
         [0038]    The information provided to the agent receiving call  60  can lead to better and quicker handling of call  60 . For example, based on the CLI information, the customer delivery address may be retrieved from a customer database  75 . The agent then only needs to confirm the address with caller  10  (rather than having to enter a new address). The agent may also be presented with other information about caller  10  from the CRM database  75 , such as that customer  10  should have priority treatment for being a regular and/or high value customer, etc. 
         [0039]    The agent may also provide a caller  10  with customer specific offers (as prompted by the application running on CTI server  80 ). These may be based on customer information stored in CRM database  75 . For example, if a particular customer always orders medium size pizzas, she may be offered a special trial deal to upgrade to a larger size. Another possibility is that the offer depends on an overall call experience of caller  10 . For example, if the system indicates that caller  10  has been queuing for several minutes, the agent might be prompted to offer the customer  10  free garlic bread as compensation for this delay. 
         [0040]    After the agent takes an order, this is entered via user workstation  122 ,  132  into management system  75 . This is used by pizza establishment  25  to manage and track orders. Information from management system  75  can also be provided to agents handling calls, for example in relation to current queue times. Another possibility is to notify agents if certain products (e.g. pizza toppings) run out, so that customers  10  can be offered a suitable alternative. 
         [0041]    In one embodiment, CTI server  80  and associated databases are multi-tenanted, in that the same hardware is shared by multiple different organizations (such as different pizza establishments  25 ). Each establishment  25  has access to its own data regarding call statistics and so on. A managing entity (e.g. a franchisor or head office for a group of outlets) may be provided with access to aggregate data for all the different tenants. It will be appreciated that this collective approach allows the cost of more advanced facilities (such as call recording and/or voice recognition) to be shared across a number of establishments. 
         [0042]      FIG. 2  illustrates a method for handling a call  60  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention such as described above. This method may be implemented using a computer telephony system shown in  FIG. 1  or any other appropriate system. It will be appreciated that many variations are possible of the methodology of  FIG. 2 . 
         [0043]    The method commences with receiving an incoming call  60  from a caller  10  and obtaining caller identification. Caller identification may, for example, comprise a calling line identifier (CLI), also known as automatic number identification (ANI). Another possibility is that an IVR system  95  is used to obtain information identifying a caller  10 , such as an account number. 
         [0044]    Caller identification information can be used to access information about a specific caller  10 . If caller  10  is a repeat caller, then he/she may be played automated information about the status of their current order. In addition, an account number or a telephone number may be used to identify a customer record in a customer relationship management database. Once the appropriate customer record has been identified, the system can now retrieve information (e.g. a profile) from this record for the particular customer  10  making the call  60 . 
         [0045]    The system now determines how to act based on the caller information. One possibility is that caller  10  may be played a message comprising marketing information of specific relevance to the specific caller  10  (not shown in  FIG. 2 ). For example, the marketing message may indicate that a product that the customer  10  has previously purchased is currently on special offer. The CRM information may also be used to identify priority customers  10  who can then be routed to the head of a call handling queue. 
         [0046]    If a caller  10  is still in a queue, the caller  10  may be routed to an overflow call handling facility (e.g. a call center, and/or homeworkers). 
         [0047]    In some implementations, the information provided onto screen  122  of an agent  120  who eventually receives call  60  may include an indication or details of any caller-specific marketing message played to caller  10 . For example, if caller  10  has been played a marketing message about a particular promotion, CTI server  80  may prompt (script) the agent to ask the caller  10  if she is interested in pursuing the offer that she has just heard. Another possibility is that the agent is provided with data indicating which caller-specific marketing message was played to a caller  10 , so that the agent will be aware of the situation in case the caller  10  asks about a product or service described in the marketing message. If the caller  10  is further delayed in a queue, the agent may be instructed to provide the caller  10  with some special offer as compensation. 
         [0048]    It can be seen therefore that call handling can be based on:
   a) customer data—e.g. a customer profile; and/or   b) call data—e.g. whether the caller has recently called or has been in a queue for a long time.   
 
         [0051]    The system described above may also have some or all of the following functionality:
       CLI capture—if CLI is not presented, call  60  is intercepted and caller  10  is asked to input his telephone number. Likewise, if the CLI is not recognized, the caller  10  may be asked to input an alternative telephone number (e.g. a home number if he is calling from work or from a mobile device). The entered number is then provided as CLI when call  60  is transferred to a pizza shop. This allows near 100% screen popping plus other relevant functionality.   VIP caller treatment—VIP callers recognized by their CLI are placed at the front of a queue, ensuring a superb customer service for the most loyal customers.   No busy tone—usually a shop can only take as many calls as they have inbound telephone channels. Thus if they have 5 channels, the 6th caller gets a busy tone. The present system queues callers in the network so they do not receive a busy tone.   Queue positions and expected wait times can be announced to callers.   Automated callback can be provided, such that if a caller hangs up while in a queue (and CLI is available), the system calls the caller  10  back immediately for connection to the first live agent.   The system operates as a virtual call center providing (a) call statistics such as abandon rates, time to abandon, etc., and (b) call overflow, e.g. to homeworkers with a broadband connection.   Call recording allows the best practice of best perforating order takers to be analyzed and spread, and protects against fraud.   The system provides automated status updates for a caller who has recently placed an order, so that they are given an order status update with the option to hold for the shop.   Average order value can be increased using relevant marketing, e.g. enabling shops to make specific offers to individual customers, based on a) individual customer history (e.g. upsell to large for callers who normally only buy medium), b) customer profile (e.g. market new vegetarian option to vegetarians), c) external information (e.g. market ice cream if weather is hot), d) pizza shop details (e.g. don&#39;t promote side salads if these are currently out of stock), e) special offer for callers who have been queued for a long time—(or combination of any of above).   Consistent branding and standard offers.       
 
         [0062]    The skilled person will be aware of a range of possible modifications of the various embodiments described above—e.g. the techniques described may be applied to other fast food outlets than pizzas, and other customer services, not just fast food delivery. For example, the techniques described may be applied to tire and/or exhaust fitting businesses, and to a wide range of other commercial, retail and service offerings. Accordingly, the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.