Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to a customer service routing system and method. The routing system is configured for receiving an incoming service inquiry from a customer, prompting the customer to input a product serial number, receiving the serial number input by the customer, and directing the customer inquiry to a customer service representative based upon the customer response.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present disclosure relates to a customer service routing system and method. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a simplified customer service routing system and method that reduces the amount of time and effort spent by a customer before reaching an appropriate customer service representative.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Customers of computer and peripheral equipment are often provided with troubleshooting tips in the documentation accompanying the purchased equipment that aid the customer in overcoming problems he or she is having with the equipment. Where the customer cannot solve the problem after having consulted the troubleshooting tips, the customer normally can call a customer service line to receive help from a customer service representative.  
           [0003]    Often times, the equipment vendor sells many different products. Because of this fact, many vendors employ customer service representatives trained as to particular products or product lines only. To ensure the customer reaches a customer service representative knowledgeable about the particular product about which the customer is calling, equipment vendors frequently use call routing systems. Common routing systems are used to obtain preliminary information from the customer about the product(s) about which the customer is calling. By way of example, the routing system may play recorded questions for the customer that prompt the customer for particular information about the product at issue. The customer can respond to the questions by entering numbers on his or her telephone keypad that are received by the routing system. Typically, the questions are directed questions in the form of “If you are calling about [product 1], press one. If you are calling about [product 2], press 2” and so forth. Once the customer responses are received, they are used to route the call to an appropriate customer service representative.  
           [0004]    In many current routing systems, the customer is required to answer many different questions before he or she can reach a live human being to discuss the problem being experienced. Often, the customer will not know the answer to one or more of the questions and will have to terminate the call, find the answer(s) to the question(s), and call again, starting from the beginning of the routing process. Understandably, this routing process can be very frustrating for the customer, particularly where it takes several minutes or even several calls before the customer can reach a live human being. Accordingly, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have a simplified customer service routing system and method that reduces the amount of time and effort spent by a customer before reaching an appropriate customer service representative.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present disclosure relates to a customer service routing system and method. The routing system is configured for receiving an incoming service inquiry from a customer, prompting the customer to input a product serial number, receiving the serial number input by the customer, and directing the customer inquiry to a customer service representative based upon the customer response.  
           [0006]    In view of this functionality, the routing system can be described as comprising means for receiving an incoming service inquiry from a customer, means for prompting the customer to input a product serial number, means for receiving the serial number input by the customer, and means for directing the customer inquiry to a customer service representative based upon the customer response.  
           [0007]    Alternatively, the routing system can be described as comprising logic configured to receive an incoming service inquiry from a customer, logic configured to prompt the customer to input a product serial number, logic configured to receive the serial number input by the customer, and logic configured to direct the customer inquiry to a customer service representative based upon the customer response.  
           [0008]    The features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a customer service routing system of the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a schematic view of computing device architecture used in the routing system shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 3A and 3B are flow diagrams that illustrate a method for routing customers to appropriate customer service representatives using the routing system shown in FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]    Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a customer service routing system  100  of the present invention. As indicated in this figure, the system  100  includes a communications system  102  to which a customer can connect with a customer interface device  104 . By way of example, the customer interface device  104  can comprise a telephone  106  and the communications system  102  can comprise a telephone network. Although use of a telephone and telephone network are preferred, it is to be understood that the customer interface device  104  can comprise an alternative device such as a personal computer (PC) and the communications system  102  can comprise an alternative system such as the Internet.  
         [0014]    Also connected to the communications system  102  is a customer service routing device  108  of the equipment vendor. Although the present system and method are described in the context of an equipment vendor, it will be understood that the concepts disclosed herein are equally applicable to other business concerns that desire to route incoming customer communications. Typically, the routing device  108  comprises a computer system that operates appropriate software/firmware adapted to field customer communications and, based upon these communications, route the customer to the appropriate representative. In addition, the routing device  108  normally also comprises device memory in which customer responses can be stored. As is further indicated in FIG. 1, the routing device  108  is connected to a plurality of customer service representatives  110  that possess knowledge of one or more products sold by the vendor.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 illustrates an example the architecture of a computing device  200  suitable for this purpose. As indicated in this figure, the computer system  200  that can be comprise part of the routing device  108 . The computer system  200  normally includes a processing devices  202 , memory  204 , input devices  206 , output devices  208 , and a local interface  210  with which each of the other components are in communication. By way of example, the processing device  202  can comprise one or more computer processor units (CPUs). The memory  204  normally comprises random access memory (RAM) as well as storage memory (e.g., one or more hard disks or other storage media) that, at least temporarily, store data within the computing device  200 . The input devices  206  typically comprise conventional user interface devices such a keyboard, mouse, and like with which a user (e.g., a system administrator) can operate and control the system  100 . In addition, these input devices  206  normally include conventional interface elements through which data can be received by the system host from a system user. Similarly, the output devices  208  normally include conventional interface elements through which data can be transmitted to a system user.  
         [0016]    The memory  204  typically stores data conventionally held in computer memory including an operating system (O/S)  212 . In addition, the memory  204  also stores the necessary commands for a call routing module  214 . This module  214  preferably comprise software and/or firmware to direct calls based upon predetermined criteria. Where the call routing module  214  is implemented in software stored in computer memory, it will be understood that the modules can be stored and transported on any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this document, a “computer-readable medium” can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.  
         [0017]    The computer readable medium can be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific examples (a nonexhaustive list) of the computer-readable medium would include the following: an electrical connection (electronic) having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette (magnetic), a random access memory (RAM) (magnetic), a read-only memory (ROM) (magnetic), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory) (magnetic), an optical fiber (optical), and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM) (optical). Note that the computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via for instance optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted or otherwise processed in a suitable manner if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.  
         [0018]    As identified above, current customer routing systems normally require multiple inputs from the customer and may request information that the customer does not possess at the time. Accordingly, the overlying principle of the present invention is to simplify the process to more rapidly service the customer. FIGS. 3A and 3B provide an example method for routing customer service communications using the system  100  shown in FIG. 1. As indicated in FIG. 3A, if the customer has a problem with one or more of the vendor&#39;s products, as indicated in block  300 , the customer can contact the vendor&#39;s customer service department, as indicated in block  302 . As identified above, the customer normally contacts the vendor via the telephone, although alternative means of communication are feasible, such as various communications means operating over the Internet.  
         [0019]    Once the customer has contacted the customer service department, for instance by calling a customer service line, the customer is notified that certain pieces of information will be needed to route the customer&#39;s inquiry, as indicated in block  304 . By way of example, the customer routing device  108  can notify the customer that the product serial number and model number will be needed. In addition, the routing device  108  can notify the customer where to find the needed information. For instance, the routing device  108  can notify the customer that the information can be obtained by locating the information on the product housing or, where applicable, printing a test page for the product with which the customer is having difficulty. Such a test page normally includes other information that may be useful to the customer service representative once the customer reaches the representative through the system  100 .  
         [0020]    At this point, the customer can determine whether he or she knows the information that will be needed to route the customer&#39;s inquiry, as indicated at decision element  306 . If the customer does not know the needed information, he or she can terminate the communication and, as indicated in block  308 , collect the needed information so that he or she will have this information at the ready when the customer again contacts the customer service department at block  302 . If, on the other hand, the customer knows the information identified by the routing device  108 , the customer can be prompted to input the serial number of the product about which the customer is inquiring, as indicated in block  310 . Where the customer has accessed the routing device via telephone, this step can be accomplished by entering the various numeric digits of the serial number with his or her telephone keypad. Optionally, the customer can also be prompted to enter the alphabetic portion of the serial number also with the telephone keypad.  
         [0021]    After the serial number has been input by the customer, the customer service routing device  108  stores the customer response, as indicated in block  312 . In a preferred embodiment, the response is both stored and forwarded to the ultimately selected customer service representative to help the representative in diagnosing and solving the customer&#39;s problem. Next, the customer can be prompted for further information about the product at issue. For instance, as indicated in block  314 , the customer can be prompted to enter the product model number. The customer can input his or her response in the manner described above. Again, the customer response is stored by the routing device  108 , as indicated in block  316  of FIG. 3B. Typically, these two pieces of information, i.e., the product serial number and model number, is all of the information the routing device  108  needs to determine the product about which the customer is inquiring. It is to be understood, however, that other or additional information could be collected, if desired. In addition, where the customer has registered with the vendor or contacted the customer service department before, the information supplied by the customer may be enough for the routing device  108  to determine the level of the customer&#39;s entitlement to support.  
         [0022]    At this point, the routing device  108  determines the routing path for the customer inquiry, as indicated in block  318 . The customer is then placed in a queue in which the customer will wait for the next available customer service representative knowledgeable about the product with which the customer is having problems, as indicated in block  320 . Once an appropriate customer service representative is available, the customer will be directed to the customer service representative, as indicated in block  322 . Due to the responses the customer has entered during the routing process, the customer service representative will preferably already know what product about which the customer is concerned. In addition, the customer service representative may already know information about the customer including his or her entitlement to service, the customer&#39;s product history, and the like. Optionally, the customer service representative can be a “technical screener” who determines the nature of the problem and then directs the customer to the representative best equipped to solve the customer&#39;s problem.  
         [0023]    Once having accessed the customer service representative, the customer can receive help from the customer service representative. Normally, the customer service representative&#39;s instructions will be adequate to remedy the customer&#39;s problem. Where mere instructions from the customer service representative are not enough, however, the representative can create a customer service order (CSO) to arrange for a technician to visit the customer&#39;s premises to or send a user-installable part to the customer to solve the problem. At this point, information about the customer&#39;s problem and the recommended solution can be stored in a database of the routing device  108  for the vendor&#39;s records, as indicated in block  324 . With these records, the vendor will be better suited to help the customer in the future if new customer problems/inquiries should arise. The customer service communication is terminated.  
         [0024]    Operating in the manner described above, the present invention provides a greatly simplified means for a customer to receive customer service with much less frustration. While particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail in the foregoing description and drawings for purposes of example, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications thereof can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.