Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US9392118B1/en
Timestamp: 2018-10-16 06:39:12
Document Index: 705402352

Matched Legal Cases: ['arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty\n208', 'arty 115', 'art 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'art 115', 'arty 120', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115', 'arty 115']

US9392118B1 - System and method to provide a response to an inquiry - Google Patents
System and method to provide a response to an inquiry Download PDF
US9392118B1
US9392118B1 US14699819 US201514699819A US9392118B1 US 9392118 B1 US9392118 B1 US 9392118B1 US 14699819 US14699819 US 14699819 US 201514699819 A US201514699819 A US 201514699819A US 9392118 B1 US9392118 B1 US 9392118B1
US14699819
Disclosed are systems and methods to provide a response to an inquiry. The systems and methods provide techniques to receive an inquiry from a party, wherein the inquiry comprises a plurality of inquiry classifiers that are provided by the party, determine a party status, translate the plurality of inquiry classifiers and the party status into a skill set, route the inquiry to a primary representative based on the skill set, and provide a inquiry response to the party.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/154,985, filed Jan. 14, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,036,810, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/734,486, filed Apr. 12, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,630,402. The disclosure of each application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and made a part hereof.
Various embodiments of the disclosure pertain to a system and method to receive an inquiry from a party, wherein the inquiry comprises a plurality of inquiry classifiers that are provided by the party, determine a party status, translate the plurality of inquiry classifiers and the party status into a skill set, route the inquiry to a primary representative based on the skill set, and provide a inquiry response to the party.
Providing a response to an inquiry is well-known and readily appreciated by those of skill in the art. Typically, a customer may have questions about a good or service provided by a provider, and that customer may submit an inquiry to the provider. For example, the provider may provide a form on a website for the customer to submit the inquiry, and that form may ask for a general subject and a brief description of the inquiry. The inquiry is then sent to a representative of the provider, and the representative provides the customer with a response to the inquiry.
However, when the provider provides multiple lines of business including many different goods and/or services, such conventional systems and methods for providing a response to an inquiry raise a number of issues. Typically, the different lines of business use different processes and applications for responding to the customer inquiries, resulting in an appearance to the customer that the provider is a plurality of independent businesses rather than one entity including a plurality of business lines that provide multiple goods and/or services. A multiple-business-line provider may require that the customer submit their inquiry by classifying their question as a general subject and including a description of the subject matter of the question. The inquiry is then sent to a database with all other inquiries from other customers. A plurality of representatives then choose inquiries from the database, typically based on their knowledge of the general subject that the customer classified the inquiry. However, the customer may incorrectly classify the general subject of the question, resulting in the representative not being able to provide a response that satisfies the customer, or the representative may not have the proper knowledge of the general subject of the inquiry to provide a response that satisfies the customer. Furthermore, the inquiry may include multiple inquiries that run across different lines of businesses of the provider, and the representative may not have the proper knowledge to provide a response to all the different inquiries such that the customer is satisfied with the response. Conventional solutions to these problems include manually reviewing and routing inquiries to ensure that they reach representatives with the proper knowledge to provide a response that satisfies the customer. Such solutions are time intensive and result in longer response times. Other solutions include using artificial intelligence programs that search the description of the subject matter of the question provided by the customer and classify the inquiry based on that terms found in that search. Such solutions are prone to errors in classification.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved system and method to provide a response to an inquiry.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods to provide a response to an inquiry. The systems and methods provide techniques to receive an inquiry from a party, wherein the inquiry comprises a plurality of inquiry classifiers that are provided by the party, determine a party status, translate the plurality of inquiry classifiers and the party status into a skill set, route the inquiry to a primary representative based on the skill set, and provide a inquiry response to the party.
FIG. 1a is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a system to provide a response to an inquiry.
FIG. 1b is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of an information handling system used with the system to provide a response to an inquiry of FIG. 1 a.
FIG. 1c is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a provider used in the system to provide a response to an inquiry of FIG. 1 a.
FIG. 2a is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method to provide a response to an inquiry.
FIG. 2b is a screen shot illustrating an embodiment of a product and/or services website used in the method of FIG. 2 a.
FIG. 2c is a screen shot illustrating an embodiment of a credit card website used in the method of FIG. 2 a.
FIG. 2d is a screen shot illustrating an embodiment of an inquiry form website used in the method of FIG. 2 a.
FIG. 2e is a screen shot illustrating an embodiment of a representative skill set website used in the method of FIG. 2 a.
FIG. 2f is a screen shot illustrating an embodiment of a representative worklist website used in the method of FIG. 2 a.
Referring now to FIG. 1a , in one embodiment, a system to provide a response to an inquiry 100 is illustrated. The system 100 includes a computer network 105 such as, for example, a Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network (e.g., the internet or an intranet). A provider 110 is operably coupled to the network 105. A plurality of parties 115, 120 and 125 are also operably coupled to the network 105 in order to allow communication between the parties 115, 120 and 125 and the provider 110. In an embodiment, the provider 110 includes any entity providing products and/or services. In an embodiment, the provider 110 may include a plurality of business lines such as, for example, banking, insurance, financial services, loan providing, and/or a variety of other services known in the art, and the provider 110 may offer a plurality of products and/or services in each business line. In an embodiment, the provider 110 includes a membership organization which provides a plurality of services for its members such as, for example, banking, insurance, financial services, loan providing, and/or a variety of other services known in the art, wherein the members include parties 115, 120 and 125. In an embodiment, the provider 110 is a third party to a party and a provider where the provider is attempting to provide products and/or services to the party. In an embodiment, the parties 115, 120 and 125 may be, for example, a person interested in a product or service offered by a provider.
For clarity, FIG. 1a depicts only one provider 110. However, the system 100 may include a plurality of providers. Likewise, for clarity, FIG. 1a depicts only three parties 115, 120 and 125. However, the system 100 may include a plurality of parties. In the discussion below, the party 115 is a representative one of the parties 115, 120 and 125.
Each of the provider 110 and the parties 115, 120 and 125 includes a respective information handling system (IHS), a subsystem, or a part of a subsystem for executing processes and performing operations (e.g., processing or communicating information) in response thereto, as discussed further below. Each such IHS is formed by various electronic circuitry components. Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 1a , all such IHSs are coupled to each other. Accordingly, the provider 110 and the parties 115, 120 and 125 operate within the network 105.
Referring now to FIG. 1b , an IHS 130 which is representative of one of the IHSs described above, is illustrated. The IHS 130 may include any or all of the following: (a) a processor 130 a for executing and otherwise processing instructions, (b) a plurality of input devices 130 b, which are operably coupled to the processor 130 a, for inputting information, (c) a display device 130 c (e.g., a conventional electronic cathode ray tub (CRT) device or a conventional liquid crystal display (LCD)), which is operably coupled to the processor 130 a, for displaying information, (d) a print device 130 d (e.g. a conventional electronic printer or plotter), which is operably coupled to the processor 130 a, for printing visual images (e.g., textual or graphic information on paper), scanning visual images, and/or faxing visual images, (e) a computer-readable medium 130 e, which is operably coupled to the processor 130 a, for storing information, as discussed further below, and (f) various other electronic circuitry for performing other operations of the IHS 130 known in the art.
Referring now to FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c , the provider 110 is illustrated in more detail. A communication engine 110 a which may be, for example, software stored on the computer-readable medium 130 e in the IHS 130, is included in the provider 110 and is operably coupled to the network 105, described above with reference to FIG. 1a , and to a party database 110 b. A translating engine 110 c which may be, for example, software stored on the computer-readable medium 130 e in the IHS 130 or a representative of the provider 110, is included in the provider 110 and is operably coupled to the communication engine 110 a, the network 105, described above with reference to FIG. 1a , and a translating database 110 d. A routing engine 110 e which may be, for example, software stored on the computer-readable medium 130 e in the IHS 130 or a representative of the provider 110, is included in the provider 110 and is operably coupled to the customer communication engine 110 a, the network 105, described above with reference to FIG. 1a , the translating engine 110 c, and a representative database 110 f. A metrics engine 110 g which may be, for example, software stored on the computer-readable medium 130 e in the IHS 130 or a representative of the provider 110, is included in the provider 110 and is operably coupled to the customer communication engine 110 a, the network 105, described above with reference to FIG. 1a , and a metrics database 110 h. In an embodiment, the party database 110 b, the translating database 110 d, the representative database 110 f, and/or the metrics database 110 h are conventional databases known in the art. In an embodiment, the party database 110 b, the translating database 110 d, the representative database 110 f, and/or the metrics database 110 h may be located outside the provider 110 and still operably coupled to the provider 110 and the communication engine 110 a through, for example, the network 105, described above with reference to FIG. 1a . In an embodiment, the party database 110 b, the translating database 110 d, the representative database 110 f, and/or the metrics database 110 h include a plurality of databases. In an embodiment, the provider 110 is a membership organization and the party database 110 b includes a variety of previously collected information on members of the membership organization. In an embodiment, the party database 110 b, the translating database 110 d, the representative database 110 f, and/or the metrics database 110 h are publicly available databases. In an embodiment, the party database 110 b, the translating database 110 d, the representative database 110 f, and/or the metrics database 110 h are private databases which are available to be accessed by the provider 110.
Referring now to FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a and 2b , a method 200 to provide a response to an inquiry is illustrated. The illustrated embodiment of the method 200 is described below as it may be applied to a website that transfers information over a network such as, for example, the network 105, described above with reference to FIG. 1a . However, the method 200 is not limited to websites and may be practiced using phone communication, fax communication, short message services or text messaging, face-to-face communication, and a variety of other communication techniques known in the art. Throughout the description of the method 200, embodiments will be briefly described that utilize these forms of communication that are alternatives to the websites used in the illustrated embodiment. The method 200 begins at step 202 where the provider 110 communicates with a party such as, for example, the party 115, described above with reference to FIG. 1a . In the illustrated embodiment, the provider 110 provides a products and/or services website 202 a through the network 105. The products and/or services website 202 a includes an insurance product and/or service 202 aa, a banking product and/or service 202 ab, an investment product and/or service 202 ac, and a financial advice product and/or service 202 ad. The insurance product and/or service 202 aa includes a plurality of links such as, for example, an auto insurance link 202 aaa, a home and property insurance link 202 aab, a business insurance link 202 aac, a life insurance link 202 aad, and an annuities insurance link 202 aae. The banking product and/or service 202 ab includes a plurality of links such as, for example, an checking link 202 aba, a savings link 202 abb, a credit cards link 202 abc, a loans link 202 abd, a Certificate of Deposits (CDs) link 202 abe, and a youth banking link 202 abf. The investment product and/or service 202 ac includes a plurality of links such as, for example, an mutual funds link 202 aca, a brokerage link 202 acb, a college savings link 202 acc, a personal asset management link 202 acd, an annuities link 202 ace, and a Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) link 202 acf. The financial advice product or service 202 ad includes a learn more link 202 ada. In an embodiment, the provider 110 provides a plurality products and/or services websites that are substantially similar to the products and/or services website 202 a but which each contain products and/or services relating to different business lines of the provider 110. In an alternative embodiment, the provider 110 may provide information about products and/or services in a newspaper, on a billboard, in a television ad, or in a variety of other locations using a variety of other methods known in the art.
Referring now to FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b and 2c , the method 200 then proceeds to step 204 where the party 115 desires more information. While viewing the products and/or service website 202 a in step 202 of the method 200, the party 115 may desire more information on a first subject such as, for example, credit cards. The party 115 may then use the credit card link 202 abc under the banking products and/or services 202 ab to access a credit cards information website 204 a. Upon the selection of the credit card link 202 abc by the party 115, the communication engine 110 a provides the party 115 with the credit cards website 204 a. The credit card website 204 a includes a plurality of information 204 aa about credit cards offered by the provider. The credit card website 204 a may also include an application section 204 ab having a join link 204 aba such that the party 115 may apply for a credit card 204 ac by selecting the join link 204 aba. The credit card website 204 a also includes a contact a representative link 204 ac.
Referring now to FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2c and 2d , the method 200 then proceeds to step 206 where the party 115 provides an inquiry. If the party 115 does not find the desired information on the first subject desired in step 204 of the method 200, the party 115 may use the contact a representative link 204 ac to access a inquiry form website 206 a. Upon the selection of the contact a representative link 204 ac by the party 115, the communication engine 110 a provides the party 115 with the inquiry form website 206 a. The inquiry form website 206 a includes a party identifying section 206 aa having a party identification field 206 aaa and a security field 206 aab. The inquiry form website 206 a also includes a inquiry classification section 206 ab having a plurality of inquiry classifier fields 206 aba, 206 abb and 206 abc. The inquiry form website 206 a also includes a inquiry narrative section 206 ac and a submit link 206 ad. In an embodiment, the provider 110 may be a membership organization, the party 115 may be a member of the membership organization, and the party 115 may provide a party identifier in the party identification field 206 aaa such as, for example, a member number provided by provider 110, and a security password in the security field 206 aab such as, for example, any combination of characters that the provider 110 has associated with the party 115 and provided to the party 115. In an alternative embodiment, the party 115 may not be a member of the membership organization, and the party identification field 206 aaa and the security field 206 aab in the party identifying section 206 aa may be left blank. The party 115 then provides an inquiry classifier in each of the inquiry classifier fields 206 aba, 206 abb and 206 abc of the inquiry classification section 206 ab. In an embodiment, each of the plurality of inquiry classifier fields 206 aba, 206 abb and 206 abc are drop-down menus. In an embodiment, a first inquiry classifier may be selected from the drop down menu in the inquiry classifier field 206 aba and the selection of that first inquiry classifier dictates the availability of choices for a second inquiry classifier in the drop down menu in the inquiry classifier field 206 abb, and the selection of the second inquiry classifier in the drop down menu in the inquiry classifier field 206 abc dictates the availability of choices for a third inquiry classifier in the drop down menu in the inquiry classifier field 206 abc. The party 115 also provides a brief description or narrative of the inquiry in the inquiry narrative section 206 ac. The party 115 may then select the submit link 206 ad to provide the inquiry to the provider 110. In an embodiment, a plurality of parties such as, for example, the parties 115, 120 and 125 may provide a plurality of inquiries to the provider 110 regarding a plurality of different subjects in substantially the same manner as described above. In an embodiment, the inquiry may be for the first subject and a second subject relating to any of the products and/or services offered by the provider 110 in the plurality of business lines of the provider 110. In an alternative embodiment, the party 115 may see the product and/or service information, for example, in a newspaper, on a billboard, in a television ad, or in a variety of other locations using a variety of other methods known in the art, and may access the inquiry form using a variety of different methods such as, for example, calling a phone number or sending a text message. In the case of calling a phone number to access the inquiry form, the party 115 may be connected to a representative through phone communication and the representative may prompt the party 115 for the inquiry classifiers and/or the party status information. In the case of sending a text message to access the inquiry form, the party 115 may use a short message service (SMS) to provide the inquiry classifiers and/or the party status information to the representative of the provider 110.
Referring now to FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a and 2d , the method 200 then proceeds to step 208 where the inquiry is translated. The communication engine 110 a takes the party identifier provided in the party identification field 206 aaa and the security password provided in the security field 206 aab, and accesses the party database 110 b to retrieve a party status of the party 115. In an embodiment, the party database 110 b includes previously collected information on the party 115 and the party status may be, for example, military rank, employment status, job title, or a variety of other party status known in the art and listed below with reference to the charts describing step 208 of the method 200. In an embodiment, the party status includes any attribute of the party 115 that is used to classify the inquiry from the party 115. The translating engine 110 c then accesses the translating database 110 d and may use the party status and the inquiry classifiers provided in the inquiry classifier fields 206 aba, 206 abb and 206 abc to translate the inquiry into a skill set. In an embodiment, the translating engine 110 c may use information from the communication engine 110 a such as, for example, the content of the website that the party 115 was on before the party 115 accessed the inquiry form website 206 a. In an embodiment, the translating engine 110 c may include an artificial intelligence engine that is operable to access the narrative provided in the inquiry narrative section 206 ac on the inquiry form website 206 a and determine a first or second subject that the party 115 desires information on. In an embodiment, different combinations of the first inquiry classifier 208 a, second inquiry classifier 208 b, third inquiry classifier 208 c, and party status 208 d translate into a skill set 208 e. For example, the chart below illustrates a plurality of possibilities available for a first inquiry classifier 208 a of “Banking”, including the available second inquiry classifiers 208 b when “Banking” is selected as the first inquiry classifier and the available third inquiry classifiers for the selected second inquiry classifiers. Furthermore, the chart below illustrates that the party status 208 d may or may not help determine the skill set 208 e:
1st Inquiry 2nd Inquiry 3rd Inquiry
Classifier Classifier Classifier Party
208a 208b 208c Status 208d Skill Set 208e
Banking ANY ANY Bank Executive Bank Executive Complaint
Banking ANY ANY Employee Employee Submitted Bank
Banking ANY ANY Select Bank Select
Banking Auto, Automatic Payment Bank Automatic Payment
Recreational, and Update Update
Banking Auto, Negotiation Bank Negotiation Services
Recreational, and Services
Banking Auto, Other Bank Auto, Recreational,
Recreational, and and Personal Loans Other
Banking Auto, Payment Bank Payment Information
Recreational, and Information
Banking Auto, Payoff Quote/Loan Bank Payoff Quote/Loan
Recreational, and Balance Balance
Banking Auto, Status of Application Bank Status of Application
Recreational, and
Banking CDs/IRAs Account Activity Bank CDs/IRAsAccount
Banking CDs/IRAs Interest Bank CDs/IRAsInterest
Banking CDs/IRAs Renewal Bank CDs/IRAsRenewal
Banking CDs/IRAs Rollover Bank CDs/IRAsRollover
Banking Checking & Savings ATM/Debit Card Bank ATM/Debit Card
Banking Checking & Savings Account Bank Account
Activity/History Activity/History
Banking Checking & Savings Check Orders/ Bank Check Orders/
Banking Checking & Savings Funds Transfer Bank Funds Transfer
Banking Checking & Savings Other Bank Checking & Savings
Banking Checking & Savings Signature Cards Bank Signature Cards
Banking Checking & Savings Statements Bank Statements
Banking Credit Cards Add Cardholder Bank Add Cardholder
Banking Credit Cards Annual Percentage Bank Annual Percentage
Rate (APR) Rate (APR)
Banking Credit Cards Balance Inquiry Bank Balance Inquiry
Banking Credit Cards CC Disputes Bank CC Disputes
Banking Credit Cards CC/Debit Fraud Bank CC/Debit Fraud
Banking Credit Cards Credit Limit Inquiry Bank Credit Limit Inquiry
Banking Credit Cards Debit Card Disputes Bank Debit Card Disputes
Banking Credit Cards Other Bank Credit Cards Other
Banking Credit Cards Payment Inquiry Bank Payment Inquiry
Banking Home Equity Loans About Home Equity Bank About Home Equity
Banking Home Equity Loans Convenience Bank Convenience Check
Check Request Request
Banking Home Equity Loans Increase Credit Bank Increase Credit Limit
Banking Home Equity Loans Other Bank Home Equity Loans
Banking Home Equity Loans Status of Bank Status of Application
Banking Mortgages/Movers Mortgage Bank Mortgages
Banking Mortgages/Movers Movers Advantage Bank Movers Advantage
Banking Mortgages/Movers Other Bank Mortgages/Movers
Advantage Advantage Other
Banking Other N/A Bank Other
Banking Web Bill Pay Non Payment Bank Web BillPay non-
Inquiry Payment Inquiry
Banking Web Bill Pay Other Bank Web BillPay Other
Banking Web Bill Pay Payment Inquiry Bank Web BillPay
For example, the chart below illustrates a plurality of possibilities available for a first inquiry classifier 208 a of “Enterprise”. The chart below illustrates that the party status 208 d is the only factor to determine the skill set 208 e for a first inquiry classifier 208 a of “Enterprise”:
Classifier Classifier Classifier Party Skill
208a 208b 208c Status 208d Set 208e
Enterprise ANY ANY Enterprise Enterprise Executive
Executive Complaint
Enterprise ANY ANY Enterprise Enterprise Select
For example, the chart below illustrates a plurality of possibilities available for a first inquiry classifier 208 a of “Financial Guidance” including the available second inquiry classifiers 208 b when “Financial Guidance” is selected as the first inquiry classifier and the available third inquiry classifiers for the selected second inquiry classifiers. Furthermore, the chart below illustrates that the party status 208 d may not help determine the skill set 208 e:
1st Inquiry 2nd Inquiry 3rd Inquiry Party
Classifier Classifier Classifier Status
208a 208b 208c 208d Skill Set 208e
Financial Guidance Buying A Car Get an Auto Loan Financial Guidance Buying
A CarGet an Auto Loan
Financial Guidance Buying A Car Negotiate Vehicle Financial Guidance Buying
Price A Car Negotiate Vehicle
Financial Guidance Buying A Car Request an Auto Financial Guidance Buying
Insurance Quote A CarRequest an Auto
Financial Guidance Change In Getting Divorced Financial Guidance
Marital Status Change In Marital Status
Financial Guidance Change In Getting Married Financial Guidance
Financial Guidance Changing Jobs Military Retirement Financial Guidance
Financial Guidance Changing Jobs Review Your Cash Financial Guidance
Flow and Budget Changing Jobs
Financial Guidance Changing Jobs Review Your Life Financial Guidance
Insurance Review Your Life
Financial Guidance Changing Jobs Review Your Financial Guidance
Retirement Needs Changing Jobs
Financial Guidance Deployment Review Your Financial Guidance
Finances Deployment Review Your
Financial Guidance Deployment Review Your Life Financial Guidance
Financial Guidance Deployment Update Your Auto Financial Guidance
Insurance Deployment Update Your
Financial Guidance Free Financial N/A Financial Guidance Free
Advice Financial Advice
Financial Guidance Having a Baby Questions about Financial Guidance
and Parenting College Savings Questions about College
Plans Savings Plans
Financial Guidance Having a Baby Review Your Life Financial Guidance
and Parenting Insurance Review Your Life
Financial Guidance Moving Buy or Sell Your Financial Guidance Moving
Home Buy or Sell Your Home
Financial Guidance Moving Get a Home Financial Guidance Moving
Insurance Quote Get a Home Insurance
Financial Guidance Moving Get a Home Loan Financial Guidance Moving
Financial Guidance Moving Get a Real Estate Financial Guidance Moving
Agent Get a Real Estate Agent
Financial Guidance Other Financial Other Financial Guidance Other
Financial Guidance Personalized Already Enrolled Financial Guidance
Financial Plans Personalized Financial
Plans Already Enrolled
Financial Guidance Personalized Looking For Financial Guidance
Financial Plans Information Personalized Financial
Plans Looking For
Financial Guidance Retirement Already Saving Financial Guidance
Retirement Already Saving
Financial Guidance Retirement Considering Long Financial Guidance
Term Care Retirement Considering
Insurance Long Term Care Insurance
Financial Guidance Retirement Just Starting Out Financial Guidance
Retirement Just Starting
Financial Guidance Retirement Military Retirement Financial Guidance
Retirement Military
Financial Guidance Retirement Retired Financial Guidance
Financial Guidance Survivorship Receiving an Financial Guidance
Inheritance Survivorship
Financial Guidance Survivorship Review Life Financial Guidance
For example, the chart below illustrates a plurality of possibilities available for a first inquiry classifier 208 a of “Investments” including the available second inquiry classifiers 208 b when “Investments” is selected as the first inquiry classifier and the available third inquiry classifiers for the selected second inquiry classifiers. Furthermore, the chart below illustrates that the party status 208 d may or may not help determine the skill set 208 e:
Investments ANY ANY Employee Employee Submitted
IMCO Inquiries
Investments ANY ANY IMCO IMCO Executive
Investments ANY ANY Select IMCO Select
Investments Annuities Cancellation LifeCo Annuities
Investments Annuities Information about a LifeCo Annuities
New Contract Information about a New
Investments Annuities Other LifeCo Annuities Other
Investments Annuities Service to your LifeCo Annuities Service
Existing Contract to your Existing Contract
Investments Brokerage Services Existing Account IMCO Brokerage Services
Questions/Servicing Existing Account
Questions/Servicing
Investments Brokerage Services Non-USAA Mutual IMCO Brokerage Services
Funds Non-USAA Mutual Funds
Investments Brokerage Services Open an IMCO Brokerage Services
Account/Request Open an
Information Account/Request
Investments Brokerage Services Other IMCO Brokerage Services
Investments Brokerage Services Scheduled Transfers IMCO Brokerage Services
Investments Brokerage Services Stock/Trading IMCO Brokerage Services
Questions Stock/Trading Questions
Investments Brokerage Services Transfer Funds IMCO Brokerage Services
Investments Brokerage Services Web Site IMCO Brokerage Services
Questions/Comments Web Site
Investments College Savings Existing Account IMCO College Savings
Investments College Savings Incoming Transfer IMCO College Savings
Investments College Savings Open an IMCO College Savings
Investments College Savings Other IMCO College Savings
Investments College Savings Questions About IMCO College Savings
College Savings Questions About College
Investments College Savings Sell IMCO College Savings
Shares/Outbound Sell Shares/Outbound
Investments College Savings Web Site IMCO College Savings
Investments IRAs Convert to Roth IRA IMCO IRAs Convert to
Investments IRAs Existing Account IMCO IRAs Existing
Questions/Servicing Account
Investments IRAs Incoming IMCO IRAs Incoming
Transfer/Rollover Transfer/Rollover
Investments IRAs Open an Account IMCO IRAs Open an
Investments IRAs Other IMCO IRAs Other
Investments IRAs Questions About IMCO IRAs Questions
IRAs About IRAs
Investments IRAs Web Site IMCO IRAs Web Site
Questions/Comments Questions/Comments
Investments IRAs Withdrawal IMCO IRAs Withdrawal
Funds/Outbound Funds/Outbound
Investments Mutual Funds Automatic IMCO Mutual Funds
Contributions Automatic Contributions
Investments Mutual Funds Existing Account IMCO Mutual Funds
Investments Mutual Funds Mutual Fund IMCO Mutual Funds
Questions/Comments Mutual Fund
Investments Mutual Funds Open an IMCO Mutual Funds
Investments Mutual Funds Other IMCO Mutual Funds
Investments Mutual Funds Transfer Funds IMCO Mutual Funds
Investments Mutual Funds Web Site IMCO Mutual Funds Web
Questions/Comments Site Questions/Comments
Investments Other N/A IMCO Investments Other
Investments Personalized Other IMCO Personalized Asset
Asset Management Other
Investments Personalized Questions For Your IMCO Personalized Asset
Asset Representative Management Questions
Management For Your Representative
Investments Personalized Request Product IMCO Personalized Asset
Asset Information Management Request
Management Product Information
For example, the chart below illustrates a plurality of possibilities available for a first inquiry classifier 208 a of “Other” including the available second inquiry classifiers 208 b when “Other” is selected as the first inquiry classifier. Furthermore, the chart below illustrates that the third inquiry classifier 208 c and the party status 208 d may not help determine the skill set 208 e:
Other General N/A Enterprise General
Other Other N/A Enterprise Other
Other Update Personal N/A Enterprise Update
Information Personal Information
Address change)
Other usaa.com N/A Enterprise usaa.com
Website Website Technical
For example, the chart below illustrates a plurality of possibilities available for a first inquiry classifier 208 a of “Shopping and Discounts” including the available second inquiry classifiers 208 b when “Shopping and Discounts” is selected as the first inquiry classifier and the available third inquiry classifiers for the selected second inquiry classifiers. Furthermore, the chart below illustrates that the party status 208 d may not help determine the skill set 208 e:
Shopping & Discounts Discount Services ADT Home Security ASC Discount Services
& Companion Svcs ADT Home Security &
Companion Svcs
Shopping & Discounts Discount Services AHS American ASC Discount Services
Home Shield AHS American Home
Warranty Shield Warranty
Shopping & Discounts Discount Services Car Rentals ASC Discount Services
Shopping & Discounts Discount Services Car Rentals Budget ASC Discount Services
Shopping & Discounts Discount Services Car Rentals Hertz ASC Discount Services
Shopping & Discounts Discount Services FedEx Express and ASC Discount Services
Ground Delivery Svc FedEx Express and
Ground Delivery Svc
Shopping & Discounts Discount Services Other ASC Discount Services
Shopping & Discounts Online Get Order Status ASC Online Shopping/
Shopping/USAA Catalog Orders Get Order
Catalog Orders Status
Shopping & Discounts Online Jewelry Appraisals ASC Online Shopping/
Shopping/USAA Catalog Orders Jewelry
Catalog Orders Appraisals
Shopping & Discounts Online Order Flowers- ASC Online Shopping/
Shopping/USAA Teleflora Catalog Orders Order
Catalog Orders Flowers- Teleflora
Shopping & Discounts Online Other ASC Online Shopping/
Shopping/USAA Catalog Orders Other
Shopping & Discounts Online Request Product ASC Online Shopping/
Shopping/USAA Information Catalog Orders Request
Catalog Orders Product Information
Shopping & Discounts Online Returns and ASC Online Shopping/
Shopping/USAA Exchanges Catalog Orders Returns
Catalog Orders and Exchanges
Shopping & Discounts Other Other ASC Shopping &
Discounts Other
Shopping & Discounts Travel Services Car Rentals ASC Travel Services Car
Rentals Avis
Shopping & Discounts Travel Services Car Rentals Budget ASC Travel Services Car
Rentals Budget
Shopping & Discounts Travel Services Car Rentals Hertz ASC Travel Services Car
Rentals Hertz
Shopping & Discounts Travel Services Cruise Travel and ASC Travel Services
Land Tours Cruise Travel and Land
Shopping & Discounts Travel Services Get Travel ASC Travel Services Get
Shopping & Discounts Travel Services Other ASC Travel Services Other
In an embodiment, different combination of the first inquiry classifier 208 a, second inquiry classifier 208 b, third inquiry classifier 208 c, and party status 208 d translate into a first translated level 208 f, a second translated level 208 g, and a skill set 208 h. For example, the chart below illustrates a plurality of possibilities available for a first inquiry classifier 208 a of “Insurance” including the available second inquiry classifiers 208 b when “Insurance” is selected as the first inquiry classifier and the available third inquiry classifiers for the selected second inquiry classifiers. Furthermore, the chart below illustrates that the party status 208 d may or may not help determine the a first translated level 208 f, the second translated level 208 g, and the skill set 208 h:
1st Inquiry Inquiry 3rd Inquiry Party Translated Translated
Classifier Classifier Classifier Status Level Level Skill Set
208a 208b 208c 208d 208f 208g 208h
Insurance Auto Antique Auto Employee General Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Antique Auto Select General Auto Auto Select
Insurance Auto Antique Auto General Auto Antique Auto
Insurance Property Boat Employee General Property Property
Insurance Property Boat Select General Property Property
Insurance Property Boat General Property Boat
Insurance Property Earthquake Employee General Property Property
Insurance Property Earthquake Select General Property Property
Insurance Property Earthquake General Property Earthquake
Insurance Property Flood Employee General Property Property
Insurance Property Flood Select General Property Property
Insurance Property Flood General Property Flood
Insurance Auto Antique Auto Europe International Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Antique Auto non- International Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Auto Sales Europe International Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Auto Sales non- International Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Billing Europe International Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Billing non- International Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Complex Europe International Auto Auto
Billing International
Complex Europe International
Insurance Auto Other Europe International Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Other non- International Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Quote/Adjust Europe International Auto Auto
Existing International
Insurance Auto Quote/Adjust non- International Auto Auto
Existing Europe International
Policy non-Europe
Insurance Property Billing Europe International Property Property
Insurance Property Billing non- International Property Property
Insurance Property Boat Europe International Property Property
Insurance Property Boat non- International Property Property
Insurance Property Complex Europe International Property Property
Insurance Property Complex non- International Property Property
Billing Europe International
Insurance Property Earthquake Europe International Property Property
Insurance Property Earthquake non- International Property Property
Insurance Property Flood Europe International Property Property
Insurance Property Flood non- International Property Property
Insurance Property Other Europe International Property Property
Insurance Property Other non- International Property Property
Insurance Property Quote/Adjust Europe International Property Property
an Existing International
Insurance Property Quote/Adjust non- International Property Property
an Existing Europe International
Insurance Annuities ANY Complaint Life Co. Annuities Life
Insurance Annuities ANY Employee Life Co. Annuities Life Employee
Insurance Annuities ANY Life Life Co. Annuities Life Executive
Insurance Annuities ANY Select Life Co. Annuities Life Select
Insurance Annuities Cancellation Life Co. Annuities Cancellation
Insurance Annuities Information Life Co. Annuities Information
about a New about a New
Insurance Annuities Other Life Co. Annuities Other/Misc.
Insurance Annuities Service to Life Co. Annuities Service to
your Existing your Existing
Insurance Life ANY Life Life Co. Insurance Life Executive
Executive Life Complaint
Insurance Life ANY Complaint Life Co. Life Life
Insurance Life ANY Employee Life Co. Life Life Employee
Insurance Life ANY Select Life Co. Life Life Select
Insurance Life Cancellation Life Co. Life Cancellation
Insurance Life Get A Quote Life Co. Life Get A Quote
Insurance Life Other Life Co. Life Other/Misc.
Insurance Life Report a Life Co. Life Report a
Insurance Life Service to Life Co. Life Service to
your Pending your Pending
Insurance Medicare/ ANY Complaint Life Co. Medicare/ Life
Long Long Complaint
Insurance Medicare/ ANY Employee Life Co. Medicare/ Life Employee
Insurance Medicare/ ANY Life Life Co. Medicare/ Life Executive
Long Executive Long Complaint
Term Complaint Term
Insurance Medicare/ ANY Select Life Co. Medicare/ Life Select
Insurance Medicare/ Claim Inquiry Life Co. Medicare/ Claim Inquiry
Long for your Long for your
Term Existing Term Existing
Care Medicare Care Medicare
Insurance Medicare/ Get A Quote Life Co. Medicare/ Get A Quote
Long for Medicare Long for Medicare
Term or Long Term Term or Long Term
Insurance Medicare/ Other Life Co. Medicare/ Other/Misc.
Insurance Medicare/ Service to Life Co. Medicare/ Service to
Long your Existing Long your Existing
Term Medicare Term Medicare
Care Supplement Care Supplement
Insurance Auto Auto Sales Prospective Member Auto Auto Sales
Acquisition Prospective
Employee Acquisition Prospective
International Acquisition Prospective
New Acquisition Prospective
Insurance Property Renters Sales Prospective Member Property Property
Insurance Property Renters Sales Prospective Member Property Renters Sales
Insurance Property Valuable Prospective Member Property Property
Personal Acquisition Prospective
Personal Employee Acquisition Prospective
Insurance Property Valuable Prospective Member Property Valuable
Personal International Acquisition Personal
Personal New Acquisition Personal
Property Jersey Property
Insurance Auto Complex Employee P&C Billing Auto Auto
Billing Employee
Insurance Auto Complex Select P&C Billing Auto Auto Select
Insurance Auto Complex P&C Billing Auto Complex
Insurance Property Complex Employee P&C Billing Property Property
Insurance Property Complex Select P&C Billing Property Property
Billing Select
Insurance Property Complex P&C Billing Property Complex
Insurance Auto ANY P&C P&C Claims Auto P&C
Claims Executive Claims Executive
Insurance Auto All United P&C Claims Auto All United
Claims States Claims States
Insurance Auto Auto Claim Central P&C Claims Auto Auto Claim
Claims Region Claims Central
Insurance Auto Auto Claim Employee P&C Claims Auto Auto Claim
Claims Claims Employee
Insurance Auto Auto Claim International P&C Claims Auto Auto Claim
Claims Claims International
Insurance Auto Auto Claim MARO P&C Claims Auto Auto Claim
Claims Region Claims MARO
Insurance Auto Auto Claim MSTRO P&C Claims Auto Auto Claim
Claims Region Claims MSTRO
Insurance Auto Auto Claim NE Region P&C Claims Auto Auto Claim
Claims Claims NE Region
Insurance Auto Auto Claim SERO P&C Claims Auto Auto Claim
Claims Region Claims SERO Region
Insurance Auto Auto Claim SW Region P&C Claims Auto Auto Claim
Claims Claims SW Region
Insurance Auto Auto Claim WESTRO P&C Claims Auto Auto Claim
Claims Region Claims WESTRO
Insurance Auto Glass/Roadside P&C Claims Auto Glass/Roadside
Insurance Auto Other P&C Claims Auto Other/Misc.
Insurance Property ANY P&C P&C Claims Property P&C
Insurance Property Property Central P&C Claims Property Property
Claims Claim Region Claims Claim Central
Insurance Property Property Employee P&C Claims Property Property
Claims Claim Claims Claim
Insurance Property Property International P&C Claims Property Property
Insurance Property Property MARO P&C Claims Property Property
Claims Claim Region Claims Claim MARO
Insurance Property Property MSTRO P&C Claims Property Property
Claims Claim Region Claims Claim
Insurance Property Property NE Region P&C Claims Property Property
Claims Claim Claims Claim NE
Insurance Property Property SERO P&C Claims Property Property
Claims Claim Region Claims Claim SERO
Insurance Property Property SW Region P&C Claims Property Property
Claims Claim Claims Claim SW
Insurance Property Property WESTRO P&C Claims Property Property
Insurance Auto ANY P&C P&C Service Auto P&C
Insurance Auto Auto Sales Employee P&C Service Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Auto Sales Massachusetts P&C Service Auto Quote/Adjust
Insurance Auto Auto Sales Select P&C Service Auto Auto Select
Insurance Auto Auto Sales P&C Service Auto Auto Sales
Insurance Auto Billing Employee P&C Service Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Billing Select P&C Service Auto Auto Select
Insurance Auto Billing P&C Service Auto Billing
Insurance Auto Other Employee P&C Service Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Other Select P&C Service Auto Auto Select
Insurance Auto Other P&C Service Auto Other/Misc.
Insurance Auto Quote/Adjust Employee P&C Service Auto Auto
Insurance Auto Quote/Adjust Massachusetts P&C Service Auto Quote/Adjust
Insurance Auto Quote/Adjust Select P&C Service Auto Auto Select
Insurance Auto Quote/Adjust P&C Service Auto Quote/Adjust
Insurance Property ANY P&C P&C Service Property P&C
Insurance Property Billing Employee P&C Service Property Property
Insurance Property Billing Select P&C Service Property Property
Insurance Property Billing P&C Service Property Billing
Insurance Property Other Employee P&C Service Property Property
Insurance Property Other Select P&C Service Property Property
Insurance Property Other P&C Service Property Other/Misc.
Insurance Property Quote/Adjust Employee P&C Service Property Property
an Existing Employee
Insurance Property Quote/Adjust Select P&C Service Property Property
an Existing Select
Insurance Property Quote/Adjust P&C Service Property Quote/Adjust
an Existing an Existing
Insurance Property Renters Sales Employee P&C Service Property Property
Insurance Property Renters Sales Europe P&C Service Property Property
Insurance Property Renters Sales Select P&C Service Property Property
Insurance Property Renters Sales non- P&C Service Property Property
Insurance Property Renters Sales P&C Service Property Renters Sales
Insurance Property Valuable Employee P&C Service Property Property
Insurance Property Valuable Europe P&C Service Property Property
Insurance Property Valuable Select P&C Service Property Property
Insurance Property Valuable non- P&C Service Property Property
Personal Europe International
Property non-Europe
Insurance Property Valuable P&C Service Property Valuable
Insurance Property Quote a New Employee Property Property Property
Purchase Specialization Employee
Insurance Property Quote a New Europe Property Property Property
Purchase Specialization International
Insurance Property Quote a New Prospective Property Property Property
Purchase Specialization Prospective
Purchase Employee Specialization Prospective
Insurance Property Quote a New Prospective Property Property Quote a New
Purchase International Specialization Purchase
Insurance Property Quote a New Select Property Property Property
Purchase Specialization Select
Insurance Property Quote a New non- Property Property Property
Purchase Europe Specialization International
Insurance Property Quote a New Property Property Quote a New
Purchase Specialization Purchase
Referring now to FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2d and 2e , the method 200 then proceeds to step 210 where a representative is assigned to the inquiry from the party 115. In an embodiment, the provider 110 may include an inquiry response center having a plurality of representatives. In an embodiment, the inquiry response center may be an IHS network such as, for example, the network 105, with each of the representatives connected to the IHS network via an IHS such as, for example, the IHS 130. A representative supervisor may have access to a representative skill set website 210 a, illustrated in FIG. 2e . The representative skill set website 210 a includes a representative name section 210 aa, a representative unit number section 210 ab, a representative identification section 210 ac, a skill sets section 210 ad, a primary skill set selector 210 ae, a secondary skill set selector 210 af, and a reviewer selector 210 ag. The skill sets section 210 ad includes a plurality of skill set selectors that are organized under sections such as, for example, a banking section 210 ada having a plurality of subsections such as, for example, a credit cards subsection 210 adaa, a CDs/IRAs subsection 210 adab, an auto, recreational, and personal loans subsection 210 adac, and a mortgages/movers advantage subsection 210 adad. A representative skill set website 210 a may be generated and modified for every representative that is connected to the inquiry response center. The representative name section 210 aa includes the name of the representative that the representative skill set website 210 a has been generated for, the representative unit number section 210 ab includes the number of a subsection of the inquiry response center that the representative belongs to, and the representative identification section 210 ac includes an identification number assigned to the representative that the representative skill set website 210 a has been generated for. The skills sets section 210 ad includes selectors for every possible skill set a representative may have such as, for example, the skills sets 208 e and 208 h listed in the charts above, and the representative supervisor may select any of the selectors under, for example, the credit cards subsection 210 adaa, the CDs/IRAs subsection 210 adab, the auto, recreational, and personal loans subsection 210 adac, and the mortgages/movers advantage subsection 210 adad that correspond to knowledge possessed by the representative that the representative skill set website 210 a has been generated for. Furthermore, the representative supervisor may use the primary skill set selector 210 ae and the secondary skill set selector 210 af for each skill set selected to indicate the degree of knowledge of the skill set that is possessed by the representative. The representative supervisor may also select a reviewer selector 210 ag to indicate who may or must review responses created by the representative (described in further detail below.) With the skill set translated in step 208 of the method 200, the routing engine 110 e accesses the representative database 110 f and determines the representatives that have that skill set to provide a response to the inquiry. The routing engine 110 e will then determine which of those representatives are available to provide a response to the inquiry (described in further detail below), and will forward the inquiry to a primary representative. In an embodiment, the routing engine 110 e searches for inquiries that match the representatives skill sets as determined using the primary skill set selector 210 ae in the skill set section 210 ad and provides those inquiries to the primary representative. If the routing engine 110 e does not find inquiries that match the representatives skill sets as determined using the primary skill set selector 210 ae in the skill set section 210 ad, the routing engine 110 e searches for inquiries that match the representatives skill sets as determined using the secondary skill set selector 210 af in the skill set section 210 ad and provides those inquiries to the primary representative. In an embodiment, the skill set for a representative as determined using the primary skill set selector 210 ae and the secondary skill set selector 210 af may be modified depending on incoming inquiry volume such that the provider 110 may manage the inquiry response center more efficiently. In addition, the routing engine 110 e may determine which representatives in the inquiry response center have not been assigned to an inquiry for the longest amount of time and may assign the inquiry to those representatives. In an embodiment, the representative supervisor may manually assign or re-assign an inquiry to a representative. In an embodiment, the primary representative is the first representative to receive the inquiry from the part 115. In an embodiment, the representative supervisor may view all of the inquiries in the inquiry response center by assigned skill set and representative in order to determine, for example, what skill sets are being used to respond to inquiries at any given time.
Referring now to FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a and 2f , the method 200 then proceeds to step 212 where the representative composes a response. In an embodiment, the primary representative may be connected to an IHS network such as, for example, the network 105, via an IHS such as, for example, the IHS 130. In an embodiment, the primary representative has access to a representative worklist website 212 a, illustrated in FIG. 2f . The representative worklist website 212 a includes a status section 212 aa where the primary representative may set their status using a plurality of selectors such as, for example, a available selector 212 aaa, an unavailable selector 212 aab, an away selector 212 aac, and an offline selector 212 aad. The representative worklist website 212 a also includes a folders section 212 ab where the primary representative may access current inquiries through a worklist link 212 aba and pending inquiries through a pending link 212 abb. The representative worklist website 212 a also includes a search section 212 ac where the primary representative may search for inquiries by providing information in one or more of a customer/party number field 212 aca, representative identification field 212 acb, and a plurality of date fields 212 acc and 212 acd. The representative worklist website 212 a also includes a worklist section 212 ad where the primary representative may manage inquiries that the primary representative is currently working on and that includes a from field 212 ada, a customer/party number field 212 adb, a subject field 212 adc, a received field 212 add, a due by field 212 ade, and a compose new message link 212 adf. In an embodiment, when the primary representative has the available selector 212 aaa in the status section 212 aa selected, the primary representative may receive the inquiry from the party 115 if the skill set translated in step 208 of the method 200 corresponds to a skill set assigned to the primary representative, described above with reference to FIG. 2e . The worklist section 212 ad will then populate with an inquiry entry including the name of the party 115 in the from field 212 ada, an identification number that was either previously assigned or assigned during step 206 of the method 200 in the customer/party number field 212 adb, an inquiry subject that may be the translated skill set from step 208 of the method 200 in the subject field 212 adc, a date the inquiry was submitted in the received field 212 add, and a date and time that the inquiry must be responded to in the due by field 212 ade. In an embodiment, the date and time in the due by field 212 ade is 24 hours after the inquiry was received by the provider 115. The primary representative may then select the inquiry entry to view the narrative provided by the part 115 in step 206 of the method 200. The primary representative will then use their knowledge in their assigned skill set to compose a primary response to the inquiry by, for example, replying to the inquiry directly or using the compose new message link 212 adf to compose a message to a party that has provided their inquiry by, for example, using a phone communication, a fax communication, a face-to-face communication, or a variety of other communication methods known in the art. In an embodiment, the worklist may automatically populate with a new inquiry from, for example, the party 120 or 125, when the response to the inquiry is sent to the party 115. In an embodiment, the worklist may populate with a predetermined number of inquiries and, as those inquiries are responded to, may populate the worklist section 212 ad with new inquiries such that the predetermined number of inquiries is provided to the primary representative.
Furthermore, the metrics engine 110 g is connected to the representative worklist website 212 a and is operable to record and analyze the inquiries moving through the inquiry response center. For example, all inquiries provided to all of the representatives in the inquiry response center and the time used to provide a response for individual representatives are recorded in the metrics database. Such information may be analyzed to determine, for example, average response times for inquiries, inquiries processed per day or hour, and a variety of other types of information that can help in determining, for example, the productivity of individual representatives and what days of the week and what times of the day experience the most inquiries.
Referring now to FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c and 2a , the method 200 then proceeds to decision block 214 where it is determined whether a supplementary response is needed. If it is determined that no supplementary response is needed, the primary response becomes an inquiry response and the method 200 proceeds to step 222. However, during step 212 of the method 200, the primary representative may determine that the inquiry includes a request for information on a second subject that the primary representative does not have a proper skill set to provide. In an alternative embodiment, during step 208 of the method 200, it may be determined that the inquiry included requests for information on multiple subjects requiring multiple representatives with different skill sets to provide an inquiry response. If it is determined that a supplementary response is needed, the method proceeds to step 216 where the inquiry is forwarded to a supplementary representative. In an embodiment, the supplementary representative is substantially similar to the primary representative and is connected to an IHS network such as, for example, the network 105, via an IHS such as, for example, the IHS 130, with the provision that the supplementary representative has been assigned a different skill set or sets than the primary representative using the representative skill set website 210 a. In an embodiment, the primary representative has access to a representative worklist website that is substantially similar in design and operation to the representative worklist website 212 a, illustrated in FIG. 2f . The method 200 then proceeds to step 218 where the supplementary representative uses their knowledge in their assigned skill set to compose a supplementary response to the inquiry. The method 200 then proceeds to step 220 where the primary response composed by the primary representative in step 212 of the method 200 and the supplementary response composed by the supplementary representative in step 218 of the method 200 are combined into an inquiry response.
Following step 220 of the method 200, or if at decision block 214 of the method 200 it is determined that no supplementary response is needed, the method 200 proceeds to step 222 where the inquiry response is reviewed. In an embodiment, the inquiry response may be reviewed for the primary representation and/or the supplementary representative based on the information provided by the representative supervisor in the reviewer selector 210 ag on the representative skill set website 210 a, described above with reference to FIG. 2e . In an alternative embodiment, the review is mandatory due to of the subject matter of the response such as, for example, a response to a financial inquiry or an investments inquiry. In an embodiment, the review may be for quality control of inquiry responses and a predetermined percentage of the inquiry responses from representatives in the inquiry response center may be reviewed. In an embodiment, the reviewer will correct any errors in the response or confirm that the response is correct. The method 200 then proceeds to step 224 where the response is sent to the party 115. The routing engine 110 e may associate the response with all parties involved with the response such as, for example, the primary representative, the supplementary representative, and/or the reviewer, and store that association in the representative database 110 f. The inquiry response is then provided to the communication engine, which sends the inquiry response to the party 115. The association of the inquiry response with the parties involved in the response allows the party 115 to respond to the inquiry response and to have that response routed to the primary representative, the supplementary representative, and/or the reviewer. In an embodiment, the provider 110 is a membership organization and the party 115 is a member of the membership organization and additional security is provided by sending the response to the member through a website of the membership organization rather than, for example, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). In an embodiment, the response may be read by a representative to the party 115 using a phone communication, sent to the party using a SMS or text message, using a fax communication, using an email communication, or using a variety of other communication tools known in the art. Thus, a system and method are provided that provide a common inquiry response tool for a provider across multiple lines of business that ensures that representatives of the provider receive only those types of inquiries that they have the skill set to respond to.
a processor coupled to the memory and operable to execute instructions to:
receive, at an inquiry response center, a plurality of inquiries including current inquiries, pending inquiries, and a first inquiry from a first party, wherein the inquiry response center comprises a plurality of representatives, each assigned to at least one skill set from a plurality of skill sets;
translate the first inquiry to a first skill set from the plurality of skill sets;
route the first inquiry to a primary representative who has been assigned to the first skill set;
provide access to the primary representative to a representative worklist website providing a field for selecting a status of the primary representative, a folder section to access current inquiries and pending inquiries, a worklist section for managing inquiries assigned to the primary representative, and a compose new message field for preparing a reply to the first inquiry; and
a metrics engine connected to the representative worklist website to record and analyze the plurality of inquiries.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the filed for selecting a status includes available, unavailable, away, and offline.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the representative worklist website further comprises access to a search section for searching the plurality of inquiries.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein the search section includes fields for entering a customer number, a representative identification field, and a date field.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the worklist section includes a from field, a customer number field, a subject field, a received field, and a due by field.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the metrics engine records the time it takes for each of the plurality of representatives to respond to an inquiry.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the metrics engine determines the average response times of a representative, the number of inquiries responded to in a time period, and the time of day or day of the week when the most inquiries are received by the response center.
US14699819 2007-04-12 2015-04-29 System and method to provide a response to an inquiry Active US9392118B1 (en)
US11734486 US8630402B1 (en) 2007-04-12 2007-04-12 System and method to provide a response to an inquiry
US14154985 US9036810B1 (en) 2007-04-12 2014-01-14 System and method to provide a response to an inquiry
US14699819 US9392118B1 (en) 2007-04-12 2015-04-29 System and method to provide a response to an inquiry
US14154985 Continuation US9036810B1 (en) 2007-04-12 2014-01-14 System and method to provide a response to an inquiry
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US14154985 Active US9036810B1 (en) 2007-04-12 2014-01-14 System and method to provide a response to an inquiry
US14699819 Active US9392118B1 (en) 2007-04-12 2015-04-29 System and method to provide a response to an inquiry
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