Method for designing an automated speech recognition (ASR) interface for a customer call center

1. A system for implementing a customer interface for an automated speech recognition (ASR) call center, comprising:

a host ASR process configured to control and pass tasks to other ASR processes; and

a dialog process configured to interact with callers, the dialog process having access to a database configured to store messages and instructions played to callers,

wherein the system is configured to:

collect data for a customer model, the customer model comprising at least recorded opening statements of callers to a call center;

create a task model comprising a set of action-object pairs, based on the recorded opening statements;

create a business rules model, representing routing destinations for calls;

link the customer model to the task model, such that the opening statements are assigning to action-object pairs;

link the task model to the business rules model, such that each action-object pair is assigned to a routing destination;

create an action-object frequency table, based on the results of the step of linking the customer model to the task model; and

design an interface module for each action object pair in substantially the order of the frequency table, from higher frequency action-object pairs to lower frequency action-object pairs.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the customer interface is for a how-to-use call center application, and the operation to link the task model to the business rules model comprises and operation to link action-object pairs to the how-to-use call center destination.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one dialog module is activated in response to a direct routing decision.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one dialog module is activated in response to a clarification routing decision.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one dialog module is operable to transfer a caller to one of two routing destinations.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one dialog module is a disambiguation dialog module operable to present the customer with choices.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising persona data used to determine language alternatives in said design of said interface module.

8. A system for implementing a customer interface for a self-service call center application, comprising:

a host self-service process configured to control and pass tasks to other self-service processes; and

a dialog process configured to interact with callers and to access a database configured to store messages and instructions played to callers,

wherein the system is configured to:

record opening statements of callers during visits to an existing service center, thereby creating a customer model representing customer tasks;

create a task model comprising a set of action-object pairs, based on the customer model;

create a business rules model, representing routing destinations for calls;

link the customer model to the task model, such that the opening statements are assigning to action-object pairs;

link the task model to the business rules model, such that each action-object pair is assigned to a routing destination;

create an action-object frequency table, based on the results of the step of linking the customer model to the task model; and

design an interface module for each action object pair, wherein the operation to design is performed in substantially the order of the frequency table, from higher frequency action-object pairs to lower frequency action-object pairs.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the self-service call application is implemented in an automated speech recognition (ASR) call center.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the ASR call center is an how-to-use ASR call center, and wherein the operation to link the task model to the business rules model comprises an operation to link action-object pairs to the how-to-use call center destination.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the self-service call application implemented in a web-based self-service center.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein a dialog module is activated in response to a direct routing decision.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein a dialog module is activated in response to a clarification routing decision.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the dialog module is operable to transfer the customer to one of two routing destinations.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the dialog module is a disambiguation dialog module operable to present the customer with choices.

16. The system of claim 8 , further configured to collect customer persona data during customer visits to the existing service center.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the persona data is used to determine language alternatives.

18. The system of claim 8 , wherein the customer model data is collected during visits to a call center.

19. The system of claim 8 , wherein the customer model data is collected during visits to a web site via the Internet.

20. A system for implementing a customer interface for an automated speech recognition (ASR) call center, comprising:

a host ASR process configured to control and pass tasks to other ASR processes; and

a dialog process configured to interact with callers and to access a database configured to store messages and instructions played to callers,

wherein the system is configured to:

define a set of action-object pairs based on opening statements of callers to a call center;

assign each action-object pair is assigned to a routing destination;

create an action-object frequency table indicative of the relative frequency of each action-object pair; and

design an interface module for each action object pair, wherein the operation to design is performed in substantially the order of the frequency table, from higher frequency action-object pairs to lower frequency action-object pairs, and wherein the operation to design is based on the persona data.