Customer callback reward system and method

1. A method for handling calls at one or more call centers, comprising:

routing a call received from a caller at the one or more call centers into a Voice Self Service (VSS);

determining whether the call should be transferred from the VSS to an agent of the call center;

when it is determined to transfer the call to the agent, determining a queue time for a first normal priority queue for the call, and whether a callback call should offered to the caller;

when it is determined to offer the callback call, offering the callback call to the caller;

offering the caller one or more time blocks to which the caller can initiate the callback call to receive higher priority routing;

receiving the callback call and determining whether the callback call is from the caller of the call; and

when it is determined that the callback call is from the caller of the call, placing the callback call into a second higher priority queue.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the queue time is determined based on at least one of program logic and agent availability.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein when it is determined to offer the callback call, the VSS informs the caller that estimated queue times are high, and that the call center can handle the call more efficiently at a later time.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, when the caller declines the callback call, transferring the call to the queue.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the time blocks are determined by at least one of program logic and agent availability.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determination of the caller of the callback call is based on at least one of matching Automatic Number Identification (ANI), account information, and one or more Access Point Names (APNs).

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, when it is determined that the callback call is from the caller of the call, playing a message thanking the caller for calling back and informing the caller that the caller is receiving preferential routing treatment.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein placing the callback call into the higher priority queue comprises placing the callback call into the higher priority queue ahead of other calls already in the higher priority queue.

9. A system for handling calls at one or more call centers, the system comprising:

a Voice Self Service (VSS) structured to receive and route a call received from a caller at the one or more call centers calls;

a processor structured to determine whether the call received at the VSS should be transferred from the VSS to an agent of the call center; wherein when it is determined to transfer the call to the agent, the processor is further structured to determine a queue time for a first normal priority queue for the call, and determine whether a callback call should offered to the caller, and when it is determined to offer the callback call, the processor is further structured to offer the caller one or more time blocks to which the caller can initiate the callback call to receive higher priority routing; receive the callback call and determine whether the callback call is from the caller of the call; and when it is determined that the callback call is from the caller of the call, the processor is further structured to place the callback call into a second higher priority queue; and

a memory communicably coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores data used by the processor.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the memory stores at least one of program logic and agent availability data used by the processor to determine the queue time.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the VSS and processor is structured to provide preferential routing treatment for the callback call including at least one of placing the callback call into a higher priority queue and placing the callback call into the queue ahead of other calls already in the queue.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium for handling calls at one or more call centers, the computer readable medium including computer-executable instructions, the instructions for:

routing a call received from a caller at the one or more call centers into a Voice Self Service (VSS);

determining whether the call should be transferred from the VSS to an agent of the call center;

when it is determined to transfer the call to the agent, determining a queue time for a first normal priority queue for the call, and whether a callback call should be offered to the caller and;

when it is determined to offer the callback call, offering the callback call to the caller;

offering the caller one or more time blocks to which the caller can initiate the callback call to receive higher priority routing;

receiving the callback call and determining whether the callback call is from the caller of the call; and

when it is determined that the callback call is from the caller of the call, placing the callback call into a second higher priority queue.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein the instructions determine the queue time based on at least one of program logic and agent availability.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 12 , when the caller declines the callback call, the instructions are further for transferring the call to the queue.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein the time blocks are determined by at least one of program logic and agent availability.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein the instructions are further for receiving the callback call and determining whether the callback call is from the caller of the call.