Integrating two-dimensional barcodes and embedded links with call center operation
View Patent ↗In various embodiments, advertising campaigns can be defined that incorporate technologies such as two-dimensional bar codes or embedded links in electronic material, for directing a user to communicate with a call center. For instance, in particular embodiments, the reading of a two-dimensional bar code by a user with a smart phone may cause various forms of communication requesting a return communication. The communication from the smart phone may be sent to, and received at, the call center, where a calling campaign associated with an advertising campaign is identified using information associated with the communication. A responding communication may be initiated from the call center to the user.
1. A call center system comprising:
a dialer comprising a processor configured to receive a message as a result of a camera-equipped mobile device operated by a user reading a two-dimensional barcode (“2D barcode”) provided on an advertisement,
wherein the 2D barcode is encoded to cause generation of at least a portion of a content of the message transmitted to a destination address, the message requesting a subsequent communication comprising a voice call associated with a promotion indicated in the advertisement, and
wherein the processor is configured to
determine a calling campaign associated with a plurality of agents in the call center by using the destination address associated with the message,
select an available agent from among the plurality of agents for handling the voice call to the user of the mobile device, and
cause the dialer to originate the voice call as the subsequent communication to the mobile device using an originating number associated with the message.
2. The call center system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to send a response message prompting the user to indicate a time for the voice call.
3. The call center system of claim 2 , wherein the response message comprises one or more times for the voice call.
4. The call center system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
update a queue associated with the voice call so that the voice call has a higher priority relative to another voice call in the queue, wherein the another voice call in the queue is not associated with any message requesting a callback.
5. The call center system of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises an SMS message transmitted by the mobile device.
6. The call center system of claim 5 , wherein the originating number comprises a telephone number of the mobile device.
7. The call center system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause a display of a computer used by the agent to present at least a portion of the content of the message.
8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises an SMS message transmitted by the mobile device.
9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor in a dialer cause the processor to:
receive a message as a result of a camera-equipped mobile device operated by a user reading a two-dimensional barcode (“2D barcode”) provided on an advertisement,
wherein the 2D barcode is encoded to cause generation of at least a portion of a content of the message transmitted to a destination address associated with a call center comprising a plurality of agents, the message requesting a subsequent communication comprising a voice call associated with a promotion indicated in the advertisement;
identify a calling campaign from among a plurality of calling campaigns by using the destination address associated with the message, wherein the calling campaign is associated with the 2D barcode on the advertisement;
select an available agent in the call center from the plurality of agents for handling the voice call as the subsequent communication to the user of the mobile device; and
cause the dialer to originate the voice call using an originating number associated with the message, wherein the voice call is connected to a phone used by the available agent.
10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to send a response message, before the dialer originates the voice call, prompting the user to select a time for the voice call.
11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to send a response message to the mobile device for prompting the user to select a time for a subsequent voice call in response to the user not answering the voice call.
12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to store a copy of the message in an electronic consent database comprising a plurality of user-provided electronic consents for receiving calls.
13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to transmit a response message to the mobile device acknowledging receipt of the message.
14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to cause a display of a computer used by the agent to present at least a portion of the content of the message.
15. A computer implemented method for integrating use of a two-dimensional barcode (“2D barcode”) with a call center comprising a dialer configured to originate voice calls associated with a calling campaign, the method comprising:
receiving a message at the call center as a result of a camera-equipped mobile device operated by a user reading the 2D barcode provided on an advertisement,
wherein the 2D barcode is encoded to generate at least a portion of a content of the message to be transmitted to a destination address, the message requesting a subsequent communication comprising a call associated with a product or service indicated by the advertisement;
determining the calling campaign by the call center by using the destination address of the message;
selecting an available agent from among a plurality of agents in the call center assigned to the calling campaign to handle the subsequent communication to the user of the mobile device; and
originating the call to the user by the dialer in the call center as the subsequent communication by using an originating address associated with the message.
16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the message is a text message and the originating address is a telephone number.
17. The computer implemented method of claim 7 , wherein a wireless service provider transmits the message from the mobile device and is compensated monetarily for transmission of the message by an entity other than the user.
18. The computer implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the entity compensating the wireless service provider is the call center and compensation is based on the message transmitted by the mobile device to the destination address.
19. The computer implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising:
transmitting a response message to the mobile device from the call center wherein the response message acknowledges receipt of the message.
20. The computer implemented method of claim 15 further comprising sending a response message to the user by the call center that prompts the user to select a time for the subsequent communication.
21. The computer implemented method of claim 15 further comprising:
storing a copy of the message in an electronic consent database, the message indicating consent for receiving the subsequent communication.
22. The computer implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the message is sent from a gateway as an email message to the call center, and the email message comprises a destination telephone number, and the call center uses the destination telephone number as the originating address for the call to the user.
23. The computer implemented method of claim 15 further comprising, as a result of receiving the message in the call center, placing a request with a higher priority relative to other requests in a call back queue of the dialer to originate the subsequent communication.
24. The computer implemented method of claim 15 , wherein determining the calling campaign from among a plurality of calling campaigns further involves analyzing the content of the message.
25. The computer implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the message is received as an SMS message at a gateway and transformed into an email message sent from the gateway to the call center.