Method for designing an automated speech recognition (ASR) interface for a customer call center
A method of designing a customer interface for a service center, such as an automated speech recognition (ASR) self-service center. Customer activity to an existing service center is monitored, providing customer model, which includes a collection of customer tasks. These tasks are assigned to action-object pairs, which are further assigned to routing destinations. Dialog modules are designed, based on the customer model data, including disambiguation dialogs.
1. A call handling method, comprising:
responsive to detecting an opening statement of a caller during a call to a service provider, the service provider comprising a plurality of call centers, determining, based on the opening statement, a caller task including an action and an object;
identifying, based on a first business rule model, a first routing destination for calls to a first call center; and
identifying, based on a second business rule model, a second routing destination for calls to a second call center;
wherein routing destinations are selected from: a call center agent, a queue, a self-service speech recognition application, and the Internet.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first call center comprises a how-to-use call center, and wherein identifying the first routing destination includes identifying a how-to-use destination in the how-to-use call center, wherein the how-to-use destination includes:
a plurality of dialog modules activated in response to routing decisions;
a set of verbal prompts; and
a plurality of voice recognition entry points.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of call centers includes:
a how-to-use call center;
a billing call center;
a caller retention call center; and
an ordering call center.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the service provider comprises a telephone service provider and wherein the how-to-use call center includes how-to-use information for telephone services provided by the telephone service provider.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying routing destinations includes identifying destinations based upon an input selected from: speech indicating a name of a product, selection input selecting a topic from a menu, and verbal input describing a feature of the product.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying routing destinations includes:
identifying a direct route destination when the opening statements provide sufficient routing information; and
identifying a clarification destination when the opening statements provide insufficient routing information.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
collecting customer persona data during customer visits to the existing service center; and
determining language alternatives based on the persona data.
8. A computer system, comprising computer hardware programmed to perform operations, the operations comprising:
responsive to detecting an opening statement of a caller during a call to a service provider, the service provider comprising a plurality of call centers, determining, based on the opening statement, a caller task including an action and an object;
identifying, based on a first business rule model, a first routing destination for calls to a first call center; and
identifying, based on a second business rule model, a second routing destination for calls to a second call center;
wherein routing destinations are selected from: a call center agent, a queue, a self-service speech recognition application, and the Internet.
9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the first call center comprises a how-to-use call center, and wherein identifying the first routing destination includes identifying a how-to-use destination in the how-to-use call center, wherein the how-to-use destination includes:
a plurality of dialog modules activated in response to routing decisions;
a set of verbal prompts; and
a plurality of voice recognition entry points.
10. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of call centers includes:
a how-to-use call center;
a billing call center;
a caller retention call center; and
an ordering call center.
11. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the service provider comprises a telephone service provider and wherein the how-to-use call center includes how-to-use information for telephone services provided by the telephone service provider.
12. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein identifying routing destinations includes identifying destinations based upon an input selected from: speech indicating a name of a product, selection input selecting a topic from a menu, and verbal input describing a feature of the product.
13. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein identifying routing destinations includes:
identifying a direct route destination when the opening statements provide sufficient routing information; and
identifying a clarification destination when the opening statements provide insufficient routing information.
14. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the operations include:
collecting customer persona data during customer visits to the existing service center; and
determining language alternatives based on the persona data.
15. Computer hardware including stored program operations, performable by a computer system, wherein the program operations, when performed by the computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations, comprising:
responsive to detecting an opening statement of a caller during a call to a service provider, the service provider comprising a plurality of call centers, determining, based on the opening statement, a caller task including an action and an object;
identifying, based on a first business rule model, a first routing destination for calls to a first call center; and
identifying, based on a second business rule model, a second routing destination for calls to a second call center;
wherein routing destinations are selected from: a call center agent, a queue, a self-service speech recognition application, and the Internet.
16. The computer hardware of claim 15 , wherein the first call center comprises a how-to-use call center, and wherein identifying the first routing destination includes identifying a how-to-use destination in the how-to-use call center, wherein the how-to-use destination includes:
a plurality of dialog modules activated in response to routing decisions;
a set of verbal prompts; and
a plurality of voice recognition entry points.
17. The computer hardware of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of call centers includes:
a how-to-use call center;
a billing call center;
a caller retention call center; and
an ordering call center.
18. The computer hardware of claim 16 , wherein the service provider comprises a telephone service provider and wherein the how-to-use call center includes how-to-use information for telephone services provided by the telephone service provider.
19. The computer hardware of claim 15 , wherein identifying routing destinations includes identifying destinations based upon an input selected from: speech indicating a name of a product, selection input selecting a topic from a menu, and verbal input describing a feature of the product.
20. The computer hardware of claim 15 , wherein the operations include:
collecting customer persona data during customer visits to the existing service center; and
determining language alternatives based on the persona data.