Sending callback text messages from a contact center
View Patent ↗Various embodiments of the invention provide a callback text message to a party who has placed an inbound call received by a contact center. Specifically, the inbound call is received by the contact center and placed into a queue to wait for an available agent. At this point, a condition is detected such as the call remaining in the queue for at least a minimum amount of time, the call expected to remain in the queue for at least a minimum amount of time, and/or the call becoming disconnected with the contact center. Accordingly, one or more parameters associated with inbound calls received by the contact center are monitored in particular embodiments and after the condition is detected and upon the one or more parameters reaching threshold values, a text message is sent to the party recommending to the party to place a subsequent inbound call to the contact center.
1. A method for providing a callback text message to a party who has placed an inbound call received by a contact center comprising:
placing an identifier for the inbound call into a queue to wait for an available agent for the contact center that can service the inbound call;
upon placing the identifier for the inbound call into the queue, detecting a condition by one or more computer processors, the condition comprising at least one of the identifier for the inbound call remaining in the queue for at least a minimum amount of time, the identifier for the inbound call expected to remain in the queue for at least a minimum amount of time, and the inbound call becoming disconnected with the contact center;
monitoring one or more parameters associated with inbound calls received by the contact center by the one or more computer processors; and
after detecting the condition and before the available agent services the inbound call:
removing the identifier for the inbound call from the queue so that the available agent is no longer required to service the inbound call; and
upon the one or more parameters reaching one or more threshold values, sending a text message by the one or more computer processors to a processing device associated with the party who placed the inbound call, the text message recommending to the party to place a subsequent inbound call to the contact center and comprising priority information that can be used by the party upon placing the subsequent inbound call to the contact center to facilitate the contact center prioritizing the subsequent inbound call over other inbound calls received by the contact center.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of a number of agents currently available to handle inbound calls, an average wait time for inbound calls placed in the queue, a total number of calls currently in the queue, and a volume of inbound calls forecasted to be received by the contact center for a future period of time.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the text message comprises a phone number configured to be selected by the party to originate the subsequent inbound call by the processing device to the contact center.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising verifying the party has provided consent to receiving the text message on the processing device prior to sending the text message to the processing device.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an appropriate time in the text message during which the party should place the subsequent inbound call to the contact center.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the text message is sent along with a plurality of text messages by the one or more computer processors to processing devices associated with other parties who placed inbound calls to the contact center, the plurality of text messages recommending to the parties to place subsequent inbound calls to the contact center and a number of text messages making up the plurality of text messages is based on the one or more parameters.
7. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for providing a callback text message to a party who has placed an inbound call received by a contact center, the computer-executable instructions configured when executed to cause at least one computer processor to:
place an identifier for the inbound call into a queue to wait for an available agent for the contact center that can service the inbound call;
upon placing the identifier for the inbound call into the queue, detect a condition comprising at least one of the identifier for the inbound call remaining in the queue for at least a minimum amount of time, the identifier for the inbound call expected to remain in the queue for at least a minimum amount of time, and the inbound call becoming disconnected with the contact center;
monitor one or more parameters associated with inbound calls received by the contact center; and
after detecting the condition and before the available agent services the inbound call:
remove the identifier for the inbound call from the queue so that the available agent is no longer required to service the inbound call; and
upon the one or more parameters reaching one or more threshold values, send a text message to a processing device associated with the party who placed the inbound call, the text message recommending to the party to place a subsequent inbound call to the contact center and comprising priority information that can be used by the party upon placing the subsequent inbound call to the contact center to facilitate the contact center prioritizing the subsequent inbound call over other inbound calls received by the contact center.
8. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of a number of agents currently available to handle inbound calls, an average wait time for inbound calls placed in the queue, a total number of calls currently in the queue, and a volume of inbound calls forecasted to be received by the contact center for a future period of time.
9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the text message comprises a phone number configured to be selected by the party to originate the subsequent inbound call by the processing device to the contact center.
10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured when executed to cause the at least one computer processor to verify the party has provided consent to receiving the text message on the processing device prior to sending the text message to the processing device.
11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured when executed to cause the at least one computer processor to provide an appropriate time in the text message during which the party should place the subsequent inbound call to the contact center.
12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured when executed to cause the at least one computer processor to send along with the text message a plurality of text messages to processing devices associated with other parties who placed inbound calls to the contact center, the plurality of text messages recommending to the parties to place subsequent inbound calls to the contact center and a number of text messages making up the plurality of text messages is based on the one or more parameters.
13. A system for providing a callback text message to a party who has placed an inbound call received by a contact center, the system comprising at least one computer processor configured to:
place an identifier for the inbound call into a queue to wait for an available agent for the contact center that can service the inbound call;
upon placing the identifier for the inbound call into the queue, detect a condition, the condition comprising at least one of the identifier for the inbound call remaining in the queue for at least a minimum amount of time, the identifier for the inbound call expected to remain in the queue for at least the minimum amount of time, and the inbound call becoming disconnected with the contact center;
monitor one or more parameters associated with inbound calls received by the contact center; and
after detecting the condition and before the available agent services the inbound call:
remove the identifier for the inbound call from the queue so that the available agent is no longer required to service the inbound call; and
upon the one or more parameters reaching one or more threshold values, send a text message to a processing device associated with the party who placed the inbound call, the text message recommending to the party to place a subsequent inbound call to the contact center and comprising priority information that can be used by the party upon placing the subsequent inbound call to the contact center to facilitate the contact center prioritizing the subsequent inbound call over other inbound calls received by the contact center.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of a number of agents currently available to handle inbound calls, an average wait time for inbound calls placed in the queue, a total number of calls currently in the queue, and a volume of inbound calls forecasted to be received by the contact center for a future period of time.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the text message comprises a phone number configured to be clicked by the party to originate the subsequent inbound call by the processing device to the contact center.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to verify the party has provided consent to send the text message to the processing device prior to sending the text message to the processing device.
17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to provide an appropriate time in the text message during which the party should place the subsequent inbound call to the contact center.
18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to send along with the text message a plurality of text messages to processing devices associated with other parties who placed inbound calls to the contact center, the plurality of text messages recommending to the parties to place subsequent inbound calls to the contact center and a number of text messages making up the plurality of text messages is based on the one or more parameters.