Mutual assistance routing system for improved utilization of customer service resources
View Patent ↗The invention disclosed is a new system and method for providing the mutual sharing of resources devoted to customer service. The system utilizes a telecommunications switching apparatus to rout incoming customer contacts to one or more pools of customer service agents. The system provides for a universal customer service interface that allows customer service agents to assist customers of other related companies. The automated system for sharing customer service resources includes a mutual assistance routing system in communication with requesting users of customer service agents, responding providers of customer service agents, databases containing customer information, thereby allowing customers who contact the requesting user to be served by shared agents.
1. A system, comprising:
a mutual assistance administrative module configured to integrate control parameters provided by requesting users, responding providers and reallocated additional responding providers used in selective transfer of requesting users;
a call routing module configured to respond to the control parameters provided by the mutual assistance administrative module to route said requesting user to one of said responding providers and said additional responding providers; and
a mutual assistance call routing system that is configured to distribute customer contacts directed to the requesting users to the responding providers that are configured to communicate with a database of at least one of the requesting users in order to provide information to the at least one requesting user from one of said responding providers and said additional responding providers.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the requesting users comprise one or more of electric utilities, gas utilities, cable television utilities, banks, health insurance providers, insurance providers, homeowner's insurance providers and airlines.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mutual assistance routing system is activated during a service outage.
4. The system of claim 1 , comprising an administrative system configured to allow the requesting users and the responding providers to set call parameters.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the call parameters comprise one or more of a number of agents, a time of agent availability, a routing protocol, an incoming customer contact address, a budget amount, and an agent supply rate.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the customer contacts are routed based on an apportionment priority, agent availability priority, and responding utility provider priority.
7. The system of claim 1 , comprising a universal interface module configured to communicate with at least one responding provider.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein customer service agents of the responding provider are configured to communicate through a universal interface screen with the database of at least one of the requesting user.
9. The system of claim 1 , comprising a mutual assistance call routing system that is configured to distribute customer contacts directed to the requesting users to available customer service agents of the requesting users and the responding providers.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein customer service agents of at least one of the responding providers are configured to communicate with the database of at least one of the requesting users in order to provide customer service to customers of the at least one requesting user.
11. A method, comprising:
integrating, by a mutual assistance administrative module, control parameters provided by requesting users, responding providers and reallocated additional responding providers used in selective transfer of requesting users;
responding, by a call routing module, to the control parameters provided by the mutual assistance administrative module to route said requesting user to one of said responding providers and said additional responding providers; and
distributing, by a mutual assistance call routing system, customer contacts directed to the requesting users to the responding providers that are configured to communicate with a database of at least one of the requesting users in order to provide information to the at least one requesting user from one of said responding providers and said additional responding providers.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the requesting users comprise one or more of electric utilities, gas utilities, cable television utilities, banks, health insurance providers, insurance providers, homeowner's insurance providers and airlines.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the mutual assistance routing system is activated during a service outage.
14. The method of claim 11 , comprising an administrative system configured to allow the requesting users and the responding providers to set call parameters.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the call parameters comprise one or more of a number of agents, a time of agent availability, a routing protocol, an incoming customer contact address, a budget amount, and an agent supply rate.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the customer contacts are routed based on an apportionment priority, agent availability priority, and responding utility provider priority.
17. The method of claim 11 , comprising a universal interface module configured to communicate with at least one responding provider.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein customer service agents of the responding provider are configured to communicate through a universal interface screen with the database of at least one of the requesting user.
19. The method of claim 11 , comprising a mutual assistance call routing system that is configured to distribute customer contacts directed to the requesting users to available customer service agents of the requesting users and the responding providers.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein customer service agents of at least one of the responding providers are configured to communicate with the database of at least one of the requesting users in order to provide customer service to customers of the at least one requesting user.