Automated call requests with status updates
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, relating to synthetic call status updates. In some implementations, a method includes determining, by a task manager module, that a triggering event has occurred to provide a current status of a user call request. The method may then determine, by the task manager module, the current status of the user call request. A representation of the current status of the user call request is generated. Then, the generated representation of the current status of the user call request is provided to the user.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a call triggering module of a call initiating system for initiating telephone calls to organizations and conducting telephone conversations between a bot of the call initiating system and human representatives of the organizations, a request from a human user to perform a task by initiating a telephone call to an organization and conducting a telephone conversation between the bot of the call initiating system and a human representative of an organization;
in response to the request from the human user to perform the task, accessing stored data that indicates when the organizations are available to receive phone calls;
based on accessing the stored data that indicates when the organizations are available to receive phone calls, determining when the organization is available to receive phone calls;
determining that a current time is not associated with the organization being available to receive phone calls;
based at least on determining that the current time is not associated with the organization being available to receive phone calls, delaying (i) initiation of the telephone call to the organization and (ii) conducting the telephone conversation between the bot of the call initiating system and the human representative of the organization;
after delaying (i) initiation of the telephone call to the organization and (ii) conducting the telephone conversation between the bot of the call initiating system and the human representative of the organization, determining that the current time is associated with the organization being available to receive phone calls; and
based at least on determining that the current time is associated with the organization being available to receive phone calls, initiating the telephone call to the organization and conducting the telephone conversation between the bot of the call initiating system and the human representative of the organization.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the stored data that indicates when the organizations are available to receive phone calls comprises data indicating when telephone calls are unwanted by the organizations.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the stored data that indicates when the organizations are available to receive phone calls comprises data specifying opening hours of the organizations.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
determining that the task is a type for which telephone calls are to not be immediately initiated.
5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
determining that the task is a type for which default scheduling parameters are to be applied.
6. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
providing, for output to the human user before the telephone conversation has been initiated, a visual representation of (i) the task, and (ii) the data indicating when the organization is available to receive phone calls.
7. A call initiating system for placing telephone calls and conducting conversations between a bot and human representatives of organizations during the telephone calls, the system comprising:
a processor configured to execute computer program instructions; and
a computer storage medium encoded with the computer program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a call triggering module of a call initiating system for initiating telephone calls to organizations and conducting telephone conversations between a bot of the call initiating system and human representatives of the organizations, a request from a human user to perform a task by initiating a telephone call to an organization and conducting a telephone conversation between the bot of the call initiating system and a human representative of an organization;
in response to the request from the human user to perform the task, accessing stored data that indicates when the organizations are available to receive phone calls;
based on accessing the stored data that indicates when the organizations are available to receive phone calls, determining when the organization is available to receive phone calls;
determining that a current time is not associated with the organization being available to receive phone calls;
based at least on determining that the current time is not associated with the organization being available to receive phone calls, delaying (i) initiation of the telephone call to the organization and (ii) conducting the telephone conversation between the bot of the call initiating system and the human representative of the organization;
after delaying (i) initiation of the telephone call to the organization and (ii) conducting the telephone conversation between the bot of the call initiating system and the human representative of the organization, determining that the current time is associated with the organization being available to receive phone calls; and
based at least on determining that the current time is associated with the organization being available to receive phone calls, initiating the telephone call to the organization and conducting the telephone conversation between the bot of the call initiating system and the human representative of the organization.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the stored data that indicates when the organizations are available to receive phone calls comprises data indicating when telephone calls are unwanted by the organizations.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the stored data that indicates when the organizations are available to receive phone calls comprises data specifying opening hours of the organizations.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein:
determining that the task is a type for which telephone calls are to not be immediately initiated.
11. The system of claim 7 , wherein:
determining that the task is a type for which default scheduling parameters are to be applied.
12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations comprise:
providing, for output to the human user before the telephone conversation has been initiated, a visual representation of (i) the task, and (ii) the data indicating when the organization is available to receive phone calls.
13. A computer-readable storage device encoded with a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a call triggering module of a call initiating system for initiating telephone calls to organizations and conducting telephone conversations between a bot of the call initiating system and human representatives of the organizations, a request from a human user to perform a task by initiating a telephone call to an organization and conducting a telephone conversation between the bot of the call initiating system and a human representative of an organization;
in response to the request from the human user to perform the task, accessing stored data that indicates when the organizations are available to receive phone calls;
based on accessing the stored data that indicates when the organizations are available to receive phone calls, determining when the organization is available to receive phone calls;
determining that a current time is not associated with the organization being available to receive phone calls;
based at least on determining that the current time is not associated with the organization being available to receive phone calls, delaying (i) initiation of the telephone call to the organization and (ii) conducting the telephone conversation between the bot of the call initiating system and the human representative of the organization;
after delaying (i) initiation of the telephone call to the organization and (ii) conducting the telephone conversation between the bot of the call initiating system and the human representative of the organization, determining that the current time is associated with the organization being available to receive phone calls; and
based at least on determining that the current time is associated with the organization being available to receive phone calls, initiating the telephone call to the organization and conducting the telephone conversation between the bot of the call initiating system and the human representative of the organization.
14. The device of claim 13 , wherein:
the stored data that indicates when the organizations are available to receive phone calls comprises data indicating when telephone calls are unwanted by the organizations.
15. The device of claim 13 , wherein:
the stored data that indicates when the organizations are available to receive phone calls comprises data specifying opening hours of the organizations.
16. The device of claim 13 , wherein:
determining that the task is a type for which telephone calls are to not be immediately initiated.
17. The device of claim 13 , wherein:
determining that the task is a type for which default scheduling parameters are to be applied.