Bridging a third party onto a contact center communication
View Patent ↗Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for bridging a third party onto a communication such as a telephone call or Web chat that is being conducted between a first party and a second party. Specifically, a contact, such as a telephone number or webpage address, is linked with the communication being conducted between the first and second parties and a text message is sent to the third party that includes the contact. For instance, in particular embodiments, this contact may be embedded in the text message so that the third party can simply select the contact from the text message to initiate being bridged onto the communication. Accordingly, the third party makes use of the contact to be bridged onto the communication so that the third party can converse with the first party and the second party.
1. A method for bridging a third party onto a communication between a first party and at least one of a second party and an interactive voice response system (“IVR”) comprising:
receiving an indication to bridge the third party onto the communication between the first party and at least one of the second party and the IVR;
receiving a selection of a script from at least one of the second party and the IVR;
providing a script body associated with the selection of the script in response to receiving the selection of the script;
receiving an indication to send the third party a message; and
in response to receiving the indication to send the third party the message:
linking at least one of a contact telephone number and a webpage address with the communication;
sending at least one of a text message and an email comprising the script body and at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address to a mobile device used by the third party;
receiving at least one of an inbound telephone call and a rendered webpage from the third party;
determining the at least one of the inbound telephone call and the rendered webpage was directed to at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address linked with the communication; and
in response to determining the at least one of the inbound telephone call and the rendered webpage was directed to at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address linked with the communication, bridging the third party onto the communication so that the third party can converse with the first party and at least one of the second party and the IVR.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication comprises at least one of a telephone call and a Web chat.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address is embedded in at least one of the text message and the email so that the third party can select the at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address from the at least one of the text message and the email to initiate at least one of the inbound telephone call and the rendered webpage.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising announcing on the communication that the third party has joined the communication.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to bridging the third party onto the communication, providing an announcement to the third party indicating the third party is being bridged onto the communication.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to bridging the third party onto the communication, requesting at least one of the first party, the second party, and the IVR to acknowledge the third party is to be bridged onto the communication, wherein the step of bridging the third party onto the communication is carried out in response to at least one of the first party, the second party, and the IVR indicating the third party should be bridged onto the communication.
7. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for bridging a third party onto a communication between a first party and at least one of a second party and an interactive voice response system (IVR), that when executed, cause at least one computer processor to:
receive an indication to bridge the third party onto the communication between the first party and at least one of the second party and the IVR;
receive a selection of a script from at least one of the second party and the IVR;
retrieve a script body associated with the selection of the script in response to receiving the selection of the script;
receive an indication to send the third party a text message; and
in response to receiving the indication to send the third party the text message:
link at least one of a contact telephone number and a webpage address with the communication;
send at least one of a text message and an email comprising the script body and at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address to a mobile device used by the third party;
receive notice of at least one of an inbound telephone call and a rendered webpage from the third party;
determine the at least one of the inbound telephone call and the rendered webpage was directed to at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address linked with the communication; and
in response to determining at the least one of the inbound telephone call and the rendered webpage was directed to the at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address linked with the communication, bridge the third party onto the communication so that the third party can converse with the first party and at least one of the second party and the IVR.
8. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the communication comprises at least one of a telephone call and a Web chat.
9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address is embedded in at least one of the text message and the email so that the third party can select the at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address from the at least one of the text message and the email to initiate at least one of the inbound telephone call and the rendered webpage.
10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one computer processor to cause an announcement to be played on the communication that the third party has joined the communication.
11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one computer processor to, prior to bridging the third party onto the communication, cause an announcement to be played to the third party indicating the third party is being bridged onto the communication.
12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one computer processor to, prior to bridging the third party onto the communication, request at least one of the first party, the second party, and the IVR to acknowledge the third party is to be bridged onto the communication, wherein the at least one computer processor bridges the third party onto the communication in response to at least one of the first party, the second party, and the IVR indicating the third party should be bridged onto the communication.
13. A system for bridging a third party onto a telephone call between a first party and a second party comprising:
at least one computer processor configured to:
receive an indication to bridge the third party onto the communication between the first party and at least one of the second party and the IVR;
receive a selection of a script from at least one of the second party and the IVR;
retrieve a script body associated with the selection of the script in response to receiving the selection of the script;
receive an indication to send the third party a message; and
in response to receiving the indication to send the third party the message:
link at least one of a contact telephone number and a webpage address with the communication;
send at least one of a text message and an email comprising the script body and at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address to a mobile device used by the third party;
receive notice of at least one of an inbound telephone call and a rendered webpage from the third party;
determine the at least one of the inbound telephone call and the rendered webpage was directed to at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address linked with the communication; and
in response to determining the at least one of the inbound telephone call and the rendered webpage was directed to the at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address linked with the communication, bridge the third party onto the communication so that the third party can converse with the first party and at least one of the second party and the IVR.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the communication comprises at least one of a telephone call and a Web chat.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address is embedded in at least one of the text message and the email so that the third party can select the at least one of the contact telephone number and the webpage address from the at least one of the text message and the email to initiate at least one of the inbound telephone call and the rendered webpage.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to cause an announcement to be played on the communication that the third party has joined the communication.
17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to, prior to bridging the third party onto the communication, cause an announcement to be played to the third party indicating the third party is being bridged onto the communication.
18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to, prior to bridging the third party onto the communication, request at least one of the first party, the second party, and the IVR to acknowledge the third party is to be bridged onto the communication, wherein the at least one computer processor bridges the third party onto the communication in response to at least one of the first party, the second party, and the IVR indicating the third party should be bridged onto the communication.