Agent conferenced IVR
A system engages a live agent in a multi-party call type arrangement with the user and an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) unit when the user has difficulty with the IVR. The agent is provided with information about the IVR process being executed and the user's input. When the agent is introduced into the call, the agent does not take over the IVR session, but the agent helps direct the user to provide the correct input(s) to the IVR session. Once the issue is corrected, the agent can remove themself from the customer/IVR dialog. As a consequence: the user continues their self-service transactions in the IVR, and the user is better educated on how to navigate the IVR in the future. Further, agent resources are spared from further interaction with the user, and the user is less likely to have a negative opinion of the IVR.
1. A method for assisting a person with an interactive voice response (IVR) session, the method comprising:
a contact center server receiving a voice call from a person;
the contact center server queuing the voice call in a contact center queue;
an IVR unit presenting the person with an IVR script in an IVR session;
determining that the person is having difficulty with the IVR script; and
if the person is having difficulty with the IVR script, an agent IVR conference system conferencing the person with a human agent and the IVR unit, wherein the human agent directs the person in interacting with the IVR script during the conference between the person, the human agent, and the IVR unit.
2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the IVR script includes rules to determine that the person is having difficulty executing the IVR script.
3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the human agent does not interact with the IVR script.
4. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the person is having difficulty with the IVR script, the contact center server queuing the human agent into an agent queue associated with IVR assistance; and
in response to determining that the person is not having difficulty with the IVR script, queuing the voice call into a skill queue.
5. The method as defined in claim 4 , further comprising when the human agent in the agent queue associated with IVR assistance is available, conferencing the human agent from the agent queue with the voice call in the skill queue.
6. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a conference call module determining if the human agent disengages from the conference;
if the human agent disengages from the conference, the IVR unit continuing the IVR script with the person; and
if the human agent does not disengage from the conference, the conference call module continuing the conference.
7. The method as defined in claim 6 , wherein determining that the person is having difficulty with the IVR script comprises an error recognition module applying one or more rules to the IVR session.
8. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising: in response to conferencing the person with the human agent and the IVR unit, an IP transfer module presenting the human agent with data associated with the IVR session.
9. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the data associated with the IVR session includes one or more of IVR process metadata, customer information, at least one message, and at least one response to the at least one message.
10. The method as defined in claim 9 , wherein each IVR session conducted by the IVR unit has a data structure associated with the IVR session.
11. A contact center server comprising:
a memory operable to store one or more computer executable instructions;
a processor in communication with the memory, the processor operable to execute the one or more computer executable instructions, wherein executing the one or more computer executable instructions causes the processor to execute modules adapted to assist a person with an interactive voice response (IVR) session, the modules comprising:
a contact center queue operable to queue a received voice call;
an IVR unit operable to present the person with an IVR script in an IVR session;
an error recognition module operable to determine that the person is having difficulty with the IVR script; and
if the person is having difficulty with the IVR script, a conference call module operable to conference the person with a human agent and the IVR unit, wherein the human agent directs the person in interacting with the IVR script during the conference between the person, the human agent, and the IVR unit.
12. The contact center server as defined in claim 11 , further comprising, if the person is having difficulty with the IVR script, a suspension module operable to suspend the IVR script.
13. The contact center server as defined in claim 12 , further comprising an IVR database operable to store information, the information comprising at least two of:
IVR process metadata;
customer information;
a message associated with the IVR script; and
a response provided to the IVR unit in reply to the message.
14. The contact center server as defined in claim 13 , further comprising an IP transfer module operable to send at least a portion of the information stored in the IVR database to an agent communication device, wherein the agent communication device is associated with the human agent in the conference.
15. The contact center server as defined in claim 11 , further comprising a rules database operable to store one or more rules that instruct the error recognition module how to determine if the person is having difficulty with the IVR script.
16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, when executed by a processor cause the processor to execute a method for assisting a person with an interactive voice response (IVR) session, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
instructions to receive a voice call from a person;
instructions to queue the voice call in a contact center queue;
instructions to connect the voice call in the contact center queue with an IVR unit to conduct an IVR session;
instructions to present the person with an IVR script during the IVR session;
instructions to monitor the IVR session;
instructions to determining that the person is having difficulty with the IVR script;
if the person is not having difficulty with the IVR script, instructions to continue to monitor the IVR session;
if the person is having difficulty with the IVR script, instructions to conference the person with a human agent and the IVR unit; and
instructions to receive an IVR response from the person during the conference, wherein the human agent directs the person to enter the IVR response during the conference between the person, the human agent, and the IVR unit.
17. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 16 , further comprising instructions to compare the IVR session with one or more rules stored in a rules database.
18. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 17 , wherein a first rule includes the person providing at least two incorrect answers.
19. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 18 , wherein a second rule includes the person providing two incorrect answers that are to a same question.
20. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 18 , wherein a second rule includes the person providing two incorrect answers to two sequential questions.