MXPA98002057A - System and method for telemarketing through a hyperte network - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for providing telemarketing services through a hypertext network interconnecting a telemarketing server system with a client computer and an agent computer. The telemarketing server accepts a customer telemarketing request and sends the request to the agent if the agent is available, and to a waiting list if the agent is not available. When an agent receives a request, either communications between the client and the agent are established immediately or otherwise scheduled for a later time. Telemarketing functions are implemented separately from media transport functions through a hypertext network, such that the need for geographical centralization of telemarketers is eliminated

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TELEMARKETING THROUGH A HYPERTEXT NETWORK FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to telemarketing through a hypertext network and particularly to a system and method for providing product information and sales services to prospective and current customers through a hypertext network. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The known telemarketing system and methods operate using a telemarketing center (also referred to as a "call center") to provide sales and product information to buyers. The call center is a collection of marketing agents, supervisors, and telecommunications systems located in a single geographic location. The call center generally connects to a network (such as the public switched telephone network) to which customers connect. The telemarketing system implements telemarketing features (for example, call routing) and telecommunications features (for example, call center switching management) as a whole. A customer who wants to make a purchase is provided with a single telephone number, usually through advertisements. When dialing the number, the client connects REF: 26015 to a specialized telemarketing telecommunications team that has been specially configured to direct the incoming call. Some systems are provided with an automated series of advertisements that request additional customer information, which is provided by the customer when choosing options by pressing the appropriate button on their telephone keypad, other systems accept simple voice responses. This additional information is used by the telemarketing telecommunications team to decide how to direct the call. A call can be directed to an appropriate agent, to a waiting list if all the appropriate agents are busy, or to a voicemail system in which the client can leave messages. An appropriate agent is chosen to receive an incoming call on any of a set of parameters, including particular agent skills, customer priority, customer responses to an automated interrogation system, time of day and waiting list sizes. Also known systems are capable of initiating a call from an agent to a client. This is commonly used in applications for bank credit cards, charitable contributions and magazine subscriptions. The system provides extensive capabilities for recording, analysis and reporting of call data, as well as call verification by supervisors. The call data may include parameters such as average time spent per call, delays in the waiting list, the number of incoming and / or outgoing calls and the workload of the agent. These features are implemented using software and special physical equipment that are tailored to suit the particular needs of each telemarketing call center. The software and physical equipment of one distributor is rarely compatible with that of another. In this way, a component of a distributor that may be more suitable for a particular application may not operate with other call center components developed by other distributors. The need to configure especially a substantial amount of software and hardware by each telemarketing center contributes significantly to the cost of implementing known telemarketing systems. Another disadvantage of the known telemarketing systems where the call is initiated by the client is that the call is put on the waiting list if all the agents are busy, while the call is put on the waiting list, the client is in Wait until one of the agents is available. The telemarketing provider or customer must pay for the connection and for any advertisement that is provided to the waiting customer, in addition to any current conversation time. It would be advantageous to delay establishing a de facto connection, until an agent is currently available. Because known telemarketing systems implement telemarketing and telecommunications features together, these systems are usually large and complex. The telemarketing software must be tailored to the extent and often comprise millions of lines of source code and is costly and time consuming for modification or improvement. The telemarketing physical equipment must be specially configured for each application, resulting in a physical equipment system that is inflexible and costly to change. A better system would implement telemarketing functions separately from the underlying telecommunications functions. In such a case, a required change in the telemarketing logic would be made more easily because it will not directly involve telecommunications control software. In addition, telemarketing functions would be portable between a variety of physical equipment platforms, which would be used to better and more economically support the telemarketing provider's objectives. It should also be noted that the telemarketing functions supported by various call center distributors differ from distributor to distributor. In this way, a telemarketing provider with more than one call center may be unable to offer the same telemarketing functionality from one call center to another, limiting the possibility of sharing resources. For example, if a first call center is exceptionally busy, it may not be possible to divert the excess to a second call center because the second call center is implemented with products from another distributor, or is otherwise implemented with products from the same distributor that are configured differently. This problem can also arise if the architectures of the call centers are different. For example, if a first call center with agents connected by a local area network can not be easily reconfigured to handle calls that are normally taken by a second call center whose agents connect directly to a call center switch in the facilities. A better system would provide call center functionality regardless of the location and connectivity of various agent resources. This can be achieved by properly separating the telemarketing functions from the telecommunications functions. In addition, by separating the telemarketing functionality from the specific underlying telecommunications technology, telemarketing architects will be able to offer a uniform set of agent, client and supervisor interfaces that operate with switching equipment from multiple distributors that have been integrated to provide Optical telecommunications for the telemarketing application. Implementing the client interface through a hypertext network would be another improvement over known systems that require a customer to respond to a tedious set of questions by providing answers on the customer's telephone keypad. Product information is also much more easily presented to the client through a hypertext network, especially one that can handle multimedia information, including text, graphics, audio, video and animation media. Known systems implement certain telemarketing functions through a hypertext network. However, these systems use the hypertext network only outside the call center. For example, in a known system, a customer requests a telephone connection to a sales agent in a traditional call center by choosing a feature on a hypertext page transmitted to the customer over the Internet. However, the architecture of the call center itself with its physical equipment and software centralized and adapted to measure, they remain the same as known systems. A better system would provide the advantage of hypertext network connection to telemarketing, thus revolutionizing the call center by freeing it from having to exist in a single geographic site, deeply reducing the need for physical equipment and software designed for the client, and provide the first truly portable telemarketing system, which can operate easily from platform to platform and from network to network. COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The present invention implements telemarketing functions in a hypertext network regardless of the functions of the means of transport, resulting in a telemarketing system more portable, flexible and efficient than known to date. In accordance with the present invention, a telemarketing server system, agents, supervisors and clients are interconnected in a hypertext network. A hypertext network is a network capable of transporting hypertext information between nodes. An example of a hypertext network is the Internet, in which the World Wide Web is implemented, an interconnected set of geographically dispersed network sites, made up of related hypertext files. The telemarketing server system (TSS = telemarketing server system) comprises at least one computer that accepts and transmits hypertext information through the hypertext network. The TSS accepts a request for telemarketing services from a client. The client usually makes the request when choosing an item on a hypertext page that is displayed to the client through a "search engine".

Upon receipt of the request, the TTS directs the request to an appropriate agent through the hypertext network, if said appropriate agent is available. Otherwise, the TSS directs the request to a waiting list where it waits until an appropriate agent is available. The TSS assigns a plurality to each request in a waiting list and can assign each request to more than one waiting list. A request is directed to an agent from a waiting list in order of priority, when the agent becomes available. When an agent becomes available, the agent can respond to the client's request immediately or otherwise carry out research or other activities and respond to the request at a later time. In one embodiment of the present invention, the agent responds to the client's request by directing a customer's telephone call. In another modality, the client is notified through the hypertext network that the agent is available and initiates a telephone call to the agent. Each agent and client have a telecommunications address that is used to establish communications. This telecommunications address is a network address for a packet voice mode of the present invention, and a telephone number for a mode where communications are established over the public switched telephone network.

The programming of communications between the client and the agent is carried out in a modality by exchanging messages between the client and the agent over the data network. In another embodiment, the programming is carried out using voice mail messages that are supplied over the public switched telephone network. When a request is directed to an agent, the agent is provided with a hypertext agent page through the hypertext network. This agent page identifies the product where the customer has expressed interest. In one embodiment of the present invention, the agent page also comprises customer profile information, including customer credit rating, age and purchase patterns. The client and the agent exchange information about the public switched telephone network and / or the hypertext network through hypertext pages for the client requesting customer information and also provides product information to the customer and / or through a regular phone or telephone video connection. The agent completes an order through the agent's page at the customer's request for which the product is purchased and sent to the customer. The method for establishing communications between an agent and a client in accordance with the present invention is quite more cost-effective and efficient than the conventional systems, because telecommunications resources are only used when both the client and the agent are available. The present invention eliminates the costly process of putting a customer or agent "on hold" during a call while one or the other is busy, and advantageously provides the means to schedule communications between client and agent at a time of mutual convenience. The TSS monitors the status of agents, waiting lists, telemarketing requests and system performance, at least in a database. This information is available to a supervisor at the request of a supervisor through the hypertext network. This information is presented to the supervisor as a supervisor hypertext page. In one mode, a supervisor makes manual adjustments to the system through the supervisor page. For example, the supervisor transfers a telemarketing request from one waiting list to another in a drag and drop operation. The need to have agents and supervisors in a single geographic site is advantageously eliminated by the present invention by centralizing the telemarketing control in the TSS and interconnecting the TSS, clients, agents and supervisors through a hypertext network. This introduces a new level of flexibility and efficiency by using human resources in low-cost areas to serve as agents and supervisors. Undoubtedly, in one embodiment, the present invention allows an individual with nothing more than a personal computer, a viewer and a telephone to serve as a supervising agent, eliminating the expensive custom-fitted switches, special software and office space required by known systems. The present invention also reduces the complexity of telemarketing hardware and software. The software for the present invention only implements telemarketing functions and can interconnect through various software and physical media transport equipment. Therefore, it is smaller and easier to modify than software packages. known telemarketing. In addition, the commercially available software that is in inventory can be used to develop and maintain the software of the present invention because it is implemented in a hypertext network for which there is already a large and growing set of tools and programs. for generic development. This is considerably less expensive and more flexible than custom software development that is required by the known systems. The present invention provides a system and method for providing telemarketing services that is more portable against different transport medium platforms, makes more efficient use of telecommunications resources, is easier and less expensive to develop, operate, maintain and modify than the known systems. In accordance with the present invention, the customer is provided more efficiently and efficiently with more capable telemarketing services. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention, where the supervisors are interconnected in a local area network. Figure 3 shows a modality of the telemarketing server system according to the present invention. Figure 4 shows a modality of a hypertext page by which a customer can access teller services in accordance with the present invention. Figure 5 shows a modality of a hypertext page that is displayed to an agent according to the present invention. Figure 6 shows a modality of a hypertext page that is displayed to an agent according to the present invention. Figure 7 shows an embodiment of the present invention wherein the telemarketing server system establishes communications between agents and customers through the public switched telephone network in accordance with the present invention. DESCRIPTION DET &ampT.T.AnA The present invention provides new and superior system and method for providing telemarketing services through a hypertext network. Telemarketing functions (for example, call routing, providing a client interface, etc.) are implemented separately from the media transport functions (for example software and physical switching equipment to carry out communications). This results in significant improvements in the cost, efficiency and flexibility of providing telemarketing features that are more capable and easier to plan, develop, implement, operate and maintain than known systems. In accordance with the present invention, agents and supervisors do not require more concentrating on a single site but can function from anywhere while interconnecting through a hypertext network. A hypertext network is a network that transports hypertext data that is loaded and displayed as hypertext pages on computers connected using a visualizer. A well-known hypertext network implemented on the Internet is the World Wide Web (WWW = World Network). The WWW includes servers, computers connected to the Internet that host sites on the network. A network site is a logically related group of hypertext files. Each file has a Uniform Resource Locator (URL = Uniform Resource Locator) that specifies its location. The WWW also includes client computers that operate software called "search engines". A "search engine" or visualizer requests, loads and displays pages from web sites at the request of a user, or at the request of code executable by the client. This executable code can be stored with the client, or downloaded and executed with a page from a network site. Executable code that you download with a page is often written in a programming language called Java script. A substantial body of dexterity, physical equipment and software has been developed to support hypertext applications and continues to develop at a rapid pace. Existing tools can be advantageously employed to economically assist in the development, operation, maintenance and updating of the present invention, which in this way require less work to the extent than the known telemarketing systems. In accordance with the present invention, telemarketing activities are controlled by a telemarketing server system 11 ("TSS") connected to a hypertext network 12 as is known in Figure 1. The TSS 11 comprises a hypertext server computer that transmits pages through a hypertext network 12 to client computers 13, agent 14 and supervisor 15 connected to network 12. In one embodiment, TSS 11 is a workstation that has httpd, hypertext server software that allows TSS 11 to function as a network site. The transport of medium (for example physical equipment and telecommunications switching software) is handled separately from the present invention, which is advantageously capable of operating through physical equipment and media transport software produced by different distributors. In a modality illustrated in Figure 2, the TSS 21 connects to the clients 22, 23 with personal computers that operate the Microsoft Internet Explorer viewer; to agents 24, 25 which operates Sun Workstations; and supervisors 26, 27, 28, who operate personal computers interconnected in a local area network 29. A customer 22 is located in Spokane, Washington and the other customer 23 is located in Columbus, Nebraska. A. Agent 24 is located in Pittsford, New York, and the other Agent 25 is located in Ocala, Florida. Supervisors 26, 27, 28 are located in the same building in Boulder, Colorado. The TSS 21; the agents 24, 25; clients 22, 23; and the local area network of supervisor 29 are all interconnected through a hypertext network 211. According to the present invention, this modality teleports with more flexibility and at a lower cost than known call centers where agents and supervisors they are co-located in the same geographical area. The present invention can also be used for supervisors, agents, or clients interconnected first through one or more networks of local area, wide area or hypertext, which are eventually connected to a hypertext network to which TSS finally connects. Undoubtedly, the TSS may comprise several computers either directly connected to a hypertext network, or otherwise connected to said network through another network, such as a local or wide area network. In one mode, the TSS is a simple computer workstation. In another embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the TSS 31 comprises a set of specialized computers that are interconnected in a local area network 32. In this mode, the TSS 31 comprises a server 33 running httpd, which allows a server to provide a network site on WWW. The TSS 31 further comprises database servers 34, 35, 36, specially adapted to provide quick access to various specialized databases concerning agents and supervisors respectively. The TSS 31 further comprises a multimedia server 37 which is directed by the httpd server 33 to transmit video, audio and multimedia animation to a client 38. The TSS 31 connects to the clients 38, 39; agents 311, 312; and supervisors 313, 314; through the Internet 315. At the customer's request, the TSS provides a page with telemarketing features to the client. For example, a customer may request a page regarding the Internet access service of AT &T WorldNet (sm). An example of this page is illustrated in Figure 4. The page displays information regarding various access plans 41, 42, 43, along with instructions 44 to choose a plan to speak with a customer service representative and establish an order. When a customer chooses Plan One 41, a call request message is sent from the client's computer to the TSS. In one modality, additional information is also transmitted to the TSS including the network address of the computer to the client, customer identification data and customer profile data. The customer's telecommunications address is also sent to the TSS. The customer's telecommunications address can be a network address (for example for a packet voice) or a telephone number (for example for the public switched telephone network) where the customer can be reached in order to communicate with another party. such as a sales agent.

When the TSS receives the call request, it directs the request to an appropriate agent, or if the appropriate agent is not available, at least to a waiting list. This is achieved by examining the database of an agent and a client database that are maintained by the TSS. In one embodiment, the agent database comprises the name of the agent; the key and user id for agent registration; agent capabilities and skill areas; summary of information regarding the status of the waiting list containing calls for the agent; and distribution of workload (agent performance statistics). In one modality, the client's database comprises information that includes the client's name; address; age; range of income; and shopping patterns. The TSS decides how to direct the call based on criteria found in said information according to methods that are well known in the art. If the appropriate agent is not available, the TSS sends the call at least to a waiting list, and assigns a relative priority to the call within each waiting list. "Put on the waiting list by priority" can be determined according to the techniques of known telemarketing systems. The TSS considers the agent and client data to direct a call to a waiting list, and also considers waiting list information by consulting the current status of each waiting list and the historical waiting list information that is stored in the waiting list. a waiting list database. When the TSS directs a call to an available agent, the TSS sends a message to the agent's computer that causes information pertinent to the call that is displayed to the agent. A modality of an agent page is illustrated in the Figure 5. As illustrated in Figure 5, client information is transmitted from the TSS to the agent. In this modality, the customer information includes the customer's name 51, address 52, telephone number 53, product selection 54, age 55, income 57 and credit rating 58. Underlined items can be chosen by the agent for additional action or information. For example, if the agent chooses "plan one" 54, additional data regarding plan one appear on the screen. These additional data may comprise additional hypertext links, which may be chosen advantageously in accordance with the present information needs of the agents. The additional information that is provided does not require shifting to the information currently displayed on the agent's screen. In one modality, the additional information appears in the box labeled "More" 513.

Underlined items that can be chosen include customer information on pending orders 59, tickets with problems 511 and purchase patterns 512. The TSS can also display additional instructions to the agent based on the customer selection and customer profile. In the modality illustrated in Figure 5, the TSS has instructed the agent to suggest an alternate product based on the demographic group to which the customer belongs in an area designated "Message Board" 514. This area does not need to be a permanent fixture. on the agent's page even in this mode. One of the main advantages of. implementing telemarketing functions in accordance with the present invention is that a user page can be dynamically configured to optimally present necessary information. In this way, if the TSS does not have messages for the agent, the Message Board 514 will not appear, and the area on the screen occupied by the Message Board 514 in Figure 5 will be occupied by other pertinent information. The present invention advantageously provides the ability of the agent and client to schedule communications at a time of mutual convenience. In one embodiment, communications programming is carried out using messages that are sent between the client and the agent over a data network. In another modality, the programming is carried out when exchanging voicemail messages on the public switched telephone network (PSTN). At the scheduled time, communications are established between the client and the agent. In one mode, the agent uses client telecommunications address to establish communications with the client. In this mode, the client's telecommunications address is the client's network address, and the agent initiates a call to the client using packet voice technology through the hypertext network. In another mode, the agent initiates a telephone call, using the customer's telephone number, transported as the customer's telecommunications address. Subsequently, the client and the agent communicate. Even in another modality, the client is notified through the hypertext network when an agent becomes available. At that time, the client initiates communications over the data error network or the PSTN. Likewise, the client can initiate communications at a scheduled time for said communications. In the case where the customer confirms his wish to order the selected product, the agent chooses the order button 515. If the customer decides that he wants to order another product, the agent can change the selected product by choosing the button for change selection 516. At that time, the agent will be provided with a list of other products from which to choose and then order. If the client does not want to complete an order, the agent chooses the end button called 517. Likewise, after an order is directed and the client ends, the agent chooses the end button called 517. At that time, the call is terminated and a message is sent to the TSS, indicating the availability of the agent. The TSS updates the compliance agent database. In this mode, the agent page displays the current state of the call between the agent and the client after the words "customer call status" 518. The status currently displayed in Figure 5 is "calling" 519. Other States include "connected" and "withdrawn." A call is removed when either the client or the agent ends the call. In another embodiment of the present invention, the client initiates a call to the agent. When a call request is received by the TSS, the TSS chooses an agent to handle the call and sends a call request message to an agent. In one embodiment, this message comprises a request to the client to initiate a call to the agent immediately. In another embodiment, the message comprises a request to the customer to call the agent at a predetermined time, for example "Please call agent Smithers at extension 282 at 4:00 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time in the USA)" today". The TSS then sends a message to the client along with the agent's telecommunications address. The client initiates a call to an agent by choosing an area on the client's screen. The client does it, and the agent answers the call and the client and the agent communicate. When the call is answered, the agent sends a status message to the TSS that updates the agent database. The TSS also provides a page to a supervisor. A modality of a supervisor page is illustrated in Figure 6. The supervisor accesses the page when requesting it from the TSS. In one mode, the TSS displays a supervisor page only if requested from a network address that is already in a supervisor database. The supervisor registers by entering a user id and password and sends it to the TSS. If the user id and password correspond to those in the supervisor database, the supervisor registers and the TSS updates the supervisor status in the supervisor database. The supervisor page provides the supervisor with real-time and historical data regarding the telemarketing system. The page lists the names of each active agent 61, 62, 63, 64. When the name of an agent 61 is chosen by a supervisor, the supervisor is provided with the agent's profile, which is taken from the agent's database. In one modality, the agent's profile includes his name, age, years of experience, skill areas, customer satisfaction rating and efficiency rating (for example average number of calls handled per hour). Following each agent is a graphic illustration of the workload of the agent 65, 66, 67, 68. Each phone graph 66 is equivalent to a call on the agent's waiting list. When an agent is answering a call, the phone closest to the agent's name changes color. When the agent ends the call, the phone graph for this call on the waiting list (the one closest to the agent's name) disappears, and the rest of the graph changes to the left. When the supervisor chooses a phone graph 66, the customer profile for this call appears to the supervisor. In one modality, this profile comprises the elements discussed for the profile of the previous client. With oase in the customer profile, agent profile and agent workloads, the supervisor can manually adjust the wait list generated by TSS by choosing a phone graph 66 and dragging it in any position on any other waiting list . In this way, the supervisor can fine-tune the operation of the telemarketing system dynamically and advantageously.

The supervisor is also provided with real-time statistics over the entire width of the system, such as the average wait time for a subscriber calling 69, the average call duration 611 and the average wait for the system between 612 calls. it also displays the number of active agents 613, the average number of calls per waiting list 614 and the average number of orders placed per hour 615. These statistics provide the supervisor with the means to judge the total system business, efficiency and quality of operation. These statistics are periodically updated by TSS, which sends update messages to the supervisor. Based on this information, the supervisor can efficiently and precisely manage the resources of the system, for example deciding whether to request additional agents to be registered or requesting one or more agents to disconnect. At least part of the information displayed to the supervisor is advantageously eligible by the supervisor in accordance with the present invention. In this way, the supervisor can tailor his screen to present the most useful information suitable for the specific task of the supervisor. This is carried out in a modality when the supervisor chooses the show button 616. A window 617 appears with a list of information to present. The supervisor proceeds with the list, and chooses those items that he wishes to see have been displayed. When you choose an item, a check mark 618 appears near it to show that it has been selected. A selected, verified item is deactivated by choosing it again, at which time the checkmark disappears. In this way, the exhibition selection function acts as a switch. When any area of the screen is chosen outside of the information window to display 617, the window 617 conveniently disappears. In one modality, the TSS handles telemarketing activities through the use of wires. A thread is a sequence of execution within a software process that is executed, and is analogous to an object-oriented sub-routine with a carefully defined interface to the rest of a running program. When a thread starts, it begins to run, pauses when it requires additional power, and ends when it completes its function. This is a more efficient method of handling telemarketing operations than starting a software process that runs separately for each call, for example. In addition, certain programming languages and execution environments are able to efficiently cut processor time between threads that are already running, improving system execution times and reducing latency and wait times. In one modality, a separate thread exists for each agent, called, waiting list and supervisor. In addition, there is a router thread and a report generator thread. The agent thread maintains agent status information when handling messages regarding agent status to the TSS, which uses the information in the message to update the agent database. The state of an agent comprises the state out of registration; register and wait call; to call; talk; or work after the call. The agent thread handles transitions between these states and tracks the times in which these transitions occur. These times are recorded in the agent database. The thread calculates summary statistics such as the number of calls that are handled by an agent in a given session; the average time spent per call; the average dedicated time recorded in the system; the average time a call is put on hold; the average time for work after the call; and the percentage of time spent handling a call. The agent thread can provide this information upon request so that real-time reports can be generated regarding the agent's status. In addition, this information is written into the agent database for the generation of historical reports. Pseudo-code for a modality of an agent thread is: 1. for (;;). { 2. receive message 3. switch (type of. Message). { 4. case agent_login: 5. agent_login (); 6. break; 7. case agent_answers_call: 8. agent_answers_call (); 9. break; 10. case agent_drops_call: 11. agent_drops_call (); 12. break; 13. case agent_transfers_call: 14. agent_transfers_call (); 15. break; 16. case agent_requests_conference: 17. agent_requests_conference (); 18. break; 19. case agent_completes_after_call_work: . agent_completes_after_call_work (); 21. break; 22. case agent_logoff: 23. agent_logoff (); 24. break; 25. case supervisor_requests_status: 26. supervisor_requests_status (); 27. break; When an agent ends a call, the call wire is notified and the status of the agent is updated from the state of "speaking" to the state "agent registered and waiting call": 1. agent_drops_call (). { 2. change state; 3. forward this message to the appropriate thread; 4. if (agent is now in "awaiting cali" state). { . get a queued cali from router Compromise 6.} The transition between the work termination after call and the status "registered agent and waiting call" is handled similarly: 1. agent_completes_after_call_work (). { 2. change state to xawaiting cali *; 3. get a queued cali from the thread routine; 4. } A call thread starts when a call starts and ends when the call ends. It keeps this information such as client and agent name, and chooses a waiting list in which the call is placed if an agent is not available to handle the call. Track what waiting lists the call currently exists on. A call can exist on several different waiting lists at the same time, and have a different priority on each waiting list. At the appropriate time (ie when a call is handled by an agent or the call is withdrawn) the call wire withdraws the call from the other waiting lists. The call wire handles transitions between these states and tracks the time at which significant state transitions occur. This allows you to calculate important statistics regarding the call, particularly any waiting list delays that customers experience. The call wire can provide this information upon request for real-time reports, and write this information to a waiting list database for historical report generation. A pseudo-code mode for a call thread is: 1. for (;;). { 2. receive message 3. switch (type of message). { 4. case client_requests_service: 5. client_requests_service (); 6. break; 7. case client_drops_call: 8. client_drops_call (); 9. break; . case agent_answers_call (); 11. agent_answers_call (); 12. tar; 13. case agent_drops_call: 14. agent_drops_call (); 15. break; 16. case agent_transfers_call: 17. agent_transfers_call (); 18. break; 19. case agent_requests_conference: 20. agent_requests_conference (); 21. break; 22. case supervisor_requests_status (); 23. supervisor_requests_status (); 24. break; 25.} 26} When a customer call request initiates a call wire, the customer's profile is retrieved from the customer's database. The router thread is requested by the call wire to select an agent for the call. The router thread transports this by applying targeting criteria to the client profile and the agent profile, which the router thread retrieves from the agent database. If an agent is not available to handle the call, the call request is placed on the waiting list at least on a waiting list, and a priority is assigned to the call on each waiting list. If an agent is available to handle the call, then appropriate information is sent to the client's computer (for example an indication that the call is established) and the agent's computer (customer profile, select product, etc.). A pseudo-code mode to implement this process is: I. client_requests_service (). { 2. client_profile -retrieve_client_profile_from_database (); 3. agent_id -ask_router_thread_to_select_agent (); 4. if (agent_id - nuil). { 5. queue_client_request (); 6} else { 7. send_information_to_agent (); 8. send_information_to_agent (); 9. if (agent_should 1 initiate cali). { 10. tell_agent_to_dial_client (); II. } else { 12. tell_client_to_dial_agent (); 13} 14} fifteen. } If the customer withdraws the call while it has been placed on the waiting list, it must be removed from the waiting lists by the call wire. If the call is withdrawn by the customer while being handled by an agent, the agent is instructed to remove the call. Relevant information regarding this change of status is written in a database, where it can be used to generate historical reports. The call thread is then terminated. One modality of this transition implemented in pseudo-code is: 1. client_drops_call (). { 2. if (call is currently queued). { 3. remove the cali from all queues; 4. } else { 5. drop all other parties from the cali: 6.} 7. record summary data for this cali in a datábase; 8. finish the cali thread; 9} If the agent withdraws the call, the client is told to receive the call by the call wire before the call thread ends. Information regarding the transition is written to a database for historical report generation: 1. agent_drops_call (). { 2. update status information for the cali; 3. if (only the client remains on the cali). { 4. tell client to crop; 5. write cali summary information to datábase; 6. finish the cali thread; 7} 8.} A wait list thread manages the data structures used to record which calls are currently on the waiting list and the relative priorities of these calls. A call is removed from a waiting list thread, when the call is withdrawn or directed to an agent. The wait list thread periodically writes waiting list information in summary to a waiting list database, so that historical reports regarding the performance of the waiting list can be produced by the report generator thread. The wait list thread also responds to queries from a supervisor thread, providing waiting list information for real-time reports that are presented to a supervisor. When a call request is received, a call wire requests the addressing thread to handle its call. The routing thread chooses an agent to handle an incoming call request, when consulting the profiles of clients and agents. If there is currently no agent available to handle the call, the call can access one or more waiting lists in different priorities. If an agent is currently available, the router directs the call to the agent by adding the agent to the call thread. When an agent becomes available to handle another call (either by registering on the system or by completing the current call), the leader wire examines the waiting list calls to find a better match. The router thread then adds the agent to the call thread. A pseudo-code mode for the router thread is: 1. for (;;). { 2. receive message; 3. switch (type of message). { 4. case select_agent: 5. choose an agent to handle this inbound cali; 6. break; 7. case select_call: 8. choose a cali for this agent; 9. break; 10.} eleven. } A monitor thread produces real-time and historical system reports by retrieving information from various databases including the agent database, the supervisor database, the waiting list database, and so on. The supervisor thread also retrieves information from the call and agent threads to produce real-time reports to display to the supervisor. A pseudo-code mode for a supervisory thread is: I. for (;;). { 2. receive message; 3. switch (type of message). { 4. case supervisor_login (); 5. supervisor_login (); 6. break; 7. case supervisor_report: 8. supervisor_report (); 9. break; 10. case supervisor_logoff: II. supervisor_logoff (_; 12. break; 13..}. 14..}. The report generator thread processes summary information written in the databases of agent, call, waitlist and router threads and produces reports.

These reports provide statistics of total operations in the telemarketing system, and can be used by system administrators to make architectural, operational or planning changes to the system. In another embodiment, the present invention interconnects with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 71 to establish multimedia communications between the client and the agent and the agent and supervisor. This system illustrated in Figure 7 is advantageous because it does not require packet voice telephony to carry out multimedia communications between the parties. In this context, multimedia communications include at least one of voice, video, graphics, text and animation media. A typical application for which the PSTN 71 is employed, would be telephone communications. Another application would be phone video communications. In this mode, the TSS 72 acts as a bridge between the hypertext network 73 and the PSTN 71. The TSS 72; the supervisors 74, 75; agents 76, 77; and clients 78, 79 connect to both hypertext network 73 and PSTN 71. Each party has a telecommunications address, which in this mode is the telephone number of each party. These telecommunications addresses are provided by the parties to the TSS 72.

When a client 78 requests communications with an agent 77, TSS 72 calls agent 77 on PSTN 71, then TSS 72 calls customer 78 on PSTN 71, and then TSS 72 bridges the two calls, so that the client 78 and the agent 77 can communicate on the PSTN 71. A convenient method and system for carrying out these characteristics is described in the provisional patent application of the USA.

Serial No., with title "System and Method for Provide Telephone Connection Services Using a Data Network "(System and Method for Providing Telephonic Connection Services Using a Data Network), presented, concurrently with the present, the description of which is hereby incorporated by reference may be established in the same manner multimedia communications between an agent and a supervisor Similarly, a teleconference between a client, an agent and a supervisor can be established by having the TSS call the client, agent and supervisor separately in the PSTN, and then bypass the calls in a teleconference over the PSTN A communication is established between the client 78 and agent 77 in the PSTN, the telemarketing system can proceed as previously described, the customer call request 78 still signals the TSS to send client and product information to the agent 77 as exemplified in Figure 5.

The present invention provides a system and method for conducting telemarketing activities in a distributed system where agents and supervisors do not need to be located or co-located in the same site. On the contrary, like the clients, they only need to interconnect with a hypertext network that is provided with the present invention. The telemarketing functionality is implemented separately from the average transport function, making changes to telemarketing features much less complex; easier to plan, implement and maintain; and less expensive than the known systems. This is because according to the present invention, changes can be made to the telemarketing system without necessarily making any changes to the underlying switching hardware and software. In this way, the present invention is advantageously portable, since it can be used without modification through switching platforms made by different distributors. The present invention makes more efficient use of telecommunication resources, only establishing telecommunications connections when an agent is available to handle a client, thus avoiding placing the client on hold while waiting for services from an agent. Finally, the implementation of telemarketing in a way that takes full advantage of the capabilities of a hypertext network, makes the tools and products for standard hypertext network development, in stock available to produce more capable telemarketing systems, faster and less expensive than ever. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention. Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following:

Claims (19)

1. CLAIMS 1. A telemarketing server for use in a telemarketing system, to provide telemarketing services, through a hypertext network that interconnects agents and customers, the telemarketing server is characterized in that it comprises a server system that accepts an application for telemarketing services of a customer through a hypertext network, and sends the telemarketing request through a hypertext network to an appropriate agent, if an appropriate agent is available, and to a waiting list if an appropriate agent does not available.
2. 2. The telemarketing server according to claim 1, characterized in that the telemarketing server comprises an agent database that stores agent information.
3. 3. The telemarketing server according to claim 1, characterized in that the telemarketing server comprises a client database that stores customer information.
4. The telemarketing server according to claim 1, characterized in that the telemarketing server comprises a system performance database that stores historical telemarketing performance of the system.
5. 5. The telemarketing server according to claim 1, characterized in that the server has stored an agent page to provide an agent to which the server system sends a telemarketing request through a hypertext network.
6. 6. The telemarketing server according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises a supervision page composed of the telemarketing server system and that is provided to a supervisor through a hypertext network at the request of a supervisor, the page of supervisor understands information in real time regarding the performance of the telemarketing system.
7. 7. A telemarketing system characterized in that it comprises: a) an agent, client to the hypertext network; b) a telemarketing server system connected to the hypertext network, the telemarketing server system accepts a telemarketing request from the customer through the hypertext network and direct the telemarketing request through the hypertext network to the agent, if an appropriate agent is available, and to a waiting list, if an appropriate agent is not available.
8. 8. The telemarketing system according to claim 7, characterized in that it also comprises a client-supervisor connected to the hypertext network, the telemarketing server system sends real-time and historical telemarketing performance and configuration reports to the supervisor. at the request of the supervisor.
9. The telemarketing system according to claim 7, characterized in that the telemarketing server system comprises a database that stores information regarding the agent and the client, the telemarketing server system provides agent information to the supervisor and the information of the telemarketer. client to the agent through the hypertext network.
10. 10. A method for providing telemarketing services through a hypertext network interconnecting agents and clients, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: a) receiving a request for telemarketing service through a hypertext network from a client that has a customer telecommunications address; b) send the request through the hypertext network to an appropriate agent who has an agent telecommunications address if the appropriate agent is available and to a waiting list if the appropriate agent is not available; and c) facilitate the establishment of communications between the agent and the client.
11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that it facilitates the establishment of communications between the agent and the client, comprising the steps of: a) sending the client's telecommunications address to the agent; b) facilitate communications between the agent and the client at the request of the agent.
12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that facilitating communication establishment between the agent and the client comprises the steps of: a) transmitting the agent's telecommunications address to the client; b) facilitate communication establishments between the agent and the client at the customer's request.
13. 13. The method according to the claim 10, characterized in that it facilitates establishment of communications between the agent and the client, comprises the step of programming the communication when exchanging messages between the client and the agent over the hypertext network.
14. 14. The method according to the claim 10, characterized in that it facilitates establishment of communications between the agent and the client, comprises the step of programming the communication when exchanging voice mail messages between the agent and the customer over the public switched telephone network.
15. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of: a) recording in a database the time in which the telemarketing request is received from a client; and b) record in a database the time in which the state of an agent changes.
16. 16. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that it also comprises the step of reporting historical and real-time telemarketing system performance information to a supervisor at the request of the supervisor.
17. 17. A system for providing telemarketing services through a hypertext network that interconnects agents and customers, characterized in that it comprises: a) means to receive telemarketing requests from clients; b) means to send the telemarketing request through a hypertext network to an appropriate agent, if the appropriate agent is available and to a waiting list, if the appropriate agent is not available; c) means to establish communications between the client and the agent.
18. 18. The system according to claim 17, characterized in that it also comprises means for storing and retrieving information in real time and historical regarding the performance of the system.
19. 19. The system in accordance with the claim 17, characterized in that it also comprises means for reporting historical information and in real time to a supervisor.