WO2023276482A1

WO2023276482A1 - Call center server

Info

Publication number: WO2023276482A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/020807
Authority: WO
Inventors: 克彦近藤
Original assignee: Ｔｅｓｎｏｌｏｇｙ株式会社
Priority date: 2021-07-01
Filing date: 2022-05-19
Publication date: 2023-01-05
Also published as: JP2023006986A

Abstract

This call center server receives a call from a user, selects a responder on the basis of personal information of the user, provides the responder a temporary right to access the personal information of the user, and then relays a conversation between the responder and the user.

Description

call center server

The present invention relates to technology for determining who to answer in a call center.

　The department that handles phone calls from customers is generally called a call center. A large number of operators stand by at the call center. When a customer has a question, opinion, or consultation about a product or service, he or she calls a call center and makes a voice call with an operator (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-57932

　Generally, when a customer calls, the operator is often assigned in order from the available operators. Among the operators, there are highly skilled operators who can answer even difficult questions, and there are inexperienced operators who can answer only simple questions. Customer satisfaction, satisfaction, and trust in call center operations depend greatly on the capabilities of operators. In addition, compatibility between customers and operators is also important.

The present invention is an invention completed based on the recognition of the above problems, and its main purpose is to provide a technique for selecting an appropriate attendant according to the customer (user).

A call center server in one aspect of the present invention includes an access reception unit that receives an access request from a user, a reception selection unit that selects a receptionist based on the user's personal information, and an interaction control unit that relays interaction between the attendant and the user.

According to the present invention, in call center operations, it becomes easier to select an appropriate attendant based on the user's personal information.

1 is a hardware configuration diagram of a call center system; FIG. It is a functional block diagram of a call center server. 4 is a data structure diagram of personal information; FIG. 4 is a data structure diagram of operator information; FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of schedule information; FIG. 4 is a data structure diagram of allocation information; FIG. It is a screen figure of a dialog screen. It is a sequence diagram that is the basis of the reception work. FIG. 10 is a first sequence diagram when receiving support from an administrator in response work; FIG. 10 is a second sequence diagram when receiving support from an administrator in response work; FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram when a responder is changed between operators in response work; It is a conceptual diagram of the call center system in 2nd Embodiment.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described below by dividing them into a first embodiment and a second embodiment. When the first embodiment and the second embodiment are not distinguished from each other, or when they are collectively referred to, they are simply referred to as "the present embodiment".

[First embodiment]
In the first embodiment, a personal information database storing personal information of users (customers) who make inquiries to the call center is managed as a separate housing from the call center server (CS) and the user's communication terminal. do. The personal information includes "attribute information" indicating the user's age, gender, etc., and "response information" indicating the history of the response with the operator. In addition, in the present embodiment, the reception business (inbound) of a call center is described as an object.

FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of a call center system 200. As shown in FIG.
The call center system 200 includes a call center server 100 , multiple user terminals 300 , multiple operator terminals 400 and a personal information database 104 . Call center server 100 , user terminal 300 , operator terminal 400 and personal information database 104 are connected via Internet 102 . The user terminal 300 is a communication terminal owned by a user, and is assumed to be a laptop PC (Personal Computer), a tablet PC, a smart phone, or the like. In addition, the user terminal 300 may be a so-called wearable terminal such as a smart watch (wristwatch type personal digital assistant). It is assumed that the user terminal 300 in this embodiment is a smart phone.

The operator terminal 400 is a communication terminal owned by the operator and used for operator work. The operator terminal 400 in this embodiment has a desktop PC and a headset. Operators are in charge of customer service for various companies. A single operator can concurrently serve as a reception service for a plurality of companies. The personal information database 104 stores user's personal information. Personal information database 104 will be described later in connection with FIG.

In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the user's personal information is registered in the call center server 100 in advance. A user is given a user ID for identifying the user. The call center server 100 functions as a unified point of contact for customer service in a plurality of companies. When a user has an inquiry about a company, the user calls the call center server 100 from the user terminal 300. - 特許庁

In addition to companies related to cosmetics, automobiles, computers, etc., various institutions such as government offices, financial institutions, and ticket centers can be considered as sources of customer service. Even in the case of cosmetics manufacturers, there are a wide variety of customer service tasks depending on the type of product and the content of the consultation. In the present embodiment, the service is identified as a "task". For example, an order for cosmetics X1 is categorized in advance as 'task A1', a consultation for cosmetics X1 is 'task A2', and a personal computer trouble consultation is 'task A3'.

The personal information database 104 stores user's personal information. When a call is received from a user, the call center server 100 selects an operator to be in charge of the call based on the user ID, the subject, and the personal information in the personal information database 104 by a method described later. Hereinafter, the operator who answers the phone with the user is particularly referred to as a "respondent".

There are two types of operators: Operator A, who actually works with users, and Operator B, who supervises the A operator. The B operator supervises the reception work of the A operator and assists the A operator as necessary (details will be described later). Hereinafter, the B operator who supervises the A operator is also referred to as the "administrator". Operator A in this embodiment may be an operator belonging to a company, or may be a freelance operator who uses his/her spare time at home to provide a response service. Operators are identified by operator IDs.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the call center server 100. As shown in FIG.
Each component of the call center server 100 includes computing units such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and various co-processors, storage devices such as memory and storage, and hardware including wired or wireless communication lines connecting them. , and is implemented by software that is stored in a storage device and supplies processing instructions to the calculator. A computer program may consist of a device driver, an operating system, various application programs located in their higher layers, and a library that provides common functions to these programs.
Each block described below represents a functional block rather than a hardware configuration.

Call center server 100 includes communication unit 110 , data processing unit 112 and data storage unit 114 .
The communication unit 110 is in charge of communication processing with the user terminal 300 , the operator terminal 400 and the personal information database 104 via the Internet 102 . The data storage unit 114 stores various information. The data processing unit 112 executes various processes based on data acquired by the communication unit 110 and data stored in the data storage unit 114 . Data processing unit 112 also functions as an interface for communication unit 110 and data storage unit 114 .

The communication unit 110 includes a transmitting unit 116 that transmits various types of information to an external device such as the user terminal 300, and a receiving unit 118 that receives various types of information from the external device.
Transmission unit 116 includes approval request transmission unit 120 , warning unit 122 , personal information request unit 124 , access key transmission unit 126 , response request unit 127 and page transmission unit 129 . The approval request transmission unit 120 requests approval regarding the selection of the attendant from the B operator (administrator). The response request unit 127 requests the response work to the A operator selected as the response person. The warning unit 122 sends a warning to the B operator when the A operator is at a loss for the reception work. The personal information requesting unit 124 requests part of the personal information from the personal information database 104 as necessary. Access key transmission unit 126 transmits a temporary access key for the responder and administrator to access personal information database 104 . The page transmission unit 129 transmits to the operator terminal 400 a web page containing various information for customer service.

The receiving unit 118 includes an access receiving unit 128, a permission/refusal receiving unit 130, and a personal information receiving unit 132. The access reception unit 128 receives a telephone call from the user terminal 300 as an access request. The permission/refusal receiving unit 130 receives permission/refusal regarding the selection of the attendant from the B operator (manager). The permission/refusal reception unit 130 also receives permission/refusal of response from the A operator (candidate for response). The personal information receiving unit 132 transmits update information of personal information to the personal information database 104 .

Data storage unit 114 includes operator information storage unit 152 , schedule storage unit 154 and allocation information storage unit 156 .
The operator information storage unit 152 stores operator information. The operator information is information indicating the tasks that the operator can handle, evaluation, and experience. Operator information is described below in connection with FIG. The schedule storage unit 154 stores schedule information. The schedule information indicates the schedule of the operator. Schedule information will be described later in connection with FIG. The allocation information storage unit 156 stores allocation information. The allocation information defines the order of selection of attendants for each user. Allocation information will be described later in connection with FIG.

Data processing unit 112 includes response selection unit 134 , access control unit 136 , user management unit 138 , dialogue control unit 140 and operator management unit 142 .
The data processing unit 112 selects a responder when receiving an access from a user. The access control unit 136 generates an access key for accessing the personal information database 104 for the responder and administrator. The access control unit 136 also invalidates access keys.

The user management unit 138 manages the user's personal information with the personal information database 104 as the object. User management unit 138 includes response history management unit 144 . The response history management unit 144 converts the voice conversation between the user and the respondent into text and generates response information. The reception information is registered in the personal information database 104 as part of the personal information.

The dialog control unit 140 relays voice calls between the user and the respondent. Dialogue control unit 140 includes silence detection unit 146 and emotion determination unit 148 . Silence detection unit 146 detects when a silence state occurs for a predetermined time or longer, for example, 30 seconds or longer, in the conversation between the user and the attendant. The emotion determination unit 148 analyzes the user's mental state by performing linguistic analysis (sentences, words, etc.) and acoustic analysis (pitch, strength, speed, length, etc.) of the user's voice. do. Techniques for estimating the speaker's emotions from voice can be realized by applying known techniques.

The data processing unit 112 manages information about operators. Data processing unit 112 includes a schedule management unit 150 . The schedule management unit 150 manages schedule information.

FIG. 3 is a data structure diagram of the personal information 160. As shown in FIG.
Personal information 160 is stored in personal information database 104 . Personal information 160 includes attribute information 162 and response information 164 . FIG. 3 shows the personal information 160 of a user with user ID=P01 (hereinafter referred to as "user (P01)"). At the time of user registration, attribute information 162 is set by the call center server 100 . The attribute information 162 includes name, age, gender, occupation, and the like. The response history management unit 144 generates the response information 164 each time a response task for the user (P01) occurs.

The response information 164 in FIG. 3 shows the details of the response work that occurred from 11:04 to 11:10 on March 12, 2021. The response information 164 includes, in addition to the response date and time, the item type, the operator ID of the respondent, the response history file, the memo file, and the evaluation. According to FIG. 3, the user (P01) is having a dialogue with the respondent (Q06) regarding the matter A1. When the user (P01) calls the call center server 100, he/she sets the matter by voice or the push button of the user terminal 300. FIG. The access reception unit 128 of the call center server 100 identifies the matter type according to the input from the user (P01). Also, when the access reception unit 128 receives a call from the user terminal 300, it identifies the user ID from the user's telephone number (call notification).

The response history file is a file in which the response history management unit 144 converts the voice dialogue between the user (P01) and the respondent (Q06) into text. The response history file allows the manager or the next responder to confirm the contents of the conversation between the two at a later date. The memo file is a file in which memos made by the respondent (Q06) are recorded. The memo file is used as a memorandum for the user (P01), such as impressions and topics, for himself or other attendants. After completing the service, the call center server 100 asks the user to fill out a questionnaire regarding the level of satisfaction with the service. The response history management unit 144 records the score of the respondent in the response information 164 as a "response evaluation score" based on the questionnaire.

The personal information 160 is stored in the personal information database 104 independent of the call center server 100 and the operator terminal 400. The call center server 100 accesses the personal information database 104 when a customer service with the user (P01) occurs. In addition, the operator (Q06) also temporarily accesses the personal information database 104 only when the operator (Q06) needs to work with the user (P01). The accessible range at this time is limited to the personal information 160 of the user (P01). Such access restrictions protect the user's private information.

FIG. 4 is a data structure diagram of the operator information 170. As shown in FIG.
Operator information 170 is stored in the operator information storage unit 152 . The operator information 170 indicates the manager (B operator) for the A operator, the work available, the rating and the amount of experience. "Evaluation" indicates the average point of response evaluation points from users who have corresponded in the past. "Experience" is the number of times of experience of reception work. The schedule management unit 150 updates the operator information 170 each time the service is completed.

For example, the only issue A operator (Q01) can handle is issue A1. The administrator (B operator) of the A operator (Q01) is the operator (Q87). The A operator (Q01) can handle only the matter A1 under the supervision of the B operator (Q87). Operator A has experienced 20 times of response work related to matter A1, and the evaluation of the response work is 70 points.

Operator A (Q02) can handle matters A1 and A2. The A operator (Q02) is supervised by the B operator (Q87) regarding the matter A1. On the other hand, since the operator A (Q02) is sufficiently proficient with the matter A2, the A operator (Q02) independently handles the matter A2.

In addition, Operator A (Q04) is a veteran. Any of the matters A1, A2, and A3 can be handled without an administrator.

By referring to the operator information 170, the permission/refusal receiving unit 130 selects a responder in consideration of each operator's available work, experience, evaluation, and presence or absence of a manager (details will be described later).

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of the schedule information 180. As shown in FIG.
Schedule information 180 is stored in the schedule storage unit 154 . FIG. 5 shows the schedule of each operator on "April 21, 2021". The operator registers a schedule with the call center server 100 in advance.

　Each operator registers the workable hours in the schedule according to the contract with the employer. Alternatively, the schedule can be freely registered by selecting a workable time. For example, operator A (Q01) can work from 6:00 to 20:00 with a lunch break on the 21st. On the other hand, operator B (Q87), who is the manager of operator A (Q01), is scheduled to work from 4:00 to 18:00 with a lunch break. Therefore, the A operator (Q01) cannot substantially perform reception work after 18:00. In this case, the schedule management unit 150 may notify operator A (Q01) by communication means such as e-mail that he may work until 18:00 on that day. Alternatively, the schedule management unit 150 may select another B operator who can supervise the A operator (Q01) after 18:00 and request the selected B operator to supervise the A operator (Q01) after 18:00. . For example, since the B operator (Q88) is available until 22:00, the supervision of the A operator (Q01) may be taken over from the B operator (Q87) after 18:00.

In addition, the schedule management unit 150 also manages whether each operator is on call or on standby. When the user (P01) and the A operator (Q01) have to deal with each other, the schedule management unit 150 temporarily sets the A operator (Q01) to "in response". At this time, the reception selection unit 134 temporarily excludes the A operator (Q01) from the receptionist candidates. When operator A (Q01) completes the service, the schedule management unit 150 sets operator A (Q01) to "waiting". The response selection unit 134 newly selects operator A (Q01) as a candidate for response after the change to waiting.

FIG. 6 is a data structure diagram of the allocation information 190. As shown in FIG.
Allocation information 190 is stored in the allocation information storage unit 156 . When the access reception unit 128 receives a call from the user, it identifies the user ID from the caller number. The response selection unit 134 generates allocation information 190 in advance based on the personal information 160 . The response selection unit 134 selects a response person from a plurality of A operators based on the allocation information 190 . FIG. 6 shows the allocation information 190 of the user (P01).

The response selection unit 134 records the A operator who has served as a response person and the "selection priority point" for each user and each matter. The selection priority point is a score for determining the priority of selection. For example, the A operator who has dealt with the user (P01) and the matter A1 is A operator (Q01), A operator (Q02), A operator (Q11), A operator (Q04), A operator (Q04), A Assume that there are five operators (Q22).

When the A operator (Q01) performs the reception work, the reception selection unit 134 adds 20 points to the selection priority points of the A operator (Q01) and subtracts 5 points from the scores of the other four operators. According to such a control method, it is easier for the same A operator (Q01) to respond to the user (P01) because the more recent responder is more likely to be selected next time. In other words, it is possible to allow the A operator (Q01) to have a certain degree of exclusiveness with respect to the user's (P01) inquiry regarding the matter A1.

The reception selection unit 134 selects the 1st to 3rd place among the 5 people in descending order of selection priority. In FIG. 6, the first place is the A operator (P01), the second place is the A operator (Q04), and the third place is the A operator (Q02). When the user (P01) makes a call regarding the matter A1, the reception selection unit 134 selects the first candidate A operator (Q01) as the receptionist. When the A operator (P01) is unavailable, the second candidate A operator (Q04) is selected.

The method of determining the selection priority is arbitrary. For example, the response selection unit 134 may add 10 points to the A operator (see FIG. 4) with the highest evaluation among the five A operators. According to such a control method, it becomes easy to preferentially allocate the A operator who is highly evaluated by the user. The response selection unit 134 may add 10 points to the A operator (see FIG. 4) who has the most experience among the five A operators. According to such a control method, it becomes easier to preferentially allocate the veteran A operator. The higher the evaluation of operator A from the user and the more experience he has, the easier it is for operator A to be assigned to support work. In particular, in the case of setting a commission based on the number of times of customer service, by providing such a mechanism, it is possible to promote self-improvement of the A operator.

As described above, when the user (P01) calls regarding the matter A1, the A operator (Q01) is the first candidate for the answerer. The response selection unit 134 refers to the schedule information 180, and requests the response work if operator A (Q01) is available. When the A operator (Q01) cannot respond, the response selection unit 134 requests the second candidate A operator (Q04) to perform the response work. When the third candidate A operator (Q02) is also unable to respond, the response selection unit 134 randomly selects one of the A operators who can respond to the matter A1 as a response person.

For user (P01), only one operator A is registered as a candidate for task A3. The user (P01) rarely calls about the matter A3, and the operator (Q04) is considered to be the only person who has ever received a call. In addition, since the user (P01) has never made a phone call regarding the matter A4, there is no reception candidate. In this case, the response selection unit 134 randomly selects a response person from the A operators who can respond to the matter A4. Alternatively, the response selection unit 134 may select an A operator who has a high evaluation for the matter A4 and an A operator who has a lot of experience as a response person.

Any method can be used to select an attendant for a user who is not registered in the allocation information 190, that is, a user who uses the call center server 100 for the first time. The response selection unit 134 may randomly select an operator who can respond from a plurality of operators as a response person, or may select an operator who has the least daily workload (response time) as a response person. Alternatively, the response selection unit 134 may randomly select one of the operators registered in advance as the "predetermined first-time response person" as the response person.

FIG. 7 is a screen view of the interactive screen 210. As shown in FIG.
The dialog screen 210 is displayed on the operator terminal 400 during customer service. Interactive screen 210 includes interactive area 214 , reference information area 212 and notes area 216 . The dialogue area 214 is a screen transmitted as a web page from the page transmission unit 129 of the call center server 100 .

The response history management unit 144 converts the voice conversation between the user and the respondent into text in real time using voice recognition technology. The dialog area 214 displays a user icon 218 representing the user and an utterance area 220 representing the utterances of the user and the attendant. The user icon 218 is a character image that changes facial expressions. The emotion determination unit 148 estimates the user's mental state from the user's voice, and changes the expression of the user icon 218 according to the result of the estimation. The operator can guess the user's emotion from the expression of the user icon 218 .

The reference information area 212 displays the attribute information 162 of the user (P01). When the operator (Q01) interacts with the user (P01), the access key transmission unit 126 transmits the access key to the operator terminal 400 of the operator (Q01) (hereinafter referred to as "operator terminal 400 (Q01)"). do. This access key enables the operator terminal 400 (Q01) to access the personal information 160 (P01) of the personal information database 104 temporarily. The reference information area 212 may display the reception history of the reception information 164 as well as the attribute information 162 .

A memo area 216 displays a memo. The respondent (Q01) can write down what he/she noticed during or after the dialogue in the memo area 216. FIG. The information written in the memo area 216 is registered in the personal information 160 as a memo file (see FIG. 3). The operator terminal 400 (Q01) can also display the memo file in the past correspondence work with the user (P01) in the memo area 216. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram that is the basis of the reception work.
Here, it is assumed that the user (P01) has called the call center server (CS) 100 regarding the matter A1. The access reception unit 128 of the call center server 100 receives a call (access request) from the user (P01) (S10). The access reception unit 128 identifies the user ID and the item type. Personal information requesting unit 124 requests personal information 160 (P01) from personal information database 104 (S12), and personal information receiving unit 132 receives personal information 160 (P01) from personal information database 104 (S14).

The response selection unit 134 refers to the allocation information 190 and the schedule information 180 and selects a response person (S16). Here, it is assumed that the operator (Q04) is selected as the attendant. The operator (Q04) is a veteran who does not require an administrator for the item A1 (see FIG. 4). The response request unit 127 transmits a response request to the operator terminal 400 (Q04) (S18). The response request includes a part of the attribute information 162 of the user (P01) in addition to the user ID and matter type.

The operator (Q04) transmits a notice of acceptance for the response request, and the acceptance/rejection reception unit 130 receives the notice of acceptance (S20). Incidentally, when the operator (Q04) refuses the reception request, the reception selection unit 134 refers to the allocation information 190 and the like to select the next receptionist. Here, it is assumed that the operator (Q04) consents to the reception of the user (P01).

The access control unit 136 generates an access key for accessing the personal information 160 (P01), and the access key transmission unit 126 transmits the access key to the operator terminal 400 (Q04) (S22). Also, the access control unit 136 sets the personal information 160 (P01) of the personal information database 104 to be accessible in advance. Operator terminal 400 (Q04) requests personal information 160 (P01) from personal information database 104 using the access key (S24). Operator terminal 400 (Q04) receives personal information 160 (P01) (S26).

The dialogue control unit 140 of the call center server 100 connects the user terminal 300 (P01) and the operator terminal 400 (Q04), and relays the voice calls of the operator (Q04) and the user (P04) (S28). The response history management unit 144 converts the voice call into text. Textual dialogue is displayed in dialogue area 214 . In addition, in S28, the call center server 100 may not relay the voice call, but may simply forward the fact that there is an incoming call. In this case, the operator terminal 400 and the user terminal 300 may communicate directly.

After the call center server 100 is notified that the voice call has ended, the operator terminal 400 (Q04) sends the memo file created by the operator (Q04) to the personal information database 104 (S30). The operator (Q04) can write a memo not only during the voice call but also after the end of the call. When the voice call ends, the access control section 136 invalidates the access key (S32). The access control unit 136 sets the personal information 160 (P01) of the personal information database 104 to be inaccessible, and the access key transmission unit 126 instructs the operator terminal 400 (Q04) to invalidate the access key. Considering the time required for the operator (Q04) to write a memo after answering, the access control unit 136 invalidates the access key after a predetermined time period, for example, 15 minutes after the end of the voice call. Giving access rights to the operator (Q04) only during customer service makes it easier to protect the personal information 160 of the user (P01).

After completing the service, the dedicated software installed in the operator terminal 400 (Q04) deletes the personal information 160 (P01) acquired in S26 from the non-volatile memory (S34). The transmission unit 116 of the call center server 100 transmits a prepared questionnaire (S36). The user (P01) evaluates the service of the operator (Q04). The receiving unit 118 of the call center server 100 receives the questionnaire responses (response evaluation points) from the user terminal 300 (P01) (S38).

The user management unit 138 updates the personal information 160 including the evaluation from the user (P01) (S40). The schedule management unit 150 updates operator information 170 and allocation information 190 . Also, the user management unit 138 newly generates the reception information 164 . The transmission unit 116 transmits the reception information 164 to the personal information database 104 (S42). Finally, the call center server 100 deletes the personal information 160 (P01) from the nonvolatile memory (S44).
As described above, the reception work starting from the telephone call from the user (P01) is completed.

FIG. 9 is a first sequence diagram in the case of receiving support from the manager in the reception work.
As in S16 of FIG. 8, it is assumed that the user (P01) calls about requirement A1, and the response selection unit 134 selects operator A (Q01) as a response person (S16). The A operator (Q01) is in a position to be managed by the B operator (Q87) regarding the matter A1 (see FIG. 4). In this case, the approval request transmission unit 120 sends an approval request to the operator terminal 400 (Q87:B) to confirm whether operator A (Q01) can perform the service (S50).

It is assumed that operator B (Q87) has sent a permission notice in response to this approval request (S52). It should be noted that, when permission from the B operator (Q87) is not obtained, the reception selection unit 134 reselects reception candidates. If the reselected A operator needs an administrator, the approval request transmission unit 120 similarly transmits an approval request to this administrator.

When operator A (Q01) becomes the responder, access key transmission unit 126 transmits the access key to both operator terminal 400 (Q01: responder) and operator terminal 400 (Q87: administrator) (S54, S56). . Operator terminal 400 (Q01: responder) requests personal information 160 (P01) from personal information database 104 (S58), and receives personal information 160 (P01) (S60). Similarly, operator terminal 400 (Q87: administrator) also requests personal information 160 (P01) from personal information database 104 (S62) and receives personal information 160 (P01) (S64).

After the above preparations are completed, the dialogue control unit 140 relays the call between the operator (Q01: respondent) and the user (P01) (S66). At this time, the interaction control unit 140 may enable a three-way call by adding the operator (Q01: responder), the operator (Q87: administrator) to the user (P01). Normally, the operator (Q87: administrator) does not interact with the user (P01). The operator (Q87: administrator) can observe the user (P01) and the operator (Q01: respondent) as necessary. Page transmission unit 129 of call center server 100 transmits dialog screen 210 shown in FIG. 7 not only to operator terminal 400 (Q01) but also to operator terminal 400 (Q87). Therefore, the B operator (Q87) can monitor the dialogue between the A operator (Q01) and the user (P01) without participating in the dialogue. Normally, the user (P01) is unaware of the existence of the B operator (Q87). However, if necessary, the B operator (Q87) may take over the reception work of the A operator (Q01). This will be explained in connection with FIG. 10 below.

Operator B (Q87) may send a preparation notification from the operator terminal 400 to the call center server 100. The preparation notification means that if the A operator (Q01) is ready, the A operator (Q01) is approved as the attendant. At this time, the response request unit 127 transmits a response request to the operator terminal 400 (Q01). When the A operator (Q01) accepts the reception, the reception selection unit 134 selects the operator (Q01) as the receptionist. The preparation notification enables operator B (Q87) to express his/her intention to approve if operator A (Q01) can respond. Alternatively, the B operator (Q87) may confirm the intention of the A operator (Q01), confirm that the A operator (Q01) has agreed, and then approve the assignment of the A operator (Q01).

Even if there is an administrator, the operator terminal 400 and the call center server 100 delete the personal information 160 (P01) from the non-volatile memory after completing the service. Similarly, the call center server 100 invalidates the access key and updates the personal information 160 and the like.

FIG. 10 is a second sequence diagram in the case of receiving support from the manager in the reception work.
The silence detector 146 monitors the voice call between the operator A (Q01) and the user (P01), and determines whether the silence has continued for a predetermined time or longer (S70). Hereinafter, detection of a silence state that continues for a predetermined time or longer is referred to as "silence detection". When silence is detected, either the user (P01) or the A operator (Q01) may be confused. The warning unit 122 sends a warning notification to operator B (Q87) when silence is detected (S72). Operator B (Q87: administrator) checks the response history of operator A (Q01) and user (P01), and determines whether to watch over or help. Here, it is assumed that operator B (Q87) has decided to take care of himself. The operator terminal 400 (Q87) transmits a dialogue request (replacement instruction) to the call center server 100 (S74).

The dialogue control unit 140 connects the operator terminal 400 (Q87: administrator) and the user terminal 300 (P01) and relays the call between them. Thereafter, the B operator (Q87) continues the reception work with the user (P01) in place of the A operator (Q01). When a dialogue request is sent, the dialogue control section 140 may relay a dialogue among the operator terminal 400 (Q01), the operator terminal 400 (Q87) and the user terminal 300 (P01).

FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram in the case of changing the responder between operators in the response work.
Here, it is assumed that the user (P01) calls about the requirement A2, and the response selection unit 134 selects the A operator (Q02) as the response person. The A operator (Q02) may judge that another A operator (Q04) is more suitable as a receptionist during the reception with the user (P01). Alternatively, operator A (Q04) is originally the right person, but operator A (Q04) is just in the middle of another service, so operator A (Q02) responds for the time being, and operator A (Q04) Sometimes we wait. As for the requirement A2, both the A operator (Q02) and the A operator (Q04) are capable of handling work without a manager (see FIG. 4).

First, the dialogue control unit 140 relays the call between the operator terminal 400 (Q02) and the user terminal 300 (P01) (S80). Assume that the A operator (Q02) wishes to change to the A operator (Q04) during the reception. For example, based on the conversation with the user (P01) and the memo left by the A operator (Q04) who previously responded, the A operator (Q02) may determine that the A operator (Q04) is more knowledgeable about the situation. . At this time, the A operator (Q02) transmits a change request notification to the call center server 100 (S82).

The response selection unit 134 refers to the schedule information 180 and determines whether operator A (Q04) can respond (S84). If it is possible to respond, the response request unit 127 transmits a response request to the operator terminal 400 (Q04) (S86). When requesting a response, the response request unit 127 also transmits response history files of operator A (Q02) and user (P01). As a result, the A operator (Q04) can know the content of the dialogue between the two operators before the shift, so that he can quickly take over the conversation. Here, it is assumed that operator A (Q04) has decided to accept the reception.

Operator A (Q04) sends a notice of acceptance to the call center server 100 (S88). Upon receiving the acceptance notice from operator A (Q04), call center server 100 sends a change completion notice to operator A (Q02) (S89). 300 (Q02) deletes the personal information 160 of the user (P01) from the local memory upon receiving the change completion notice. The access key transmission unit 126 transmits the access key of the personal information 160 (P01) to operator A (Q04) who is the new attendant (S90). The operator terminal 400 (Q04) accesses the personal information database 104 and acquires the personal information 160 (P01) (S92, S94). Thereafter, the dialogue control unit 140 relays the call between the operator terminal 400 (Q04) and the user terminal 300 (P01) (S96).

In addition, if the new responder has an administrator, the new responder will start the response work after receiving approval from the administrator in the same way as in FIG.

[Second embodiment]
In the second embodiment, the personal information database 104 is constructed inside the user terminal 300 . Since the user manages his or her own personal information 160 at the user terminal 300, it becomes easier for the user to protect the personal information 160. FIG.

FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram of a call center system 200 in the second embodiment.
Dedicated software for controlling the personal information database 104 is installed in the user terminal 300 in advance (hereinafter referred to as "personal information management software"). When the user terminal 300 calls the call center server 100 , the call center server 100 accesses the personal information management software and acquires the personal information 160 from the personal information database 104 . Call center server 100 temporarily saves personal information 160 in a specific storage area of its own device.

The response selection unit 134 selects a response person, and the access key transmission unit 126 transmits the access key of the personal information 160 to the operator terminal 400 . The operator terminal 400 uses the access key to access the personal information 160 temporarily stored in the call center server 100 . Alternatively, the operator terminal 400 may access the personal information database 104 of the user terminal 300 directly.

The call control between the operator terminal 400 and the user terminal 300 is the same as in the first embodiment. As in the first embodiment, the call center server 100 connects the user terminal 300 and the operator terminal 400 to relay calls. The call center server 100 provides the operator terminal 400 with an opportunity to access the personal information 160 by temporarily keeping the personal information 160 stored in the user terminal 300 . After the call ends, the call center server 100 deletes the temporarily stored personal information 160. - 特許庁

[Summary]
The call center business support method by the call center system 200 has been described above based on the embodiment.
According to this embodiment, an appropriate operator can be selected as a receptionist based on the user and the matter. Appropriate selection of operators increases user satisfaction and reduces the operator's burden. In particular, it is highly effective to give loose specialties in the relationship between the user and the operator. Providing a certain degree of exclusiveness is also effective in deepening the operator's understanding of the customer. On the other hand, since it is a system in which the answerer is decided according to the operator's schedule, it is possible to give flexibility to the operator's way of working.

The personal information database 104 is separated from the operator terminal 400 and the call center server 100. The operator obtains temporary access rights to the personal information database 104 to the extent necessary during the reception work. Such a mechanism makes it difficult for the user's personal information 160 to leak. In particular, since the response history file indicating the content of the conversation is also strictly managed in the personal information database 104, the user can easily consult the operator on various matters without worrying about the leakage of the content of the conversation.

The call center server 100 can determine whether the operator can respond based on the schedule information 180. For example, the response selection unit 134 may assign a new response task to the operator (Q20) only until 20 minutes before the scheduled end time of the operator (Q20). By preventing the call center server 100 from assigning a response job to an operator just before the closing time, the system can prevent unexpected overtime for the operator. By registering the schedule, the operator can assign the customer service according to the schedule, making it easier to manage the schedule.

If there is an administrator, the call center server 100 automatically selects the respondent and asks the administrator for confirmation. The manager judges whether the proposed operator A is suitable as the attendant. Since the call center server 100 first selects the respondent rather than the manager selects the respondent, and the manager approves or rejects it, the manager can independently select the A operator without any burden. I can do it.

The call center server 100 may not be able to grasp all the circumstances of operator A. For example, for a certain operator A, even if the schedule information 180 indicates that he is available, there may be circumstances such as his physical condition deteriorating. The manager can determine whether or not the operator can respond while considering the personal circumstances of the responder.

The administrator can watch the reception work performed by the receptionist on the operator terminal 400. It is also possible for one manager to watch over a plurality of attendants. The access control unit 136 may grant access rights only to the attendant, and may not grant access rights to personal information to the administrator. Alternatively, the access control unit 136 may differentiate the accessible range of the personal information 160 between the administrator and the attendant.

The administrator (operator B) can change the response work as necessary. Even an inexperienced A operator can receive assistance from the B operator, so that he/she can work on the reception work without anxiety. In addition, when the user feels uneasy about the response of the A operator, the A operator promptly responds, so that the user can have a sense of security in the response work. In this way, by providing an opportunity for supervision by the manager, it is possible to efficiently provide on-the-job training (OJT) to the A operator while increasing the sense of security of the user and the A operator (respondent).

When the silence detection unit 146 detects silence, the warning unit 122 can warn the operator terminal 400 of the administrator. A manager supervising a plurality of operators can quickly recognize a situation that may cause user dissatisfaction from this warning notice.

As described above, according to the algorithm described in this embodiment, the response selection unit 134 can easily reselect the operator who has responded to the user (P01) in the past. You can have some degree of exclusivity between them. The dialogue between the operator and the user is transcribed and registered in the personal information database 104 as a response history file. Newly assigned operators will also be able to easily refer to past response work based on the response history file and memo file. In addition, the response history file can be used as teaching material for response work by anonymizing the user and showing it to other operators. Utilization of the response history file contributes to raising the level of the overall response work.

The call center system 200 can provide employment opportunities to many human resources. For example, for personnel who have retired from retirement age or who wish to work double, it is possible to put in reception work at a time that is convenient for each person. By cooperating with the freelance operator A and the employee B operator, it is possible to improve the quality while reducing the burden of the customer service. Further, the call center server 100 can provide a response business support service to a plurality of companies by defining matters.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and modifications, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention. Various inventions may be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above embodiments and modifications. Also, some constituent elements may be deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the above embodiments and modifications.

[Modification]
The present embodiment has been described on the premise that the user registers with the call center server 100 . As a modification, the A operator may create the personal information 160 by asking the user for information such as the name. The user may input the user ID to the call center server 100 by voice. Alternatively, the user may give his or her real name and the user management unit 138 may identify the user ID from the user name. The user management unit 138 may identify the user ID from the user's voiceprint.

In the present embodiment, it has been described that the response history management unit 144 of the call center server 100 converts the voice dialogue between the user and the operator into text. As a modification, the operator terminal 400 may convert the voice dialogue into text.

In addition to silence detection, the warning unit 122 may send a warning notification to the administrator. For example, when the emotion determination unit 148 recognizes the user's anxiety, discomfort, or anger by analyzing the user's voice, the warning unit 122 may send a warning notification to the administrator. The respondent may transmit a request for help notification to the call center server 100 when he/she is uneasy about responding. The warning unit 122 may transmit a warning notification to the administrator when the relief request notification is received.

The warning unit 122 may send a warning notification to the administrator when the interaction time between the operator and the user reaches a predetermined time or longer. When the dialogue is prolonged, there is a possibility that the A operator (respondent) cannot finish the dialogue with the user. In such a state, the administrator's intervention can reduce the burden on the A operator. In addition, it is possible to prevent a decrease in work efficiency due to the A operator being preoccupied with one user. The warning unit 122 may add the reason for the warning notification when notifying the administrator of the warning.

In this embodiment, a case has been described where one B operator is set as an administrator for one A operator. Two or more B operators may be set as administrators for one A operator. For example, assume that operator A (Q30) has operator B (Q80) and operator B (Q90). When selecting operator A (Q30) as the respondent, the approval request transmission unit 120 requests approval from the operator terminal 400 (Q80). When operator B (Q80) is absent, approval request transmission unit 120 may request approval from operator terminal 400 (Q90).

The call center server 100 may manage the personal information database 104 as part of its own device. Alternatively, the call center server 100 may manage only the response history file of the personal information 160 on its own device.

In the present embodiment, the user and operator have been described as having voice conversations. The method of selecting a respondent by the response selection unit 134 can be applied not only to voice interaction but also to responses to inquiries by chat, email, and inquiry form.

Although the call center server 100 has shown the procedure for invalidating the access key after the dialogue is finished, the operator terminal 400 may invalidate the access key by itself.

The reception selection unit 134 may select a plurality of operators as receptionist candidates and present a candidate list to the manager. An administrator may select a respondent from a list of candidates. In addition, the manager is not limited to the proposed attendant candidates, and may appoint an operator who should be the attendant, if necessary.

Assume that the response selection unit 134 wants to select operator A (Q10) as a response person, but operator A (Q10) is busy with other users. In this case, the response selection unit 134 may ask the A operator (Q10), who is responding, whether it is possible to respond to the next response task within a few minutes, for example, five minutes. If operator A (Q10) is available, the transmitting unit 116 may notify the user that operator A (Q10) will respond after a while and request the user to wait.

The "relay" of the dialogue between the operator terminal 400 and the user terminal 300 by the call center server 100 may be to mediate only the connection between the user terminal 300 and the operator terminal 400. User terminal 300 and operator terminal 400 may directly transmit and receive audio signals without going through call center server 100 .

Some of the operators may be AI (Artificial Intelligence). For example, if it is a simple question or a typical question, it is thought that even an AI operator can answer it. In addition, when the AI operator has difficulty in responding, a human operator may take over the response work. By utilizing AI operators, the operator's burden can be further reduced.

In the present embodiment, the personal information 160 includes the attribute information 162 and the response information 164, and is stored in the personal information database 104. The personal information 160 may be stored in the personal information database 104 independent of the call center server 100 and the user terminal 300 as shown in the first embodiment, or stored in the user terminal 300 as shown in the second embodiment. It may be stored in a configured personal information database 104 . As a modification, the attribute information 162 may be stored in the user terminal 300 and the reception information 164 may be stored in an independent database as in the first embodiment. The call center server 100 may appropriately acquire the attribute information 162 from the user terminal 300 and automatically delete the temporarily stored attribute information 162 after the end of the call. Also, the call center server 100 may acquire only the reception information 164 .

The personal information database 104 may be configured within the call center server 100. The location where the personal information database 104 is configured is arbitrary, and it may be configured at least in a location accessible from the call center server 100 .

In the present embodiment, it has been described that the user's evaluation of the operator is registered in the personal information 160 (see FIG. 3). In addition, the operator's evaluation of the user may be registered in the personal information 160 . After completing the service, the operator inputs the user's evaluation into the call center server 100 . The response history management unit 144 registers the evaluation value at this time in the personal information 160 . The reception selection unit 134 may select a receptionist based on the operator's evaluation of the user in addition to the user's evaluation of the operator.

In this embodiment, it has been described that the call center server 100 acquires the attribute information 162 and the response information 164. The call center server 100 may acquire only the reception information 164 in addition to the user ID. On the other hand, the operator terminal 400 may acquire the attribute information 162. FIG. In this case, the operator terminal 400 may generate the reference information area 212 in the dialogue screen 210 (FIG. 7) based on the attribute information 162. FIG.

The schedule management unit 150 temporarily sets the operator A (Q01) to "in response" when the user (P01) and the operator A (Q01) need to respond. 134 explained that the A operator (Q01) is temporarily excluded from the candidates for receptionists. As a modification, 150 asks "whether or not it is possible to respond" even if the A operator (Q01) is answering, and when the A operator (Q01) replies that it is possible to respond, the A operator (Q01) is set as the answering person. May be set.

Claims

an access reception unit that receives an access request from a user;
a reception selection unit that selects a receptionist based on the user's personal information;
an access control unit that grants the respondent temporary access rights to the user's personal information;
A call center server comprising: a dialogue control unit that relays dialogue between the responder and the user.
The dialogue control unit detects the end of the dialogue between the attendant and the user,
2. The call center server according to claim 1, wherein the access control unit invalidates the right of access to the personal information from the respondent after the dialogue is finished.
further comprising a schedule management unit that manages the operator's schedule,
3. The call center server according to claim 1, wherein the reception selection unit refers to the schedule and selects a receptionist from operators who are available during a time slot.
The response selection unit refers to the schedule, and excludes the operator from the selection if the operator, who is a candidate for response, is within a predetermined time period from the scheduled work end time of the operator, even if the operator is available. 4. The call center server according to claim 3, characterized in that it enables
an approval request transmission unit that transmits an approval request for the assignment of the first responder to a first administrator pre-associated with the selected first responder;
a permission/refusal reception unit that receives a permission/refusal notification for the approval request from the first administrator;
5. Any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said reception selection unit confirms the selection of said first receptionist on condition that said first manager permits the assignment of said first receptionist. the call center server described in
The reception selection unit confirms the selection of the first receptionist when receiving a notification of permission from the first receptionist when a notification of preparation for the first receptionist is received from the first manager. 6. The call center server according to claim 5, characterized by:
The reception selection unit selects a second receptionist when the assignment of the first receptionist is refused by the first manager,
The approval request transmission unit transmits an approval request for the assignment of the second responder to a second administrator previously associated with the second responder,
7. The call center server according to claim 5, wherein, when the second manager permits the assignment of the second responder, the response selection unit confirms the selection of the second responder. .
When the selection of the first attendant has been confirmed, the access control unit is configured to grant temporary access rights to the personal information not only to the first attendant but also to the first administrator. 8. The call center server according to any one of claims 5 to 7.
4. The interaction control unit, when receiving an interaction request from an administrator, relays an interaction between the administrator and the user in addition to or on behalf of the respondent. 9. The call center server according to any one of 5 to 8.
The dialogue between the attendant and the user is a voice call,
10. The apparatus further comprises a warning unit for transmitting a warning notification to a manager of the responder when a silent state for a predetermined time or longer is detected in a call between the responder and the user. A call center server according to any one of
The call center server according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the reception selection unit refers to the personal information of the user and preferentially selects the latest receptionist of the user.
The dialogue between the attendant and the user is a voice call,
12. The call center server according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a response history management unit that converts voice conversations between the respondent and the user into characters and records the response history as a part of the personal information. .
The reception selection unit selects the fourth reception person when instructed to change to the fourth reception person by the selected third reception person,
The access control unit grants the fourth responder a temporary access right to the user's personal information,
13. The call center server according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein said dialogue control unit relays dialogue between said fourth attendant and said user.
14. The call center server according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the reception selection unit accesses the communication terminal of the user and selects a receptionist based on personal information stored in the communication terminal. .