AU2017101119A4 - Call handling methods and associated apparatus and systems - Google Patents

Abstract

A call handling method for use with at least one call centre having a call routing apparatus configured to route calls that cannot be immediately answered by an agent to at least one queue, the call handling method comprising: implementing a mobile application accessible by a prospective caller via a mobile device, the mobile application configured to: advise the prospective caller of a current waiting time for a selected one of the at least one queue; provide the prospective caller with an option to receive a notification at a time when the waiting time has dropped below a threshold; in the event that the prospective caller accedes to the option, provide the notification to the prospective caller at or after a time when the waiting time has dropped below the threshold; and provide the prospective caller with an option to place a call to the at least one call centre via the mobile device after receiving the notification, such that the call is automatically connected to the selected queue. Si S9 Open Mobile App Make call to call centre Select eng4y Enrolled For voice authentication? S4 Call is made Y Cal immediately? YS11 Connectcallt vie authentication service & place caller in queue .- - - -.N S12 Update wait time Test voiceprint jS13 1 Communicate authentication score to call centre Wait time less N j than threshold? S6 LF.gur NAuthentication 0 Display notification required? S7 Collect unique ID andS1 Countdown Y Reminder? relevant authentication info N -A Place caller in queue S8 I Countdown Y Dismiss? Figure 2

Description

1 2017101119 16 Aug 2017

CALL HANDLING METHODS AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to call handling methods and associated apparatus and systems. Embodiments of the present invention find application, though not exclusively, in call centres (also referred to as “contact centres”) and other establishments that typically process a large number of incoming calls. As used in this document, including in the claims, the term “call centre” is to be construed broadly so as to include any establishment that typically processes a large number of incoming calls.

BACKGROUND ART

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed in Australia or elsewhere before the priority date of this application.

One of the major issues associated with the efficient running of call centres is dealing with unpredictable levels of incoming calls and in particular coping with occasions of peak demand. It is known to make use of interactive voice response (IVR) technologies to conduct a degree of initial filtering and sorting. For example, incoming callers may be requested by the IVR unit to use the telephone’s alpha/numeric keypad to select the particular service or topic that has prompted the call. In other implementations, voice recognition may be used for this purpose. This information is used by call routing apparatus to route the incoming calls to suitable agents. Once the currently available resources of the call centre are fully utilised, the call routing apparatus routes each of the incoming calls into at least one queue to wait for an agent to become available. It will be appreciated that it is highly desirable to minimise the time in which callers are left in such queues due to the risk that the caller may choose to abandon the call, along with the annoyance that may have caused to the caller by waiting for an extended time in a queue.

Some prior art systems attempt to deal with the issues outlined in the preceding paragraph by providing callers with an option to receive a call back once the current waiting 2 2017101119 16 Aug 2017 time has elapsed. However, it has been appreciated by the inventors of the current application that in some circumstances this approach may be ineffective or even potentially detrimental to the overall efficiency of the system. Furthermore, call back techniques take resources away from answering new calls and this can further extend the average wait time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or substantially ameliorate, one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a call handling method for use with at least one call centre having a call routing apparatus configured to route calls that cannot be immediately answered by an agent to at least one queue, the call handling method comprising: implementing a mobile application accessible by a prospective caller via a mobile device, the mobile application configured to: advise the prospective caller of a current waiting time for a selected one of the at least one queue; provide the prospective caller with an option to receive a notification at a time when the waiting time has dropped below a threshold; in the event that the prospective caller accedes to the option, provide the notification to the prospective caller at or after a time when the waiting time has dropped below the threshold; and provide the prospective caller with an option to place a call to the at least one call centre via the mobile device after receiving the notification, such that the call is automatically connected to the selected queue.

In an embodiment the mobile application provides the prospective caller with an option to select an entity that they wish to contact and wherein the selected queue is a queue answerable by one or more agents that are trained to take calls for the selected entity.

In an embodiment the method further comprises the step of authenticating the prospective caller prior to directing the call to the selected one or more queues.

In an embodiment the step of authenticating the prospective caller comprises determining if the prospective caller is registered for voice authentication and responsive to making a positive determination, having one or more samples of the caller’s voice 3 2017101119 16 Aug 2017 authenticated by a voice authentication service prior to the call being answered by an agent of the call centre.

In an embodiment the step of authenticating the prospective caller comprises determining if the prospective caller is registered for voice authentication and responsive to making a positive determination, allowing the prospective caller to have the call directed to a voice authentication service for authenticating the prospective caller prior to directing the call to the selected queue.

In an embodiment the method further comprises providing the agent with an indication of the result of the voice authentication.

In an embodiment the method further comprises storing the indication in a CRM call record associated with the call in a manner such that it cannot be altered.

In an embodiment the method further comprises determining whether additional information needs to be collected from the caller prior to placing the caller in the queue and wherein responsive to making a positive determination, directing the call to an interactive voice response service configured to retrieve the additional information before placing the call in the queue.

In an embodiment the mobile application is configured to display an icon that is selectable by the prospective caller to place the call to the at least one call centre and wherein responsive to the prospective caller selecting the icon, the mobile application automatically places the call without any further input by the prospective caller.

In an embodiment the step of providing the prospective caller with the option to receive a notification includes: allowing the prospective caller to select at least one mode of communication by which to receive the notification.

In an embodiment the selectable modes of communication include: delivery of the notification via the mobile application; and delivery of the notification via a text based service. 2017101119 16 Aug 2017 4

In accordance with a second aspect there is provided a call handling method for use with at least one call centre having a call routing apparatus configured to route calls that cannot be immediately answered by an agent to at least one queue, the call handling method comprising: (a) configuring a web page associated with a particular entity to: (i) advise a prospective caller accessing the web page via a browser, of the current waiting time for a selected one of the queues that is answerable by one or more agents that are trained to take calls for the particular entity; and (ii) provide the prospective caller with an option to receive a notification at a time when the waiting time has dropped below a threshold; (b) in the event that the prospective caller accedes to the option, providing the notification to the prospective caller at or after a time when the current waiting time has dropped below the threshold; and (c) provide the prospective caller with an option to place a call to the at least one call centre via a mobile device on which they received the notification, and such that the call includes information that allows the call routing apparatus to automatically connect it to the selected queue.

In an embodiment the information is included in the notification to the prospective caller. In an embodiment the notification is a SMS notification.

In accordance with a third aspect there is provided a call handling system including: a call routing apparatus configured to route calls that cannot be immediately answered to at least one queue; a mobile application communicatively linked to the call routing apparatus, said application being accessible by a prospective caller and being configured to provide information to advise the prospective caller of the current waiting time, the application being further configured to provide the prospective caller with an option to receive a notification at a time when the waiting time has dropped below a threshold; in the event that the prospective caller accedes to the option, the application being configured to provide the notification to the prospective caller at or after a time when the waiting time has dropped below the threshold; and provide the prospective caller with an option to place a call to the at least one call centre via the mobile device after receiving the notification, such that the call is automatically connected to the selected queue. 2017101119 16 Aug 2017 5

In accordance with a fourth aspect there is provided a method of establishing contact between a customer and a call centre wherein the call centre has call routing apparatus configured to route calls that cannot be immediately answered by an agent to at least one queue, the method including the steps of: communicating with a customer’s mobile device so as to cause the mobile device to: advise the customer that of the current waiting time for a selected one of the at least one queue; provide the customer with an option to receive a notification via the mobile device at a time when the waiting time has dropped below a threshold; in the event that the prospective caller accedes to the option, providing the notification to the prospective caller at or following a time when the waiting time has dropped below the threshold; and provide the prospective caller with an option to place a call to the at least one call centre via the mobile device after receiving the notification, such that the call is automatically connected to the selected queue.

In an embodiment the selected queue is specifically used for customers that are responding to said method.

The features and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, provided by way of example only, together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a schematic depiction of a first embodiment of a call handling system;

Figure 2 is a flow chart setting out steps taken in the method of the first embodiment; and

Figures 3 to 6 are example screen shots for an interface implemented by a application executed on a mobile device, in accordance with an embodiment. 6 2017101119 16 Aug 2017

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

With reference to figure 1, the call handling system 1 includes call routing apparatus 6 that is located at, or operable from, a call centre 2. The particular call routing apparatus 6 used in the preferred embodiment is a Cisco PBX Precision Routing Engine, although it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be implemented using many other types of switches. The call routing apparatus 6 is configured to receive calls and may utilise an interactive voice response (IVR) unit to screen and sort the calls to determine an appropriate agent to route each to. Once all of the available agents are taking calls, and therefore further calls cannot immediately be answered, the call routing apparatus 6 is configured to route the further calls to at least one queue.

The call routing apparatus 6 is communicatively linked to a server 3. In the preferred embodiment, this link is via a communications network such as the Internet 4, although other forms of communications link may be utilised. The server 3 is additionally communicable with a voice authentication system 5 that is operable to authenticate a caller prior to, or while, being placed in a queue. The voice authentication system 5 implements one or more voice authentication engines that are operable to compare one or more samples of the caller’s voice against a registered voiceprint, using techniques well understood in the art. According to the illustrated embodiment, the server 3 is communicable with the voice authentication system 5 via the Internet 4.

Both the call routing apparatus 6 and the server 3 are computing devices, each having a central processing unit, associated memory and one or more storage devices. In this patent specification, certain processing steps are outlined as occurring specifically at either the call routing apparatus or the server 3. However, it will be appreciated that in alternative embodiments it is possible to communicate data between the call routing apparatus 6 and the server 3 and to execute many or all of the processing steps on either of the call routing apparatus 6 or the server 3 and this patent specification, including the claims, is to be construed in this broad manner. The call routing apparatus 6 is configured to determine an average waiting time for each queue. In some embodiments, this is a capability that is native to the call routing apparatus 6. On other embodiments, software is installed onto the call routing apparatus 6 to add this capability. Yet other embodiments make use of a remote 7 2017101119 16 Aug 2017 server that is communicatively connected to the call routing apparatus 6 and which regularly monitors operational status data provided from the call routing apparatus. In a typical embodiment, this updating occurs every 6 seconds to 30 seconds. Receipt of this data enables the server to calculate the average waiting time for each queue.

According to embodiments described herein, the average waiting time is calculated using techniques as described in PCT/AU2015/050535, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Throughout the operation of the call centre 2, the call routing apparatus 6 regularly updates its calculation of the average waiting time. The server 3 receives regular updates from the call routing apparatus 6 of the average waiting time and this value is stored in the memory of the server 3.

The server 3 is communicable with a mobile application 8 that can be downloaded to a mobile device 7 operated by a prospective caller (hereafter customer). The mobile application 8 is communicable with the server 3 (via the Internet 4) and configured to provide an interface for presenting information to the customer about waiting times for queues associated with one or more entities, and notifying the customer when the waiting time for a selected one of those entities/queues has fallen below a predefined threshold. The application 8 additionally allows the customer to place a call to the call centre, such that they are automatically directed to a queue manned by an agent that is trained to handle calls for the entity they wish to speak with.

According to embodiments described herein, after downloading the mobile application 8, the customer is taken though a registration procedure. As part of this procedure, the application 8 communicates with the server 3 for generating a unique identifier for the customer. Post registration (e.g. during a subsequent call to the call centre), the customer may be asked if they wish to enrol a voice sample for use in automatically authenticating the customer prior to being connected to an agent of the call centre (thereby obviating the need for time consuming manual authentication by the call centre agent at the commencement of the call). In a preferred embodiment, the agent first verifies the customer before they can be enrolled for voice authentication (e.g. by asking the customer one or more questions that the customer provided answers for during registration). Once verified, the call routing apparatus 6 may automatically communicate one or more samples of the customers voice (e.g. taken recorded as part of a regular conversation with an agent of the call centre) to 8 2017101119 16 Aug 2017 the voice authentication system 5 for completing the voiceprint enrolment during techniques well understood in the art (i.e. and without any additional input from the customer). Alternatively, the agent may transfer the call to the voice authentication system 5 for completing the voice enrolment procedure. After the enrolment has been completed, the voice authentication system 5 sends a confirmation communication to the server 3, which in turn updates a CRM (customer record management) system to reflect that the customer associated with the unique identifier has successfully enrolled for voice authentication.

As will become evident from subsequent paragraphs, a number of advantages of the presently described embodiment include: (a) that the customer is connected to the call centre 2 only when the wait time is short; (b) the customer is automatically placed in the queue they require without any direct interaction with an IVR; (c) the customer does not need to look up or dial the number of the call centre 2; and (d) the mobile application 8 may present pertinent information regarding the queue or specific entity to the customer that may obviate the need for the call.

With reference to the flow chart illustrated in Figure 2, the first embodiment of the method of the present invention commences at step SI with a customer opening the mobile application 8 on their mobile device 7. The mobile application 8 displays a list of entities that the call centre 2 services. At step S2, the customer selects one of the entities that they wish to be put in contact with.

Figure 3 depicts an example of a resulting interface 9 that the mobile application 8 might display for the ACME company, providing an indication of current average waiting times for both the sales and service department queues (in this case 8 minutes and 12 minutes, respectively). The mobile application 8 polls the server 3 to obtain regular updates of the current average waiting time and this updated information is stored in memory. The mobile application also receives a wait time threshold for the selectable queues which is also stored in memory. In an alternative embodiment, the server 3 could be configured to periodically push the updates to the mobile application 8. Further, it will be understood that the wait time threshold can be variable, e.g. configurable by the call centre, entity or other authorised party.

In more detail, a ‘Sales’ region 20 is defined on the interface 9 and a ‘Service’ region 21 is also defined. When generating the ‘Sales’ region 20, the mobile application 8 causes the processor of the mobile device 7 to access the memory location at which the current average 9 2017101119 16 Aug 2017 waiting time for the ‘Sales’ queue was stored and this value is inserted into the following indication 22: “current wait time 8 min”. The ‘Sales’ region 20 also includes a ‘TAP to call’ region 23 and a “TAP to receive reminder when wait time less than 3 minutes” region 24.

When generating the ‘Service’ region 21 of the interface 9 shown in Figure 3, the mobile application 8 causes the processor of the mobile device 7 to access the memory location at which the current average waiting time for the ‘Service’ queue was stored and this value is inserted into the following indication 25: “current wait time 12 min”. The ‘Service’ region 21 also includes a ‘TAP to call’ region 26 and a “TAP to receive reminder when wait time less than 3 minutes” region 27.

The interface as shown in Figure 3 also includes the following regions: • an entity identification region 28 in which the selected entity to be contacted via the call centre, is identified; • an advertising region 29 in which messages of an advertising nature (e.g. special offers) or of product/service notification nature (e.g. outage related information) are displayed and which may, depending on the purpose of the call, obviate the need for the call altogether; • a chat region 30, which, if touched, causes the app to enter a chat mode allowing the prospective caller to send text based chat messages to a representative of the entity associated with the app; • a FAQ region 31, which, if touched, causes the app to display a pre-defined list of frequently asked questions; and • a virtual agent region 32, which, if touched, causes the app to execute a virtual agent that has been trained to answer a range of common questions (and which may be configured to implement an AI for ongoing training based on customer responses).

The options provided in regions 30, 31 and 32 are alternatives to calling the call centre. Advantageously, the use of such options has the potential to drive down call traffic to the call centre 2.

Returning to the process flow of Figure 2, once advised of the current average waiting time for the respective queues, the customer chooses at step S3 whether to make the call to the call centre 2 immediately. If the caller chooses to make the call immediately, they choose the 10 2017101119 16 Aug 2017 relevant tap to call button 23, 26 and the mobile application 8 places a call to the call centre (step S4). In a particular embodiment, this involves the mobile application 8 causing the mobile device to place a physical call to call routing apparatus 6 operated by the call centre 2. It therefore follows that the customer has been pre-wamed of the current average waiting time, which the customer has made a conscious decision to accept. Research confirms that, due to this ‘buy-in’, the customer is less likely to be annoyed by the waiting time prior to the call being answered by an agent.

Alternatively, if the customer does not wish to make the call immediately, because they deem the current average waiting time to be excessive, the process flow instead proceeds to step S5 at which the customer may accede to an option to receive a notification at a time when the current average waiting time has dropped below a threshold. In the running example, the threshold is set for 3 minutes.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the customer accedes to the option by selecting the relevant “TAP to receive reminder” icon 24, 27 via the interface 9. Responsive to the user acceding to the option, at step S5, the mobile application is programmed to execute a routine that regularly compares the currently stored average waiting time for the selected queue against the corresponding wait time threshold (also stored in memory). If the current value is greater than the threshold, then the routine continues to make periodical comparisons. However, if the current value is less than the predefined threshold, the mobile application 8 causes a notification to be displayed to the customer (step S6). According to the illustrated embodiment, the notification takes the form of a push notification. Other embodiments make use of additional or alternative types of reminders, such as audible alerts, phone handset vibrations, etc.

Figure 4 shows an example push notification presented by the mobile application 8.

As shown, the notification 33 indicates: “Now is the best time to call!” with a number of selectable regions underneath, namely “Call now” 34, “Remind in 10 mins” 35 and “Dismiss” 36.

If the customer selects the “Remind in 10 mins” region 35 (e.g. because it is not a convenient time to make the call), at step S7 the application 8 sets a timer to re-send the push notification in 10 mins time (or some other time that may be configurable by the customer). The customer may no longer be interested in contacting the call centre 2, in which case they 11 2017101119 16 Aug 2017 select the “Dismiss” region 36 and the application 8 ceases all reminders and returns to the home screen (step S8). Alternatively, if the customer is available to make the call, they select the “Call now” region 34 which causes the process flow to proceed to step S9.

At step S9, the mobile application 8 causes the mobile device to place a physical call to the call routing arrangement 6. Once connected, the application 8 passes the unique identifier associated with the customer (previously stored by the application 8 during registration) to the arrangement 6 for evaluation by the server 3. In an embodiment, the application 8 is configured to use the DTMF functions of the mobile device 7 to communicate the unique identifier and relevant queue identifier to the call routing arrangement 6. For example, the application 8 may be configured to store and communicate (i.e. included as part of the call) DTMF tones that are understood by the IVR for directing the call (i.e. and without any involvement by the customer, such that they believe they are being seamlessly placed in the relevant queue). At step S10, the server 3 evaluates the CRM to determine if the customer has been enrolled for voice authentication. If, at step S10, it is determined that the customer has been enrolled for voice authentication the server 3, the call routing arrangement 6 directs the call to the voice authentication system 5for processing (step SI 1). At the same time, the call routing arrangement 6 places the customer in the relevant queue. At step SI2, the voice authentication system 5 processes one or more samples of the customer’s voice using one or more voice authentication engines and outputs an authentication score using techniques well understood in the art. At step SI3, the authentication score is communicated to the call centre 2. Prior to the agent taking the call (i.e. when the call reaches the front of the queue), the authentication score is clearly displayed to the agent (e.g. via a CRM screen pop up). An example screen shot of the authentication score notification is shown in Figure 5 (in this case the tick indicates that the score exceeded a predefined authentication score threshold for the entity, whereas a cross would indicate that the authentication score did not exceed the threshold and thus further authentication by the agent may be required). The authentication score may also be stored by the server 3 in a CRM record associated with the call in an unalterable manner (i.e. for subsequent audit purposes).

If, at step S10, it is determined that the customer is not enrolled for voice authentication, the sever 3 then determines whether the relevant queue requires that the customer be authenticated (step S14). If authentication is a requirement for the queue, the IVR collects the unique identifier as well as any other informed stored by the CRM relevant 12 2017101119 16 Aug 2017 for authentication purposes for displaying to the agent (e.g. via CTI screen pop up) who ultimately takes the call when the call reaches the front of the relevant queue (step SI 5). The information presented to the agent may then be used by the agent for authenticating the customer. The customer is then placed in the relevant queue (step SI6). Returning to step S14, if authentication is not required, the customer is placed directly in the queue (step SI6)

In an alternative embodiment to that described above, the evaluation made by the server at step S9 (i.e. whether the customer is enrolled for voice authentication) is made prior to the sending the push notification to the customer. If a positive determination is made, the mobile application 8 may be configured to present a push notification to the customer which gives them the option to call using their voice ID. An example interface is shown in Figure 6, with additional region 38 being selectable for enabling voice authentication prior to being placed in the relevant queue. If the customer selects region 38, the process flow proceeds directly to step S10.

In yet another alternative embodiment to that described above, the server 3 may calculate when the wait time has dropped below threshold and notify the mobile applications of customers who have requested a notification (i.e. for causing the mobile applications to send push notifications to the customers). It will be understood that, to avoid congestion, the notification may not be sent to all requesting customers immediately after the wait time has fallen below threshold and instead the server 3 may stagger the sending of notifications, in the same manner as outlined in PCT/AU2015/050535.

In yet another alternative embodiment, a web page may be used in place of the mobile application for providing the afore-mentioned call handling functionality. In a typical implementation, it is envisioned that the web page is maintained by one of the entities serviced by the call centre 2. The customer can choose to visit the entities web page via a browser on their Internet connected device (e.g. phone, tablet, PC, etc). In an embodiment, the web page implements computer program code that facilitates communication with the server 3 (i.e. for receiving and displaying the current waiting time for one or more relevant queues), and forwards a request from a customer to receive a notification when the waiting time has dropped below a threshold). 13 2017101119 16 Aug 2017

By way of example, the customer may accede to the option of receiving a notification by using an input device, such as a mouse, touch screen or the like, to click on a selectable region of the web page (e.g. labelled “Click here so we can remind you when waiting time is less than 2 minutes”). The web page is configured to provide the customer with an input means, such as a plurality of selectable buttons or the like, for indicating how the notification is to be received. Examples of selectable modes of communication include delivery of the notification via the web site (provided that the customer keeps their browser open on the relevant page) and/or delivery of the notification via an SMS message sent to the customers mobile phone. Once the prospective caller has made this selection, the web page is configured to capture contact details associated with a selected mode of communication. If the customer selects delivery of the notification via the web page, the web address from which the customer has accessed the web page is captured. If the customer selects delivery of the notification via a SMS message, the web page is configured to prompt the customer to input his or her mobile phone number. The computer program code implemented by the web page is subsequently configured to send a message to the server 3 including the relevant notification request information. For example, the message may be coded to indicate that a notification has been requested and includes an indication of the selected mode of communication and the captured contact details. Upon receipt of the message, the server 3 establishes a routine to monitor for when the current waiting time drops below the threshold.

Once the waiting time has fallen below the threshold, the server 3 is configured to execute a routine for providing the notification via the selected mode of communication. If the customer selected delivery of the notification via the web page, then the server 3 causes a notification to be displayed on the customer’s internet connected device (e.g. in a box over the top of the web page). If the customer selected delivery of the notification via SMS, the server 3 causes a SMS message to be sent to the customer’s phone number (as previously captured). For the latter, the SMS message may include the notification information, as well as contact information for contacting the call centre. In a particular information, the contact information may be embedded in the SMS and used to facilitate (a) the placing of a call to the call centre 2 and (b) subsequent routing of the call to the relevant queue. For example, the contact information may comprise a telephone number that the call routing arrangement 6 is programmed to recognise as being associated with a particular queue. In an alternative embodiment, additional digits may be included with the number for communicating as DTMF tones by the mobile device 7 to the call routing arrangement 6 (i.e. and which are understood 2017101119 16 Aug 2017 14 by the IVR for connecting the call to the relevant queue). Thus, according to both embodiments, the customer need only select the number embedded in the SMS and thereafter they are automatically routed to the relevant queue without any further input on their behalf.

In yet another embodiment, prior to sending the SMS, the server 3 may evaluate whether the customer is enrolled for voice authentication (in the same manner as afore-described) and, if so, include contact information that automatically routes the customer to the voice authentication system 5 for authentication, prior to then being directed back to the call routing arrangement 6 for placing in the relevant queue.

While a number of preferred embodiments have been described, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims (17)

1. THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

   1. A call handling method for use with at least one call centre having a call routing apparatus configured to route calls that cannot be immediately answered by an agent to at least one queue, the call handling method comprising: implementing a mobile application accessible by a prospective caller via a mobile device, the mobile application configured to: advise the prospective caller of a current waiting time for a selected one of the at least one queue; provide the prospective caller with an option to receive a notification at a time when the waiting time has dropped below a threshold; in the event that the prospective caller accedes to the option, provide the notification to the prospective caller at or after a time when the waiting time has dropped below the threshold; and provide the prospective caller with an option to place a call to the at least one call centre via the mobile device after receiving the notification, such that the call is automatically connected to the selected queue.
2. 2. A call handling method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile application provides the prospective caller with an option to select an entity that they wish to contact and wherein the selected queue is a queue answerable by one or more agents that are trained to take calls for the selected entity.
3. 3. A call handling method in accordance with claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of authenticating the prospective caller prior to directing the call to the selected one or more queues.
4. 4. A call handling method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the step of authenticating the prospective caller comprises determining if the prospective caller is registered for voice authentication and responsive to making a positive determination, having one or more samples of the caller’s voice authenticated by a voice authentication service prior to the call being answered by an agent of the call centre.
5. 5. A call handling method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the step of authenticating the prospective caller comprises determining if the prospective caller is registered for voice authentication and responsive to making a positive determination, allowing the prospective caller to have the call directed to a voice authentication service for authenticating the prospective caller prior to directing the call to the selected queue.
6. 6. A call handling method in accordance with claim 4 or 5, further comprising providing the agent with an indication of the result of the voice authentication.
7. 7. A call handling method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising storing the indication in a CRM call record associated with the call in a manner such that it cannot be altered.
8. 8. A call handling method in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising determining whether additional information needs to be collected from the caller prior to placing the caller in the queue and wherein responsive to making a positive determination, directing the call to an interactive voice response service configured to retrieve the additional information before placing the call in the queue.
9. 9. A call handling method in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile application is configured to display an icon that is selectable by the prospective caller to place the call to the at least one call centre and wherein responsive to the prospective caller selecting the icon, the mobile application automatically places the call without any further input by the prospective caller.
10. 10. A call handling method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of providing the prospective caller with the option to receive a notification includes: allowing the prospective caller to select at least one mode of communication by which to receive the notification.
11. 11. A call handling method according to claim 9 wherein the selectable modes of communication include: delivery of the notification via the mobile application; and delivery of the notification via a text based service.
12. 12. A call handling method for use with at least one call centre having a call routing apparatus configured to route calls that cannot be immediately answered by an agent to at least one queue, the call handling method comprising: (a) configuring a web page associated with a particular entity to: (i) advise a prospective caller accessing the web page via a browser, of the current waiting time for a selected one of the queues that is answerable by one or more agents that are trained to take calls for the particular entity; and (ii) provide the prospective caller with an option to receive a notification at a time when the waiting time has dropped below a threshold; (b) in the event that the prospective caller accedes to the option, providing the notification to the prospective caller at or after a time when the current waiting time has dropped below the threshold; and (c) provide the prospective caller with an option to place a call to the at least one call centre via a mobile device on which they received the notification, and such that the call includes information that allows the call routing apparatus to automatically connect it to the selected queue.
13. 13. A call handling method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the information is included in the notification to the prospective caller.
14. 14. A call handling method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the notification is a SMS notification.
15. 15. A call handling system including: a call routing apparatus configured to route calls that cannot be immediately answered to at least one queue; a mobile application communicatively linked to the call routing apparatus, said application being accessible by a prospective caller and being configured to provide information to advise the prospective caller of the current waiting time, the application being further configured to provide the prospective caller with an option to receive a notification at a time when the waiting time has dropped below a threshold; in the event that the prospective caller accedes to the option, the application being configured to provide the notification to the prospective caller at or after a time when the waiting time has dropped below the threshold; and provide the prospective caller with an option to place a call to the at least one call centre via the mobile device after receiving the notification, such that the call is automatically connected to the selected queue.
16. 16. A method of establishing contact between a customer and a call centre wherein the call centre has call routing apparatus configured to route calls that cannot be immediately answered by an agent to at least one queue, the method including the steps of: communicating with a customer’s mobile device so as to cause the mobile device to: advise the customer that of the current waiting time for a selected one of the at least one queue; provide the customer with an option to receive a notification via the mobile device at a time when the waiting time has dropped below a threshold; in the event that the prospective caller accedes to the option, providing the notification to the prospective caller at or following a time when the waiting time has dropped below the threshold; and provide the prospective caller with an option to place a call to the at least one call centre via the mobile device after receiving the notification, such that the call is automatically connected to the selected queue.
17. 17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the selected queue is specifically used for customers that are responding to said method.