JP2024061068A - Fault responding device, fault responding system, fault responding method, and fault responding program - Google Patents

Abstract

To be able to respond to a fault accurately and promptly.SOLUTION: A fault responding device 1 comprises a respondent management DB 101 that stores respondent management data, a fault information reception unit 105 that accepts fault information in a first language from an information terminal 2A, a respondent determining unit 106 that refers to the respondent management data based on fault content and the reception time to determine a respondent that can respond to the fault content, a translation control unit 108 that creates fault information in the corresponding language if the language of the determined respondent (hereinafter referred to as "response staff") (hereinafter referred to as "corresponding language") is different from the first language (hereinafter referred to as "first case"), a fault information output unit that outputs fault information in the corresponding language or first language to the information terminal 2B, a fault responding information reception unit 109 that accepts a response from the response staff as fault responding information, a translation control unit 108 that creates fault responding information in the first case and in the first language, and a fault responding information output unit that outputs fault responding information in the first language to the information terminal 2A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a technology for dealing with problems that occur using a conversational communication tool.

Conventionally, when a malfunction occurs in a machine or device, one method is to call a help desk or call center to resolve the malfunction. In this case, as a mechanism for selecting the most suitable operator to handle the call, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that uses biometric information of an operator to assign an operator to an incoming customer who will provide high customer satisfaction and shorten the time required to handle the call. Also, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a malfunction response system that selects an operator according to the level of malfunction response ability.

JP 2019-62460 A

JP 2013-250704 A

However, with telephone support, there is the problem that it is difficult to get through on the phone in the first place. In other words, it takes time to get through to an operator. As a result, some customers give up on trying to solve their problems over the phone. Even if they do get through to an operator, there may not be an operator who can handle the problem, and as a result the problem remains unsolved. Another problem with telephone support is that it is not possible to get support outside of business hours.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a fault response technology that enables communication with an operator who can respond to the fault accurately and quickly, regardless of the location or time of the fault.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides, as one aspect thereof,
A fault response device capable of communicating with a first information terminal used by a contact person on the fault occurrence side and a second information terminal used by a respondent on the response side,
a predetermined conversational communication tool is installed in each of the first information terminal and the second information terminal;
The contact person and the respondent are capable of two-way communication via the predetermined conversational communication tool,
a communication control unit that controls mutual communication between the first information terminal and the second information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a respondent management information storage unit that stores respondent management information that associates a respondent ID that can uniquely identify the respondent, a language that the respondent can speak, a time when the respondent can speak, and a task that the respondent can handle;
a trouble information receiving unit that receives trouble information input in a first language by the contact person from the first information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a respondent determination unit that refers to the respondent management information stored in the respondent management information storage unit based on the content of the trouble information (hereinafter, referred to as trouble content) received by the trouble information receiving unit and the time when the trouble information is received, and determines the respondent who can handle the trouble content at the time when the trouble information is received;
a first translation control unit that translates the problem information in the first language into the problem information in the corresponding language when the first language is different from a language (hereinafter, referred to as a first case) that the answerer (hereinafter, referred to as a support staff) determined by the answerer determination unit can support (hereinafter, referred to as a support language);
a trouble information output unit that outputs the trouble information translated into the corresponding language in the first case, and outputs the trouble information in the first language in cases other than the first case, to the second information terminal used by the response staff, via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a failure response information receiving unit that receives, as failure response information, a response to the failure information input by the support staff from the second information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
In the first case, a second translation control unit translates the fault response information in the corresponding language into the fault response information in the first language;
a failure response information output unit that outputs the failure response information in the first language via the predetermined conversational communication tool to the first information terminal used by the contact person who input the failure information;
The gist of the project is to provide the following:

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides, in another aspect,
A fault response method for a fault response device capable of communicating with a first information terminal used by a contact person on a fault occurrence side and a second information terminal used by a respondent on a reply side, comprising:
a predetermined conversational communication tool is installed in each of the first information terminal and the second information terminal;
The contact person and the respondent are capable of two-way communication via the predetermined conversational communication tool,
The failure response device includes:
a communication control unit that controls mutual communication between the first information terminal and the second information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a respondent management information storage unit that stores respondent management information that associates a respondent ID that can uniquely identify the respondent, a language that the respondent can speak, a time when the respondent can speak, and a task that the respondent can handle;
Equipped with
a trouble information receiving step of receiving trouble information input in a first language by the contact person from the first information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a respondent determination step of referring to the respondent management information stored in the respondent management information storage unit based on the content of the trouble information received in the trouble information receiving step (hereinafter referred to as trouble content) and the time when the trouble information was received, and determining the respondent who can handle the trouble content at the time when the trouble information was received;
a first translation control step of translating the problem information in the first language into the problem information in the corresponding language when a language (hereinafter, referred to as a corresponding language) that the answerer (hereinafter, referred to as a corresponding staff) determined in the answerer determination step can support is different from the first language (hereinafter, referred to as a first case);
a trouble information output step of outputting the trouble information translated into the corresponding language in the first case, and outputting the trouble information in the first language in cases other than the first case, to the second information terminal used by the response staff, via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a failure response information receiving step of receiving, as failure response information, a response to the failure information input by the response staff from the second information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a second translation control step of translating, in the first case, the fault response information in the corresponding language into the fault response information in the first language;
a failure response information output step of outputting the failure response information in the first language via the predetermined conversational communication tool to the first information terminal used by the contact person who inputted the failure information;
The gist of the invention is to provide the following:

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides, in another aspect,
A computer-based fault response program capable of communicating with a first information terminal used by a contact person on the fault occurrence side and a second information terminal used by a respondent on the replying side,
a predetermined conversational communication tool is installed in each of the first information terminal and the second information terminal;
The contact person and the respondent are capable of two-way communication via the predetermined conversational communication tool,
The computer includes:
a communication control unit that controls mutual communication between the first information terminal and the second information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a respondent management information storage unit that stores respondent management information that associates a respondent ID that can uniquely identify the respondent, a language that the respondent can speak, a time when the respondent can speak, and a task that the respondent can handle;
Equipped with
a trouble information receiving step of receiving trouble information input in a first language by the contact person from the first information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a respondent determination step of referring to the respondent management information stored in the respondent management information storage unit based on the content of the trouble information received in the trouble information receiving step (hereinafter referred to as trouble content) and the time when the trouble information was received, and determining the respondent who can handle the trouble content at the time when the trouble information was received;
a first translation control step of translating the problem information in the first language into the problem information in the corresponding language when a language (hereinafter, referred to as a corresponding language) that the answerer (hereinafter, referred to as a corresponding staff) determined in the answerer determination step can support is different from the first language (hereinafter, referred to as a first case);
a trouble information output step of outputting the trouble information translated into the corresponding language in the first case, and outputting the trouble information in the first language in cases other than the first case, to the second information terminal used by the response staff, via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a failure response information receiving step of receiving, as failure response information, a response to the failure information input by the response staff from the second information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a second translation control step of translating, in the first case, the fault response information in the corresponding language into the fault response information in the first language;
a failure response information output step of outputting the failure response information in the first language via the predetermined conversational communication tool to the first information terminal used by the contact person who inputted the failure information;
The gist is to have the computer execute the method.

According to the present invention, regardless of the location or time of the fault, it is possible to communicate with an operator who can respond to the fault accurately and quickly.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a failure response system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a fault response service according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a state in which fault information is displayed on a chat tool of an information terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which fault response information is displayed together with fault information on a chat tool of an information terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. (a) is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of respondent management data for one embodiment of the present invention, (b) is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of fault data for one embodiment of the present invention, (c) is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of fault response data for one embodiment of the present invention, and (d) is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of respondent point data for one embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are diagrams specifically explaining the process of respondent management data according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of a failure response process of a failure response system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a flow of an example of a respondent determination process of the failure response system according to the embodiment of the present invention

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration of the fault response system>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a fault response system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the fault response system 100 includes a fault response device 1, an information terminal 2A on the fault occurrence side, and an information terminal 2B on the answering side. The fault response device 1 is a server device installed in a call center, the information terminal 2A is an information terminal used by a user on the fault occurrence side (hereinafter referred to as a contact person), and the information terminal 2B is an information terminal used by support staff on the answering side around the world (hereinafter referred to as a respondent). The information terminals 2A and 2B (hereinafter referred to as information terminals 2 when the information terminals 2A and 2B are collectively referred to as information terminals 2) are assumed to be information terminals such as personal computers, tablet terminals, and smartphones. The fault response device 1, the information terminals 2A, and the information terminals 2B are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 3. The communication network 3 is composed of a communication network including, for example, the Internet network, a public network, and an in-house network such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

In the following, in this embodiment, the service provided by the fault response system 100 is referred to as a "fault response service", and the processing related to the fault response service executed by the fault response system 100 is referred to as a fault response processing. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the fault response service. The fault response service is a 24-hour fault response service using a chat tool. In the fault response service, when a fault occurs in a specific device or machine (hereinafter referred to as a device, etc.), the contactor notifies the call center (fault response device 1) of the fault content using the chat tool of the information terminal 2A, and the answerer determined at the call center (fault response device 1) presents the contactor with a response to the fault content using the chat tool of the information terminal 2B. Here, the contactor may be a person who uses the device, etc. where the fault has occurred, or may be a service provider who provides a specific service to customers using the device, etc. where the fault has occurred. In addition, the answerer may be in a public business space such as a call center, or in a private space such as the answerer's home. In addition, since the fault response service is equipped with an automatic translation function, the language used by the contactor and the answerer does not matter. The chat tool is a conversational communication tool (application program AP, described later) that is pre-installed on the information terminal 2, and a server application (server program SAP, described later) for controlling the chat tool is installed on the failure response device 1.

The flow of the fault response service will be explained using Figure 2. First, when a fault occurs, the contactor creates fault information using the chat tool of information terminal 2A, and sends the created fault information to the call center via the chat tool (step S2). Here, the fault information includes text information entered by entering characters, still image information such as a photograph taken with a camera, video information taken with a video camera, and audio information from a microphone. Figure 3(a) is an example of the screen on the chat tool of information terminal 2A immediately after the fault information has been sent, showing the state in which fault information 201 is displayed.

Next, when the call center (trouble response device 1) receives the trouble information (step S3), it determines the most suitable respondent from among those who can respond at the time the trouble information is received based on the contents of the trouble information (step S4), and transmits the trouble information to the determined respondent via a chat tool (step S5).

The fault response service of this embodiment is equipped with a translation function, so the language used on the contactor's chat tool and the language used on the respondent's chat tool may be the same or different. In other words, the algorithm for determining the most suitable respondent is designed to determine the respondent based only on the content of the fault, regardless of the language used by the contactor and respondent. This algorithm for determining the respondent can take a variety of patterns depending on the product or service that is the subject of the fault, and will be described in more detail below.

Next, when the respondent receives the fault information via the chat tool of the information terminal 2B (step S6), the respondent uses the chat tool of the information terminal 2B to create fault response information that is a response to the fault content (step S7), and transmits the created fault response information to the call center via the chat tool (step S8). Here, the fault response information includes text information entered using characters, still image information such as a photograph taken with a camera, video information taken with a video camera, audio information from a microphone, etc.

Although not shown in FIG. 2, even if the respondent receives the fault information, for example, if the respondent determines that it is difficult to reply based on the content of the fault information, the respondent does not have to create fault response information. In this case, the respondent can send a message to the call center (trouble response device 1) indicating that he/she cannot reply. In this case, the call center (trouble response device 1) will newly determine the next most suitable respondent (step S4) and send the fault information to the newly determined respondent (step S5).

Next, when the call center (trouble response device 1) receives the trouble response information from the respondent, it sends the received trouble response information to the contact person via the chat tool (step S9).

As a result, the contactor receives the fault response information via the chat tool of the information terminal 2A (step S10), and can carry out fault recovery work according to the received fault response information (step S11). Figure 3(b) is an example of a screen on the chat tool of the information terminal 2A immediately after receiving the fault response information, showing the state in which fault response information 301 is displayed together with fault information 201.

In this way, with the troubleshooting service of this embodiment, regardless of the time or place where the problem occurred, the most suitable respondent from around the world who is suited to the problem will provide the contactor with a solution in real time, 24 hours a day, so the contactor can receive a quick and accurate response from the respondent.

Note that Figure 2 shows the flow of the troubleshooting service when the problem is resolved with one round trip of communication between the contactor and the respondent, but it goes without saying that several round trips of communication may take place. For example, if the contactor does not fully understand the meaning of the respondent's answer and asks the respondent a question, or if the respondent needs more detailed information about the problem and asks the contactor for more specific information, it is expected that the problem will be resolved after several round trips of communication.

In the following, in this embodiment, in a broad sense, information input by the contactor on the failure occurrence side from information terminal 2A is referred to as failure information, and information input by the respondent on the replying side from information terminal 2B is referred to as failure response information. For example, the information input when the contactor asks a question to the respondent, as described above, is also "failure information", and information input when the respondent asks a question to the contactor is also referred to as "failure response information".

<Troubleshooting device>
The failure response device 1 is a core server device of the failure response system 100, and executes server-side processing of the failure response process.

The fault response device 1 is equipped with a memory unit 11, which is composed of, for example, a hard disk, and stores data managed by the fault response system 100; a control unit 12, which is composed of, for example, a CPU and memory, and executes fault response processing by controlling the memory unit 11, transferring various data, performing various calculations, and temporarily storing data; and a communication unit 13, which transmits and receives data to and from the information terminal 2 via the communication network 3.

More specifically, the memory unit 11 is configured to include a respondent management database (hereinafter referred to as the respondent management DB) 101, a fault database (hereinafter referred to as the fault DB) 102, a fault response database (hereinafter referred to as the fault response DB) 103, and a respondent point database (hereinafter referred to as the respondent point DB) 104. Figure 4(a) shows a schematic diagram of the data structure of data managed by the respondent management DB 101, Figure 4(b) shows the fault DB 102, Figure 4(c) shows the fault response DB 103, and Figure 4(d) shows the respondent point DB 104.

The respondent management DB101 is a database that manages the attributes of respondents related to fault response services. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the respondent management DB101 stores respondent management data d101 that includes at least a respondent ID, language, response service, and response availability information.

The respondent ID is identification information that can uniquely identify the respondent in the fault response system 100. The language is the language that the respondent uses using the chat tool. One or more languages can be set. The response task is information about the task that the respondent can handle. The response tasks can be classified according to the products and services handled by the fault response service. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(a), when troubleshooting is performed for multiple devices, the respondent may be classified by device. In the example shown in FIG. 5(a), staff A is capable of troubleshooting for device A and device B. Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 5(b), when troubleshooting is performed for both hardware and software, the respondent may be classified according to the type of hardware or software. In the example shown in FIG. 5(b), staff A is capable of handling hardware failures. Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 5(c), the respondent may be classified by the service provided. In the example shown in FIG. 5(c), staff A is capable of handling failures of devices related to service A. The language and response task can be set by the administrator of the fault response system 100 or the respondent from the information terminal 2B.

The response availability information is information indicating whether the respondent is currently able to respond to the fault. The response availability information may be, for example, flag information indicating whether the respondent is available or unavailable (specifically, whether the working flag indicating that the respondent is currently working and not responding to the fault is on or off), or may be set as working hours (for example, a working time period such as 10:00 to 18:00 on September 1, 2022). Note that, when setting working hours, since the location of the respondent is expected to be in various countries around the world, the time difference may be taken into consideration and the time may be set using UTC time. Note that the response availability information is information that the respondent can set as appropriate from the information terminal 2B.

The fault DB 102 is a database that manages the fault information described in FIG. 2, that is, the information input by the contactor using the chat tool. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the fault DB 102 stores fault data d102 that includes at least a fault ID, a branch number, a contactor ID, a language, the contactor input content, and the reception date and time. The fault ID is identification information that can uniquely identify a fault that occurred in the fault response system 100. The branch number is the branch number of the conversation on the chat tool for the fault. In this embodiment, a branch number with an origin of 1 is first issued for the fault information of the conversation input by the respondent, and thereafter, the branch number is incremented for each conversation information input by the contactor or the respondent. For example, when the contactor inputs fault information for a fault with a fault ID of "XYZ", fault data d102 with a branch number of "1" is first created. The contactor ID is identification information that can uniquely identify the contactor in the fault response system 100. The language is the language used by the contactor on the chat tool. A single language is set. The contactor input content is information entered by the contactor using a chat tool. The contactor input content is composed of at least one of text information, image information, and audio information, for example. The receipt date and time is the date and time when the fault response device 1 received the fault information from the contactor.

The fault response DB 103 is a database that manages the fault response information described in FIG. 2, that is, the information input by the respondent using the chat tool. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the fault response DB 103 stores fault response data d103 that includes at least a fault ID, a branch number, a respondent ID, a language, the respondent input content, and the reception date and time. The language is the language used by the respondent on the chat tool. One language is set. The respondent input content is the input information input by the respondent using the chat tool. For example, when the respondent inputs fault response information for fault data d102 with fault ID "XYZ" and branch number "1", fault response data d103 with fault ID "XYZ" and branch number "2" is created. The respondent input content is, for example, composed of at least one or more pieces of information including text information, image information, and audio information. The reception date and time is the date and time when the fault response device 1 receives the fault response information from the respondent.

In this way, the fault data d102 and fault response data d103 in this embodiment are managed by fault ID and sub-number, so that the communication history for the same fault is recorded in chronological order on the database. Therefore, not only the system administrator but also the related parties on the fault occurrence side (those related to the fault, such as those in the same company or department as the contact person) can check the details of the fault and the status of the fault response in real time or at a later date.

The respondent point DB104 is a database that manages points given to respondents. The respondent point DB104 stores respondent point data d104 that includes at least a respondent ID and a point value. The point value is given to the respondent based on the number of responses corresponding to a problem in a predetermined period (e.g., one week, one month, one year, etc.), the response time, the evaluation from the contact person, the difficulty of the problem, etc. This point value is reflected in the service fee paid to the respondent.

Although not shown in Figures 1 and 4, there is also a user authentication DB that manages the login IDs and passwords that contactors and respondents use to use the fault response service. Contactors and respondents can use the fault response service after being authenticated as users.

The storage unit 11 also stores a server program SAP for executing server-side processing of the failure response processing of the failure response system 100. The server program SAP also includes a function for controlling a chat tool (application program AP, described later) installed in the information terminal 2, and a function for automatic translation between the language used in the information terminal 2A and the language used in the information terminal 2B.

The control unit 12 functionally has a fault information receiving unit 105, a respondent determination unit 106, a communication control unit 107, a translation control unit 108, and a fault response information receiving unit 109.

The fault information receiving unit 105 receives fault information input by the contact person via a chat tool, creates fault data d102 from the received fault information, and registers the created fault data d102 in the fault DB 102.

The answerer determination unit 106 separates the contents of the fault information received by the fault information receiving unit 105, and determines the most suitable answerer who can respond to the fault contents. In detail, by referring to the response work and response availability information in the answerer management data d101 stored in the answerer management DB 101, the answerer who can respond at the time of receiving the fault information and has the response work that matches the fault content is determined by prioritizing. In this embodiment, the priority is determined based on the answerer point data d104 stored in the answerer point DB 104. For example, when there are two answerer candidates, staff A and staff B, who can respond to the fault of the A device at the time of receiving the fault information about the A device, and the point value of staff A is 80 and the point value of staff B is 60, staff A is given the first priority and staff B is given the second priority, and the answerer with the first priority is determined as the most suitable answerer. Note that when a message is received from the answerer who transferred the fault information that the answer cannot be answered, the answerer with the next priority is determined as the most suitable answerer.

The communication control unit 107 controls two-way conversational communication between the contactor and the respondent using a chat tool. In the case of this embodiment, for example, it has a function as a problem information output unit that transfers problem information input by the contactor to the respondent determined by the respondent determination unit 106, and a function as a problem response information output unit that transfers problem response information input by the respondent to the contactor.

When the language used by the contactor using the chat tool differs from the language used by the respondent using the chat tool (more specifically, the language of the respondent management data d101), the translation control unit 108 translates the problem information entered by the contactor via the chat tool into the language used by the respondent, and translates the problem response information entered by the respondent via the chat tool into the language used by the contactor. Note that in this embodiment, the automatic translation engine and dictionary are mainly installed on the server side, but this is not limited to the above, and the automatic translation engine and dictionary may be installed on the information terminal 2 side.

The fault response information receiving unit 109 receives fault response information input by the respondent via a chat tool, creates fault response data d103 from the received fault response information, and registers the created fault response data d101 in the fault response DB 103. In addition, if the fault response information receiving unit 109 receives information from the respondent that the respondent is unable to respond, or if there is no response from the respondent even after a predetermined time (e.g., a preset threshold such as 5 minutes or 10 minutes) has elapsed since the fault information was sent to the respondent determined by the respondent determination unit 106, the fault response information receiving unit 109 does not create the fault response data d103. In this case, the respondent determination unit 106 again receives fault response information from the determined respondent.

The fault response device 1 may be a single physical device, or may be configured as a system in which multiple devices are connected to a network. When the fault response device 1 is configured from multiple devices, all of the devices may be installed in the same location, or the devices may be distributed across multiple locations depending on their functions.

Furthermore, the server program SAP for executing the fault response processing of the fault response device 1 according to this embodiment is not only stored in the memory unit 11, i.e., in a main storage device such as the memory described above or an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk, but can also be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a flexible disk, a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc), or can be distributed via the communication network 3.

<Information terminal>
More specifically, the information terminal 2 includes a storage unit 21 , a UI (User Interface) unit 22 , a control unit 23 , and a communication unit 24 .

The storage unit 21 is composed of, for example, a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk, etc., and is configured to store data and programs used by the control unit 23 for control. In the storage unit 21 of this embodiment, an application program AP that executes processing related to the information terminal 2 side of the failure response processing is installed. The application program AP is an application program that includes the function of a chat tool.

The UI unit 22 is composed of, for example, a touch panel display, a microphone, a camera, a speaker, and the like. The UI unit 22 serves as both the input unit and the output unit of the information terminal 2, and more specifically has a text input function, a camera and video function for taking still images or videos, a microphone function for inputting the voice of the contactor or respondent, a speaker function for outputting the voice of the contactor or respondent, and a display function for displaying communication content (text, still images, videos). In this embodiment, it is possible to input and output fault information and fault response information via the UI unit 22. In addition, the respondent can input response availability information (for example, working flag, working hours) via the UI unit 22 (this can be set on a management screen (not shown) of the application program AP).

The control unit 23 is composed of, for example, a CPU and memory, and controls the storage unit, transfers various data, performs various calculations, temporarily stores data, and executes the processing of the information terminal 2 in the failure response processing of the failure response system 100. The processing of the information terminal 2 in the failure response processing is performed by the functions of the application program AP.

The communication unit 24 transmits and receives data to and from the failure response device 1 via the communication network 3. In particular, the communication unit 24 of the information terminal 2A transmits failure information to the failure response device 1 and receives failure response information from the failure response device 1. In addition, in particular, the communication unit 24 of the information terminal 2B receives failure information from the failure response device 1 and transmits failure response information to the failure response device 1.

<Operation of the fault response system>
Next, the operation of the failure response system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the failure response process of the failure response system 100. Note that the explanation will be given on the premise that the information terminal 2 is in a state where it is logged into the failure response system 100 via a chat tool (for example, the contact person and the respondent are in a state where they have entered an ID and a password for using the failure response service and logged into the failure response system 100).

First, when the contactor inputs fault information in a specific language (hereinafter referred to as the contactor language) on the chat tool of the information terminal 2A and instructs the information to be sent to the call center (step S10), the information terminal 2A transmits the fault information to the fault response device 1 (step S20).

When the fault response device 1 receives fault information from the information terminal 2A, it creates fault data d102 from the received fault information and registers the created fault data d102 in the fault DB 102 (step S30). Next, the fault response device 1 determines a respondent based on the fault content of the fault information (step S40). Here, an example of the respondent determination process will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of an example of the respondent determination process in step S40.

First, the fault response device 1 extracts responders who are available to respond, that is, responders who are not currently responding to a fault and are engaged in fault response work, based on the date and time when the fault information was received and the response availability information in the respondent management data d101 stored in the respondent management DB 101 (step S41).

Next, the fault response device 1 classifies the received fault information into a specific genre (for example, into a genre of faults shown in Figures 5(a) to (c)) (step S42). For example, if the fault information is text information, it may be determined which device it is (for example, device A or device B in Figure 5(a)) based on the words used in the text information. Also, for example, if the fault information is image information, it may be determined which device it is using a machine learning model. Also, the call center manager may ultimately check and make a judgment (correction).

Next, the failure response device 1 lists, from among the respondents extracted in step S41, those who can handle the failure content classified in step S42 (step S43). For example, from among the respondents engaged in failure response work, respondents who can handle a specific type of failure (e.g., a failure of device A) are extracted based on the response work in the respondent management data d101 stored in the respondent management DB 101, and the extracted respondents are listed.

Next, the fault response device 1 prioritizes the respondents listed in step S43 according to a predetermined algorithm (step S44). The predetermined algorithm is, for example, an algorithm that prioritizes respondents in order of highest point value based on the point values of the respondent point data d104 stored in the respondent point DB 104, but other elements may be incorporated instead or in addition to this. For example, it may reflect elements of the request, such as the contactor's preference for a specific respondent.

Finally, the failure response device 1 determines a respondent based on the priority determined in step S44 (step S45). Specifically, the respondent with the first priority is determined as the most suitable respondent. However, if non-answering information is received from the respondent in step S100 described below, the respondent with the next priority (for example, if the respondent with the first priority sends non-answering information, the respondent with the second priority) is determined as the most suitable respondent.

Returning to FIG. 6, the fault response device 1 determines whether the language (hereinafter referred to as the corresponding language) used by the respondent (hereinafter referred to as the response staff) determined in step S40 is different from the contactor language, i.e., whether translation is required (step S50). If translation is required (if the corresponding language and the contactor language are different, step S50: YES), the fault response device 1 translates the fault information received in the contactor language to create fault information in the corresponding language (step S60), and transmits the created fault information in the corresponding language to the response staff's information terminal 2B (step S70). On the other hand, if translation is not required (if the corresponding language and the contactor language are the same, step S50: NO), the fault response device 1 transmits the fault information received in the contactor language to the response staff's information terminal 2B (step S70).

When the staff member's information terminal 2B receives the fault information from the fault response device 1, it outputs the fault information on the chat tool (step S80). If the staff member checks the contents of the output fault information and then determines that it is not possible to reply to the fault information, specifically, inputs information indicating that it is not possible to reply in a supported language on the chat tool of the information terminal 2B and issues an instruction to send the information to the call center (step S90), the staff member's information terminal 2B transmits the non-reply information to the fault response device 1 (step S100).

When the failure response device 1 receives the non-reply information from the information terminal 2B (step S110: NO), it returns to step S40 and again determines the respondent based on the failure content of the failure information (step S40).

On the other hand, if the support staff member, after checking the contents of the outputted fault information, determines that it is possible to respond to the fault information, specifically, inputs fault response information, which is a solution to the fault content, in a supported language on the chat tool of the information terminal 2B and issues an instruction to send the information to the call center (step S120), the information terminal 2B transmits the fault response information to the fault response device 1 (step S130).

In this embodiment, answerability information is returned only when the support staff determines that they cannot answer, and when they determine that they can answer, they do not send answerability information but simply enter the fault response information, so that communication between the call center and the respondent can be minimized and the respondent can respond to the fault more quickly. However, alternatively, answerability information indicating that an answer is possible may also be sent (in this case, one round trip of communication between the call center and the support staff is always required), and the call center may perform the next action upon receiving answerability information from the support staff.

Next, when the fault response device 1 transmits the fault response information transmitted from the information terminal 2B in step S130, it determines whether the corresponding language and the contact language are different, that is, whether translation is required (step S140). If translation is required (step S140: YES), the fault response device 1 translates the fault response information received in the corresponding language to create fault response information in the contact language (step S150), and transmits the created fault response information in the contact language to the information terminal 2A that input the fault information (step S160). On the other hand, if translation is not required (step S140: NO), the fault response device 1 transmits the fault response information received in the corresponding language to the information terminal 2A that input the fault information (step S160). In addition, when the fault response device 1 receives the fault response information from the information terminal 2B, it creates fault response data d103 from the received fault response information, and registers the created fault response data d103 in the fault DB 103 (step S170).

When the information terminal 2A of the contactor who inputted the fault information receives the fault response information from the fault response device 1, it outputs the fault response information on the chat tool (step S180). As a result, the contactor can carry out fault recovery work according to the fault response information output on the chat tool.

The series of communications between the contact person and the respondent is recorded in chronological order as fault data d102 and fault response data d103, so that the relevant parties on the fault occurrence side can also grasp the progress of the fault response in real time via the application program AP of the information terminal 2A. In addition, the administrator of the fault response system 100 can check the response of the respondent from the perspective of customer satisfaction in real time or at a later date.

Note that, like FIG. 2, FIG. 6 shows the flow of the troubleshooting process when the problem is resolved by one round-trip communication between the contactor and the respondent, but it goes without saying that several round-trips of two-way communication may take place after step S180.

As described above, according to the fault response system 100 of this embodiment, when a contactor posts fault information using a chat tool, the most suitable respondent for the fault information is selected from support staff around the world, and the most suitable respondent responds with a solution via the chat tool, so that fault recovery can be performed accurately and quickly depending on the fault content, regardless of the location or time of the fault. In addition, the relevant parties on the side where the fault occurred can view the same information as the contactor, so they can grasp the progress of the fault response in real time.

In addition, because the problem information can include not only text information but also photos, videos, and audio, the contact person can provide more detailed and accurate information about the problem. As a result, the respondent can also quickly grasp the exact problem content, allowing the contact person to provide a quicker and more accurate reply.

In addition, the fault response system 100 of this embodiment is equipped with an automatic translation function, which has the advantage that the respondent can utilize the skills of support staff from all over the world. In addition, since the fault response service can be provided in a private space such as the respondent's home, it is possible to accommodate remote work and to effectively use one's free time to work without having to go to the office.

In addition, unlike conventional maintenance fees, the troubleshooting service of this embodiment charges only for the actual troubleshooting work, so companies that use the troubleshooting service can reduce their troubleshooting maintenance fees.

<Other Modifications>
In the above embodiment of the failure response system 100, the information terminal 2 is enabled to execute the failure response process by installing the application program AP, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the failure response process may be enabled by a function of a web browser. In this case, the failure response device 1 executes server-side processing of the failure response process by functioning as a web server.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made to the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention, and such modifications and changes are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the actions and effects described in the embodiments of the invention are merely a list of the most preferable actions and effects resulting from the present invention, and the actions and effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention.

Reference Signs List 1: fault response device 2, 2A, 2B; information terminal 3: communication network 11, 21: storage unit 12, 23: control unit 13, 24: communication unit 22: UI unit 100: fault response system 101: respondent management DB
102 Fault DB
103 Troubleshoot DB
104 Respondent Point DB
105: Fault information receiving unit 106: Respondent determining unit 107: Communication control unit 108: Translation control unit 109: Fault response information receiving unit

Claims (7)

A fault response device capable of communicating with a first information terminal used by a contact person on the fault occurrence side and a second information terminal used by a respondent on the response side,
a predetermined conversational communication tool is installed in each of the first information terminal and the second information terminal;
The contact person and the respondent are capable of two-way communication via the predetermined conversational communication tool,
a communication control unit that controls mutual communication between the first information terminal and the second information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a respondent management information storage unit that stores respondent management information that associates a respondent ID that can uniquely identify the respondent, a language that the respondent can speak, a time when the respondent can speak, and a task that the respondent can handle;
a trouble information receiving unit that receives trouble information input in a first language by the contact person from the first information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a respondent determination unit that refers to the respondent management information stored in the respondent management information storage unit based on the content of the trouble information (hereinafter, referred to as trouble content) received by the trouble information receiving unit and the time when the trouble information is received, and determines the respondent who can handle the trouble content at the time when the trouble information is received;
a first translation control unit that translates the problem information in the first language into the problem information in the corresponding language when the first language is different from a language (hereinafter, referred to as a first case) that the answerer (hereinafter, referred to as a support staff) determined by the answerer determination unit can support (hereinafter, referred to as a support language);
a trouble information output unit that outputs the trouble information translated into the corresponding language in the first case, and outputs the trouble information in the first language in cases other than the first case, to the second information terminal used by the response staff, via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a failure response information receiving unit that receives, as failure response information, a response to the failure information input by the support staff from the second information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
In the first case, a second translation control unit translates the fault response information in the corresponding language into the fault response information in the first language;
a failure response information output unit that outputs the failure response information in the first language via the predetermined conversational communication tool to the first information terminal used by the contact person who input the failure information;
A failure response device comprising: a non-answerable information receiving unit that receives non-answerable information indicating that a reply cannot be made from the second information terminal used by the response staff via the predetermined conversational communication tool,
the answerer determination unit determines a new answerer who can handle the content of the problem when the answer impossible information receiving unit receives the answer impossible information, or when the failure response information receiving unit does not receive the failure response information until a predetermined time has elapsed since the failure information output unit outputs the failure information,
2. The fault response device according to claim 1. a point information storage unit that stores respondent point information in which the respondent ID is associated with a point indicating the respondent's contribution to the answer;
The points are added based on the number of responses of the staff and the evaluation of the contact person,
the respondent determination unit determines the respondent by taking into account the respondent point information stored in the point information storage unit;
3. The fault response device according to claim 2. The fault information and the fault response information are each one or more of text information, image information, and audio information.
4. The fault response device according to claim 3. A fault response device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
the first information terminal;
the second information terminal;
A failure response system comprising: A fault response method for a fault response device capable of communicating with a first information terminal used by a contact person on a fault occurrence side and a second information terminal used by a respondent on a reply side, comprising:
a predetermined conversational communication tool is installed in each of the first information terminal and the second information terminal;
The contact person and the respondent are capable of two-way communication via the predetermined conversational communication tool,
The failure response device includes:
a communication control unit that controls mutual communication between the first information terminal and the second information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a respondent management information storage unit that stores respondent management information that associates a respondent ID that can uniquely identify the respondent, a language that the respondent can speak, a time when the respondent can speak, and a task that the respondent can handle;
Equipped with
a trouble information receiving step of receiving trouble information input in a first language by the contact person from the first information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a respondent determination step of referring to the respondent management information stored in the respondent management information storage unit based on the content of the trouble information received in the trouble information receiving step (hereinafter referred to as trouble content) and the time when the trouble information was received, and determining the respondent who can handle the trouble content at the time when the trouble information was received;
a first translation control step of translating the problem information in the first language into the problem information in the corresponding language when a language (hereinafter, referred to as a corresponding language) that the answerer (hereinafter, referred to as a corresponding staff) determined in the answerer determination step can support is different from the first language (hereinafter, referred to as a first case);
a trouble information output step of outputting the trouble information translated into the corresponding language in the first case, and outputting the trouble information in the first language in cases other than the first case, to the second information terminal used by the response staff, via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a failure response information receiving step of receiving, as failure response information, a response to the failure information input by the response staff from the second information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a second translation control step of translating, in the first case, the fault response information in the corresponding language into the fault response information in the first language;
a failure response information output step of outputting the failure response information in the first language via the predetermined conversational communication tool to the first information terminal used by the contact person who input the failure information;
A fault handling method comprising: A computer-based fault response program capable of communicating with a first information terminal used by a contact person on the fault occurrence side and a second information terminal used by a respondent on the replying side,
a predetermined conversational communication tool is installed in each of the first information terminal and the second information terminal;
The contact person and the respondent are capable of two-way communication via the predetermined conversational communication tool,
The computer includes:
a communication control unit that controls mutual communication between the first information terminal and the second information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a respondent management information storage unit that stores respondent management information that associates a respondent ID that can uniquely identify the respondent, a language that the respondent can speak, a time when the respondent can speak, and a task that the respondent can handle;
Equipped with
a trouble information receiving step of receiving trouble information input in a first language by the contact person from the first information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a respondent determination step of referring to the respondent management information stored in the respondent management information storage unit based on the content of the trouble information received in the trouble information receiving step (hereinafter referred to as trouble content) and the time when the trouble information was received, and determining the respondent who can handle the trouble content at the time when the trouble information was received;
a first translation control step of translating the problem information in the first language into the problem information in the corresponding language when a language (hereinafter, referred to as a corresponding language) that the answerer (hereinafter, referred to as a corresponding staff) determined in the answerer determination step can support is different from the first language (hereinafter, referred to as a first case);
a trouble information output step of outputting the trouble information translated into the corresponding language in the first case, and outputting the trouble information in the first language in cases other than the first case, to the second information terminal used by the response staff, via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a failure response information receiving step of receiving, as failure response information, a response to the failure information input by the response staff from the second information terminal via the predetermined conversational communication tool;
a second translation control step of translating, in the first case, the fault response information in the corresponding language into the fault response information in the first language;
a failure response information output step of outputting the failure response information in the first language via the predetermined conversational communication tool to the first information terminal used by the contact person who input the failure information;
A fault handling program characterized by being executed by the computer.

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