Apparatus and method for dynamic inbound/outbound call management and

Abstract

A telephone system provides dynamic inbound/outbound call management for a telemarketing campaign to automatically initiate outbound telephone calls for outbound agents, with outbound agents redesignated as inbound agents to answer inbound calls as needed according to at least one threshold of number or duration of waiting calls or number or duration of waiting inbound agents. Each agent's work area includes a telephone station having a display and an input device. The telephone stations are coupled to a server via a network, and the telephone system includes appointment and calendar functions with pop-up menus. The server is also coupled to an automatic dialer and to a private branch exchange. When the server assigns an outbound call to an outbound agent, the server sends information about the party called to the outbound agent's telephone station for display simultaneous with connecting the called party to the outbound agent. The telephone system allows each agent to control all telephone functions through the telephone station using the display and input device. Each agent may dial and control additional calls using the input device, including central office calls, intercom calls and paging. As each outbound call is initiated or completed, system parameters are adjusted to maintain a predetermined minimum number of busy outbound agents. The adjustments also maintain the percentage of unattended outbound calls for which no outbound agent is available.