A method and apparatus are provided for accepting a call by an automatic call
distributor
and for automatic call handling of the call. The apparatus for automatic call handling
has: a call receiving system that outputs at least one voice signal; a text voice
converter having an input for the at least one voice signal, the text voice converter
converting the voice signal to a text stream and providing the text stream on an
output thereof; an emotion detector having an input for the at least one voice
signal, the emotion detector detecting at least one emotional state in the voice
signal and producing at least one tag indicator indicative thereof on an output
of the emotion detector; and a scripting engine having inputs for the text stream
and the at least one tag indicator, the scripting engine providing on an output
thereof at least one response based on the text stream and on the at least one
tag indicator. The method and apparatus provides the agents with scripts that are
based on not only the content of the call from a caller, but that are also based
upon the emotional state of the caller. As a result, there is a decrease in call
duration, which decreases the cost of operating a call center. This decrease in
the cost is a result in the amount of time an agent spends based on the agent's
hourly rate and the costs associated with time usage of inbound phone lines or
trunk lines.