AT&T Seeks Patent For Limiting Access To U.S. Workers

from the this-is-patent-worthy? dept

Fri, Nov 9th 2007 5:02pm — Mike Masnick

theodp writes "To be fair, IBM isn't the only corporation guilty of demanding U.S. patents for outsourcing methods. For example, AT&T Knowledge Ventures has a patent pending for Managing Incoming Telephone Calls at a Call Center, an invention that calls for transferring callers to offshore call centers unless advance payment is received for the privilege of speaking to someone in the United States. 'Such an option may be beneficial to callers who have difficulties with accents or who have personal or political agendas against outsourcing,' explains Ma Bell 2.0. AT&T's patent claims also cover buying down wait time ('The current wait time is 34 minutes. You may reduce your wait time by a minute for each dollar you are willing to pay. Please enter the number of minutes/dollars you want.')."

Beyond the ridiculousness of the very concept, I've heard such an idea talked about for years. It's a pretty straightforward and obvious idea -- but it's one that few others were interested in implementing (or patenting) as it would likely piss off users. Apparently AT&T doesn't worry about such things. In the meantime, in March of 2004 (about a year and a half before AT&T filed for its patent), I wrote about how the company E-Loan was offering something quite similar. Rather than an upfront payment, E-Loan offered customers a choice of an onshore or offshore call center person, with the knowledge that an offshore support person would help them get a loan faster and an onshore one would take longer. That seems pretty similar to the idea of paying -- it's just that the cost is in time instead of money. Even if this isn't direct prior art, it certainly suggests that these types of ideas have been floating around for quite some time and hardly should be entirely "owned" by one company.

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Filed Under: business model patents, call centers, offshoring, outsourcing, patents
Companies: at&t

25 Comments

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Alfred E. Neuman, 9 Nov 2007 @ 5:10pm

Is this a toll call ?
"You may reduce your wait time by a minute for each dollar you are willing to pay. Please enter the number of minutes/dollars you want."
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Bob, 9 Nov 2007 @ 5:55pm

Will they pay me a dollar for each minute MORE Im willing to wait? that would be $60/hr. Not bad pay
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Eric the Grey, 9 Nov 2007 @ 6:11pm

Personally...
I think I'd dump any company that pulled that on me. If I'm calling a company for support, then in some manner, I'm entitled to that support. Either I've paid for it when I purchased a product, or afterwords, as part of a continuing service contract.

The idea of off-shore support is bad enough, but to charge me extra to speak with (and thus keeping them employed) US Citizens, is an outrage. It seems like time to make certain such things are included in contracts.

And the idea that they'll offer some bozo with more money than sense the opportunity to jump ahead of me makes the whole thing even worse.

EtG
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Overcast, 9 Nov 2007 @ 6:55pm

...as it would likely piss off users. Apparently AT&T doesn't worry about such things.

That much is plainly obvious. That's ok, I'd never dream of using their service or support center.

So go ahead AT&T - patent a stupid idea.
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ROTFL, 9 Nov 2007 @ 10:55pm

Well, AT&T may be able to market the idea to companies with 900 numbers...

...or it can sit on the patent, wait till someone is dumb enough to try the idea without getting a license, then sue them for their last 99 cents.
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dinkster9, 10 Nov 2007 @ 2:16am

Re:
well isn't that the reason anyone gets a patent these days!?! I mean its sure not to safe guard their innovations...its to sue anyone who actually wants to make something out of a good idea...
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Max Powers at http://ConsumerFight.com, 10 Nov 2007 @ 3:00am

AT&T better not test me
What bothers me more than the patent nonsense is the idea of charging for the choice of an onshore or offshore call center or charging to "go the the head of the line".

I have to admit I have never heard of this before. In fact, if this gets implemented and I am ever given one of the choices above, I just might go to the closest AT&T office near me and bring my hammer like the lady did at the Comcast office

http://www.insidenova.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=ISN/MGArticle/WPN_BasicArticle&c=MGArti cle&cid=1173353015622

I said it, there AT&T, just try me.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Nov 2007 @ 3:57am

lol, if you send me to someone who doesn't speak english, i will:
1. make his job hell because i probably know more than they do about their job.
2. cancel my service as soon as possible.

good luck schmucks.
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dualboot, 10 Nov 2007 @ 9:56am

I'm outta there
A certain computer company, to remain unnamed here, once wanted me to enter my credit card # just to connect to a tech support person when my video card failed out of the box. (Think... the message showing on my MONITOR said that the computer could not finish booting because a MONITOR could not be detected). I returned the entire system, and have never bought that brand again... even when they had the best price on a machine with great specs.

I think AT&T would find the same results from disgruntled customers. After pulling that stunt, it would be hard to get us back, even after stopping the program.
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F ZAPPA, 10 Nov 2007 @ 10:02am

ATT MUST BE STOP
ATT say's there are the largest network. That is not true so if someone was smart they put a lawsuit on ATT to stoop telling lies in their AD’S.. the government should not allowed ATT to become the same crap as it was in 1980 before the had to brake up the company.
There is no reason that we should pay extra service to receive support!
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Nov 2007 @ 11:18am

Re: ATT MUST BE STOP
Come back with a knowledge of the use of English words and I might care what you have to say.
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Joe, 10 Nov 2007 @ 4:00pm

Re: I'm outta there
Thats because you were probably an idiot and hooked up the monitor to the onboard video instead of the video card that was installed. People who do stupid things like that DESERVE to pay for support.
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me, 10 Nov 2007 @ 4:52pm

Subject is "Patents"
If one lets the free market work, well, freely, the ridiculousness of charging for US support over overseas techs will become obvious. Or it won't - those who have the money may choose to go that route, even if the rest of us think it's a ripoff. I agree with Eric the Grey - if I am calling, it's because of some pre-existing warranty or service due me.

I'm far more interested in what exactly they are attempting to patent. What is patentable about deciding to add fees to a call?

It's the big picture that is important here. Put together factoids like this one with the guy who patented the brain waves he "discovered", corporate patents on DNA strings and who knows else. I'm not sure what the patent holders intend to do with the patents, but I am not about to allow anyone to charge me fees for something my body produces naturally, with no participation on my part (other than breathing, etc.)

Bogging the conversation down in details pretty much guarantees that no action will be taken for a very long time and no one will ever question the basic premises and assumptions. Have you heard any discussion about preemptive attacks on other countries and what standards should be used in evaluating the intelligence those attacks may be based on?
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me, 10 Nov 2007 @ 4:58pm

and this too
Joe, unless you were in the room with dualboot at the time, you can hardly jump to the conclusion that he made a mistake. Given the user name, I doubt the writer was that inexperienced with computers. Besides, one should be able to hook one's computer up right out of the box. Obviously they are geared to the least knowledgeable - look at the ridiculous set up diagrams provided.
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Joe, 10 Nov 2007 @ 5:47pm

Re: and this too
I work in tech support and 9 times out of 10 when someone doesnt have video on a new computer its because they hooked up the monitor to the onboard VGA port instead of the one on the video card. If they are too stupid to even hook it up right they shouldnt even have a computer. A monkey could follwo the instructions on the setup guide
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Onikitsune, 11 Nov 2007 @ 3:37am

Prior Art
AMEX Business Services has had this option for some time. I work with the Gov't so our travel arrangements are considered sensitive information. AMEX charges us extra for the 'privilege' of working with a domestic AMEX travel agent.
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patric, 11 Nov 2007 @ 1:14pm

att can do it and get away with it
I used Bellsouth before they merged and it was a freaking nightmare in order to just get to talk to a person. then usually once you got to talk to a person, the operator as short and extremely rude. ATT is now big enough that if you want to use certain services, you have to use them (cant use iphone on other services). They know they have you by the balls and will squeeze every cent they can out of you to offset the bottom line.
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ted, 11 Nov 2007 @ 3:15pm

Burp. I think ATT sux.
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Allison, 11 Nov 2007 @ 3:18pm

The entire patent and copyright areas are complete runaway trains these days. What a bad joke.
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AlbinoRhino, 11 Nov 2007 @ 7:10pm

I have been with AT&T since before they sold their wireless division to Cingular. Now again in the wireless aspect since they have re-purchased it. Never have I been outsourced nor have I had a bad experience. Their services work.

Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.
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Matthew, 11 Nov 2007 @ 10:21pm

Sounds like United airlines.
Sounds a bit like United airlines wanting to charge passengers extra if they don't want their baggage arriving last.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-fri_united_1019oct19,0,6673281.story

This is what you can expect when you want a completely uncontrolled free market. The companies do pretty much as they please, and if that doesn't suit you, tough luck.
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Ferin, 12 Nov 2007 @ 5:11am

Nobody screws customers quite as well as the telco
Nice to see they're working so hard to find new ways to nickle and dime their customers to death. I imagine implementation of such a 'feature' would not go over very well once word got out to the public.
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Matthew, 12 Nov 2007 @ 8:44am

What if...
everyone paid to jump ahead of the queue and they all ended up in the same order they were in before? If 10 people were in queue and each paid $10 to jump to the front, then ATT makes 100 quick bucks and everyone is still waiting for the others to get their business done.

That or there's a call center in rural USA full of bored, high school kids that can snicker everytime they get a call knowing some dolt paid money to interrupt his/her online comic reading.

sarcasm
Yeah, that deserves a patent :P
/sarcasm
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DB, 31 Dec 2008 @ 12:45am

The E-LOAN story was incorrect from the start; call center staff and loan consultants were always located in the United States, with the majority at corporate HQ in Pleasanton, CA.

What they did in March of 2004 was, as part of their home equity division, allow customers to choose whether or not they would permit their personal information and documents to be processed, post-phone or post-internet application, on the backend by an offshore contractor or in-house by E-LOAN's own staff. Offshore worked 24 hours and offered a faster turnaround, while Pleasanton remained a 9 - 5, weekday-only affair. Regardless of where the loan was processed, the loan consultant and customer contact person was always an in-house, onshore and direct employee of E-LOAN.

Fat lot of good it did them; they've stopped doing all loans, laid off 99 percent of staff and will wind down operations by the end of 1Q 09.
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kpo, 4 Apr 2010 @ 7:44pm

re: AT&T Seeks Patent For Limiting Access To U.S. Workers
This is like the company is really on profiting rather than giving free services to their clients. Pretty weird patent.
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