Computer supported tele-consultation system under cooperative work among customers, branch office workers and expert staffs

In the field of financial services, service improvements are needed for various kinds of customer requests and for effective utilization by bank workers. A teleconsultation system using multimedia and network technologies is assumed to be effective, and has come into practical use, but in the case of using a distributed terminal without any operating staff, it is difficult to provide effective services because customers are unfamiliar with the terminal operations, and the number of connecting expert staff members is limited. This paper proposes a method of supporting a teleconsultation with a concentrated communication control facility among a tripartite composed of a customer, a clerk at the bank´s branch office and an expert member of staff at the bank´s head office, who has the consulting task