Web-based user support system and method

A system for interacting with website users, comprising:

• user web page generation logic including logic operative to load through a data channel for each of a plurality of user browsers including at least a first user browser and a second user browser each at a different user location with:
• a plurality of offered product pages,
• a system identifier display field with a system identifier,
• session persistence management logic operative to track unique sessions for different system identifiers, including system identifiers for a first user and a second user,
• user information storage including:
• session history storage for storing user history information about a plurality of session history entries for each of the plurality of users, including at least a first user and a second user, wherein the session history entries each include a system identifier entry,
• prompted user information storage for storing user information received in response to prompting during an interaction with the first user that occurred separately from the plurality of sessions for the first user, and
• prompted user information storage for storing user information received in response to prompting during an interaction with the second user that occurred separately from the plurality of sessions for the second user,
• association logic responsive to the session history storage and to the prompted user information storage and operative to create associations between stored information for the first user based on common data received from different interactions with the first user, wherein at least one of the different interactions with the first user is anonymous,
• association logic responsive to the session history storage and to the prompted user information storage and operative to create associations between stored information for the second user based on common data received from different interactions with the second user, wherein at least one of the different interactions with the second user is anonymous,
• a user support representative terminal at a user support location remote from the user locations comprising:
• a system identifier entry tool, operative to receive system identifiers for at least the first and second users,
• session history access logic operative to access session history information from the session history storage based on at least a system identifier for the first user and a system identifier for the second user entered with the system identifier entry tool,
• user browsing session display logic responsive to the session history access logic for at least the first and second users,
• session history information display logic responsive to the session history storage for at least the first and second users, and
• stored user information display logic responsive to the user information storage for at least the first and second users,
• a first bidirectional telephonic voice communication channel between at least one of the browser locations for the first user and the user support location, and
• a second bidirectional telephonic voice communication channel between at least one of the browser locations for the second user and the user support location, wherein the voice channel for the first user and the data channel for the first user are different channels, and wherein the voice channel for the second user and the data channel for the second user are different channels.

A method of interacting with website users, comprising:

• serving during a first web browsing session through a first data channel a series of web pages selected by a first of the users that include content that belongs to a set of browsable hyperlinked website pages,
• tracking the first of the users' interactions with the series of website pages using different web-enabled devices that are each associated with a different system id, wherein at least one of the first users' interactions is anonymous,
• associating interactions tracked on the different web-enabled devices by the first user after the step of tracking the first of the users' interactions,
• initiating a bidirectional verbal telephone communication session through a first voice channel between a location of the first user and a user support location initiated from the location of the first user during the first web browsing session, wherein the first voice channel and the first data channel are different channels,
• receiving at the user support location one of the associated system ids from the first user during the first communication session,
• serving custom-selected portions of the content from the set of browsable hyperlinked website pages into the series of web pages in the browsing session for the first user from the user support location under control of a user support representative during the first communication session,
• serving during a second web browsing session through a second data channel a series of web pages selected by a second of the users that include content that belongs to a set of browsable hyperlinked website pages,
• tracking the second of the users' interactions with the series of website pages using different web-enabled devices that are each associated with a different system id, wherein at least one of the second users' interactions is anonymous,
• associating interactions tracked on the different web-enabled devices by the second user after the step of tracking the second of the users' interactions,
• initiating a bidirectional verbal telephone communication session through a second voice channel between a location of the second user and a user support location initiated from the location of the second user during the second web browsing session, wherein the second voice channel and the second data channel are different channels,
• receiving at the user support location one of the associated system ids from the second user during the second communication session, and
• serving custom-selected portions of the content from the set of browsable hyperlinked website pages into the series of web pages in the browsing session for the second user from the user support location under control of a user support representative during the second communication session.

A method of interacting with website users, comprising:

• serving through a first data channel during a first web browsing session a series of web pages selected by a first user that include content that belongs to a set of browsable website pages,
• prompting the user for information during an interaction with the first user,
• tracking based on a system id the first of the users' interactions with the series of website pages that occurs separately from and before the user's interactions with the series of website pages in which the first user is prompted, wherein the first of the first user's interactions is anonymous, associating information from the step of prompting the first user with information from the step of tracking for the first user in response to the step of prompting for the first user,
• initiating a bidirectional verbal telephone communication session through a voice channel between a location of the first user and a user support location initiated from the location of the first user during the first web browsing session, wherein the voice channel and the data channel for the first user are different channels,
• accessing at the user support location information about the first of the users from both the step of prompting the first user and information about the first of the users from the step of tracking for the first user,
• serving through a second data channel during a second web browsing session a series of web pages selected by a second user that include content that belongs to a set of browsable website pages,
• prompting the second user for information during an interaction with the second user,
• tracking based on a system id the second of the users' interactions with the series of website pages that occurs separately from and after the user's interactions with the series of website pages in which the second user is prompted, wherein the first of the second user's interactions is anonymous,
• associating information from the step of prompting for the second user with information from the step of tracking for the second user in response to the step of prompting,
• initiating a bidirectional verbal telephone communication session through a voice channel between a location of the second user and a user support location initiated from the location of the second user during the second web browsing session, wherein the voice channel and the data channel for the second user are different channels, and
• accessing at the user support location both information about the second of the users from the step of prompting the second user and information about the second of the users from the step of tracking for the second user.