Referral systems for providing customers with information
OwnerDonald J. Fridrichinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Computer-based referral systems and methods are provided for enabling identification of persons possessing particular expertise and/or information over a network. A preferred method for providing such information to a customer includes the steps of: enabling receipt of personnel information corresponding to a first representative; enabling the first representative to be identified in response to a customer inquiry regarding a first subject matter; enabling communication with the first representative; and enabling the customer to be provided with information pertaining to the first subject matter. Computer readable media also are provided.
Claims22
A method for providing a customer with information comprising the steps of:
- enabling receipt of personnel information corresponding to a first representative, the personnel information including support category information and contact information, the support category information pertaining a first subject matter about which the first representative possesses knowledge, the contact information pertaining to at least one method of communicating with the first representative;
- enabling the first representative to be identified in response to a customer inquiry regarding the first subject matter;
- enabling communication with the first representative by utilizing the contact information;
- and
- enabling the customer to be provided with information pertaining to the first subject matter.
A referral system for providing a customer with information comprising:
- a standby system configured to:
- receive personnel information corresponding to a first representative, the personnel information including support category information and contact information, the support category information pertaining a first subject matter about which the first representative possesses knowledge, the contact information pertaining to at least one method of communicating with the first representative;
- store the personnel information;
- enable identification of the first representative in response to a customer inquiry regarding the first subject matter;
- and
- enable communication with the first representative by utilizing the contact information such that the customer may be provided with information pertaining to the first subject matter.
A computer readable medium having a computer program for providing a customer with information comprising:
- logic configured to enable receipt of personnel information corresponding to a first representative, the personnel information including support category information and contact information, the support category information pertaining a first subject matter about which the first representative possesses knowledge, the contact information pertaining to at least one method of communicating with the first representative;
- logic configured to enable the first representative to be identified in response to a customer inquiry regarding the first subject matter;
- and
- logic configured to enable communication with the first representative by utilizing the contact information such that the customer may be provided with information pertaining to the first subject matter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.