Telecommunications system for controlling access to a destination

A method for controlling customer service with a telecommunications system wherein a customer who is associated with an access code unique to the customer places a call using a telephone number associated with a business, and wherein the business has specified a call processing program which is associated with a program code, the method comprising the steps of:

• accepting the call from the customer into a telecommunications network;
• transmitting the call and associated call signaling to an interface if the customer placed the call using the telephone number associated with the business;
• accepting the call into the interface and collecting the program code from the network and the access code from the customer;
• retrieving the program stored in a database into a processor based on the program code and retrieving an account of customer service telecommunications stored in the database into the processor based on the access code;
• connecting the interface to the business so as to complete a connection from the customer to the business if a first pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications is in the account so that customer service access is controlled;
• tracking and updating the amount of customer service telecommunications in the account;
• and
• implementing pre-selected instructions indicative of the termination of customer service if a second pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications is in the account.

A telecommunications system for controlling customer service in which a customer places a call using a telephone number associated with a business, and wherein the business has specified a call processing program which is associated with a program code, the system comprising:

• a telecommunications network operable to accept the call, transmit signaling associated with the call, and make call connections;
• a database operable to store programs and data;
• an interface means for accepting the call and the program code from the network;
• a first routing means for instructing the network to connect the customer to the interface means when the customer places the call using the telephone number associated with the business;
• a second routing means for instructing the network to connect the interface means to the business so as to complete a connection from the customer to the business;
• and
• a processing means for processing the call accepted by the interface means, the processing means operable to retrieve the program stored in the database based on the program code, to prompt the customer to obtain amounts of customer service telecommunications, to instruct the second routing means to complete the customer to business connection if the customer obtains a first pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications so that access to customer service is controlled, to track the amount of customer service telecommunications used by the customer, and to implement pre-selected instructions indicative of the termination of customer service if a second pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications is in the account.

A method for controlling customer service with a telecommunications system in which a customer places a call using a telephone number associated with a business, and wherein the business has specified a call processing program which is associated with a program code, the method comprising the steps of:

• accepting the call from the customer into a telecommunications network;
• transmitting the call and associated call signaling to an interface if the customer placed the call using the telephone number associated with the business;
• accepting the call into the interface and collecting the program code from the network;
• retrieving the program stored in a database into a processor based on the program code;
• prompting the customer to obtain an amount of customer service telecommunications;
• connecting the interface to the business so as to complete a connection from the customer to the business if the customer obtains a first pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications so that customer service access is controlled;
• tracking the amount of customer service telecommunications used by the customer;
• and
• implementing pre-selected instructions indicative of the termination of customer service if a second pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications is in the account.

A telecommunications system wherein a first party who is associated with an access code unique to the first party places a call using a telephone number associated with a second party, and wherein the second party has specified a call processing program which is associated with a program code, the system comprising:

• a telecommunications network operable to accept the call, transmit signaling associated with the call, and make call connections;
• a database operable to store the program and a plurality of data;
• an interface means connected to the network for accepting the call from the network and collecting the program code from the network and the access code from the first party;
• a first routing means for instructing the network to connect the first party to the interface means when the first party places the call using the telephone number associated with the second party;
• a second routing means for instructing the network to connect the interface means to the second party so as to complete a connection from the first party to the second party;
• and
• a processing means for processing the call accepted by the interface means, the processing means operable to retrieve the program stored in the database based on the program code, to retrieve an account of telecommunications stored in the database based on the access code, to instruct the second routing means to complete the first party to second party connection if a first pre-determined amount of telecommunications is in the account to control access to customer service, to implement pre-selected instructions indicative of the termination of customer service if a second pre-determined amount of telecommunications is in the account, and to track the amount of telecommunications in the account.

A method for controlling a telecommunications system wherein a first party who is associated with an access code unique to the first party places a call using a telephone number associated with a second party, and wherein the second party has specified a call processing program which is associated with a program code, the method comprising the steps of:

• accepting the call from the first party into a telecommunications network;
• transmitting the call and associated call signaling to an interface if the first party placed the call using the telephone number associated with the second party;
• accepting the call into the interface and collecting the program code from the network and the access code from the first party;
• retrieving the program stored in a database into a processor based on the program code and retrieving an account of telecommunications stored in the database into the processor based on the access code;
• connecting the interface to the second party so as to complete a connection from the first party to the second party if a first pre-determined amount of telecommunications is in the account to control access to customer service;
• tracking and updating the amount of telecommunications in the account;
• and
• implementing pre-selected instructions indicative of the termination of customer service if a second pre-determined amount of telecommunications is in the account.