Agent status viewing system and method

A system, comprising:

• a customer computer;
• a computer network;
• a customer contact processing computer coupled to said customer computer by said computer network, said customer contact processing computer including a storage unit to store a status indication for individual agents, said customer contact processing computer being responsive to an input from said customer computer over said computer network corresponding to a selection of at least one of said agents by a customer operating said customer computer to transmit over said computer network said status indication for said at least one of said agents from said storage unit to said customer computer;
• and
• wherein said customer contact processing computer automatically updates said status indication transmitted to said customer computer for said at least one of said agents from time to time.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for storing the status indication for each of a number of different agents at a customer con tact processing center;
• means for receiving across a computer network an input corresponding to a selection of at least one of said agents by a customer from a computer remotely located at a customer site;
• means for providing said status indication for said at least one of said agents from said means for storing to said computer located at said customer site;
• and
• means for automatically updating said status indication provided to said second computer for said at least one of said agents from time to time.