Methods and apparatus for providing live agent assistance

In a system having a site server, a web call request processor and at least one live agent at at least one agent station, a method of invoking the establishment of a conference between a customer at a customer terminal and a live agent at an agent station, the method comprising steps of:

• a) accepting, from the site server, an “invoke call” application program interface;
• b) determining whether or not a “call agent” event has occurred;
• c) if it has been determined that a “call agent” event has occurred, then notifying the web request processor using the “invoke call” application program interface;
• and
• d) if it has been determined that a page load script has been received, then
• i) opening a new window,
• ii) determining whether or not conferencing software is available to the customer terminal, and
• iii) if it has been determined that conferencing software is available to the customer terminal, then
• A) loading the conferencing software, and
• B) submitting a conference establishment request to the web request processor.

In a system having a customer terminal and a web conference request processor for establishing a conference between a customer at the customer terminal and a live agent at an agent station, a method for controlling a site server, the method comprising steps of:

• a) if a request for content has been received from the customer terminal, forwarding the requested content to the customer terminal;
• b) if a trigger event occurs, providing an “invoke call” application program interface to the customer terminal,
• wherein the trigger event is selected from a group of events consisting of:
• adding an item to a virtual shopping cart;
• adding items having a total purchase prices of more than a predetermined threshold to a virtual shopping cart;
• removing an item from a virtual shopping cart;
• and dwelling at a certain web page for more than a predetermined length of time.