Dynamic help option for internet customers

A method for providing assistance to a customer at a web site, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a request for a web page from a customer;
• determining whether a customer service representative is available;
• if a said customer service representative is available then sending said web page to said customer with a HELP option on said web page and if said customer service representative is not available then determining an estimated time before a customer service representative will be available, and if said estimated time is less than a predetermined time then sending said web page to said customer with a HELP option on said web page;
• wherein said predetermined time is determined based upon measurements of multiple incidences of time between the time that a HELP option is sent to a previous customer and the time that said previous customer responds to said HELP option.

A method for providing assistance to a customer at a web site, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a request for a web page from a customer;
• determining whether a customer service representative is available;
• determining an estimated time before a customer service representative will be available;
• if said estimated time is less than a predetermined time then sending said web page to said customer with a HELP option on said web page;
• wherein said predetermined time is determined based upon measurements of the time between the time that a HELP option is sent previous customer and the time that said previous customer responds to said HELP option.