Dynamic help option for internet customers
First Claim
1. 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;
sending said web page without a HELP option to said customer;
automatically determining if said customer should be provided assistance;
determining an estimated time before a customer service representative will be available, and if said estimated time exceeds a predetermined time then delaying a step of sending said HELP option to said customer until said estimated time does not exceed said predetermined time then sending said HELP option to said customer; and
wherein said predetermined time is determined based upon measurements of the 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.
26 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention determines when an Internet browsing customer should be provided assistance by monitoring factors such as the customer profile saved at the server or in cookies, the time a customer spends on particular web pages, errors in forms submitted by the customer, web pages repeatedly viewed by a customer, and statistically established abandon points. When the invention determines a customer should be provided assistance, the invention reviews the availability and probability of availability of the customer service representatives (CSRs). If a CSR is available or predicted to be available, the customer is presented with a HELP option. If the customer does not respond to the HELP option within a predetermined time, the HELP option is removed. By dynamically determining the appropriate time to provide a HELP option and only providing the HELP option when a CSR is available, the invention proactively provides meaningful service at the critical time.
93 Citations
31 Claims
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1. 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;
sending said web page without a HELP option to said customer;
automatically determining if said customer should be provided assistance;
determining an estimated time before a customer service representative will be available, and if said estimated time exceeds a predetermined time then delaying a step of sending said HELP option to said customer until said estimated time does not exceed said predetermined time then sending said HELP option to said customer; and
wherein said predetermined time is determined based upon measurements of the 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- receiving a request for a web page from a customer;
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19. 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. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
- receiving a request for a web page from a customer;
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26. 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. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- receiving a request for a web page from a customer;
Specification