Importance

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Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product provides live customer service between a customer and a CSR in real-time over the World Wide Web. Customer service for the Web is provided which is secure, private and responsive to particular customer needs. Queries sent by potential customers browsing a Web site are intelligently routed to appropriate customer service representatives. Potential customers browsing a Web site are also intelligently routed to appropriate customer service representatives. A memory coupled to a server stores a CS enabled Web site having a service applet. When a customer browses the CS-enabled Web site, the service applet is downloaded and executes in a customer computer to support the live customer service. The server executes a customer service agent. The customer service agent enables a customer service window to be displayed by the customer browser. A CSR window is displayed on a browser of the CSR. The customer service agent and service applet determine whether a customer qualifies for live customer service. The level of customer service to be provided can be based at least upon one of the following: browsing data gathered while the customer browses the CS enabled Web site; a customer profile; and a policy of the CS enabled Web site. The customer service window can include a service dialog window and/or a service form. Polling allows a customer to be notified while the customer is browsing the Web that a CSR has chosen to respond to the query input by the customer. Messages are encapsulated/de-encapsulated in HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) to pass through Internet firewalls. Secure communication for Web-based customer service is provided. Communication between the customer and the CSR can be supervised and customer service performance can be tracked.

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First Claim