System and method for connecting a user to business services
A system and method for connecting a user to business services monitors all attempts by the user to place outgoing telephone calls. When a user is attempting to place a call to a business, the system checks to see if the business has created a voice application that could be performed for the user. If so, the business' voice application is performed for the user on the user's local device, instead of connecting the user to the business' customer service line. If no voice application is available for the user, then the system connects the user to the business' customer service line, either through a telephone network, or through a data network connection.
1. A method of responding to a user's request to communicate with a business, comprising:
receiving a request from a user to communicate with a business, wherein the request is received by a local device;
determining whether at least one voice application relevant to the goods and/or services provided by the business is available;
performing at least one voice application that is relevant to the goods and/or services provided by the business for the user when a voice application relevant to the goods and/or services provided by the business is available, wherein the voice application is performed, at least in part, on the local device; and
establishing a communications channel between the user and the business when no voice application relevant to the goods and/or services of the business is available.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is received by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device, and wherein the determining step comprises determining, with the voice applications agent or the voice application, whether one or more voice applications that are relevant to the goods and/or services provided by the business are available.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing step comprises a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device performing the voice application.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a request to place a telephone call to the business.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a spoken request from the user to communicate with the business.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the determining step indicates that a plurality of voice applications that are relevant to the goods and/or services provided by the business are available, the method further comprises interacting with the user with a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device to determine which of the plurality of voice applications should be performed for the user.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein interacting with the user comprises a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device:
playing audio to the user to ask the user for information;
receiving input from the user that is provided in response to the played audio; and
determining which of the plurality of voice applications should be performed for the user based on the received input.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises identifying a telephone number associated with the business, and wherein the step of establishing a communications channel between the user and the business comprises placing a telephone call to the identified telephone number with a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises billing the business for establishing the telephone call.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein when a communications channel is established between the user and the business, the method further comprises billing the business for establishing the communications channel.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein when a voice application is performed for the user, the method further comprises establishing a communications channel between the local device and an entity after the voice application has been performed.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein during the performance of the voice application, information is obtained from the user, and wherein the obtained information is used to establish the communications channel between the local device and the entity.
13. A method of responding to a user's request to communicate with a business, comprising:
receiving a request from a user to communicate with a business, wherein the request is received by a local device;
determining whether at least one voice application that has been created for the business is available;
performing at least one voice application that has been created for the business for the user when a voice application that has been created for the business is available, wherein the voice application is performed, at least in part, on the local device; and
establishing a communications channel between the user and the business when no voice application that has been created for the business is available.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the request is received by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device, and wherein the determining step comprises determining, with the voice applications agent or the voice application, whether one or more voice applications that have been created for the business are available.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a request to place a telephone call to the business.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a spoken request from the user to communicate with the business.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein when the determining step indicates that a plurality of voice applications that have been created for the business are available, the method further comprises:
playing audio to the user to ask the user for information;
receiving input from the user that is provided in response to the played audio; and
determining which of the plurality of voice applications should be performed for the user based on the received input.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein when at least one voice application that has been created for the business is performed for the user, the method further comprises billing the business for performing the at least one voice application.
19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors of a local device and/or one or more processors of at least one computer server in communication with the local device, cause the local device and/or the at least one computer server to perform a method comprising:
receiving a request from a user to communicate with a business, wherein the request is received by a local device;
determining whether at least one voice application relevant to the goods and/or services provided by the business are available;
performing at least one voice application that is relevant to the goods and/or services provided by the business for the user when a voice application relevant to the goods and/or services provided by the business is available, wherein the voice application is performed, at least in part, on the local device; and
establishing a communications channel between the user and the business when no voice application relevant to the goods and/or services of the business is available.
20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors of a local device and/or one or more processors of at least one computer server in communication with the local device, cause the local device and/or the at least one computer server to perform a method comprising:
receiving a request from a user to communicate with a business, wherein the request is received by a local device;
determining whether at least one voice application that has been created for the business is available;
performing at least one voice application that has been created for the business for the user when a voice application that has been created for the business is available, wherein the voice application is performed, at least in part, on the local device; and
establishing a communications channel between the user and the business when no voice application that has been created for the business is available.