System and Method for Providing Enhanced Answering and/or Chatting Services in a Time-Sensitive Manner

Abstract

A chatting party initiates a computer chat with a chatted-to party by way of a computing system of a chatting service acting on behalf of the chatted-to party. The computing system collects from the chatting party in connection with the chat identifying information identifying the chatting party, and an initial indication of the general nature of the chat. A priority is then assigned to the chat based at least in part on the collected identifying information and the collected initial indication of the general nature of the chat, and the chat is assigned to the attention of one of the chatted-to party, an agent at the chatting service on behalf of the chatted-to party, and an automated chat engine of the chatting service for chatting with the chatting party. The chat is assigned based at least in part on the assigned priority of the chat.

1 . A method performed by a chatting service on behalf of a chatted-to party when a chatting party initiates a chat with the chatted-to party, the method being performed by a computing system of the chatting service and comprising:
 establishing the chat for the chatting party;   collecting from the chatting party in connection with the chat identifying information identifying the chatting party;   collecting from the chatting party in connection with the chat an initial indication of the general nature of the chat, the initial indication of the general nature of the chat being an input from the chatting party relating to an importance or purpose of the chat;   assigning a priority to the chat based at least in part on the collected identifying information and the collected initial indication of the general nature of the chat, the assigned priority being one of a high priority, a middle priority, and a low priority;   assigning the chat to the attention of the chatted-to party if the assigned priority of the chat is the high priority;   assigning the chat to the attention of an agent at the chatting service on behalf of the chatted-to party if the assigned priority of the chat is the middle priority; and   assigning the chat to the attention of an automated chat engine of the chatting service for chatting with the chatting party if the assigned priority of the chat is the low priority.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chat is an on-line chat comprising messages between chatting parties that appear on a screen of a computing device in a visual box and accumulate as the messages are sent so as to form an ongoing transcript of the chat. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chatting service is operated by or on behalf of an answer service that provides telephone answering services to the called-to party. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chatted-to party is a funeral professional and the chatting party is a client calling the funeral professional regarding funeral services for a deceased. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chatted-to party is a funeral professional, the chatting party is a client calling the funeral professional regarding funeral services for a deceased, and the triggering point is when the agent determines that the chatting party is initially calling regarding the deceased. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the collected identifying information identifying the chatting party includes a name and at least one of a telephone number, an email address, and a home address. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the initial indication of the general nature of the chat is a categorization by the chatting party of an importance of the chat, and wherein the assigned priority is based on the categorized importance. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the initial indication of the general nature of the chat is a selection by the chatting party of a purpose of the chat, and wherein the assigned priority is derived from a predetermined priority level associated with the selected purpose. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the identifying information includes whether the chatting party has an established relationship with the chatted-to party, and wherein the assigned priority is derived based in part on whether the chatting party has an established relationship with the chatted-to party. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein collecting from the chatting party in connection with the chat an initial indication of the general nature of the chat comprises initially having the chatting party chat with the automated chat engine according to a chat script and wherein assigning the priority to the chat comprises assigning the priority according to keywords received by the automated chat engine from the chatting party during the chat therewith. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chat if assigned a relatively lower priority is assigned to be handled by the agent of the chatting service, and a chat if assigned a relatively higher priority is assigned to be handled by the chatted-to party if at all available. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chat is assigned a relatively lower priority and thereby is assigned to be handled by the agent of the chatting service and not the chatted-to party, and the agent is provided with information needed to handle various issues that the chatting party may need to be addressed, the agent attempting to provide such information on behalf of the chatted-to party without such chatted-to party having to be bothered. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chat is assigned a relatively lower priority and thereby is assigned to be handled by the agent of the chatting service and not the chatted-to party, and the agent is provided with information needed to handle various issues that the chatting party may need to be addressed, the agent attempting to provide such information on behalf of the chatted-to party without such chatted-to party having to be bothered, and wherein the agent determines that the chat should be re-assigned a relatively higher priority and more properly be handled by the chatted-to party itself, the method further comprising receiving from the agent a signal to transfer the chat to the called-to party and thereafter transferring the chat to the called-to party. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chat is assigned a relatively higher priority and thereby is assigned to be handled by the chatted-to party and not the agent of the chatting service, and wherein the chatted-to party determines that the chat should be re-assigned a relatively lower priority and more properly be handled by agent, the method further comprising receiving from the chatted-to party a signal to transfer the chat to the agent and thereafter transferring the chat to the agent. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chat is assigned a relatively higher priority and thereby is assigned to be handled by the chatted-to party and not the agent of the chatting service, and wherein the chatted-to party is unavailable, the method further comprising forwarding the chat based at least in part on the assigned priority. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chat is assigned a relatively higher priority and thereby is assigned to be handled by the chatted-to party and not the agent of the chatting service, and wherein the chatted-to party is unavailable, the method further comprising forwarding the chat based at least in part on the assigned priority by forwarding the chat to an associate of the called-to party according to the assigned priority. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chat is assigned a relatively higher priority and thereby is assigned to be handled by the chatted-to party and not the agent of the chatting service, and wherein the chatted-to party is unavailable, the method further comprising forwarding the chat to the agent based at least in part on the assigned priority after a predetermined period of non-responsiveness associated with the assigned priority.