Method and apparatus for connecting Internet or IP users to agents of a
call center, which may be linked to an Internet web site. Visual
information about quality of service, available agents, and history of
previous connections, is transferred to the IP user via the IP network
prior to voice call establishment, and a voice call is established
according to inputs from the IP user which are responsive to the
transferred information. An IP user who accesses a web site is identified
and initiates a session with the serving call-center. Agent status
information is stored at the call-center database. Information about the
status and skills of each agent, which is stored at a database, is sent
over the IP network and displayed on the screen of the IP user. A first
selection menu is displayed on the screen and the IP user is requested to
select between waiting for a preferred agent or sending voice or text
messages. Available agents are displayed on the first menu, as well as
their queuing time. If the IP user selects to wait, a second selection
menu is displayed, thereby offering the IP user to continue to queue, or
to queue for another agent, or to leave a voice message which may be
delivered to the agent via voice mail. The IP user may send a text message
which is displayed on the agent's display. After making all the desired
selections and knowing the queuing time, a Voice-over-IP call between the
IP user and the call-center may be established. The details of the
connection between each IP user and his preferred agent during the current
session are stored in a database.
