Patent ID: 9584663
Date: 2017-02-28
CPC Classifications: H04M

Claim:
1. A method performed by an application instantiated on a computing device of a professional, the method comprising: receiving transmitted information from an answering service relating to an incoming call from a client for the professional, the client having placed the incoming call to the professional, the incoming call having been forwarded to the answering service and answered thereat, the transmitted information having been sent from the answering service to the professional regarding the answered incoming call; displaying at least a portion of the transmitted information on the computing device and to the professional, the displayed information including at least one identifier of the client by which the professional can place a return call from the computing device to the client; receiving a selection of the at least one identifier of the client by the professional to place the return call from the computing device to the client by way of the selected identifier of the client; upon receiving the selection of the identifier of the client, presenting to the professional a number of options for an identifier of the professional to be provided with the return call to the client, the options including an identifier associated with the computing device of the professional, an identifier associated with a business to which the professional is affiliated, and an identifier to be manually entered by the professional; receiving from the professional a selection of one of the options for the identifier of the professional to be provided with the return call to the client; presenting to the professional a routing option to determine whether the return call is routed indirectly from the computing device to the client by way of the answering service, or directly from the computing device to the client without the answering service interposed therebetween; receiving from the professional a selection based on the routing option; and placing the return call from the professional to the client and in doing so providing the selected identifier of the professional with the return call and routing the return call indirectly or directly according to the selection thereof, whereby the selected and provided identifier of the professional represents a favored location at which the professional or an associate thereof may be reached, and whereby the client may ascertain the provided identifier of the professional from the return call and employ same to place a future call toward the professional or the associate thereof, and whereby the answering service if interposed between the professional and the client during the return call takes part in the return call and provides additional services relating to the return call.