Patent ID: 8655674

Claim:
A method for rendering personal service assistance in a virtual universe, comprising: providing access, using at least one computing device, to a single personal customer service representative (PCSR) avatar, wherein the single PCSR avatar interacts with a plurality of customer avatars (CAs); defining, using the at least one computing device, a request for customer service from one CA of the plurality of CAs via the single PCSR avatar, which is separate and distinct from the CA; determining, using the at least one computing device, a business based upon the request for customer service from the CA; connecting, using the at least one computing device, the single PCSR avatar to the business; facilitating, using the at least one computing device, an interaction between a representative of the business and the CA via the single PCSR avatar, wherein, in response to connecting the single PCSR avatar to the business, the representative of the business automatically takes temporary control of the single PCSR avatar, such that an underlying agent controlling the single PCSR avatar becomes a temporary pass-through agent; and automatically, upon termination of the interaction, transferring control of the single PCSR avatar back to the underlying agent and terminating the temporary control of the single PCSR avatar by the representative of the business, wherein the underlying agent comprises one of: an Artificial Intelligence program and a personal assistance BOT.