Patent ID: 8606641

Claim:
A method performed by a server device, the method comprising: conducting, by the server device, an electronic sales transaction associated with a user device using instant message (IM)-based protocols to communicate with an agent associated with the server device, the electronic sales transaction including: receiving, via form-based IM communications responsive to a first form-based user information user interface (UI) presented to the user device, first user information regarding a user, of the user device, wherein at least a portion of the first user information is not accessible by the agent; presenting, based on a verification of the first user information, a first form-based catalog UI related to a customized set of products or services corresponding to the first user information; determining, in response to text-based IM communications between the agent and the user, that the user has neither placed an order for any of the customized set of one or more products or services nor terminated the electronic sales transaction; receiving, via form-based IM communications responsive to a second form-based user information UI presented to the user device, second user information regarding the user; presenting, based on a verification of the second user information, a second form-based catalog UI related to different information, associated with the customized set of products or services, corresponding to the second user information; and receiving, by the server device and via the second form-based catalog UI, a form-based IM that includes an order for one or more of the customized set of products or services associated with the different information.