Patent ID: 8214253

Claim:
One or more nontransitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, facilitate a method of retaining customers of a carrier, the method comprising: by way of said computing device, identifying from among a group of wireless-service subscribers (“subscribers”) a plurality of users who are influencers, wherein each of said subscribers subscribes to wireless services offered by the carrier, wherein an influencer is a subscriber who potentially affects decisions of other subscribers regarding whether to cancel or maintain their subscriptions with said carrier, wherein said decisions of the other subscribers are based on whether said influencer cancels or maintains his or her subscription, wherein said identifying is accomplished by a process that includes, for each subscriber in said group, (A) determining an incoming-call count by counting a number of incoming calls that were received by a given mobile device associated with a given subscriber, (B) determining an outgoing-call count by counting a number of calls originating from the given mobile device, (C) calculating a ratio based on said incoming-call count and said outgoing-call count, (D) comparing the ratio to an influencer threshold, and (E) indicating that the given subscriber of said given mobile device is an influencer when said ratio is greater than the influencer threshold, thereby generating a set of identified influencers; and determining an incentive to provide to said set of identified influencers, thereby, when said incentive is provided, increasing a likelihood that said set of identified influencers will retain their respective subscriptions, and thereby increasing a likelihood that other subscribers who might be influenced will also retain their respective subscriptions.