Patent ID: 8804943

Claim:
A method of routing calls through successive layers of providers that are associated with separate entities that are part of organizational units, the organizational units connected via an IP (Internet Protocol) data network that is connected to a call center, the method comprising: receiving a call from a requestor, the call originating from an entity and requiring a particular skill of a representative; routing the call to a representative of the entity logged-in to the call center when the representative of the entity has that particular skill and is available to take the call; when the representative of the entity is not available to take the call, routing the call to a representative of an organizational unit associated with the entity when the representative of the organizational unit has that particular skill and is available to take the call, wherein the representative of the organizational unit associated with the entity is also logged-in to the call center; when the representative of the entity and the representative of the organizational unit are not available to take the call, routing the call to a representative outside the organizational unit when the representative outside the organizational unit has that particular skill and is available to take the call, wherein the representative outside the organizational unit is also logged-in to the call center; receiving a second call from a second requestor, the second call originating from a second entity and requiring a particular skill of a representative; routing the second call to a representative of the second entity when the representative of the second entity has that particular skill and is available to take the second call; when the representative of the second entity is not available to take the second call, routing the second call to the representative of the entity when the representative of the entity has that particular skill and is available to take the second call, wherein the entity and the second entity are both associated with the organizational unit; and when the representative of the second entity and the representative of the entity are not available to take the second call, routing the second call to the representative outside the organizational unit when the representative outside the organizational unit has that particular skill and is available to take the second call; debiting an account associated with the entity when the call is routed to the representative of the second entity; and crediting the account associated with the entity when the second call is routed to the representative of the entity.