Patent ID: 7886009

Claim:
A computer-implemented method to facilitate contact between a service provider and a consumer, the method comprising: presenting a user interface including a list of categories for the consumer to the service provider, wherein the list of categories for the consumer includes blocked, new and unassigned; receiving input from the service provider assigning the consumer to a category from the list of categories; presenting an option to the consumer for requesting telephonic contact with the service provider; in response to the consumer selecting the option, determining by a computer whether the service provider has, prior to the consumer selecting the option, requested the computer to block telephonic contact by the consumer by assigning the category to the consumer using the user interface; and in response to a determination that the service provider permits telephonic contact by the consumer, establishing telephonic contact between the service provider and the consumer, wherein the establishing of telephonic contact includes contacting the consumer and contacting the service provider.