Patent ID: 7792274

Claim:
A machine-implemented method, comprising: receiving, at a database server, an unhandled item to be handled by one of a set of consumers; wherein the unhandled item has an item type that is a member from the group consisting of: a telephone call, an email, a facsimile, a return call request, a live chat session request, and a display control request; adding the unhandled item to an unmatched item queue managed by the database server; storing, in a consumer request queue, requests from at least two particular consumers to handle one or more items; storing, in association with said unhandled item, in a repository managed by the database server, eligible consumer data that indicates which consumers of the set of consumers are eligible to handle said unhandled item, wherein the eligible consumer data indicates that said at least two particular consumers are eligible to handle said unhandled item; selecting, based at least in part on said eligible consumer data and said unmatched item queue, one particular consumer of said at least two particular consumers to handle said unhandled item, wherein the unhandled item is matched to the one particular consumer and no other consumers; and in response to the selecting said one particular consumer to handle said unhandled item, removing the unhandled item from the unmatched item queue and adding the unhandled item to a matched item queue; wherein the matched item queue includes unhandled items that have been matched to one consumer and no other consumers, and the unmatched item queue includes unhandled items that have not been matched to one consumer and no other consumers; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.