Patent ID: 8214396

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for managing provider leads, comprising: receiving a request from a user to locate a provider associated with a product or service offering specified by the request; receiving service information and contact information from the user, the contact information including one or more of an actual e-mail address of the user and an actual telephone number of the user, the service information being related to the service requested by the user; generating obfuscated contact information associated with the user wherein the obfuscated contact information includes one or more of a generated e-mail address that is resolved to the actual e-mail address of the user and that differs from the actual e-mail address and an assigned telephone extension that is resolved to the actual telephone number of the user and that differs from the actual telephone number; storing a record in a contact data store, the record comprising the service information, contact information, and obfuscated contact information associated with the user; submitting a lead to the provider, the lead comprising the service information and the obfuscated contact information associated with the user; receiving a communication from the provider comprising audio, video or textual communication data and the obfuscated contact information; determining whether a contact period associated with the request remains open; retrieving the record from the contact data store based upon the obfuscated contact information, the record comprising the contact information associated with the user; and presenting the communication to the user using the contact information associated with the user; wherein the contact period defines an expiration period after which no communication with the user can be made.