Patent ID: 8660522

Claim:
A system, comprising: a processor; and a computer-readable memory, in communication with the processor, having stored therein computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: maintaining multiple tiers of customers including a higher tier of customers and a lower tier of customers; determining, in a first determination, that a particular load characteristic for a network exists; offering, in response to the first determination, and to only the customers of the higher tier of multiple tiers, an incentive, involving a discount for use of a service via the network, in advance of offering the incentive to customers of the lower tier of the multiple tiers in connection with the particular load characteristic; starting a timer measuring time elapsed since offering the incentive to only the customers of the higher tier; receiving, from some of the customers of the higher tier, responses indicating acceptance of the incentive offered; determining that the time elapsed has reached a predetermined amount of time; determining, in a second determination, subsequent to offering the incentive only to the customers of the higher tier, and based on the responses received from customers of the higher tier, whether a sufficient number of the customers of the higher tier have, within the predetermined amount of time, accepted the incentive offered in connection with the particular load characteristic; and offering, only in response to the first determination and a negative result in the second determination, the incentive to the customers of the lower tier in connection with the particular load characteristic.