Patent ID: 8280360

Claim:
A method for offering a promotion to a user that has entered a command on a phone to place a call to a phone number, the method comprising: listening on the phone for a command from a user to place a call to a phone number; in response to the user entering such command, performing the following: providing the user with an option to receive a promotion, wherein the option is initiated by an application local on the phone that consumes the command to prevent the phone from immediately initiating an outbound call in order to provide the option prior to the phone initiating an outbound voice call; in response to the user accepting the option, providing the user with the promotion, wherein the promotion is a product offering for a business that is competitive with a business associated with the phone number and includes an offer to perform an alternate action and, in response to the user accepting such offer, the phone initiates such alternate action instead of placing a call to the phone number; and in response to the user not responding to the option or not accepting the offer, placing a call to the phone number.