Patent ID: 7039167

Claim:
A call routing method, the call routing method comprising: identifying an account holder accessing a voice response unit, the account holder having an account; determining whether a transaction associated with the account was declined within a predetermined period of time, after determining the identity of the account holder, by searching at least one memory unit for first data associated with the account indicating whether the transaction was declined and, if the transaction was declined, indicating when the transaction was declined, searching the at least one memory unit for second data indicating the predetermined period of time, if the transaction was declined, and determining according to the first data and the second data whether the transaction was declined within the predetermined period of time; determining a reason for the transaction being declined if the transaction associated with the account was determined to be declined within the predetermined period of time; and routing the account holder to at least one predetermined automated message provided by the voice response unit based on the reason for the transaction being declined, wherein the at least one predetermined automated message informs the account holder of the reason for the transaction being declined.