Patent ID: 8014512

Claim:
A computer implemented method for providing caller interaction within a queue, the computer implemented method comprising: responsive to receiving a call from a caller, determining if a wait time exists before the caller is connected to a customer service representative; responsive to determining that the wait time exists, determining if the caller is interested in an interaction; responsive to determining that the caller is not interested in the interaction, placing the caller in the queue, wherein the caller is asked if the caller is interested in the interaction at predetermined time intervals while the caller continues to wait in the queue after the caller was placed in the queue in response to a determination that the caller was not interested in the interaction; responsive to determining that the caller is interested in the interaction, loading a profile associated with the caller; responsive to detecting a connection with an interactive system, loading interactive options from the interactive system based on the profile associated with the caller; presenting the interactive options to the caller; responsive to receiving a selection from the interactive options from the caller, determining if the selection includes a group interaction with other callers within the queue; responsive to determining that the selection includes the group interaction with other callers within the queue, loading the group interaction based on the profile associated with the caller; entering the caller into the group interaction after receiving consent from the caller to enter the caller into the group interaction, wherein one or more commercial advertisements provided by a third party service are presented to the caller prior to entering the caller into the group interaction; responsive to monitoring the wait time, determining if the wait time is less than a predetermined alert time; and responsive to determining that the wait time is less than the predetermined alert time, alerting the caller.