Patent ID: 8755512

Claim:
A system configured to provide mutual assistance call answering for utilities during periods of high demand for customer service, comprising: at least one administrator for a requesting utility user of customer service capacity, the requesting utility user configured to utilize customer service capacity in excess of its native customer service capacity; at least one administrator for a responding utility provider of assisting customer service capacity, the responding provider configured to provide customer service capacity for use by the requesting utility user; a mutual administrative apparatus configured to allow requesting utility users and responding utility providers to log call parameters; a mutual assistance administrative module configured to integrate control parameters provided by requesting utility users and responding utility providers; native customer service agents of the requesting utility user configured to provide native customer service capacity; assisting customer service agents of the responding utility provider configured to assist with customer service capacity; a call routing module configured to respond to the control parameters provided by the mutual assistance administrative module, such that incoming customer contacts are directed to available customer service agents of the requesting utility users and the responding utility providers, the call routing module further configured to apportion the incoming customer contacts between native customer service agents and assisting customer service agents; a data exchange module configured to provide the native customer service agents and the assisting customer service agents with access to an updateable database comprising data related to the customers of the requesting utility user; a universal interface module provided to the assisting customer service agents during periods of high demand for customer service that exceed the native customer service capacity of the requesting utility user; and a mutual assistance call answering system that, when activated, is configured to automatically distribute incoming customer contacts directed to the requesting utility user to available customer service agents of the requesting utility user and responding utility provider, wherein the assisting customer service agents of the responding utility provider are configured to provide customer assistance to the customers of the requesting utility provider and communicate via a universal interface screen with a database of the requesting utility user, such that customer service is provided to the customers of the requesting utility user and enter data related to the customer contact in the database.