Automated methods and systems for assisting customers in making purchases utilizing verbal communication

摘要

Methods and systems assist customers in making purchases for goods and/or services by automating the purchase process while providing the customer the ability to speak the purchasing instructions. The customer may place a voice call into an automated service and verbally request that a purchase of a general nature be made. The verbal request is converted into instruction data. A customer profile is referenced to determine information such as price and brand requirements that govern purchases to be made on behalf of the customer, and a purchase is initiated according to the instruction data and the customer profile. The automated service may, in addition or in the alternative, perform purchase option searches in accordance with the customer profile. The results of the purchase option search are provided to the customer so that the customer may then provide a verbal instruction that a purchase should be made.