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.