Abstract: A method for responding to customer queries using a communication network includes receiving one or more verbal queries from a customer via a customer communication device, digitizing and storing the verbal query, retrieving the stored query and transcribing the query by a human transcriber, spot-checking by a quality assurance operator of the transcribed query, and routing the transcribed query to a human researcher. The researcher than performs research using search engines, databases, and/or knowledge-bases to obtain an answer to the query. The researcher's answer may also be spot-checked by a quality assurance operator. The answer is then transmitted to the customer communication device in text format.