Abstract: A user is made to select among a retrieval of a knowledge data base, an inquiry through an electronic mail, and receipt of an answer to an inquiry through a telephone. This selection may be made through a homepage. When the user has selected a telephone call as a mode of receiving the answer, the operator makes a telephone call to the user using the operator's terminal.

Abstract: An arrangement is made so that, from an inquiry screen of the home page of the Web server, a selection is made among a retrieval of a knowledge data base, an inquiry through an electronic mail and a receipt of an answer through telephone, and in the case when the answer through telephone is selected in the home page, the corresponding one of operator terminals automatically calls out to the telephone of the user; therefore, it becomes possible to readily respond to an inquiry received through telephone, an electronic mail or a home page efficiently in a versatile manner.