A system and method for providing ongoing call center call assistance with the aid of a digital computer is provided. A call is received from a caller by an automatic call distributor in a call center and the caller is connected by the automatic call distributor to an agent of the call center. The agent's speech during the call is monitored by an intervention processor included in the call center. The intervention processor determines speech characteristics of the agent during the call, obtains predetermined speech characteristics for the agent, compares the predetermined speech characteristics to the speech characteristics determined during the call, and detects the agent being in need of assistance based on the comparison. The automatic call distributor determines a subject matter of the call and the intervention processor identifies an expert whose expertise matches the subject matter. The intervention processor patches the expert into the call.