1. A method for operating an interactive response system comprising: receiving data representing an utterance from a person; automatically presenting the utterance in perceptible form to a number of intent analysts, each through an analyst user interface; accepting intent input from each intent analyst through the respective analyst user interface, where the intent input characterizes the intent analyst's interpretation of the person's intent expressed in the utterance; and automatically communicating a message to the person, in perceptible form and in substantially real time relative to the receiving step, the message being automatically selected from among a predetermined set of possible messages as a function of the intent input accepted from the intent analysts.