System, method and apparatus for managing made-to-order food tickets for a restaurant service

• US 10,204,354 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GrubHub Inc.
• Original Assignee: GrubHub Inc.
• Inventors: Scotto, Stefano Alexander, Battle, Jacob Lyman, Evnin, Joshua, Danielson, Zach, Adams, Kristie, Maloney, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US14/639,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20150186916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 705 15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A customer service system operated by a restaurant service provides a restaurant service server. From a database, the restaurant service server retrieves a ticket that is generated by a restaurant service server application. The restaurant service server applies a diner credit policy to the ticket, and issues a diner credit for the diner associated with the ticket.

Claims

1. A customer service system for managing made-to-order food tickets for a restaurant service comprising:

i) a restaurant service server including a software application;

ii) the software application adapted to retrieve a ticket from a database, the ticket generated by a restaurant service server application of the restaurant service;

iii) the software application adapted to determine a type and a category of the ticket, wherein the type comprises a non-confirmation type, and wherein the category comprises an urgent category, a non-urgent category, or a general service category;

iv) the software application adapted to retrieve a set of customer service time thresholds for the ticket;

v) based on the type and the set of customer service time thresholds, the software application adapted to assign a display order for the ticket within the category;

vi) the software application adapted to receive a status update for the ticket over a network connection; and

vii) the software application adapted to store the status update for the ticket into the database.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the ticket is generated in response to a failure to transmit an order to a restaurant or confirm the order by the restaurant.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the restaurant service server is adapted to:

i) pause a communication status of the restaurant by indicating restaurant unavailability;

ii) generate a test order and send the test order to the restaurant for confirmation by the restaurant;

iii) where the test order is successfully confirmed by the restaurant, unpause the communication status of the restaurant by indicating restaurant availability; and

iv) where the test order is not successfully confirmed by the restaurant, continue to pause the communication status of the restaurant by indicating restaurant unavailability.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the restaurant service server is adapted to black out a menu item from a restaurant.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the ticket is generated in response to a message sent over a wide area network from an on-site service appliance or a delivery driver mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the type of the ticket further comprises is one of a non-confirmation type, a failed type, a callback blackout item type, a callback order issue type, a callback technical issue type, an order cancellation type, a late order type, a user review type, a data error type, a pause restaurant type, or a scheduled task type.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of customer service time thresholds comprises a snooze wake up time threshold and wherein the software application is adapted to set the snooze wake up time threshold.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of customer service time thresholds comprises an order time threshold and wherein the software application is adapted to set the order time threshold.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of customer service time thresholds comprises a ticket time threshold and wherein the software application is adapted to set the ticket time threshold.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the software application retrieves the ticket from the database through a different server.