Communication system and method for providing customer assistance

• US 20020042732A1
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Tasler, Martin
• Application Number:
  US09/791,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042732A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for operating a communication system in which a central computer recognizes that a customer computer has retrieved an offer page for at least one offer from a supplier, receives at least one report of operating actions performed on the customer computer relative to the offer page, and evaluates the reported operating actions.

Claims

1. A method for operating a communication system, comprising the following steps:

a) recognizing, via a central computer, that a customer computer has retrieved an offer page for at least one offer from a supplier;

b) receiving, via the central computer, at least one report of operating actions performed on the customer computer relative to the offer page;

c) evaluating, via the central computer, the reported operating actions; and

d) offering interactive assistance to the customer computer when the evaluating step indicates with a prescribable degree of probability that the customer computer will not enter an order.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaluating step comprises evaluating time sequences, duration, or frequency of one or more operating actions.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating actions comprise operating a keyboard, operating a mouse, jumping between the offer page and other pages linked to the offer page, jumping between the other linked pages, or selecting standard assistance for the offer page.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, after the recognizing step, the step of the central computer accessing specific customer data for the customer computer and/or for the customer, wherein the specific customer data is stored in the customer computer.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the step of evaluating the specific data.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the receiving step and/or the steps of evaluating the reported operating actions or evaluating the specific data occur in real time.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of offering interactive assistance occurs in real time.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of offering interactive assistance comprises offering real time reciprocal exchange of information between the customer and a supplier page.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the reciprocal exchange of information comprises communication by telephone.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of, when the assistance is offered, reporting in real time the result of the evaluating step on the supplier page.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the offer page is stored on the central computer.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central computer and the customer computer are connected via the Internet.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the operating actions are reported online.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of offering interactive assistance occurs online.

15. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the step of the central computer receiving a report of operating actions and/or accessing the specific customer data via a cookie or an applet.

16. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the step of reciprocally exchanging information between the customer and the supplier page via an online chat service.

18. A communication system as claimed in claim 17, further configured to receive the report and/or access specific customer data stored in the customer computer via a cookie or an applet.

19. A communication system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the operating actions comprise operating a keyboard, operating a mouse, jumping between the offer page and other pages linked to the offer page, jumping between the other linked pages, or selecting standard assistance for the offer page.

20. A communication system as claimed in claim 17, further configured to receive the report, evaluate the operating actions, and offer interactive assistance in real time.

17. A communication system comprising a server configured to:

a) recognize that a customer computer has retrieved an offer page for a product or service;

b) receive at least one report of operating actions performed on the customer computer in a context of the offer page;

c) evaluate the operating actions; and

d) offer interactive assistance to the customer computer when the evaluating step indicates with a prescribable degree of probability that the customer computer will not enter an order.