Account management tool for e-billing system

• US 20020052812A1
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Braverman, David K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

An account management methodology and system for sales representatives of an enterprise employing an e-billing system including a computer system accessible for on-line interactive communication of product and service invoices to users. The account management tool includes a database for storing customer account information including customer invoices, the customer information including information for associating a customer account with a particular sales representative; a mechanism for retrieving from the database a list of all customer accounts associated with the sales representative; and, a device for transmitting a list of customer accounts associated with the sales representative to a sales representative browser device for that sales representative'"'"'s review. The account management methodology and system includes an e-mail notification feature enabling receipt of email notifying a sales representative that a customer has signed up for (or) has been deleted from e-billing. A sales representative is further provided with the ability to turn off/on this email notification.

Claims

1. A method for providing an on-line billing system, the method comprising:

storing account information of a plurality of customers in a database, the account information including information for associating each of the plurality of customers with a particular agent among a plurality of agents;

generating a list of customer accounts corresponding to the particular agent from the account information; and

displaying the list via a web browser to the agent.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

drilling down to view a particular customer invoice associated with a particular customer account selected from the list.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing automatic receipt of an e-mail notification message to notify one of the plurality of agents of an event associated with the customer, wherein the event includes at least one of a new enrollment and an account cancellation.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

selectively disabling the automatic receipt of the e-mail notification.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the customer account in the storing step is associated with a user identification of the particular agent.

6. A server apparatus for providing an on-line billing system, the server apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to retrieve account information of a plurality of customers in a database, the account information including information for associating each of the plurality of customers with a particular agent among a plurality of agents; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to generate a list of customer accounts corresponding to the particular agent from the account information, and to instruct display of the list via a web browser to the agent.

7. The server apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to drill down to view a particular customer invoice associated with a particular customer account selected from the list.

8. The server apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to provide automatic receipt of an e-mail notification message to notify one of the plurality of agents of an event associated with the customer, wherein the event includes at least one of a new enrollment and an account cancellation.

9. The server apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to selectively disable the automatic receipt of the e-mail notification.

10. The server apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the customer account is associated with a user identification of the particular agent.

11. An e-billing system comprising:

a database configured to store account information of a plurality of customers in a database, the account information including information for associating each of the plurality of customers with a particular agent among a plurality of agents;

a server communicating with the database, the server being configured to generate a list of customer accounts corresponding to the particular agent from the account information, and to instruct display of the list via a web browser to the agent; and

a client communicating with the server, the client being configured to run the web browser to display the list.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the server is configured to drill down to view a particular customer invoice associated with a particular customer account selected from the list.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the server is configured to provide automatic receipt of an e-mail notification message to notify one of the plurality of agents of an event associated with the customer, wherein the event includes at least one of a new enrollment and an account cancellation.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the server is configured to selectively disable the automatic receipt of the e-mail notification.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the customer account is associated with a user identification of the particular agent.

17. The server apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for drilling down to view a particular customer invoice associated with a particular customer account selected from the list.

18. The server apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for providing automatic receipt of an e-mail notification message to notify one of the plurality of agents of an event associated with the customer, wherein the event includes at least one of a new enrollment and an account cancellation.

19. The server apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for selectively disabling the automatic receipt of the e-mail notification.

20. The server apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the customer account is associated with a user identification of the particular agent.

16. A server apparatus for providing an on-line billing system, the server apparatus comprising:

means for storing account information of a plurality of customers in a database, the account information including information for associating each of the plurality of customers with a particular agent among a plurality of agents;

means for generating a list of customer accounts corresponding to the particular agent from the account information; and

means for displaying the list via a web browser to the agent.

21. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for providing an on-line billing system, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

storing account information of a plurality of customers in a database, the account information including information for associating each of the plurality of customers with a particular agent among a plurality of agents;

generating a list of customer accounts corresponding to the particular agent from the account information; and

displaying the list via a web browser to the agent.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the one or more processors further perform the step of:

drilling down to view a particular customer invoice associated with a particular customer account selected from the list.

23. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the one or more processors further perform the step of:

providing automatic receipt of an e-mail notification message to notify one of the plurality of agents of an event associated with the customer, wherein the event includes at least one of a new enrollment and an account cancellation.

24. The computer-readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the one or more processors further perform the step of:

selectively disabling the automatic receipt of the e-mail notification.

25. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the customer account in the storing step is associated with a user identification of the particular agent.

27. The account management tool according to claim 26, further including a drill-down mechanism for enabling viewing of a particular customer invoice associated with a particular customer account selected from the customer account list.

28. The account management tool according to claim 26, further including e-mail notification mechanism enabling a sales representative to specify automatic receipt of e-mail notification message when a new customer is enrolled for e-billing.

29. The account management tool according to claim 28, further including e-mail notification mechanism enabling a sales representative to specify automatic receipt of e-mail notification message when a customer cancels an e-billing customer account.

30. The account management tool according to claim 29, further including mechanism for enabling a sales representative to disable the e-mail notification mechanism.

31. The account management tool according to claim 26, wherein the customer account is associated with a user ID of the sales representative and recognized by the e-billing system.

26. An account management tool for sales representatives of an enterprise employing an e-billing system including a computer system accessible for on-line interactive communication of product and service invoices to users, the account management tool comprising:

a database for storing customer account information including customer invoices, the customer information including information for associating a customer account with a particular sales representative;

a mechanism for retrieving from the database a list of all customer accounts associated with the sales representative; and

device for transmitting a list of the customer accounts associated with the sales representative to a sales representative browser device for display thereof, whereby customer account information associated with the sales representative is available for review.

32. A method for tracking customers enrolled in an e- billing system employed by an enterprise, the e-billing system including a computer system accessible for on-line interactive communication of product and service invoices to customers, the method comprising:

tracking enrolled customers and associated customer account information, and storing customer account information including customer invoices of the enrolled customers in a database, associating enrolled customers with a particular sales representative of the enterprise;

retrieving from the database a list of all customer accounts associated with the sales representative; and

transmitting a list of the customer accounts associated with the sales representative to a sales representative browser device for display thereof, whereby customer account information associated with the sales representative is available for sales representative review.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein upon determination of a new customer enrolled in the e-billing system, the step of automatically notifying the sales representative of the new enrolled customer.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein upon determination of a customer being deleted from the e-billing system, the step of automatically notifying the sales representative of the deleted customer.