Method and apparatus for facilitating communication regarding a customer

• US 20030093287A1
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Capital Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Capital Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Lowery, Thomas Tyson
• Application Number:
  US10/061,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093287A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program code for facilitating communication between one or more referral sources and one or more service providers. A party or device implementing the methods disclosed herein may receive leads or other information from a referral source, create a lead from information received from a referral source, provide some or all of the information to a service provider, and receive updates to the lead or information from the service provider. The party or device may implement a Web site to coordinate activities between referral sources and service providers.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating multiparty communication regarding leads, comprising:

receiving initial information regarding a customer lead from a first party;

identifying a second party to which to provide at least a portion of the initial information;

providing at least a portion of said initial information to said second party;

receiving updated information regarding said customer lead from said second party; and

determining compensation owed by said second party based, at least in part, on said updated information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving initial information regarding a customer lead from a first party includes at least one of the following:

allowing said first party to provide said initial information via a Web site;

receiving said initial information via an electronic communication;

receiving said initial information at a Web site accessed by said first party.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying a second party to which to provide said initial information includes at least one of the following:

allowing said first party to select said second party from a plurality of service providers; and

allowing said first party to identify a service needed by said customer and identifying a party that can provide said service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying a second party to which to provide said initial information includes at least one of the following:

selecting said second party from a plurality of service providers;

determining a service needed by said customer based on said initial information and identifying a party that can provide said service; and

receiving an identification of said second party from said first party.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying a second party to which to provide said initial information includes:

determining a characteristic associated with said customer based, at least in part, on said initial information;

determining a service associated with said characteristic; and

identifying a party that can provide said service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing at least a portion of said initial information to said second party includes:

providing a notice to said second party regarding availability of at least a portion of said initial information; and

allowing said second party to retrieve at least a portion of said initial information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing at least a portion of said initial information to said second party includes:

providing a notice to said second party regarding availability of at least a portion of said initial information; and

allowing said second party access to said portion of said initial information via a Web site.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing at least a portion of said initial information to said second party includes at least one of the following:

providing an electronic communication to said second party that includes said at least a portion of said initial information; and

providing an electronic communication to said second party that includes data indicative of a location of said at least a portion of said information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing at least a portion of said initial information to said second party includes at least one of the following:

providing an email message to said second party indicative of a receipt of said initial information; and

providing an electronic communication to said second party indicative of a receipt of information regarding said customer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving updated information regarding said customer lead from said second party includes at least one of the following:

allowing said second party to provide said updated information via a Web site;

allowing said second party to access a Web site where said initial information is stored and update said initial information via said Web site;

receiving said updated information via an electronic communication; and

receiving said updated information at a Web site accessed by said second party.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining compensation owed by said second party based, at least in part, on said updated information includes at least one of the following:

determining a value of a transaction between said second party and said customer;

determining existence of a transaction between said second party and said customer and basing said compensation, at least in part, on said transaction;

charging a fee to said second party for providing at least a portion of said initial information; and

charging a fee to said second party per transaction between said second party and said customer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said initial information includes at least one of the following:

information regarding contact between said first party and said customer;

a name of said customer;

contact information for said customer;

a postal address for said customer;

a description of said customer;

a characteristic of said customer; and

a customer identifier.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said first party is a referral source.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said second party is a service provider.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said compensation is based on at least one of the following:

a fee per transaction conducted between said second party and said customer;

a percentage of revenue received by said second party as a result of a transaction between said second party and said customer; and

a fee per customer contacted by said second party.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said updated information includes at least one of the following:

updated contact information for said customer;

updated postal address for said customer;

information regarding a transaction between said second party and said customer;

information regarding a sale of services by said second party to customer; and

information regarding contact between said second party and said customer.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing information regarding a plurality of service providers, wherein said second party is one of said plurality of service providers.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

creating a lead associated with said first customer and said second party, wherein said lead includes at least part of said initial information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein none of said plurality of service providers other than said second party have access to said lead.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said allowing said second party to access said initial information includes allowing said second party to access said lead.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving initial information regarding a new customer lead from said first party;

identifying a third party to which to provide said initial information regarding said new customer;

providing at least a portion of said initial information regarding said new customer lead to said third party; and

receiving updated information regarding said new customer lead from said third party.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said compensation.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least a portion of said compensation to said first party.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an amount of said compensation to provide to said first party.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a characteristic associated with said customer based, at least in part, on said information.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein said characteristic includes at least one of the following:

a description of property managed by said customer;

a description of property owned by said customer;

a description of property being developed by said customer;

a current need for a service expressed by said customer;

an expected need for a service of said customer;

a description of at least one business activity conducted by said customer; and

a geographic location of said customer.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein said first party does not have access to said updated information.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a report regarding said second party and at least one customer lead associated with said second party.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

providing said report to said second party.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein said first party generates said initial information as a result of an interaction with said customer.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a notification of said compensation.

32. A method for facilitating multiparty communication regarding leads, comprising:

receiving initial information regarding a first customer from a first party;

identifying a second party to which to provide a notice regarding availability of at least a portion of said initial information;

providing said notice to said second party;

allowing said second party to access said at least a portion of said initial information; and

receiving updated information regarding said first customer from said second party.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said identifying a second party to which to provide a notice regarding availability of at least a portion of said initial information includes at least one of the following:

allowing said first party to select said second party from a plurality of service providers;

allowing said first party to identify a service needed by said first customer and identifying a party that can provide said service;

selecting said second party from a plurality of service providers;

determining a service needed by said customer based on said initial information and identifying a party that can provide said service; and

receiving an identification of said second party from said first party.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said identifying a second party to which to provide a notice regarding availability of at least a portion of said initial information includes at least one of the following:

determining a characteristic associated with said customer based, at least in part, on said, initial information; and

determining a service associated with said characteristic; and

identifying a party that can provide said service.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein said providing said notice to said second party includes at least one of the following:

providing an electronic communication to said second party that includes said notice;

providing an electronic communication to said second party that includes data indicative of a location of said notice;

providing an email message to said second party indicative of a receipt of said initial information; and

providing an electronic communication to said second party indicative of a receipt of information regarding said customer.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein said allowing said second party to access said at least a portion of said initial information includes at least one of the following:

allowing access by said second party to a Web site that includes said at least a portion of said initial information;

allowing said second party to retrieve said at least a portion of said information from a resource indicated in said notice; and

allowing said second party to access a resource indicated in said notice; and

facilitating access by said second party to said at least a portion of said initial information via a Web site.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

storing information regarding a plurality of service providers, wherein said party is one of said plurality of service providers.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving initial information regarding a second customer from a third party;

identifying a fourth party to which to provide a notice regarding availability of at least a portion of said initial information regarding said second customer;

providing said notice regarding availability of at least a portion of said initial information regarding said second customer to said fourth party; and

allowing said fourth party to access said at least a portion of said initial information regarding said second customer.

39. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving initial information regarding a second customer from said first party;

identifying a third party to which to provide a notice regarding availability of at least a portion of said initial information regarding said second customer;

providing said notice regarding availability of at least a portion of said initial information regarding said second customer to said third party; and

allowing said third party to access said at least a portion of said initial information regarding said second customer.

40. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

determining compensation owed by said second party based, at least in part, on said updated information.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

receiving said compensation.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

determining a least a portion of said compensation owed to said first party.

43. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

providing at least a portion of said compensation to said first party.

44. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

creating a lead based, at least in part, on said initial information.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said identifying a second party to which to provide a notice regarding availability of at least a portion of said initial information comprises:

identifying a second party to provide a notice regarding availability of said lead.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein said allowing said second party to access said at least a portion of said initial information comprises:

allowing said second party to access said lead.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein said first party is one of a plurality of service providers and none of said plurality of service providers except said first party can access said lead.

48. A method for facilitating access to information regarding at least one customer, comprising:

facilitating creation of a first lead based, at least in part, on information regarding a customer;

facilitating identification of a first party which will be allowed to access said first lead;

providing a notice to said first party regarding availability of access to said first lead; and

allowing said first party to access said first lead.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

creating a second lead based, at least in part, on said information;

identifying a second party to which to provide a notice regarding availability of said second lead;

providing said notice to said second party; and

allowing said second party to access said second lead.

50. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

receiving information regarding said customer.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said first lead is based, at least in part, on said information.

52. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

receiving updates to said information from said first party.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

determining compensation owed by said first party based, at least in part, on said updated information.

54. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

maintaining information regarding a plurality of service providers, wherein said first party is one of said plurality of service providers.

55. A method for facilitating access to information regarding at least one customer, comprising:

allowing a first party to create a lead regarding a customer;

allowing said first party to identify a second party to which to provide said lead;

providing notice to said second party regarding availability of said lead;

allowing said second party to access said lead; and

receiving updated information from said second party regarding said customer.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

determining compensation owed by said second party based, at least in part, on said updated information.

57. A system for facilitating access to customer information, comprising:

a memory;

a communication port; and

a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to;

facilitate creation of a first lead based, at least in part, on information regarding a customer;

facilitate identification of a first party which will be allowed to access said first lead;

provide a notice to said first party regarding availability of access to said first lead; and

allow said first party to access said first lead.

58. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for facilitating exchange of customer information, comprising:

first instructions for generating a lead based, at least in part, on information regarding a customer;

second instructions identifying a first party which will be allowed to access said lead;

third instructions for sending a notice to said first party regarding availability of access to said lead; and

fourth instructions for providing access said lead by said first party.