System and method for customer contact management

• US 20040024608A1
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Saenz, Javier, Carlson, Dan, Klander, Ardyth, Klander, Lars, Goldwasser, Michael J., Nydam, Dave, Cohn, Jeff, Winkler, Claudia, Calderonello, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US10/406,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20040024608A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0243 Comparative campaigns
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for customer contact management is disclosed herein. The inventive system is configured to retain contact information for patrons registered with a particular commercial entity, such as a gaming establishment, and to track the preferences of these customers. Such preferences may include, for example, stated preferences with regard to particular casino games, leisure activities, and offers redeemed. In addition to recording stated preferences, the system determines actual preferences based upon data included within a data warehouse. Based on these preferences and other customer information, reports facilitating the scheduling and analysis of contacts made with these customers may be generated and displayed in order to ensure appropriate allocation of customer service and hosting resources.

Claims

1. A customer contact management system, comprising:

a data warehouse for storing customer information relating to a plurality of customers and transaction information involving said customers;

a contact system database, communicatively coupled to said data warehouse, in which is stored observed customer preference information derived from said transaction information; and

a central server including;

a processor; and

a memory associated with said processor, said memory including a customer contact module for managing said contact system database.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said contact system database further includes customer demographic information and stated customer preference information.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said contact system database further includes a campaign history component identifying marketing campaigns associated with ones of said plurality of customers.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said campaign history component includes information relating to status of offers associated with said marketing campaigns.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said contact system database further includes a gaming preferences component and an offers component containing information pertaining to offers associated with ones of said plurality of customers.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said contact system database further includes a contact history component.

7. The system of claim 1 further including display means configured to display a scheduled calls list, said scheduled calls list including entries corresponding to ones of said plurality of customers.

8. The system of claim 1 further including displaying contact history information associated with ones of said pluralities of customers, said contact history information providing a record of contact made with said ones of said pluralities of customers.

9. The system of claim 1 further including display means configured to display a customer list by host, said customer list by host associating groups of said customers with various host personnel.

10. The system of claim 1 further including display means configured to display a graphical representation of a merchant establishment and to superimpose representations of data received from said contact system database on said graphical representation.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said merchant establishment operates from one or more commercial premises, said graphical representation comprising a spatial representation of the premises of said merchant establishment.

12. A computer-implemented method for customer contact management, said method comprising:

storing customer information relating to a plurality of customers and transaction information involving said customers;

displaying a player detail view containing at least a portion of said customer information pertinent to one of said plurality of customers;

deriving, from said transaction information, observed customer preference information associated with said one of said plurality of customers; and

displaying said observed customer preference information.

13. The method of claim 12 further including storing demographic information and stated customer preference information associated with said one of said plurality of customers.

14. The method of claim 12 further including storing campaign history information, said campaign history information identifying at least one marketing campaign associated with said one of said plurality of customers.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said campaign history information includes data relating to status of at least one offer associated with said at least one marketing campaign.

16. The method of claim 12 further including storing a history of contact made with said one of said plurality of customers and displaying said history.

17. The method of claim 12 further including displaying a scheduled calls list, said scheduled calls list including an entry corresponding to said one of said plurality of customers.

18. The method of claim 12 further including displaying a customer list by host, said customer list by host associating groups of said customers with various host personnel.

19. The method of claim 12 further including displaying a graphical representation of a merchant establishment and superimposing representations of said customer information on said graphical representation.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said merchant establishment operates from one or more commercial premises, said graphical representation comprising a spatial representation of the premises of said merchant establishment.