Method and system providing customer product support

• US 20040153327A1
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Huberty, Teresa, Liu, Janice, Oshima, Craig, Tahir, Marie
• Application Number:
  US10/355,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20040153327A1
• 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

Abstract

A method and system for providing customer support. Problem-type categories are provided to a user to select from for solving a product support problem. The user is also provided an interface to input a symptom related to the product support problem, in response to receiving the user'"'"'s category selection. The user is provided a solution based on the symptom received from the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing customer support comprising:

a) providing a plurality of categories to a user to select from for solving a product support problem by type of problem;

b) providing an interface to said user to input a symptom related to said product support problem in response to receiving a category selection from said user; and

c) providing a solution based on said symptom received from said user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said a) further comprises allowing said user to input product information related to said product support problem.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said b) comprises providing a list of common problems for said user to select from.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said b) comprises providing a list of common problems and a symptom description field.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a category of said plurality of categories relates to problems of multiple types of products.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to said user a list of products that may be related to said product support problem based on said symptom.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said user is not required to enter a product number to receive said solution.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said user is not required to enter a product type to receive said solution.

9. A system for providing customer support comprising:

an engine operable to provide a plurality of problem-type categories to a user to select from for solving a product support problem;

a process on said engine which provides an opportunity to said user to input a symptom related to said product support problem, and wherein said engine provides a solution based on said symptom.

10. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a database of documents coupled to said engine, said documents describing solutions to product support related problems; and

wherein said engine is further operable to search said database for said solution.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said documents are tagged by symptom.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein titles of said documents are symptom based.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein descriptions of said documents are symptom based.

14. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instruction which when executed on a general purpose processor implement a method for providing customer product support, said method comprising:

a) providing a plurality of problem type categories to a user to select from for solving a product support problem;

b) allowing said user to choose between entering a symptom and entering product information; and

c) providing to said user a solution based on said user-entered information in said b) and a problem type category selection in said a).

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said b) of said method further comprises providing a list of common problems for said user to select from.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said method further comprises providing a list of products that may be related to said product support problem based on said symptom.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein a category of said plurality of categories provides resolutions to problems of multiple types of products.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said plurality of categories are dedicated to a single product type.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said user is not required to enter a product number to receive said solution.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said user is not required to enter a product type to receive said solution.