Device and method for pricing repair services
First Claim
1. A method of determining pricing information corresponding to a service desired by a customer, the method comprising:
- receiving information relating to a plurality of different services offered by a service provider, said information including a cost and an expected frequency for each of the services;
grouping the different services into a limited set of pricing categories to optimize pricing of the different services, at least one of said pricing categories including at least two unrelated different services;
determining a unique price associated with each of the pricing categories as a function of the cost and the expected frequency for each of the different services in the respective pricing category;
generating a price list, said price list including the grouped pricing categories and the determined unique prices associated therewith;
identifying in the price list the pricing category which includes the desired service; and
identifying in the price list the unique price associated with the identified pricing category, the identified price representing the price to be charged to the customer for the desired service.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A list of pricing information for repair services includes a potentially large number of repair services grouped into a limited number of price categories such that the price of any given pricing category represents the price of each different service included in that category. A method of using this price list to determine the price of a particular repair service desired by a customer includes the steps of identifying in the price list the pricing category which includes the particular service desired, and determining the unique price assigned to that pricing category. Preferably, the price list is initially displayed to a customer before the customer'"'"'s equipment is diagnosed, and the customer is informed that the cost of the repair service will be one of the prices associated with a listed pricing category. Upon diagnosing the customer'"'"'s equipment to determine the particular repair service needed, and advising the customer of such, the service technician as well as the customer can each reference the price list independently to readily determine the price of the desired service.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of determining pricing information corresponding to a service desired by a customer, the method comprising:
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receiving information relating to a plurality of different services offered by a service provider, said information including a cost and an expected frequency for each of the services;
grouping the different services into a limited set of pricing categories to optimize pricing of the different services, at least one of said pricing categories including at least two unrelated different services;
determining a unique price associated with each of the pricing categories as a function of the cost and the expected frequency for each of the different services in the respective pricing category;
generating a price list, said price list including the grouped pricing categories and the determined unique prices associated therewith;
identifying in the price list the pricing category which includes the desired service; and
identifying in the price list the unique price associated with the identified pricing category, the identified price representing the price to be charged to the customer for the desired service. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of communicating to a customer pricing formation corresponding to a service desired by the customer, the method comprising:
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receiving information relating to a plurality of different services offered by a service provider, said information including a cost and an expected frequency for each of the services;
grouping the different services into a limited set of pricing categories to optimize pricing of the services, at least one of said pricing categories including at least two unrelated different services;
determining a unique price associated with each of the pricing categories as a function of the cost and the expected frequency for each of the different services in the respective pricing category;
generating a price list, said price list including the grouped pricing categories and the determined unique prices associated therewith; and
displaying to the customer the price list, thereby enabling the customer to determine the price to be charged to the customer by the service provider for the desired service by identifying in the price list the unique price associated with the pricing category which includes the desired service. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of pricing a plurality of different services offered by a service provider, any one of which may be needed by a customer, the method comprising:
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grouping the different services into a limited set of pricing categories as a function of a cost of each service and an expected frequency at which each service is rendered;
at least one of said pricing categories including at least two unrelated different services;
determining a unique price for each of the pricing categories as a function of the cost and the expected frequency for each of the services in the respective pricing category;
assigning the unique prices to the pricing categories whereby the unique price assigned to a particular one of the pricing categories represents the price of each service grouped into that particular one pricing category; and
rendering information to the customer relating to the pricing categories and the unique prices assigned thereto. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification