Method and system of managing service reminders using mileage estimates and generating customer surveys

• US 20040249529A1
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Cobalt Group Incorporated (Automatic Data Processing Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: The Cobalt Group Incorporated (Automatic Data Processing Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kelly, John, Supra, John
• Application Number:
  US10/858,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249529A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for sending mileage based service reminders and generating customer satisfaction surveys. The mileage of the vehicle can be estimated based on the age of the vehicle, or it can be based on the last known mileage of the vehicle and estimating the additional mileage using average vehicle mileage statistics. The mileage of the vehicle may be estimated based on actual vehicle history, and may be adjusted based on the characteristics of the vehicle, the driver, or the geographic location of the vehicle. Customers who have scheduled and taken their vehicle in for a service appointment are sent an e-mail including a link to a customer satisfaction survey. Through the link the survey is specific to time and date of the actual appointment, thereby providing the service shop with survey information correlating to the time and date of the service visit. Customers may also update vehicle information including mileage of the vehicle and customer preferences.

Claims

2. A method of scheduling a service appointment based on a service reminder for a vehicle, comprising:

retrieving information on a particular vehicle from a database,

estimating the current mileage of the particular vehicle,

comparing the current mileage to a list of service reminders,

in the event the estimated current mileage matches a mileage window for a service reminder, generating a service reminder, and

after the vehicle has been serviced, sending a link to a customer satisfaction survey to a recipient of the service reminder.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of sending the service reminder as an e-mail message to a recipient responsible for the care of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of sending a customer satisfaction survey page in response to a recipient of the service reminder clicking on the scheduling link.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of colleting results of the customer satisfaction survey.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of correlating the results of the, customer satisfaction survey with the time and date of the service visit.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the customer satisfaction survey further includes a correction button, whereby clicking on the correction button allows the recipient to update vehicle data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the updating of vehicle data includes the ability to update vehicle mileage.

9. A method of generating a service reminder for a vehicle, comprising:

retrieving information on a particular vehicle from a database,

estimating the current mileage of the particular vehicle using the last known mileage of the vehicle, wherein the days elapsed since the recording of the last known mileage of the vehicle is multiplied by an average mileage per time period factor to estimate the vehicle'"'"'s current mileage,

comparing the current mileage estimate to a list of service reminders,

in the event the estimated current mileage matches a mileage window for a service reminder, generating a service reminder, and

after the vehicle has been serviced, sending a link to a customer satisfaction survey to a recipient of the service reminder.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of sending the service reminder as an e-mail message to a recipient responsible for the care of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of sending a customer satisfaction survey page in response to a recipient of the service reminder clicking on the scheduling link.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of colleting results of the customer satisfaction survey.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of correlating the results of the customer satisfaction survey with the time and date of the service visit.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the customer satisfaction survey further includes a correction button, whereby clicking on the correction button allows the recipient to update vehicle data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the updating of vehicle data includes the ability to update vehicle mileage.

16. A method of generating a service reminder for a vehicle, comprising:

retrieving information on a particular vehicle from a database, determining the process of estimating the vehicle'"'"'s mileage, then;

(i) in the event the determination indicates the vehicle age should be used,

estimating the current mileage of the particular vehicle using the age of the vehicle, wherein the age of the vehicle is multiplied by an average mileage per time period factor to estimate the vehicle'"'"'s current mileage,

(ii) in the event the determination indicates the vehicle'"'"'s last known mileage should be used,

estimating the current mileage of the particular vehicle using the last known mileage of the vehicle, wherein the days elapsed since the recording of the last known mileage of the vehicle is multiplied by an average mileage per time period factor to estimate the vehicle'"'"'s current mileage,

comparing the current mileage estimate to a list of service reminders,

in the event the estimated current mileage matches a mileage window for a service reminder, generating a service reminder, and

after the vehicle has been serviced, sending a link to a customer satisfaction survey to a recipient of the service reminder.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of sending the service reminder as an e-mail message to a recipient responsible for the care of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of sending a customer satisfaction survey page in response to a recipient of the service reminder clicking on the scheduling link.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of colleting results of the customer satisfaction survey.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of correlating the results of the customer satisfaction survey with the time and date of the service visit.

21-1. The method of claim 21, wherein the updating of vehicle data includes the ability to update vehicle mileage.

22. A system for generating a service reminder for a vehicle, comprising:

a reminder server; and

a database including information relating to vehicles, vehicle owners and drivers, vehicle service reminders;

wherein the reminder server retrieves information on a particular vehicle from a database, and, based on the information retrieved, determines the process of estimating the vehicle'"'"'s mileage, then;

(i) in the event the determination indicates the vehicle age should be used,

estimating the current mileage of the particular vehicle using the age of the vehicle, wherein the age of the vehicle is multiplied by an average mileage per time period factor to estimate the vehicle'"'"'s current mileage,

(ii) in the event the determination indicates the vehicle'"'"'s last known mileage should be used,

estimating the current mileage of the particular vehicle using the last known mileage of the vehicle, wherein the days elapsed since the recording of the last known mileage of the vehicle is multiplied by an average mileage per time period factor to estimate the vehicle'"'"'s current mileage,

comparing the current mileage estimate to a list of service reminders,

in the event the estimated current mileage matches a mileage window for a service reminder, generating a service reminder, and

wherein the reminder server also, after the vehicle has been serviced, sends a link to a customer satisfaction survey to a recipient of the service reminder.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of sending the service reminder as an e-mail message to a recipient responsible for the care of the vehicle.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of sending a customer satisfaction survey page in response to a recipient of the service reminder clicking on the scheduling link.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of colleting results of the customer satisfaction survey.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of correlating the results of the customer satisfaction survey with the time and date of the service visit.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the customer satisfaction survey further includes a correction button, whereby clicking on the correction button allows the recipient to update vehicle data.