Method for administering a survey, collecting, analyzing and presenting customer satisfaction feedback

• US 20050149382A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John D. Fenner, Pete K. Rahn
• Original Assignee: John D. Fenner, Pete K. Rahn
• Inventors: Rahn, Pete K., Fenner, John D.
• Application Number:
  US11/019,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149382A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls

Abstract

A customer interface device is programmed with one or more survey questions and information regarding the customer'"'"'s satisfaction with a product or service provided at the location of such device. The customer interface device displays the question, the customer inputs his answer, and additional questions may be generated. The data is stored and periodically transmitted to a Base Control Unit such as a processor with modem or wireless components. The data is stored and periodically transmitted to a data analyzer such as a computer or server which analyzes the number of responses indicating customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. If the number of one type of responses exceeds a specified threshold, then the business owner or service provider is notified immediately. If the number does not exceed the designated threshold, then the data analyzer manipulates the data for presentation, makes the data available to the subscribers and generates periodic user defined reports.

Claims

1. A system for automated, remote acquisition and collection of customer satisfaction feedback simultaneously from multiple locations, analyzing this feedback and presenting it to provide critical operational performance information through the utilization of a server based method that is scalable and low cost, the system comprising:

a) a uniquely identifiable electronic customer interface device with alphanumeric-graphic-capable display to present a question(s) to customers with two oversized buttons for entering their response and

b) a uniquely identifiable base control unit that periodically transfers questions to customer interface devices along with time synchronization, hours for their operation, new graphics and receives from the customer interface devices their operating condition and customer responses to store until a programmed time it will contact the server.

which are the means for administering an anonymous customer satisfaction survey at multiple customer interface points simultaneously to provide subunit as well as divisional operational performance information;

a) multiple locations means numerous sites at a single business establishment and/or

b) multiple business establishments

means for acquiring, collecting, analyzing and presenting the data without intercession by business establishment staff through remote, automated management of the system;

means for translating the customer satisfaction data to a predetermined format in a database;

means for correlating stored data with time;

date;

location; and

operating unit to establish performance results including trends and comparisons

a) correlating customer responses by time of day, day of week, location of customer interface device (e.g., drive-up window, restroom, exit door #3 or customer service window #2) and/or unit regardless of size (e.g., afternoon shift, manager X, store #152, region #7, subsidiary unit, entire company or industry),

b) correlating customer response trends including those by denomination cited in a) above

c) correlating customer response results by relative and comparative analysis including those by denomination cited in a) above

means for regular and extraordinary notification of customer satisfaction performance to desired persons/units;

means for business owner/operator (or their designees) to access standard and custom reports generated by the system;

2. ) Claims made in 1) above are possible due to the utilization of an internet centered method for management of base control units/customer interface devices and for the distribution of data analysis to client business owner/operators

which is the means to have an unlimited number of base control units/customer interface devices to provide vast amounts of customer input to populate data bases to analyze contemporaneous customer satisfaction levels by multiple units within an operation.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given for purposes of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.