Online installation scheduling system and method for cable services

• US 20050172325A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Monteyne, Donald G., Coughlin, Robert W. Jr., Henry, Jeffrey L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,620,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

A system and method for creating, scheduling, and managing time slots for installation appointments. Embodiments of the present invention permit a trading partner to offer a customer the ability to schedule installation of cable services on-line. A cable operator maintains an inventory of time slots. One or more time slots from the time slot inventor are offered to a customer based on ordering information received from the customer. A customer selects a time slot from the one or more offered time slots. A cable operator then assigns an installation appointment to the customer within the time slot selected by the customer. A cable operator may also determine the status of the inventory of time slots (e.g., time slots allocated, time slots consumed, and time slots available) for a system, a location, or a trading partner.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator comprising:

receiving ordering information for a service from a perspective customer via an order interface;

selecting an offered time slot from a time slot inventory comprising time slots based on the ordering information;

offering the offered time slot to the prospective customer via the order interface; and

receiving from the perspective customer a selected time slot via the order interface,

wherein the installation of the service is scheduled within the selected time slot.

2. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 1, wherein the order interface is an online interface.

3. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 1, wherein the online interface uses a Go2Broadband^SM service.

4. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 1, wherein the ordering information comprises customer'"'"'s name, address, contact number, and payment information.

5. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 1, wherein the service is selected from the group consisting of high-speed data service, voice over IP service, and video service.

6. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 1, the method further comprising:

before receiving ordering information, receiving service qualifying information; and

determining from the service qualifying information whether the service is available to the prospective customer.

7. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 6, wherein service qualifying information is selected from the group consisting of a zip code and a street address.

8. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 1, the method further comprising:

before offering the time slot for installation of the service, receiving order qualifying information; and

determining from the order qualifying information whether the potential customer may use the order interface.

9. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 8, wherein order qualifying information comprises affirmative responses to questions directed to whether the prospective customer lives in a house, whether the house is wired for cable services, and whether a cable outlet is within a threshold distance of a computer.

10. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 1, wherein the time slot inventory comprises a common slot pool and a reserved slot pool, and wherein selecting the offered time slot from the time slot inventory based on the ordering information comprises:

from the ordering information, determining whether the prospective customer is entitled to a time slot held in the reserved slot pool;

if the prospective customer is entitled to the time slot held reserve slot pool, selecting the time slot from the reserve slot pool.

11. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 10, wherein the cable operator comprises organizational units and the reserved slot pool is associated with an organizational unit, and where in the ordering information associates the prospective customer with the organizational unit.

12. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 10, wherein the cable operator offers services of trading partners and the reserved slot pool is associated with a trading partner unit, and where in the ordering information associates the prospective customer with the trading partner.

13. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 10, wherein the reserved slot pool comprises times slots grouped by time periods.

14. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 1, wherein a time slot comprises installation appointments and wherein the method further comprises assigning an installation appointment to the perspective customer within the selected time slot.

15. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 1, wherein the time slot inventory comprises time slots and wherein the method further comprises:

establishing an alert trigger for a time slot; and

receiving an alert message if the alert trigger is met.

16. The method for accepting on-line orders for HSD service from a cable operator of claim 15, wherein the time slot comprises installation appointments, and wherein the alert trigger is “

A”

or fewer installation appointments over the next “

B”

days.

17. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 15, wherein the time slot comprises installation appointments, and wherein the alert trigger is the earliest available installation appointment is more than “

C”

days away.

18. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 15, wherein the time slot comprises installation appointments, and wherein the alert trigger is exceeding a maximum percentage utilization for the timeslot, wherein a percentage utilization equals a number of scheduled installation appointments for the time slot divided by a maximum number of installation appointments allowed for that time slot.

19. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 15, wherein the time slot comprises installation appointments, and wherein the alert trigger is failing to reach a minimum percentage utilization in “

D”

days for the timeslot, wherein a percentage utilization equals a number of scheduled installation appointments for the time slot divided by a maximum number of installation appointments allowed for that time slot.

20. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 15, wherein the alert message is an e-mail message.

21. The method for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator of claim 1, wherein the ordering information comprises an e-mail address of the prospective customer, and wherein the method further comprises sending the prospective customer an installation reminder message to the e-mail address.

22. A system for scheduling installation of services from a cable operator comprising:

a time slot inventory comprising time slots;

an order interface adapted to receive orders from a perspective customer;

a time slot management system, wherein the time slot management system is adapted to;

receive ordering information for a service from the perspective customer via the order interface;

select an offered time slot from a time slot inventory comprising time slots based on the ordering information;

offer the offered time slot to the prospective customer via the order interface;

receive from the perspective customer a selected time slot via the order interface; and

schedule the service for installation within the selected time slot.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the order interface is an online interface.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the online interface uses a Go2Broadband-complaint service.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the ordering information comprises customer'"'"'s name, address, contact number, and payment information.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the service is selected from the group consisting of high-speed data service, voice over IP service, and video service.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the time slot management system is further adapted to:

before receiving ordering information, receive service qualifying information; and

determine from the service qualifying information whether the service is available to the prospective customer.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein service qualifying information is selected from the group consisting of a zip code and a street address.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the time slot management system is further adapted to:

before offering the time slot for installation of the service, receive order qualifying information; and

determine from the order qualifying information whether the potential customer may use the order interface.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein order qualifying information comprises affirmative responses to questions directed to whether the prospective customer lives in a house, whether the house is wired for cable services, and whether a cable outlet is within a threshold distance of a computer.

31. The system of claim 22, wherein the time slot inventory comprises a common slot pool and a reserved slot pool, and wherein the time slot management system is further adapted to:

from the ordering information, determine whether the prospective customer is entitled to a time slot held in the reserved slot pool;

if the prospective customer is entitled to the time slot held reserve slot pool, select the time slot from the reserve slot pool.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the cable operator comprises organizational units and the reserved slot pool is associated with an organizational unit, and where in the ordering information associates the prospective customer with the organizational unit.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the cable operator offers services of trading partners and the reserved slot pool is associated with a trading partner unit, and where in the ordering information associates the prospective customer with the trading partner.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the reserved slot pool comprises times slots grouped by time periods.

35. The system of claim 22, wherein a time slot comprises installation appointments and wherein the time slot management system is further adapted to assign the prospective customer an installation appointment within the selected time slot.

36. The system of claim 22, wherein the time slot inventory comprises time slots and wherein the time slot management system is further adapted to:

establish an alert trigger for a time slot; and

receive an alert message if the alert trigger is met.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the time slot comprises installation appointments, and wherein the alert trigger is “

A”

or fewer installation appointments over the next “

B”

days.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the time slot comprises installation appointments, and wherein the alert trigger is the earliest available installation appointment is more than “

C”

days away.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the time slot comprises installation appointments, and wherein the alert trigger is exceeding a maximum percentage utilization for the timeslot, wherein a percentage utilization equals a number of scheduled installation appointments for the time slot divided by a maximum number of installation appointments allowed for that time slot.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein the time slot comprises installation appointments, and wherein the alert trigger is failing to reach a minimum percentage utilization in “

D”

days for the timeslot, wherein a percentage utilization equals a number of scheduled installation appointments for the time slot divided by a maximum number of installation appointments allowed for that time slot.

41. The system of claim 36, wherein the alert message is an e-mail message.

42. The system of claim 22, wherein the ordering information comprises an e-mail address of the prospective customer, and wherein the time slot management system is further adapted to send the prospective customer an installation reminder message to the e-mail address.