Method and system for providing customer service for a household appliance

• US 20060010019A1
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Winenger, David J., Phillips, Scott H., Clemons, Jerrold D., Philipp, John C., Newby, Justin, Buntin, Stanley, Gier, Steven A., Sander, James F.
• Application Number:
  US10/854,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010019A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls

Abstract

In a customer service system and method, a customer of a household appliance has a personal service representative who is a main contact for the customer. The customer has access to at least part of a customer master data file that contains information related to the customer and to the household appliance. The master data file can be accessed through a website that is dedicated to the customer service system. Further, the customer can receive a home visit after the household appliance has been delivered and installed to ensure that the household appliance is properly installed and that the customer knows how to operate the household appliance. The customer service system and method can also include certified delivery and installation and certified service.

Claims

1. A method for providing customer service for a household appliance sold at a point of sale (POS) to a customer and subsequently installed in the customer'"'"'s home, the method comprising:

Visiting the customer'"'"'s home after the installation of the household appliance to conduct at least one of the following services;

checking the household appliance for proper installation, checking the household appliance for proper operation, and instructing the customer on the operation of the household appliance.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein all of the services are conducted during the visit.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein a representative of a wholesaler of the household appliance conducts the visit.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the representative is one of an employee or non-employee of the wholesaler.

5. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising recording product information for the household appliance during the visit.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the product information is recorded on a client device capable of being connected to a server having an associated data source for storing the recorded product information.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the client device is at least one of a:

portable computer, hand-held computing device, a personal digital assistant, or cellular phone.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the client device is wirelessly connected to the server to dynamically update the data source with the product information.

9. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising accessing customer information containing at least one of customer personal information and product information for the household appliance during the visit.

10. The method according to claim 9 and further comprising confirming at least one of the customer information and product information during the visit.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein both the customer information and product information are confirmed during the visit.

12. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising explaining the service benefits to the customer for the household appliance.

13. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising responding to a problem identified when providing one of the services.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the response to the identified problem comprises at least one of:

accessing help information and placing a service request for service on the household appliance.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein accessing help information comprises at least one of:

placing a call to a technical specialist and accessing problem solving guides.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein accessing problem solving guides comprises accessing a knowledge base.

17. The method according to claim 16 and further comprising updating the knowledge base with a description of the identified problem.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein the placing of a call to the technical specialist comprises a conference call with the customer.

19. The method according to claim 14 and further comprising providing the customer with access to information related to the scheduling of the service request.

20. The method according to claim 19 and further comprising receiving feedback from the customer regarding the information for the service request.

21. The method according to claim 20 and further comprising incorporating the customer feedback into the service to be provided in response to the service request.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein incorporating the feedback into the service comprises altering at least one of the:

service on the household appliance and the date or time of a service visit.

23. The method according to claim 22 and further comprising providing the service visit on the household appliance in accordance with the information for the service request.

24. The method according to claim 20 wherein access is provided to only a portion of the information for the service request.

25. The method according to claim 20 wherein access is provided to the information for the service request through a communications network.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the communications network is the Internet.

27. The method according to claim 20 and further comprising updating a knowledge base with at least one of the information for the service request and the feedback.

28. The method according to claim 27 and further comprising providing the customer with access to at least a portion of the knowledge base.

29. The method according to claim 28 and further comprising providing others with access to the at least a portion of the knowledge base.

30. The method according to claim 14 wherein the placing of the service request comprises confirming the date of the service visit with the customer.

31. The method according to claim 14 and further comprising contacting the customer after the service visit to determine the status of the problem.

32. The method according to claim 31 wherein the contacting the customer comprises at least one of:

a home visit, a telephone call, and an e-mail.

33. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising making a visual recording of the visit.

34. The method according to claim 33 and further comprising making at least a portion of the visual recording available to at least the customer.

35. The method according to claim 33 and using at least a portion of the visual recording to form a reality-based program.

36. The method according to claim 1 wherein the checking of the household appliance for proper installation comprises checking at least one of the temperature and humidity of the household appliance.

37. The method according to claim 1 wherein the instructing of the customer on the operation of the household appliance comprises conducting an overview of the basic operation of the household appliance.

38. The method according to claim 1 wherein the instructing of the customer on the operation of the household appliance comprises conducting an overview of special features of the household appliance.

39. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising scheduling the visit with the customer prior to the visit.

40. The method according to claim 39 wherein the scheduling of the visit comprises communicating with the customer to set the date of the visit.

41. The method according to claim 40 wherein the communication comprises at least one of telephoning or e-mailing the customer.

42. The method according to claim 39 and further comprising reviewing customer information at least one of:

prior to the visit and during the visit.

43. The method according to claim 42 and further comprising explaining the service benefits for the household appliance to the customer.

44. The method according to claim 43 and further comprising responding to a problem identified when providing one of the services.

45. The method according to claim 44 and further comprising updating the customer information in response to the visit.

46. The method according to claim 45 and further comprising updating a customer service database with the customer information.

47. The method according to claim 46 and further comprising providing the customer with access to at least a portion of the customer information.

48. The method according to claim 46 and further comprising visually recording the visit.

49. A method for providing customer service for a household appliance sold to a customer, comprising:

receiving a service request for providing service to the household appliance;

compiling information regarding the service request;

providing the customer with access to the compiled service request information; and

receiving feedback from the customer regarding the compiled service request information.

50. The method according to claim 49 and further comprising updating the compiled service request information based on the feedback from the customer.

51. The method according to claim 50 and further comprising incorporating the customer feedback into the service to be provided in response to the service request.

52. The method according to claim 51 wherein incorporating the feedback into the service comprises altering at least one of the:

service on the household appliance and the date or time of a service visit.

53. The method according to claim 51 and further comprising providing service on the household appliance in accordance with the compiled service request information.

54. The method according to claim 49 wherein access is provided to only a portion of the compiled service request information.

55. The method according to claim 49 wherein access is provided to the compiled service request information through a communications network.

56. The method according to claim 55 wherein the communications network is the Internet.

57. The method according to claim 49 and further comprising updating a knowledge base with at least one of the compiled service request information and the feedback.

58. The method according to claim 57 and further comprising providing the customer with access to at least a portion of the knowledge base.

59. The method according to claim 58 and further comprising providing others with access to the at least a portion of the knowledge base.

60. A system for providing service for a household appliance sold to a customer, comprising:

a server operably interconnected to a network having at least one client;

a data source associated with the server, the data source being configured to store information representative of a service request for the household appliance and accessible by the at least one client;

a feedback client operably interconnected with the network for receiving feedback information representative of a comment on the service request made by the customer;

wherein the at least one client can issue the information representative of the service request to the data source, and the feedback client can issue the at least one comment to the data source so that the customer service provided to the household appliance in accordance with the service request can be refined according to the at least one comment received from the feedback client.

61. The system according to claim 60 wherein the information representative of the service request comprises at least the information needed to provide service on the household appliance.

62. The system according to claim 61 wherein the information representative of the service request comprises at least one of:

description of the problem with the household appliance;

model of the household appliance;

scheduling information for a service visit;

customer personal information; and

service provider information.

63. The system according to claim 60 wherein the information representative of the service request is stored in an abbreviated form.

64. The system according to claim 63 wherein the abbreviated form comprises at least one of:

acronyms and service codes.

65. The system according to claim 63 and further comprising a translating client accessible by the data source and the feedback client to convert the abbreviated form to a language understandable by the customer.

66. The system according to claim 65 wherein the language is at least one of:

English, German, Spanish, Italian, and French.

67. The system according to claim 65 wherein the translating client creates the feedback information representative of the customer comment by converting the customer comment into the abbreviated form.

68. The system according to claim 67 wherein translating client comprises at least one of:

a human, a microprocessor, or software.

69. The system according to claim 60 wherein the at least one client comprises at least one of:

a human, a microprocessor, or software.

70. The system according to claim 69 wherein the human receives the service request and uses the at least one client to enter the information representative of the service request into the data source.

71. The system according to claim 70 and further comprising a voice network over which the human receives the service request.

72. The system according to claim 69 wherein the at least one client comprises an Internet browser.

73. The system according to claim 60 wherein the server comprises a web server.

74. The system according to claim 60 wherein the data source comprises at least one database.

75. The system according to claim 74 wherein the feedback client is operably interconnected to the at least one database so that the customer can access at least a portion of the data source.

76. The system according to claim 74 wherein the feedback client is associated with the data source such that the customer comment is used to update the data source.

77. The system according to claim 76 wherein the database resides on the server.

78. The system according to claim 60 wherein the network comprises at least one of:

the Internet, a Local Area Network, a wireless network, and the World Wide Web.

79. The system according to claim 78 wherein the feedback client comprises a web browser operably connected to the network.

80. The system according to claim 79 and further comprising a personal computing device on which the web browser resides.

81. The system according to claim 80 wherein the personal computing device comprises at least one of:

a personal computer, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular phone.

82. The system according to claim 81 wherein the feedback client further comprises a web site associated with the server so that the data source can be viewed on the web site using the web browser.

83. The system according to claim 60 and further comprising at least one data file containing information for conducting a home visit of the household appliance.

84. The system according to claim 83 wherein the at least one data file comprising information for conducting at least one of the following:

checking the household appliance for proper installation, checking the household appliance for proper operation, and instructing the customer on the operation of the household appliance.

85. The system according to claim 83 and further comprising a computing device on which the at least one data file resides.

86. The system according to claim 85 wherein the computing device is operably connected to the network to permit the updating of the at least one data file via the network.

87. The system according to claim 86 wherein the at least one data file is associated with the data source so that the at least one data file can be updated from the data source.

88. The system according to claim 87 wherein the data source includes at least one of customer personal information and product information for the household appliance so that the at least one data file can be personalized for at least one of the customer and the household appliance for the home visit.

89. The system according to claim 88 and further comprising a remote client residing on the computing device and providing an interface with the at least one file and permitting the reading and writing of the data file so that the at least one data file can be updated by the remote client.

90. The system according to claim 89 wherein the remote client is operably coupled to the network to permit the updating of corresponding data in the data source and the at least one data file when the data file is written to by the remote client.

91. The system according to claim 90 wherein the computing device comprises at least one of a personal computer, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular phone.

92. The system according to claim 86 the data source comprises at least one master data file to form the at least one data file that can be downloaded to the computing device over the network.

93. The system according to claim 92 wherein the data source further comprises a compilation of the household appliance information and feedback information which is used to update the master data file.

94. A method for providing personalized customer service for a specific brand of a household appliance sold to a customer by a wholesaler selling multiple brands of household appliances, comprising:

providing multiple service representatives dedicated to the specific brand;

assigning one of the multiple service representatives to the customer to personally manage the customer service for the specific brand; and

providing access by the customer to customer information related to the customer service.

95. The method according to claim 94 and further comprising receiving feedback from the customer regarding the customer information.

96. The method according to claim 95 wherein the customer information comprises personal information and product information.

97. The method according to claim 95 and further comprising updating the customer information based on the feedback from the customer.

98. The method according to claim 97 wherein the customer information comprises a service request for the household appliance.

99. The method according to claim 98 and further comprising providing a service visit on the household appliance in accordance with the updated customer information.

100. The method according to claim 99 wherein updating the customer information comprises altering at least one of the:

service on the household appliance and the date or time of the service visit.

101. The method according to claim 95 and further comprising updating a knowledge base with at least one of the customer information and the feedback.

102. The method according to claim 101 and further comprising providing the customer with access to at least a portion of the knowledge base.

103. The method according to claim 102 and further comprising providing others with access to the at least a portion of the knowledge base.

104. The method according to claim 94 wherein access is provided to only a portion of the customer information.

105. The method according to claim 94 wherein access is provided to the customer information through a communications network.

106. The method according to claim 105 wherein the communications network is the Internet.

107. The method according to claim 94 and further comprising visiting the customer'"'"'s home after installation of the household appliance to provide at least one of the following services:

checking the household appliance for proper installation, checking the household appliance for proper operation, and instructing the customer on the operation of the household appliance.

108. The method according to claim 107 and further comprising providing the services in accordance with a visit guide containing predetermined service steps.

109. The method according to claim 108 wherein the visit guide is personalized with at least one of personal information and product information for the household appliance to be serviced.

110. The method according to claim 109 and further comprising dynamically updating the visit guide.

111. The method according to claim 109 and further comprising updating at least one of the personal information and product information in response to the home visit.

112. The method according to claim 107 wherein all of the services are provided during the visit.

113. The method according to claim 112 and further comprising recording product information for the household appliance during the visit.

114. The method according to claim 113 and further comprising explaining the service benefits to the customer for the household appliance.

115. The method according to claim 107 and further comprising responding to a problem identified when providing one of the services.

116. The method according to claim 115 wherein the response to the identified problem comprises at least one of:

accessing help information and placing a service request for service on the household appliance.

117. The method according to claim 116 wherein accessing help information comprises at least one of:

placing a call to a technical specialist and accessing a problem solving guide.

118. The method according to claim 117 wherein the placing of a call to the technical specialist comprises a conference call with the customer.

119. The method according to claim 107 and further comprising making a visual recording of the visit.

120. The method according to claim 119 and further comprising making at least a portion of the visual recording available to at least the customer.

121. The method according to claim 120 and using at least a portion of the visual recording to form a reality-based program.

122. The method according to claim 94 and further comprising providing household appliances of the specific brand with an enhanced warranty as compared to household appliances of the other brands.

123. The method according to claim 122 and further comprising receiving feedback from the customer regarding the customer information.

124. The method according to claim 123 and further comprising visiting the customer'"'"'s home after the installation of the household appliance to provide at least one of the following services:

checking the household appliance for proper installation, checking the household appliance for proper operation, and instructing the customer on the operation of the household appliance.

125. The method according to claim 124 and further comprising providing the services in accordance with a visit guide containing predetermined service steps.

126. The method according to claim 125 wherein all of the services are provided during the visit.

127. The method according to claim 124 wherein access to the customer'"'"'s home is obtained with an authorized access card.

128. The method according to claim 123 wherein the customer information comprises a service request for the household appliance, and the feedback is incorporated into the service request to update the service request.

129. The method according to claim 128 and further comprising providing a service visit on the household appliance in accordance with the updated service request.

130. The method according to claim 94 and further comprising installing the household appliance by a certified installation agent.

131. The method according to claim 94 and further comprising conducting a service visit by a service specialist to address a problem associated with the household appliance.

132. The method according to claim 131 wherein the service specialist has a personal computing device with access to the customer information.

133. The method according to claim 132 wherein the personal computing device has access to a service guide.

134. The method according to claim 133 wherein the service guide is updated by a knowledge base.

135. The method according to claim 94 and further providing a customer service website for providing access to the customer information by the customer.

136. The method according to claim 135 wherein the customer can provide feedback regarding the customer information through the customer service website.

137. The method according to claim 136 wherein the customer service website comprises a service request form that can be submitted by the customer.