System and method for preferred provider services in an enhanced directory assistance system

• US 20060072734A1
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Christine Baumeister, Robert Pines
• Original Assignee: Christine Baumeister, Robert Pines
• Inventors: Pines, Robert, Baumeister, Christine
• Application Number:
  US11/203,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20060072734A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/218.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4933 with operator assistance

Abstract

An enhanced directory assistance system includes a directory assistance platform configured to receive calls from at least one requester seeking a listing and a listing database, coupled to the directory assistance platform configured to store a plurality of listings. At least one listing has a preferred status. When the requester contacts the directory assistance platform seeking the listing, a customer service representative at the directory assistance platform retrieves listings that meet the requester'"'"'s search requirement, at least one of which is a listing having a preferred status. The at least one listing having a preferred status is given a more prominent display to the customer service representative than the remaining listings among the plurality of listings that do not have a preferred status.

Claims

1. An enhanced directory assistance system comprising:

a directory assistance platform configured to receive calls from at least one requester seeking a listing; and

a listing database, coupled to said directory assistance platform configured to store a plurality of listings, at least one listing having a preferred status, wherein when said requester contacts said directory assistance platform seeking said listing, a customer service representative at said directory assistance platform retrieves listings that meet the requester'"'"'s search requirement, at least one of which is a listing having a preferred status, and wherein said at least one listing having a preferred status is given a more prominent display to said customer service representative than the remaining listings among said plurality of listings that do not have a preferred status.

2. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said requester provides said search requirements for seeking a retail or commercial listing.

3. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said requester is seeking a listing from within a particular geographic location.

4. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said listings having a preferred status are displayed to said customer service representative on a separate screen from said listings not having a preferred status.

5. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said listings having a preferred status are displayed to said customer service representative in a results screen overlaying said screen containing said listings not having a preferred status.

6. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said listings having a preferred status are displayed to said customer service representative on the same results screen as said listings not having a preferred status, wherein said listings having a preferred status are shown in either one of bold or highlighted.

7. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said preferred status of said at least one listing having a preferred status is recorded as a positive marking in a preferred provider field of said listing.

8. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein in response to said request from said requester said directory assistance platform retrieves a predefined number of listings having a preferred status for prominent display to said customer service representative.

9. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 8, wherein if more than the predefined number of preferred status listings meet said requester'"'"'s search requirements, said directory assistance platform displays a portion of said listings having a preferred status that meet said requester'"'"'s search requirements, such that over the course of a predefined plurality of calls to said directory assistance system, said listings having a preferred status are displayed prominently to said customer service representatives a substantially equal number of times with regard to one another.

10. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said listings having a preferred status further maintain a preferred status ranking, wherein listings having a higher ranking are displayed more prominently to said customer service representative more often than said preferred status listings having a lower ranking.

11. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said listings having a preferred status having a higher ranking are more often prominently displayed to said customer service representative than said listings having a preferred status with a lower ranking, when said number of listings meeting said requester'"'"'s search requirements exceeds the predefined number to be displayed, such that over the course of a predefined plurality of calls to said directory assistance system, said listings having a preferred status and a higher ranking are displayed prominently to said customer service representatives a substantially greater number of times with regard to preferred listings having a lower ranking.

12. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a tracking database configured to store information related to said display, and selection of said listings having a preferred status.

13. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said tracking database includes statistics on how often said listings having a preferred status is accepted by said requester versus how often it is more prominently displayed to said customer service representative.

14. An enhanced directory assistance system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said tracking database includes statistics on how often listings not having a preferred status are accepted by said requester versus how often a preferred listing is accepted by said requester.

15. A method for providing enhanced directory assistance, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving calls from at least one requester at a directory assistance platform, said requester seeking a listing;

storing a plurality of listings in a listing database, coupled to said directory assistance platform;

applying a preferred status to at least one listing;

retrieving, by a customer service representative at said directory assistance platform, listings that meet the requester'"'"'s search requirements when said requester contacts said directory assistance platform, at least one of which is a listing afforded a preferred status; and

displaying to said customer service representative said at least one listing having a preferred status more prominently than the remaining listings among said plurality of listings that do not have a preferred status.