Computer-implemented method and system for matching a consumer to a home service provider

• US 20060184381A1
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Service Magic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Service Magic Incorporated
• Inventors: Rice, Rodney S., Zurcher, James Andrew, Beaudoin, Michael J., Sullivan, Ryan J.
• Application Number:
  US11/342,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20060184381A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A method and system for matching ready-to-act consumers and pre-qualified service providers are described. Consumer-to-Business commerce transactions can be facilitated by pre-qualifying both consumers and service providers and matching a consumer who selects a single, pre-qualified service provider. For example, according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, using information provided by the consumer, such as the consumer'"'"'s address, type of work requested, etc., a matching system can determine whether a single, pre-qualified home service provider chosen by the consumer matches or meets the service need of the consumer and other criteria of the matching system. If the matching system determines that the consumer and the consumer'"'"'s single, selected home service provider are not a match, then the consumer may permit his or her service request to be matched with the consumer lead criteria of one or more un-known or not previously selected service providers relative to the consumer.

Claims

1. A method for matching a consumer to a home service provider comprising:

receiving home service provider information from a home service provider, the home service provider information comprising at least one of a home service provider geographic location, work preferences of the home service provider, and spending limit for receiving one or more consumer leads;

storing the home service provider information in a computer database;

receiving a consumer request for a home service with a computer, the consumer request comprising at least one of a home service geographic location and a type of the home service;

receiving a selection of a single home service provider with a computer;

determining with the computer if home service provider geographic location of the selected single home service provider matches the home service geographic location;

determining with the computer if work preferences of the selected single home service provider match the type of service of the consumer request;

determining with the computer if a spending limit for receiving one or more consumer leads of the selected single home service provider has met a predetermined threshold; and

providing access to the selected home service provider if the selected home service provider matches the home service location and the type of service of the consumer request, and falls within the predetermined threshold for the spending limit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving home service provider information from a home service provider further comprises receiving licensing information from the home service provider.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining with the computer if licensing information of a selected home service provider is valid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving home service provider information from a home service provider further comprises receiving a home service provider payment method for receiving one or more consumer requests.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining with the computer if a home service provider payment method for receiving one or more consumer leads of a selected home service provider is valid.

6. The method of claim 1, further determining with the computer if a selected home service provider desires to accept consumer leads after querying the database with the computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining with the computer if a home service provider geographic location of a selected single home service provider matches the home service geographic location further comprises a comparing a first zip code of the selected single home service provider with a second zip code of the home service geographic location.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the home service geographic location with an interactive voice recognition system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a consumer request for a home service with the computer further comprises receiving the consumer request over a computer network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving preferences for communication from at least one of a consumer and a selected single home service provider.

11. A method for matching a consumer to a home service provider comprising:

receiving home service provider information from a home service provider, the home service provider information comprising at least one of a home service provider geographic location, work preferences of the home service provider, a home service provider payment method for receiving one or more consumer requests;

storing the home service provider information in a computer database;

receiving a consumer request for a home service with a computer, the consumer request comprising at least one of a home service geographic location and a type of the home service;

receiving a selection of a single home service provider with a computer;

determining with the computer if a home service provider geographic location of the selected single home service provide matches the home service geographic location;

determining with the computer if work preferences of the selected single home service provider match the type of service of the consumer request;

determining with the computer if a home service provider payment method for receiving one or more consumer leads of the selected single home service provider is valid ; and

providing access to the selected home service provider if the selected home service provider matches the home service location and the type of service of the consumer request, and if the home service provider payment method of the selected home service provider is valid.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving home service provider information from a home service provider further comprises receiving a spending limit for receiving one or more consumer leads from a home service provider.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining with the computer if spending limit for receiving one or more consumer leads for a selected single service provider has met a predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving home service provider information from a home service provider further comprises receiving licensing information from the home service provider.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining with the computer if licensing information of the selected single home service provider is valid.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprises determining with the computer if a home service provider desires to accept consumer leads.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein determining with the computer if a home service provider geographic location of a selected single home service provider matches the home service geographic location comprises comparing a first zip code of the selected single home service provider with a second zip code of the home service geographic location.