Method and System for Implementing a Customer Incentive Program

• US 20080167964A1
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mohindra, Ajay, Pickover, Clifford A., Mastrianni, Steven J., Chefalas, Thomas E.
• Application Number:
  US12/054,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167964A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0216 Investment accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

A system and method for implementing a customer incentive program that conditionally rewards a customer based upon the customer'"'"'s movement through a shopping area and/or responses to questions which refer to the shopping area, sections of the shopping area and/or products located in the shopping area. While moving through a shopping area, a customer is monitored using a customer tracking system and/or presented with questions using a customer interface device. The customer is rewarded based upon the nature of the customer'"'"'s movements and/or the nature of the customer'"'"'s responses. The customer incentive program is designed to expose a customer to particular sections of a shopping area or specified products in the shopping area in order to motivate customer impulse buying.

Claims

1. A system for implementing a customer incentive program that rewards a customer moving within a shopping area, said system comprising:

a customer tracking system adapted to monitor said customer'"'"'s movement within said shopping area; and

a reward processing unit in communication with said customer tracking system, wherein said reward processing unit is adapted to reward said customer as a function of the nature of said movement.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of customer identification devices adapted to identify said customers in said shopping area.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said nature of said movement comprises the path said customer traveled within said shopping area.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said shopping area comprises a plurality of shopping sections and wherein said nature of said movement comprises the length of time spent in each of said plurality of shopping sections.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said nature of said movement comprises said customer'"'"'s physiological response to a selected product located in said shopping area.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said nature of said movement comprises the length of time said customer spent considering a selected product located in said shopping area.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a portable device transported by said customer as said customer moves within said shopping area;

wherein said portable device comprises at least one of said customer tracking system, a part of said customer tracking system, said reward processing unit and said customer identification device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said reward comprises at least one of money, a coupon, a discount, a rebate, a public acknowledgment, a service, an item of goods, a stock, a gift certificate, and a bond.

9. A system for implementing a customer incentive program that rewards a customer moving within a shopping area, said system comprising:

a plurality of customer interface devices adapted to elicit responses from said customer; and

a reward processing unit in communication with said plurality of customer interface devices;

wherein said reward processing unit is adapted to reward said customer as a function of the nature of said responses.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said responses refer to at least one of said shopping area and to a product located within said shopping area.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said nature of said responses comprises a number of said responses.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said nature of said responses comprises the content of said responses.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of customer identification devices adapted to identify said customer in said shopping area.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a portable device transported by said customer as said customer moves within said shopping area;

wherein said portable device comprises at least one of said reward processing unit, said customer interface device and said customer identification device.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said reward comprises at least one of money, a coupon, a discount, a rebate, a public acknowledgment, a service, an item of goods, a stock, a gift certificate, and a bond.

16. A system for implementing a customer incentive program that rewards a customer moving within a shopping area, said system comprising:

a customer tracking system adapted to monitor said customer'"'"'s movements within said shopping area;

a plurality of customer interface devices adapted to elicit responses from said customer; and

a reward processing unit in communication said customer tracking system and said plurality of customer interface devices, wherein said reward processing unit is adapted to reward said customer as a function of the nature of said customer movement and the nature of said responses.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of customer identification devices adapted to identify said customer in said shopping area.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a portable device transported by said customer as said customer moves within said shopping area;

wherein said portable device comprises at least one of said customer tracking system, a part of said customer tracking system, said customer interface device, said reward processing unit and said customer identification device.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said reward comprises at least one of money, a coupon, a discount, a rebate, a public acknowledgment, a service, an item of goods, a stock, a gift certificate, and a bond.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein monitoring said customer as said customer moves through said shopping area comprises:

gathering customer movement data, and

determining the nature of said movement.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein rewarding said customer as a function of the nature of said movement through said shopping area further comprises:

setting reward conditions based upon said movement data;

maintaining a customer record of said movement data; and

rewarding said customer once said movement data in said customer record meets said reward conditions.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising permitting transferring of rewards between customers.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising permitting transferring of rewards between customers.

20. A method for implementing a customer incentive program that rewards a customer moving within a shopping area, said system comprising:

monitoring said customer as said customer moves through said shopping area; and

rewarding said customer as a function of the nature of said movement through said shopping area.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising establishing a trans-shopping areas reward service bureau, wherein said trans-shopping areas reward service bureau determines reward conditions for multiple shopping areas.

25. A method for implementing a customer incentive program that rewards a customer moving within a shopping area, said method comprising:

eliciting customer responses, and

rewarding said customer as a function of the nature of said responses.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said responses refer to at least one of said shopping area and a product located within said shopping area.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein eliciting customer responses comprises:

asking said customer questions referring to at least one of said shopping area and a product within said shopping area;

receiving responses from said customer referring to at least one of said shopping area and a product within said shopping area; and

determining the nature of said responses.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising establishing a trans-shopping areas reward service bureau, wherein said trans-shopping areas reward service bureau determines reward conditions for multiple shopping areas.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein rewarding said customer as a function of the nature of said responses comprises:

setting reward conditions based upon said customer responses;

maintaining a customer record of said responses; and

rewarding said customer once said responses in said customer record meets said reward conditions.

31. A method for implementing a customer incentive program that rewards a customer moving within a shopping area, said system comprising:

monitoring said customer as said customer moves through said shopping area;

eliciting customer responses; and

rewarding said customer as a function of the nature of said responses and as a function of the nature of said movement through said shopping area.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said responses refer to at least one of said shopping area and a product located within said shopping area.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein monitoring said customer as said customer moves through said shopping area comprises:

gathering customer movement data, and

determining the nature of said movement.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein eliciting customer responses comprises:

asking said customer questions referring to at least one of said shopping area and a product within said shopping area;

receiving responses from said customer referring to at least one of said shopping area and a product within said shopping area; and

determining the nature of said responses.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising permitting transferring of rewards between customers.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein said method process of rewarding said customer further comprises providing said customer with at least one:

money, a coupon, a discount, a rebate, a public acknowledgment, a service, an item of goods, a stock, a gift certificate, and a bond.

35. The method of claim 35 further comprising establishing a trans-shopping areas reward service bureau, wherein said trans-shopping areas reward service bureau determines reward conditions for multiple shopping areas.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein rewarding said customer as a function of the nature of said responses and the nature of said movement through said shopping area comprises:

setting reward conditions based upon said customer movement data and said responses;

maintaining a customer record of said customer movement data and said responses; and

rewarding said customer once said movement data and responses in said customer record meets said reward conditions.