Products and Processes for Addressing a Customer Service Issue

• US 20080249658A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Tedesco, Daniel E., Walker, Jay S., Breitenbach, Paul T.
• Application Number:
  US10/578,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20080249658A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a vending machine or other device receives, from a customer, a request for a product to be dispensed by a vending machine. It is determined that a customer service issue exists with the vending machine. It is also determined whether to provide a resolution to the customer service issue, and the resolution is provided to the vending machine customer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a customer, a request for a product to be dispensed by a vending machine, in which the request indicates a first product;

providing a plurality of selectable menu options, each of which defines at least one customer service issue;

receiving, from the customer, a selection of at least one of the menu options, thereby defining an indication of a customer service issue;

determining whether to provide a resolution to the customer service issue; and

providing, to the customer, an offer for a second product that is not the first product.

2. The method of claim 1, in which providing an offer comprises:

providing an offer for one of

the second product, and

a refund.

3. The method of claim 1, in which providing an offer for the second product comprises:

determining that a sales velocity of the second product is less than a threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, in which determining whether to provide a resolution to the customer service issue comprises:

determining whether to provide a resolution to the customer service issue based on sales velocity of the second product.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first product is unable to be dispensed from the vending machine; and

disabling the ability to request the first product.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, from a customer, a request for a product to be dispensed by a vending machine, in which the request indicates a first product;

determining that the vending machine has malfunctioned.

providing a plurality of selectable menu options, each of which defines at least one customer service issue;

receiving, from the customer, a selection of at least one of the menu options, thereby defining an indication of a customer service issue;

determining that a sales velocity of a second product is less than a threshold; and

determining whether to provide a resolution to the customer service issue based on the sales velocity; and

providing, to the customer, a compensation code that is redeemable for the second product.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, from a customer, a request for a product to be dispensed by a vending machine;

determining that a customer service issue exists;

determining whether to provide a resolution to the customer service issue; and

providing a resolution to the customer, in which the resolution includes providing an offer for a second product other than a first product indicated by the request.

8. The method of claim 7, in which determining that a customer service issue exists comprises:

receiving, from the customer, an indication of a customer service issue.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a plurality of selectable menu options, each of which defines at least one customer service issue;

and in which

receiving, from the customer, an indication of a customer service issue comprises;

receiving, from the customer, a selection of at least one of the menu options.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining diagnostic data of the vending machine; and

determining, based of the diagnostic data, at least one of the plurality of selectable menu options.

11. The method of claim 7, in which determining that a customer service issue exists comprises:

determining that the vending machine has malfunctioned.

12. The method of claim 11, in which

the request includes

an indication of a first product to be dispensed, and in which

determining that the vending machine has malfunctioned comprises:

determining that the vending machine has failed to dispense the first product.

13. The method of claim 12, in which

determining that the vending machine has failed to dispense the first product comprises:

determining that the vending machine has dispensed a product that is not the first product.

14. The method of claim 11, in which

determining that the vending machine has malfunctioned comprises:

determining that the vending machine has not processed payment correctly.

15. The method of claim 14, in which

determining that the vending machine has not processed payment correctly comprises:

determining that the vending machine has not properly credited payment that is tendered by the customer.

16. The method of claim 14, in which

determining that the vending machine has not processed payment correctly comprises:

determining that the vending machine has not properly dispensed payment that is due to the customer.

17. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining diagnostic data of the vending machine.

18. The method of claim 17, in which determining diagnostic data of the vending machine comprises at least one of:

assessing data in a database;

receiving an indication of a customer service issue from a customer;

generating an image of at least a portion of the vending machine; and

receiving data from a sensor that is operable to sense a condition of the vending machine.

19. The method of claim 7, in which providing a resolution to the vending machine customer comprises at least one of:

providing to the customer a product other than a product indicated by the request;

providing the customer with money via the vending machine;

establishing a credit balance of the vending machine;

applying credit toward a customer account of the customer;

providing a compensation code to the customer;

providing to the customer a voucher that is redeemable for a benefit from the vending machine;

providing to the customer a voucher that is redeemable for a benefit from another vending machine; and

providing to the customer a voucher that is redeemable for a product from a retail store.

20. The method of claim 7, in which providing an offer for a second product other than a first product indicated by the request comprises:

providing an offer for one of

the second product other than the first product indicated by the request, and a refund.

21. The method of claim 7, in which providing an offer for a second product other than a first product indicated by the request comprises:

determining that a sales velocity of the second product is less than a threshold; and

providing an offer for the second product.

22. The method of claim 7, in which determining whether to provide a resolution to the customer service issue comprises:

determining whether to provide a resolution to the customer service issue based on coin inventory.

23. The method of claim 7, in which determining whether to provide a resolution to the customer service issue comprises:

determining whether to provide a resolution to the customer service issue based on sales velocity of a product.

24. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that a third product is unable to be dispensed from the vending machine; and

disabling the ability of a customer to request the third product.

25. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

recording data associated with the customer service issue; and

determining a unique identifier for the customer service issue.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining a resolution based on the recorded data; and

communicating an indication of the determined to the customer.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving information which identifies the customer.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

outputting, to the customer, the unique. Identifier.

29. The method of claim 25, in which outputting, to the customer, the unique identifier comprises:

displaying an alphanumeric code.

30. The method of claim 7, in which recording data associated with the customer service issue comprises:

determining diagnostic data of the vending machine;

recording the diagnostic data.