SYSTEMS, METHODS, APPARATUSES AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR GENERATING CUSTOMIZED RETURN NOTIFICATIONS

• US 20100145754A1
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rahman, Atm A.
• Application Number:
  US12/331,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20100145754A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An apparatus and system are provided for facilitating a customized return process in which notifications may be sent to a customer reminding the customer to return a product. The apparatus includes a processor capable of periodically monitoring tracking information associated with a product(s) and determine whether a product(s) corresponds to a particular type of package. The processor is also capable of determining, at a specified time, whether the product has departed a location of a first entity and determining whether the first entity was given a time frame in which the product(s) was scheduled to depart the location of the first entity and whether the product departed the first location upon the expiration of a time period. The processor is also capable of generating a message that is sent to the first entity instructing the first entity to send the product to another entity within a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a customized return process for products, comprising:

periodically monitoring, via a processor, tracking information associated with one or more products;

determining, via the processor, whether at least one of the products corresponds to a first type of product among a plurality of types of products;

determining, via the processor at a first specified time, whether the at least one product has departed a first location of a first entity in route for delivery to a second entity in response to determining that the at least one product corresponds to the first type;

determining, via the processor, whether the first entity was given a first predetermined time period in which the at least one product was scheduled to depart the first location of the first entity in route for delivery to the second entity,

wherein in response to the determination revealing that the first entity was given the first predetermined time period, determining whether the at least one product departed the first location of the first entity upon expiration of the predetermined time period; and

sending, via the processor, a first message to the first entity in response to the determination revealing that the at least one product did not depart from the first location upon the expiration of the predetermined time period, the first message comprises data instructing the first entity to send the product to the second entity within a second predetermined time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending comprises sending the first message via a telephone call to a first device of the first entity, wherein the data comprises voice data comprising one or more speech signals corresponding to a voice recording.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data of the first message comprises information indicating a monetary fee that is owed by the first entity due to failure of the least one product departing from the first location within the first predetermined time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data of the first message comprises information requesting whether the first entity would like to arrange for pickup of the at least one product to be delivered to the second entity by a shipping carrier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, via the processor, whether at least one other of the products corresponds to a second type of package among a plurality of types of packages;

determining, via the processor at a second specified time, whether the at least one other product was scheduled to depart a second location of a third entity at a certain time; and

determining, via the processor, whether the at least one product departed the second location within a threshold of the certain time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first entity comprises a purchaser of the at least one product or an entity that otherwise obtained the at least one product and the second entity comprises a seller or manufacturer of the at least one product and wherein the first type of product comprises a product that is to be returned to the second entity by the first entity and the second type of product is a product that is to be sent to the first entity by second entity.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating, via the processor, a second message in response to the determination revealing that the at least one product did not depart the second location within the threshold; and

sending, via the processor, the second message to the third entity, the message comprises information instructing the third entity to immediately send the at least one other product to another location.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating, via the processor, a third message and sending the third message to the first entity, the third message comprises content indicating a time and date that the at least other product is expected to be delivered to the first entity and includes information specifying that the other product will be delivered to the first location associated with the first entity.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

associating, via the processor, at least a first tracking number corresponding to the at least one product with at least a second tracking number corresponding to the at least other product; and

generating data associated with the at least one product and the at least one other product when at least one of the first or second tracking numbers are scanned.

10. An apparatus for facilitating a customized return process, the apparatus comprising a processor configured to:

periodically monitor tracking information associated with one or more products;

determine whether at least one of the products corresponds to a first type of product among a plurality of types of products;

determine, at a first specified time, whether the at least one product has departed a first location of a first entity in route for delivery to a second entity, in response to determining that the at least one product corresponds to the first type;

determine whether the first entity was given a first predetermined time period in which the at least one product was scheduled to depart the first location of the first entity in route for delivery to the second entity,

wherein in response to the determination revealing that the first entity was given the first predetermined time period, determine whether the at least one product departed the first location of the first entity upon expiration of the predetermined time period; and

send a first message to a first device which is configured to transmit the first message to the first entity in response to the determination revealing that the at least one product did not depart from the first location upon the expiration of the predetermined time period, the first message comprises data instructing the first entity to send the product to the second entity within a second predetermined time period.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor the processor is configured to send the first message via a telephone call to a second device of the first entity, wherein the data comprises voice data comprising one or more speech signals corresponding to a voice recording.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the data of the first message comprises information indicating a monetary fee that is owed by the first entity due to failure of the least one product departing from the first location within the first predetermined time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the data of the first message comprises information requesting whether the first entity would like to arrange for pickup of the at least one product to be delivered to the second entity a shipping carrier.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether at least one other of the products corresponds to a second type of package among a plurality of types of packages;

determine, at a second specified time, whether the at least one other product was scheduled to depart a second location of a third entity at a certain time; and

determine whether the at least one product departed the second location within a threshold of the certain time.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first entity comprises a purchaser of the at least one product or an entity that otherwise obtained the at least one product and the second entity comprises a seller or manufacturer of the at least one product and wherein the first type of product comprises a product that is to be returned to the second entity by the first entity and the second type of product is a product that is to be sent to the first entity by second entity.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a second message in response to the determination revealing that the at least one product did not depart the second location within the threshold; and

send the second message to the third entity, the message comprises information instructing the third entity to immediately send the at least one other product to another location.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a third message and send the third message to the first device which transmits the third message to the first entity, the third message comprises content indicating a time and date that the at least other product is expected to be delivered to the first entity and includes information specifying that the other product will be delivered to the first location associated with the first entity.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

associate at least a first tracking number corresponding to the at least one product with at least a second tracking number corresponding to the at least one other product; and

generate data associated with the at least one product and the at least one other product when at least one of the first or second tracking numbers are scanned.

19. A computer program product for facilitating a customized return process, the computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for periodically monitoring tracking information associated with one or more products;

a second executable portion for determining whether at least one of the products corresponds to a first type of product among a plurality of types of products;

a third executable portion for determining, at a first specified time, whether the at least one product has departed a first location of a first entity in route for delivery to a second entity in response to determining that the at least one product corresponds to the first type;

a fourth executable portion for determining whether the first entity was given a first predetermined time period in which the at least one product was scheduled to depart the first location of the first entity in route for delivery to the second entity,

wherein in response to the determination revealing that the first entity was given the first predetermined time period, determining whether the at least one product departed the first location of the first entity upon expiration of the predetermined time period; and

a fifth executable portion for sending a first message to the first entity in response to the determination revealing that the at least one product did not depart from the first location upon the expiration of the predetermined time period, the first message comprises data instructing the first entity to send the product to the second entity within a second predetermined time period.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

a sixth executable portion for determining whether at least one other of the products corresponds to a second type of package among a plurality of types of packages;

a seventh executable portion for determining, at a second specified time, whether the at least one other product was scheduled to depart a second location of a third entity at a certain time; and

an eighth executable portion for determining whether the at least one product departed the second location within a threshold of the certain time.