SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING AND OBTAINING VALIDATED CUSTOMER FEEDBACK INFORMATION

• US 20110218930A1
• Filed: 03/08/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iverification Services, LLC
• Original Assignee: Iverification Services, LLC
• Inventors: Black, Jonathan K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing validated customer feedback information about a service provider. Generally, the method includes providing a customer with a digital ratings device, such as digital pen, that is capable of receiving feedback information from the customer and uploading the information to a third-party provider. As the customer uses the digital ratings device to provide the information, the device may associate the information with temporal data, such as the time, date, and location at which the customer provided the information. In some cases, the temporal data is checked to ensure that the customer is actually one of the provider'"'"'s customers. Because the information is validated as coming from a verified customer, the information is often more reliable than it would be if it were submitted anonymously. Thus, the validated information may present a substantially fair representation of the provider and be useful to potential customers.

Claims

1. A method for a first service provider to obtain validated customer feedback information about the first service provider, the method comprising:

providing a customer with a digital ratings device that comprises a mechanism for digitally recording initial customer feedback information from the customer, generating temporal data, and uploading the initial customer feedback information to a third-party validator;

instructing the customer to use the digital ratings device to provide the initial customer feedback information, wherein the digital ratings device associates the temporal information with the initial customer feedback information; and

uploading the initial customer feedback information to the third-party validator, wherein the third-party validator validates the initial customer feedback information to obtain the validated customer feedback information by checking the temporal data to ensure the customer is a verified customer of the first service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital ratings device comprises a digital pen having a unique digital identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the customer with a service rating form having a unique digital pattern that is recognizable by the digital ratings device and that identifies the service rating form with the first service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the third-party validator further validates the initial customer feedback information by checking the initial customer feedback information for an indicator that the initial customer feedback information is potentially fraudulent.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the indicator is selected from an indication that the initial customer feedback information was provided outside business hours of the first service provider, an indication that the initial customer feedback information was provided at a faster rate than specified as being reasonable, and an indication that more customers provided the initial customer feedback information than specified as being reasonable in set period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising instructing the third-party validator to disqualify a second service provider from participating in the method with a provider status when the third-party validator finds that the second service provider meets at least one provider-disqualification criterion.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising instructing the third-party validator to upload at least a portion of the validated customer feedback information to a first website designated by the first service provider as well as to a second website controlled by the third-party validator.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising giving the customer an option to make at least a portion of the initial customer feedback information available to the public or to only a select group.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the third-party validator further validates the initial customer feedback information by removing content that meets at least one content-disqualification criterion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first service provider comprises a healthcare service provider.

11. A method for a third-party validator to provide validated customer feedback information about a first service provider, the method comprising:

receiving initial customer feedback information regarding the first service provider, wherein the initial information was provided by a customer using a digital ratings device that records the initial information and associates the initial information with temporal data regarding the conditions under which the customer provides the initial information; and

validating the initial information to provide the validated customer feedback information by checking the temporal data to ensure the customer is a verified customer of the first service provider.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein validating the initial information further comprises checking the initial information for an indicator that the initial information is potentially fraudulent.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the indicator is selected from an indication that the initial information was provided outside business hours of the first service provider, a sign that that the initial information was provided at a faster rate than specified as being reasonable, and a sign that more customers provided the initial information than specified as being reasonable in set period of time.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising disqualifying a second service provider from participating in the method with a provider status when the second service provider meets at least one provider-disqualification criterion.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising uploading the validated information to a first website designated by the first service provider as well as to a second website controlled by a third-party validator.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the temporal data comprises a time, a date, and a location at which the customer provides the initial information with the digital ratings device.

17. A method for a third-party validator to provide validated customer feedback information about a service provider, the method comprising:

determining whether the service provider meets at least one provider-disqualification criterion that prevents the service provider from participating in the method with a provider status;

obtaining provider data identifying the service provider;

receiving rating data, survey data, or other initial customer feedback information regarding the service provider, wherein the initial information was provided by a customer using a digital pen that records the initial information and temporal data, which includes a time, a date, and a location at which the customer provided the initial information; and

validating the initial information to provide the validated customer feedback information by comparing the initial information with the provider data to ensure the customer is a verified customer of the service provider.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the indicator is selected from an indication that the initial information was provided outside business hours of the service provider, an indication that that the initial information was provided at a faster rate than specified as being reasonable, and an indication that more customers provided the initial information than specified as being reasonable in set period of time.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the initial information is provided on a service rating form comprising a unique digital pattern that is digitally recognizable to the digital ratings pen.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein validating the initial information further comprise screening the initial information to remove content that meets at least one content-disqualification criterion.