System and Method for Online Marketing, Scheduling and Booking of Services

• US 20120004943A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reichman Family Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Lifebooker, LLC (Booksy Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Reichman, Dana
• Granted Patent: US 8,478,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for online marketing, scheduling and booking of service appointments. In one example, the system for scheduling and booking of service appointments includes an inventory database containing schedules of booked and available service appointments associated with a plurality of service providers. The system further includes a calendar-based service provider interface for creating a schedule of services provided by the service provider and storing the schedule in the inventory database. The system further includes a calendar-based service user interface for displaying schedules of available service appointments and booking one or more service appointments.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for scheduling and booking of service appointments, the method comprising:

providing to a service provider a web-based service provider calendar interface for creating a schedule of services offered by the service provider, wherein the service provider interface allows the server provider to specify at least a type of the service, a practitioner, a price of the service, and a discount offer for the service, wherein the discount rate varies based at least on date or time of available service appointments;

receiving through the service provider interface a schedule of services offered by the service provider, wherein the schedule includes at least one service offer identifying the type of the service, the practitioner, the price of the service, and the discount offer;

storing the received schedule of services in an inventory database;

receiving from a service user a search criteria indicating one or more of a type of service, a date of service, a discount of the service, and a price of the service searched by the service user;

identifying in the inventory database one or more available service appointments that correspond to the type, the date and the price of service searched by the service user, wherein the corresponding price of service includes a discounted price based on the current discount rate for the date or time of the available service appointment;

displaying in a web-based service user calendar interface a schedule of available services and associated discounted prices that match the search criteria; and

booking with a service provider a service appointment for the service user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically decreasing or increasing the price of service appointment by a predetermined monetary amount in predetermined time increments based on the discount rate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the discount offer for service further includes an additional discount offer for a specified service practitioner who performs the service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the discount offer for service further includes an additional discount offer for a specified range of dates when the service is performed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the discount offer for service further includes an additional discount offer for a specified time range when the service is performed.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying service user based on the user'"'"'s history of using a particular service;

generating a targeted discount offer that includes the current discount rate; and

electronically sending the targeted discount offer to the identified service user.

7. A computer-implemented system for scheduling and booking of service appointments, the system comprising:

a memory storing a schedule of booked and available service appointments associated with a plurality of service providers; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to;

generate a web-based service provider calendar interface for creating a schedule of services offered by the service provider, wherein the service provider interface allows the server provider to specify at least a type of the service, a practitioner, a price of the service, and a discount offer for the service, wherein the discount rate varies based at least on date or time of available service appointments;

receive through the service provider interface a schedule of services offered by the service provider, wherein the schedule includes at least one service offer identifying the type of the service, the practitioner, the price of the service, and the discount offer;

store the received schedule of services in an inventory database;

receive from a service user a search criteria indicating one or more of a type of service, a date of service, a discount of the service, and a price of service searched by the service user;

identify in the inventory database one or more available service appointments that correspond to the type, the date and the price of service searched by the service user, wherein the corresponding price of service includes a discounted price based on the current discount rate for the date or time of the available service appointment;

display in a web-based service user calendar interface a schedule of available services and associated discounted prices that match the search criteria; and

book with a service provider a service appointment for the service user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor further configured to:

automatically decrease or increase the price of service by a predetermined monetary amount in predetermined time increments based on the discount rate.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the discount offer for service further includes an additional discount offer for a specified service practitioner who performs the service.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the discount offer for service further includes an additional discount offer for a specified range of dates when the service is performed.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the discount offer for service further includes an additional discount offer for a specified time range when the service is performed.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor further configured to:

identify service user based on the user'"'"'s history of using a particular service;

generate a targeted discount offer that includes the current discount rate; and

electronically send the targeted discount offer to the identified service user.

13. A computer program product embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the medium comprising program instructions for scheduling and booking service appointments, the medium comprising instructions for:

providing to a service provider a web-based service provider calendar interface for creating a schedule of services offered by the service provider, wherein the service provider interface allows the server provider to specify at least a type of the service, a practitioner, a price of the service, and a discount offer for the service, wherein the discount rate varies based at least on date or time of available service appointments;

receiving through the service provider interface a schedule of services offered by the service provider, wherein the schedule includes at least one service offer identifying the type of the service, the practitioner, the price of the service, and the discount offer;

storing the received schedule of services in an inventory database;

receiving from a service user a search criteria indicating one or more of a type of service, a date of service, a discount of the service, and a price of service searched by the service user;

identifying in the inventory database one or more available service appointments that correspond to the type, the date and the price of service searched by the service user, wherein the corresponding price of service includes a discounted price based on the current discount rate for the date or time of the available service appointment;

displaying in a web-based service user calendar interface a schedule of available services and associated discounted prices that match the search criteria; and

booking with a service provider a service appointment for the service user.

14. The product of claim 13, further comprising instructions for:

automatically decreasing or increasing the price of service by a predetermined monetary amount in predetermined time increments based on the discount rate.

15. The product of claim 13, wherein the discount offer for service further includes an additional discount offer for a specified service practitioner who performs the service.

16. The product of claim 13, wherein the discount offer for service further includes an additional discount offer for a specified range of dates when the service is performed.

17. The product of claim 13, wherein the discount offer for service further includes an additional discount offer for a specified time range when the service is performed.

18. The product of claim 13, further comprising instructions for:

identifying service user based on the user'"'"'s history of using a particular service;

generating a targeted discount offer that includes the current discount rate; and

electronically sending the targeted discount offer to the identified service user.