SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ONLINE AGENCY

• US 20120290332A1
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Branch Banking & Trust Company (Truist Financial Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Branch Banking & Trust Company (Truist Financial Corp.)
• Inventors: Bradshaw, Brandon H., Nester, Kenneth Gray II, Velett, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 8,793,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

The present disclosure describes novel systems and methods for a customer to receive information and/or purchase a product or service while interacting with multiple vendors through a single contact/agency. The customer is able to communicate with the agency through a variety of communication modes. The agency adapts the customer'"'"'s input as necessary to meet the requirements of the vendors and the agency returns information to the customer so that the customer can conveniently interact with the multiple vendors. The systems and methods allow for the customer to stop and restart the process at various points using any of the communication modes. The agency has the ability to present the customer with prospecting, sales, service, upgrades, cross-sells, and other pre- and post-purchase services at the single point-of-contact agency.

Claims

1. A system for providing information to a customer for choosing a product, comprising:

a first module for receiving from a customer a first set of information regarding a product;

a second module for providing a second set of information to the customer, via the first module, based on the received first set of information, wherein said second module is operatively connected to said first module;

a third module for receiving and processing first customer data regarding said product, wherein said third module is operatively connected to said first module;

a fourth module for sending first processed customer data to one or more product providers and for receiving first product data from said one or more product providers in response to said first processed customer data, wherein said fourth module is operatively connected to said third module and to said product providers;

said third module further for sending said first product data to said customer, for receiving a product choice from said customer in response to said first product data, and for receiving and processing second customer data regarding said product choice;

said fourth module further for sending second processed customer data to one of said product providers associated with said product choice and for receiving from said one product provider second product data in response to said second processed customer data; and

said third module further for processing said second product data and for sending said second product data to said customer.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said third module further for receiving from said customer an acceptance of said second product data including customer payment information;

said fourth module further for sending to said one product provider an indication of receipt of the customer payment information; and

said third module further for sending to said customer an indication of purchase of said product choice.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said first set of information includes customer matching information.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said system is owned and operated by an online-capable business and wherein:

said first module includes a first network interface for communicating with said customer;

said second module includes a first database that is internal to said online-capable business and a second database that is external to said online-capable business;

said third module includes a processor for processing first and second customer data and for processing second product data; and

and said fourth module includes a second network interface for communicating with said one or more product providers.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said online-capable business is selected from the group consisting of:

a financial institution, a subsidiary of a financial institution, a company affiliated with a financial institution, and combinations thereof.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said second module further includes a processor operatively connected to said first and second databases wherein said processor is programmed for:

(a) determining if the customer is an online client of the online-capable business;

(b) determining a status of the customer if the customer is not a current online client of the online-capable business or if said first set of information is not verified by the online-capable business, including determining if the customer is an offline client of the online-capable business and if so, presenting a first content to the customer, otherwise flagging the customer as a pending customer; and

(c) establishing for the customer credentials which allow the customer to save a third set of information so that the customer may later resume choosing a product via an online channel, an offline channel, a telephonic channel, or combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said system is owned and operated by an online-capable business and said customer identification information includes an online identification for said customer with said online-capable business.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said online-capable business is selected from the group consisting of:

a financial institution, a subsidiary of a financial institution, a company affiliated with a financial institution, and combinations thereof.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said first customer data comprises insurance coverage information.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said first processed customer data includes a first modification to said first customer data wherein said first modification is based on a first predetermined information for at least one of said product providers,

and wherein said first product data includes an insurance quote based on said first processed customer data,

and wherein said product choice includes a selection of an insurance quote from said one product provider,

and wherein said second customer data includes specific information provided by said customer wherein said specific information is required by said one product provider for said product choice,

and wherein said second processed customer data includes a second modification to said second customer data wherein said second modification is based on a second predetermined information for said one product provider,

and wherein said second product data includes insurance policy information for said product choice.

11. A system for providing information to a customer for choosing a product, comprising:

a first module for receiving from a customer a first set of information regarding a product;

a second module for providing a second set of information to the customer, via the said first module, based on the received first set of information, wherein said second module is operatively connected to said first module;

a third module operatively connected to said first module, for receiving, via said first module, first customer data regarding said product and processing said first customer data;

a fourth module operatively connected to said third module and to one or more product providers, for sending said first processed customer data to said one or more product providers and for receiving first product data from said one or more product providers in response to said first processed customer data;

said third module further for sending, via said first module, said first product data to said customer, and for receiving, via said first module, a product choice and second customer data regarding said product choice from said customer in response to said first product data, and processing said second customer data;

said fourth module further for sending said second processed customer data to one of said product providers associated with said product choice and for receiving from said one product provider second product data in response to said second processed customer data; and

said third module further for processing said second product data and for sending said second product data, via said first module, to said customer.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein:

said third module further for receiving from said customer, via said first module, an acceptance of said second product data including customer payment information;

said fourth module further for sending to said one product provider an indication of receipt of the customer payment information; and

said third module further for sending to said customer, via said first module, an indication of purchase of said product choice.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said first set of information includes customer matching information.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said system is owned and operated by an online-capable business and wherein:

said first module includes a first network interface for communicating with said customer;

said second module includes a first database that is internal to said online-capable business and a second database that is external to said online-capable business;

said third module includes a processor for processing first and second customer data and for processing second product data; and

and said fourth module includes a second network interface for communicating with said one or more product providers.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said online-capable business is selected from the group consisting of:

a financial institution, a subsidiary of a financial institution, a company affiliated with a financial institution, and combinations thereof.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said second module further includes a processor operatively connected to said first and second databases wherein said processor is programmed for:

(a) determining if the customer is an online client of the online-capable business;

(b) determining a status of the customer if the customer is not a current online client of the online-capable business or if said first set of information is not verified by the online-capable business, including determining if the customer is an offline client of the online-capable business and if so, presenting a first content to the customer, otherwise flagging the customer as a pending customer; and

(c) establishing for the customer credentials which allow the customer to save a third set of information so that the customer may later resume choosing a product via an online channel, an offline channel, a telephonic channel, or combinations thereof.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein said system is owned and operated by an online-capable business and said customer identification information includes an online identification for said customer with said online-capable business.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said online-capable business is selected from the group consisting of:

a financial institution, a subsidiary of a financial institution, a company affiliated with a financial institution, and combinations thereof.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein said first customer data comprises insurance coverage information.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said first processed customer data includes a first modification to said first customer data wherein said first modification is based on a first predetermined information for at least one of said product providers, and wherein said first product data includes an insurance quote based on said first processed customer data,

and wherein said product choice includes a selection of an insurance quote from said one product provider,

and wherein said second customer data includes specific information provided by said customer wherein said specific information is required by said one product provider for said product choice,

and wherein said second processed customer data includes a second modification to said second customer data wherein said second modification is based on a second predetermined information for said one product provider,

and wherein said second product data includes insurance policy information for said product choice.

21. A method for providing information from a business to a customer for assisting the customer in choosing a product, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving from a customer a first set of information regarding a product, wherein the first set of information is received via a first computer interface communicating with the customer over a computer network;

(b) providing a second set of information to the customer via said first computer interface based on the received first set of information;

(c) receiving first customer data regarding said product;

(d) processing, using a microprocessor, the first customer data;

(e) sending the processed first customer data to one or more product providers via a second computer interface;

(f) receiving, via said second computer interface, a reply from at least one of the one or more product providers in response to the processed first customer data;

(g) determining if the reply includes first product data and if so, sending, via said first computer interface, the first product data to said customer;

(h) receiving, via said first computer interface, a product choice and second customer data regarding the product choice from the customer in response to said first product data;

(i) processing, using said microprocessor, the second customer data;

(j) sending, via said second computer interface, the processed second customer data to one of the product providers associated with the product choice and for receiving from the one product provider, via the second computer interface, second product data in response to the processed second customer data;

(k) processing, using said microprocessor, the second product data; and

(l) sending the processed second data, via said first computer interface, to the customer.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

(m) receiving from the customer an acceptance of the second product data including customer payment information;

(n) sending to the one product provider an indication of receipt of the customer payment information; and

(o) sending to the customer an indication of purchase of the product choice.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein if the determination in step (g) results in the reply not containing first product data:

(g)(i) sending to the customer a notification that no product data was received;

(g)(ii) receiving and processing third customer data regarding the product and sending the processed third customer data to the one or more product providers; and

(g)(iii) receiving first product data from the one or more providers.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein if the determination in step (g) results in the reply not containing first product data:

(g)(i) receiving at a customer contact sales center a telephone call from the customer;

(g)(ii) recommending to the customer changes to the first customer data; and

(g)(iii) processing the first customer data and providing the customer with first product data.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of:

(p) setting up an account for the customer with the business; and

(q) providing product information to the customer based on the product choice.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the product information is selected from the group consisting of:

payment reminders, payment deadlines, renewal reminders, renewal information, cross-sell opportunities, up-sell opportunities, and combinations thereof.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the first customer data comprises insurance coverage information.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the first processed customer data includes a first modification to the first customer data wherein the first modification is based on a first predetermined information for at least one of the product providers,

and wherein the first product data includes an insurance quote based on the first processed customer data,

and wherein the product choice includes a selection of an insurance quote from the one product provider,

and wherein the second customer data includes specific information provided by the customer wherein the specific information is required by the one product provider for the product choice,

and wherein the second processed customer data includes a second modification to the second customer data wherein the second modification is based on a second predetermined information for the one product provider,

and wherein the second product data includes insurance policy information for the product choice.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the first customer data comprises post-purchase insurance service information.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the post-purchase insurance service information is selected from the group consisting of:

a request for insurance of a second product, a request for insurance for a third person, and combinations thereof.

31. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of processing the first customer data includes performing a suitability check on the customer based on predetermined criteria for each of the one or more product providers, and wherein the processed first customer data is sent to a subset of the one or more product providers based on the suitability check.

32. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of processing the first customer data includes performing a pre-approval determination of the customer for a cross-sell product.

33. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of providing the second set of information to the customer includes providing a template of fields of information for the first customer data wherein at least one field of the template is pre-filled with information from a database.

34. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

(m) determining if the customer is an online client of the business;

(n) determining a status of the customer if the customer is not a current online client of the business or if said first set of information is not verified by the business, including determining if the customer is an offline client of the business and if so, presenting a first content to the customer, otherwise flagging the customer as a pending customer; and

(o) establishing for the customer credentials which allow the customer to save a third set of information so that the customer may later resume choosing a product via an online channel, an offline channel, a telephonic channel, and combinations thereof.