In-Store Communication, Service and Data Collection System

• US 20130006789A1
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Labeanru LLC
• Original Assignee: Labeanru LLC
• Inventors: Fulkerson, Thomas M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,418,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

An apparatus and method to improve the handling of in-store customer requests for assistance, generate feedback and use data generated by customer requests for assistance. A customer input device, such as a placard, hand-held or cart carried mobile device, enables customers to request assistance and immediately and easily grade the assistance they receive. In one embodiment, the communication from such customer input device is automatically routed to individual(s) having responsibility for the department from which the customer'"'"'s request for assistance has emanated. In other aspects, the response times, self expressed customer satisfaction scores and subsequent sales results are compiled and collated to improve customer service, and enable management to develop an appropriate reward or sanction system for sales employees. In still another embodiment, the customer request is associated with a musical chime or other identifying information that assists the customer representative in identifying the location of the customer.

Claims

1. An in-store communication and data collection system, comprising:

at least one customer interface unit;

a central processing unit in communication with the at least one customer interface unit;

a plurality of customer representative units in communication with the central processing unit;

software executing on the central processing unit, wherein the software;

receives a request for assistance from the at least one customer interface unit;

determines the location of the request for assistance;

determines, based on the location of the request for assistance, a first designated customer representative;

routes the request for assistance to the customer representative unit of the first designated customer representative;

reroutes the request for assistance to the customer representative unit of an additional designated customer representative if the first designated customer representative is unavailable; and

obtains and records customer feedback from the customer interface unit.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein identifying information of the designated customer representative is displayed on the at least one customer interface unit.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the customer feedback is collected for each designated customer representative, analyzed, and output as at least one report.

4. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the customer feedback is collected one of on a periodic basis and continuously.

5. The communication system of claim 4, wherein the customer feedback is collected for all employees utilizing the system and compared by standard statistical analysis.

6. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the customer feedback is compared to in-store sales data.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the software determines the in-store sales that are attributable to each designated customer representative.

8. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the in-store sales data is systematically adjusted for the period in which sales occurring after the designated customer representative'"'"'s shift are attributable to that designated customer representative.

9. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the software detects false positive customer feedback, by at least one of requiring the recordation of a customer service request before recording a customer feedback, limiting the interval between the customer service request and customer service feedback to a predetermined interval, and ignoring repeated customer comments occurring within a defined interval of time following a single request for assistance from a given location.

10. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the software further produces discrete audible or visual signal at the customer representative unit for the designated customer representative, wherein the discrete audible or visual signal identifies the location within the store of the request for assistance.

11. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one customer interface unit is one of an in-store placard, a personal mobile device, an on-cart device, and store-provided mobile device.

12. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the location of the customer service request is determined based on at least one of position of a placard, RFID transponders, ultrasonic identifiers, radar devices, bluetooth devices, and GPS.

13. A method of in-store communication and data collection, comprising at least one computer:

receiving a request for assistance from at least one customer interface unit;

determining the location of the request for assistance;

determining, based on the location of the request for assistance, a first designated customer representative;

routing the request for assistance to a customer representative unit of the first designated customer representative;

rerouting the request for assistance to a customer representative unit of an additional designated customer representative if the first designated customer representative is unavailable; and

obtaining and recording customer feedback from the customer interface unit.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying identifying information of a designated customer representative on the customer interface unit.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the customer feedback is collected for each designated customer representative, analyzed, and output as at least one report.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the customer feedback is collected one of on a periodic basis and continuously.

17. The method of claim 19, wherein the customer feedback is collected for all employees and compared using standard statistical analysis.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising comparing the customer feedback to in-store sales data.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining the in-store sales that are attributable to each designated customer representative.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the in-store sales data is systematically adjusted for a period in which sales occurring after the designated customer representative'"'"'s shift are attributable to that designated customer representative.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting false positive customer feedback, by at least one of requiring the recordation of a customer service request before recording a customer feedback, limiting the interval between the customer service request and customer service feedback to a predetermined interval, and ignoring repeated customer comments occurring within a defined interval of time following a single request for assistance from a given location.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising producing discrete audible or visual signals at the customer representative unit for the designated customer representative, wherein the discrete audible or visual signal identifies the location within the store of the request for assistance.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one customer interface unit is one of an in-store placard, a personal mobile device, an on-cart device, and store-provided mobile device.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the location of the customer service request is determined based on at least one of position of a placard, RFID transponders, ultrasonic identifiers, radar devices, bluetooth devices, and GPS.

25. A computer readable media for in-store communication and data collection, the media directing at least one computer to:

receive a request for assistance from at least one customer interface unit;

determine the location of the request for assistance;

determine, based on the location of the request for assistance, a first designated customer representative;

route the request for assistance to a customer representative unit of the first designated customer representative;

reroute the request for assistance to a customer representative unit of an additional designated customer representative if the first designated customer representative is unavailable; and

obtain and record customer feedback from the customer interface unit.

26. The computer readable media of claim 25, further directing at least one computer to display identifying information of a designated customer representative on the customer interface unit.

27. The computer readable media of claim 25, wherein the customer feedback is collected for each designated customer representative, analyzed, and output as at least one report.

28. The computer readable media of claim 27, wherein the customer feedback is collected one of on a periodic basis and continuously.

29. The computer readable media of claim 28, wherein the customer feedback is collected for all employees and compared using standard statistical analysis.

30. The computer readable media of claim 27, further directing at least one computer to compare the customer feedback to in-store sales data.

31. The computer readable media of claim 30, further directing at least one computer to determine the in-store sales that are attributable to each designated customer representative.

32. The computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the in-store sales data is systematically adjusted for a period in which sales occurring after the designated customer representative'"'"'s shift are attributable to that designated customer representative.

33. The computer readable media of claim 25, further directing at least one computer to detect false positive customer feedback, by at least one of requiring the recordation of a customer service request before recording a customer feedback, limiting the interval between the customer service request and customer service feedback to a predetermined interval, and ignoring repeated customer comments occurring within a defined interval of time following a single request for assistance from a given location.

34. The computer readable media of claim 25, further directing at least one computer to produce discrete audible or visual signals at the customer representative unit for the designated customer representative, wherein the discrete audible or visual signals identify the location within the store of the request for assistance.

35. The computer readable media of claim 25, wherein the at least one customer interface unit is one of an in-store placard, a personal mobile device, an on-cart device, and store-provided mobile device.

36. The computer readable media of claim 25, wherein the location of the customer service request is determined based on at least one of position of a placard, RFID transponders, ultrasonic identifiers, radar devices, bluetooth devices, and GPS.