METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR THE SALE OF CONSUMER SERVICES

• US 20140136266A1
• Filed: 11/15/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impel IT! Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ii, Edward Phillip Kinsey
• Inventors: Kinsey, Edward Phillip II, Seidman, Glenn R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,083,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

Computer-implemented systems and methods for the sale of consumer services. Predictions are made based on the behaviors, preferences, assets, identifying characteristics, and other attributes associated with customers and merchants. In one implementation, a prediction is made as to whether a customer is likely to request a service and whether a merchant is likely to be selected by the customer to provide the service. In another implementation, the calendars of a merchant and customer are automatically updated to account for the customer'"'"'s late arrival to an appointment at the merchants location. In yet another implementation, a customer purchases an appointment for a service from another customer that has the appointment scheduled with a merchant providing the service.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, for each of a plurality of different merchants, a respective on-time performance of the merchant wherein the on-time performance of the merchant is a measure of appointment schedule adherence of the merchant;

receiving a request for a service for a customer;

selecting a merchant from a plurality of the merchants to provide the service wherein the on-time performance of the selected merchant meets a threshold level of timeliness, and wherein the threshold level of timeliness is based on, at least, the service;

scheduling an appointment for the service on a calendar of the selected merchant on a calendar of the customer; and

monitoring the merchant calendar and the customer calendar for changes to the appointment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the request for the service is received from a customer device of the customer or from a device of a third party.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the customer device is one of:

a smart phone, a smart watch, smart glasses, a portable computer, and a tablet computer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein scheduling the appointment comprises:

providing historical data regarding on-time performance of the customer to a merchant device of the selected merchant; and

enabling the selected merchant to opt out of providing the service to the customer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein scheduling the appointment comprises:

providing historical data regarding on-time performance of the selected merchant to a customer device of the customer; and

enabling the customer to opt out of receiving the service from the selected merchant.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the merchant comprises:

predicting that a particular merchant has a respective probability of being selected by the customer to provide the service that meets a threshold, wherein the predicting is based on historical data comprising attributes of different merchants that have previously provided the service and attributes of the customer; and

selecting the particular merchant to provide the service.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein selecting the merchant comprises:

determining that the particular merchant has a higher probability than all of the other merchants; and

receiving selection of the particular merchant from a customer device of the customer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring the merchant calendar and the customer calendar comprises monitoring a geographical location of a customer device of the customer to determine if the customer will be late for the appointment based on an estimated arrival time of the customer at a location of the merchant.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing notification to at least one of the customer device and a merchant device of the merchant if the customer will be late for the appointment.

10. The method of claim 9 comprising:

receiving a change to the appointment from the merchant device;

providing notification of the appointment change to the customer device; and

receiving acceptance of the appointment change from the customer device.

11. A system comprising:

one or more computers programmed to perform operations comprising;

determining, for each of a plurality of different merchants, a respective on-time performance of the merchant wherein the on-time performance of the merchant is a measure of appointment schedule adherence of the merchant;

receiving a request for a service for a customer;

selecting a merchant from a plurality of the merchants to provide the service wherein the on-time performance of the selected merchant meets a threshold level of timeliness, and wherein the threshold level of timeliness is based on, at least, the service;

scheduling an appointment for the service on a calendar of the selected merchant on a calendar of the customer; and

monitoring the merchant calendar and the customer calendar for changes to the appointment.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the request for the service is received from a customer device of the customer or from a device of a third party.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the customer device is one of:

a smart phone, a smart watch, smart glasses, a portable computer, and a tablet computer.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein scheduling the appointment comprises:

providing historical data regarding on-time performance of the customer to a merchant device of the selected merchant; and

enabling the selected merchant to opt out of providing the service to the customer.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein scheduling the appointment comprises:

providing historical data regarding on-time performance of the selected merchant to a customer device of the customer; and

enabling the customer to opt out of receiving the service from the selected merchant.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein selecting the merchant comprises:

predicting that a particular merchant has a respective probability of being selected by the customer to provide the service that meets a threshold, wherein the predicting is based on historical data comprising attributes of different merchants that have previously provided the service and attributes of the customer; and

selecting the particular merchant to provide the service.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein selecting the merchant comprises:

determining that the particular merchant has a higher probability than all of the other merchants; and

receiving selection of the particular merchant from a customer device of the customer.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein monitoring the merchant calendar and the customer calendar comprises monitoring a geographical location of a customer device of the customer to determine if the customer will be late for the appointment based on an estimated arrival time of the customer at a location of the merchant.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the operations further comprise providing notification to at least one of the customer device and a merchant device of the merchant if the customer will be late for the appointment.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a change to the appointment from the merchant device;

providing notification of the appointment change to the customer device; and

receiving acceptance of the appointment change from the customer device.

21. An article of manufacture, comprising a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, configure one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

determining, for each of a plurality of different merchants, a respective on-time performance of the merchant wherein the on-time performance of the merchant is a measure of appointment schedule adherence of the merchant;

receiving a request for a service for a customer;

selecting a merchant from a plurality of the merchants to provide the service wherein the on-time performance of the selected merchant meets a threshold level of timeliness, and wherein the threshold level of timeliness is based on, at least, the service;

scheduling an appointment for the service on a calendar of the selected merchant on a calendar of the customer; and

monitoring the merchant calendar and the customer calendar for changes to the appointment.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein the request for the service is received from a customer device of the customer or from a device of a third party.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22 wherein the customer device is one of:

a smart phone, a smart watch, smart glasses, a portable computer, and a tablet computer.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein scheduling the appointment comprises:

providing historical data regarding on-time performance of the customer to a merchant device of the selected merchant; and

enabling the selected merchant to opt out of providing the service to the customer.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein scheduling the appointment comprises:

providing historical data regarding on-time performance of the selected merchant to a customer device of the customer; and

enabling the customer to opt out of receiving the service from the selected merchant.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein selecting the merchant comprises:

predicting that a particular merchant has a respective probability of being selected by the customer to provide the service that meets a threshold, wherein the predicting is based on historical data comprising attributes of different merchants that have previously provided the service and attributes of the customer; and

selecting the particular merchant to provide the service.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26 wherein selecting the merchant comprises:

determining that the particular merchant has a higher probability than all of the other merchants; and

receiving selection of the particular merchant from a customer device of the customer.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein monitoring the merchant calendar and the customer calendar comprises monitoring a geographical location of a customer device of the customer to determine if the customer will be late for the appointment based on an estimated arrival time of the customer at a location of the merchant.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28 wherein the operations further comprise providing notification to at least one of the customer device and a merchant device of the merchant if the customer will be late for the appointment.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29 wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a change to the appointment from the merchant device;

providing notification of the appointment change to the customer device; and

receiving acceptance of the appointment change from the customer device.