SERVICE CALL-AHEAD SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150193778A1
• Filed: 03/20/2015
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RXO Last Mile Incorporated (XPO, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xpo Last Mile, Inc. (XPO, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meyer, Karl, Turner, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 11,769,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968

Abstract

Examples of service call-ahead systems and methods are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a service order management system includes a processing device, a servicer device, and a memory device. The service order management system is enabled at least to prompt a servicer to modify an initial estimated time of arrival (ETA) and notify a customer of the modified ETA of a servicer at a service destination. Prompting the servicer to modify the initial ETA enables the processing device to notify the customer of the modified ETA, which is more accurate than the initial ETA. Other service call-ahead and notification techniques are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A service order management system comprising:

a processing device;

a servicer device utilized by a servicer and in communication with the processing device; and

a memory device in communication with the processing device, the memory device configured to store an order management program enabling the processing device to

prompt a servicer to select on the servicer device a service destination and prompt the servicer to modify at least an initial estimated time of arrival (ETA) associated with the service destination as a modified ETA,

store an estimated travel time and the modified ETA in the memory device, wherein the estimated travel time is defined by an estimated period of time for the servicer to travel from a start location to the service destination associated with a customer for whom the servicer is to perform a service job, and wherein the modified ETA is defined by an estimated time of day when the servicer is expected to arrive at the service destination,

automatically calculate an earliest call-ahead time defined by an earliest time of day before the modified ETA when a notification is enabled to be made to the customer and a latest call-ahead time defined by a latest time of day before the modified ETA when the notification is enabled to be made to the customer, wherein the calculation of the earliest call-ahead time and the latest call-ahead time includes applying a predetermined advanced-warning time range before the modified ETA to provide an advanced warning of the modified ETA,

determine whether a current time is no earlier than the earliest call-ahead time and no later than the latest call-ahead time, and

upon a determination that the current time is no earlier than the earliest call-ahead time and no later than the latest call-ahead time, automatically notify the customer of the modified ETA of the servicer at the service destination,

wherein prompting the servicer to modify the initial ETA enables the processing device to notify the customer of the modified ETA which is more accurate than the initial ETA.

2. The service order management system of claim 1, wherein the order management program further enables the processing device to:

receive information from the servicer device related to the start location of the servicer and information related to the service destination; and

in response to receipt of at least the start location information and service destination information, determine the estimated travel time and the modified ETA.

3. The service order management system of claim 1, wherein the order management program further enables the processing device:

to receive at least one of the estimated travel time and the modified ETA from the servicer device; and

to calculate the modified ETA when only the estimated travel time is received from the servicer and calculate the estimated travel time when only the modified ETA is received from the servicer.

4. The service order management system of claim 1, wherein the order management program further enables the processing device to:

receive a request from the servicer device to extend the estimated travel time by a specific amount of time;

add the specific amount of time to the estimated travel time to obtain a revised estimated travel time; and

advance the initial ETA by the specific amount of time to obtain the modified ETA.

5. The service order management system of claim 1, wherein the earliest call-ahead time and the latest call-ahead time are calculated independently of information related to locations of the servicer between the start location and the service destination.

6. The service order management system of claim 1, wherein the order management program further enables the processing device to:

receive an indication from the servicer device that the servicer has arrived at the service destination; and

record information regarding the arrival of the servicer.

7. The service order management system of claim 1, wherein the order management program further enables the processing device to:

receive an indication from the servicer device that the servicer has completed the service job and is leaving the service destination; and

receive an indication from the servicer device of a next service destination, if any, wherein the next service destination is associated with another customer.

8. The service order management system of claim 1, further comprising an interface device configured to communicate with the servicer device associated with the servicer, wherein the interface device comprises an integrated voice response device.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a service order from a business, the service order including information related to a service job to be performed for a customer at a service destination, the information including at least a telephone number associated with the customer;

automatically placing, by the processing device, a first telephone call, via a hardware interface device, to the telephone number to obtain confirmation of the service job and notify the customer of a service time window;

enabling, by the processing device, a recipient of the first telephone call to connect with a live operator if desired;

prompting, by the processing device, the servicer on a servicer device to modify an initial estimated time of arrival (ETA) associated with a servicer destination as a modified ETA;

calculating, by the processing device, an earliest call-ahead time and a latest call-ahead time for a second telephone call defined by a time of day when the customer is to be notified of the modified ETA of the servicer at the service destination, wherein the calculation of the earliest call-ahead time and the latest call-ahead time is based in part on a predetermined advanced-warning time period and the modified ETA, and wherein the predetermined advanced-warning time period is a predetermined amount of time before the modified ETA for providing an advanced warning of the modified ETA; and

automatically placing, by the processing device, the second telephone call, via the hardware interface device, to the telephone number to notify the customer of the modified ETA of the servicer at the service destination no earlier than an the earliest call-ahead time and no later than a the latest call-ahead time, wherein the latest call-ahead time is before the modified ETA and the modified ETA is within the service time window, and wherein prompting the servicer to modify the initial ETA enables the processing device to notify the customer of the modified ETA which is more accurate than the initial ETA.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, a plurality of service orders from a business, each service order including information related to a respective service job to be performed for a customer, the information for each respective service job including at least a telephone number associated with the respective customer;

automatically calling, by the processing device via the hardware interface device, in succession the telephone numbers associated with the respective customers to obtain confirmation of the respective service jobs; and

enabling by the processing device a recipient of each of the telephone calls to connect with the live operator if desired.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein automatically calling the telephone number comprises utilizing an integrated voice response (IVR) device.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, an indication from a servicer device when the servicer has arrived at a loading location;

indicating, by the processing device, to the servicer on the servicer device which items are to be loaded onto a vehicle associated with the servicer; and

receiving, by the processing device, an indication from the servicer device when the servicer is leaving the loading location.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, indication from the servicer device that an item to be delivered has been scanned by the servicer;

receiving, by the processing device, indication from the servicer device as to whether or not the scanned item is being loaded; and

recording, by the processing device, an issue with the scanned item if it is not loaded.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

communicating, by the processing device to the servicer device, which item is to be delivered;

receiving, by the processing device, an indication from the servicer device when the item is scanned;

receiving, by the processing device, an indication from the servicer device as to whether or not the scanned item is being unloaded and delivered; and

recording, by the processing device, an issue with the scanned item if it is not unloaded and delivered.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a servicer device from a processing device of a service order management system, a service schedule that includes information about a plurality of service jobs to be performed;

prompting, by the servicer device, a servicer to select a service job from the plurality of service jobs included in the service schedule;

receiving, by the servicer device, a service job selected by the servicer from the plurality of service jobs included in the service schedule;

prompting, by the servicer device, the servicer as to whether a time extension is needed;

receiving, by the servicer device, from the servicer an indication of whether a time extension is needed;

upon receiving an indication that a time extension is needed from the servicer, prompting, by the servicer device, the servicer to enter the time extension, wherein the time extension is added to an estimated period of time for the servicer to travel from a start location to a service destination associated with a customer;

receiving, by the servicer device, the time extension entered by the servicer; and

transmitting, by the servicer device, a signal to the processing device of the service order management system to indicate the selected service job and the time extension.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving by the servicer device information from the service order management system regarding an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the servicer to travel from a starting location to a service destination, the service destination associated with a location where the service job is to be performed.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

enabling by the servicer device the servicer to enter an extra time period needed to travel to the service destination; and

transmitting by the servicer device the extra period to the processing device of the service order management system.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

enabling, by the servicer device, the servicer to indicate an arrival at the service destination;

enabling, by the servicer device, the servicer to indicate completion of the selected service job; and

enabling, by the servicer device, the servicer to indicate departure from the service destination.