Managing Customer Queues Using Local Positioning Technology

• US 20160012375A1
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Hanson, Carrie Anne, Cardinal, Don, Scanlon, Sharon, Gill, Davindar
• Application Number:
  US14/327,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012375A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing customer queues using local positioning technology are presented. In some embodiments, a customer assistance computing platform may receive one or more attributes associated with a beacon signal received by a customer computing device and an identifier associated with the customer computing device. Subsequently, the computing platform may determine an identity of a customer using the customer computing device. The computing platform then may determine a location of the customer using the customer computing device based on the one or more attributes associated with the beacon signal. Thereafter, the computing platform may select at least one queue from one or more maintained queues based on the location of the customer. Then, the computing platform may update the at least one selected queue based on the identity of the customer to add the customer using the customer computing device to the at least one selected queue.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a customer assistance computing platform comprising at least one processor, memory, and a communication interface;

receiving, by the at least one processor, via the communication interface, from a customer computing device, one or more attributes associated with a beacon signal received by the customer computing device and an identifier associated with the customer computing device;

determining, by the at least one processor, an identity of a customer using the customer computing device based on the identifier associated with the customer computing device;

determining, by the at least one processor, a location of the customer using the customer computing device based on the one or more attributes associated with the beacon signal received by the customer computing device;

selecting, by the at least one processor, at least one queue from one or more maintained queues based on the location of the customer using the customer computing device; and

updating, by the at least one processor, the at least one selected queue based on the identity of the customer using the customer computing device to add the customer using the customer computing device to the at least one selected queue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the beacon signal received by the customer computing device is associated with at least one beacon deployed at a banking center.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more attributes associated with the beacon signal received by the customer computing device include a unique identifier associated with the at least one beacon deployed at the banking center.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifier associated with the customer computing device includes user account information associated with a mobile banking application on the customer computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, via the communication interface, from the customer computing device, biometric input information captured by the mobile banking application on the customer computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the identity of the customer using the customer computing device includes confirming the identity of the customer using the customer computing device based on the biometric input information captured by the mobile banking application on the customer computing device.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the location of the customer using the customer computing device includes accessing beacon deployment information that maps identifiers for a plurality of beacons to corresponding deployment locations of the plurality of beacons.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the location of the customer using the customer computing device includes determining that the customer using the customer computing device is located in a specific area of the banking center.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting at least one queue from the one or more maintained queues includes selecting a general queue of one or more customers waiting for service at the banking center.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating, by the at least one processor, a notification indicating that the customer using the customer computing device has been added to the general queue of one or more customers waiting for service at the banking center; and

sending, by the at least one processor, via the communication interface, to the customer computing device, the notification.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

accessing, by the at least one processor, appointment information associated with the customer using the customer computing device;

generating, by the at least one processor, based on the appointment information associated with the customer using the customer computing device, a request for visit information associated with the customer'"'"'s current visit to the banking center; and

sending, by the at least one processor, via the communication interface, to the customer computing device, the request for visit information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, via the communication interface, from the customer computing device, visit input provided in response to the request for visit information;

selecting, by the at least one processor, based on the visit input, at least one service-specific queue from the one or more maintained queues; and

updating, by the at least one processor, the at least one selected service-specific queue based on the identity of the customer using the customer computing device to add the customer using the customer computing device to the at least one selected service-specific queue.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the at least one selected service-specific queue provides a separate virtual waiting line for one or more customers waiting for a specific service of one or more available services at the banking center.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the customer using the customer computing device is placed in a dedicated queue of one or more customers who have arrived at the banking center early for one or more corresponding appointments.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the customer using the customer computing device is pre-authenticated to perform one or more specific transactions based on the appointment information and the visit input.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the customer using the customer computing device is pre-authenticated to perform one or more specific transactions based on biometric input information received from the customer computing device.

17. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, by the at least one processor, that a banking center associate at the banking center is available to assist one or more customers at the banking center;

selecting, by the at least one processor, the customer using the customer computing device from the at least one queue to receive assistance from the banking center associate;

generating, by the at least one processor, a first notification indicating that the customer using the customer computing device has been selected to receive assistance from the banking center associate;

sending, by the at least one processor, via the communication interface, to the customer computing device, the first notification;

generating, by the at least one processor, a second notification indicating that the banking center associate has been assigned to assist the customer using the customer computing device; and

sending, by the at least one processor, via the communication interface, to a computing device associated with the banking center associate, the second notification.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first notification includes a picture of the banking center associate.

19. A system, comprising:

at least one processor;

a communication interface communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; and

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

receive, via the communication interface, from a customer computing device, one or more attributes associated with a beacon signal received by the customer computing device and an identifier associated with the customer computing device;

determine an identity of a customer using the customer computing device based on the identifier associated with the customer computing device;

determine a location of the customer using the customer computing device based on the one or more attributes associated with the beacon signal received by the customer computing device;

select at least one queue from one or more maintained queues based on the location of the customer using the customer computing device; and

update the at least one selected queue based on the identity of the customer using the customer computing device to add the customer using the customer computing device to the at least one selected queue.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, memory, and a communication interface, cause the computing device to:

receive, via the communication interface, from a customer computing device, one or more attributes associated with a beacon signal received by the customer computing device and an identifier associated with the customer computing device;

determine an identity of a customer using the customer computing device based on the identifier associated with the customer computing device;

determine a location of the customer using the customer computing device based on the one or more attributes associated with the beacon signal received by the customer computing device;

select at least one queue from one or more maintained queues based on the location of the customer using the customer computing device; and

update the at least one selected queue based on the identity of the customer using the customer computing device to add the customer using the customer computing device to the at least one selected queue.