Customer satisfaction terminal
First Claim
1. A method of anonymously collecting data on customer satisfaction with the services rendered by a service organization, including the steps ofproviding an electronic terminal having a multiplicity of pressure sensitive keys on one face thereof, said face of the terminal being capable of simultaneously and continuously displaying a plurality of permanently recorded customer satisfaction inquiries at preselected locations on the terminal and individual multiple responses tailored for each different inquiry, a plurality of groups of keys corresponding to the plurality of inquiries arranged adjacent individual inquiries and being representative of the individual responses for the single inquiry adjacent thereto with each key of the group being representative of a different response to the same inquiry,the terminal including means for individually substituting different permanently recorded inquiries and the responses for the displayed inquiries associated with a group or groups of keys,placing the thus defined electronic terminal in a location of the service organization that is readily accessible to the customers of the service organization so that the customers are invited to use the terminal and record their opinions as to the services they have experienced, the same inquiries and multiple responses being continuously displayed to a multiplicity of customers until the service organization changes the inquiries and multiple responses,the operation of a key generating an electrical data signal representative of opinion data relative to a previously identified inquiry displayed on the terminal,individually collecting the electrical data signals representative of each individually selected response signalled by the operation of a key by the terminal user on the basis of the location of the operated key,storing the electrical data signals in permanent storage means within the terminal on the basis of the number of users selecting each individual response to each of the individual responses,the permanent storage means includes program storage characters for defining the responses to each inquiry as permitting multiple responses or only a single response to an inquiry for each inquiry,examining the program storage characters to determine if the inquiry has been programmed for a single response or multiple responses,temporarily storing all key operations for each inquiry based on the collected data signals in a temporary storage device prior to storage in the permanent storage means,if it is determined an inquiry has been programmed for a single response, clear all previously stored data signals while maintaining the last data signal stored in the temporary storage device whereby the terminal user may change a previously selected response prior to storage in the permanent storage means.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic terminal for electronically collecting opinion data from customers of a service organization as to the satisfaction with the services rendered. The electronic terminal has a keyboard that displays the inquiries with multiple choice responses for each inquiry. A response is associated with each key whereby the operation of the key records the associated response. The response representative of each operated key are collected under the electronic control of a microprocessor controller and visually displaying to the customer each of his selections. A tally of each answer is permanently recorded in the terminal. The electronic control for the terminal includes stored parameters for programming certain operations. The terminal includes a porable data collection terminal for receiving the collected data and permitting it to be transmitted to a remote point by conventional telephone lines to a host processor. The terminal may include a printer for providing written reports of the accumulated data in preselected formats. The printer is controlled by an individual microprocessor for arithmetically processing the collected data and printing it out. The parameter data may be examined and/or modified by authorized personnel of the service organization. Similarly, the stored tally counts may be visually displayed for on-the-site interpretations of the service questions.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A method of anonymously collecting data on customer satisfaction with the services rendered by a service organization, including the steps of
providing an electronic terminal having a multiplicity of pressure sensitive keys on one face thereof, said face of the terminal being capable of simultaneously and continuously displaying a plurality of permanently recorded customer satisfaction inquiries at preselected locations on the terminal and individual multiple responses tailored for each different inquiry, a plurality of groups of keys corresponding to the plurality of inquiries arranged adjacent individual inquiries and being representative of the individual responses for the single inquiry adjacent thereto with each key of the group being representative of a different response to the same inquiry, the terminal including means for individually substituting different permanently recorded inquiries and the responses for the displayed inquiries associated with a group or groups of keys, placing the thus defined electronic terminal in a location of the service organization that is readily accessible to the customers of the service organization so that the customers are invited to use the terminal and record their opinions as to the services they have experienced, the same inquiries and multiple responses being continuously displayed to a multiplicity of customers until the service organization changes the inquiries and multiple responses, the operation of a key generating an electrical data signal representative of opinion data relative to a previously identified inquiry displayed on the terminal, individually collecting the electrical data signals representative of each individually selected response signalled by the operation of a key by the terminal user on the basis of the location of the operated key, storing the electrical data signals in permanent storage means within the terminal on the basis of the number of users selecting each individual response to each of the individual responses, the permanent storage means includes program storage characters for defining the responses to each inquiry as permitting multiple responses or only a single response to an inquiry for each inquiry, examining the program storage characters to determine if the inquiry has been programmed for a single response or multiple responses, temporarily storing all key operations for each inquiry based on the collected data signals in a temporary storage device prior to storage in the permanent storage means, if it is determined an inquiry has been programmed for a single response, clear all previously stored data signals while maintaining the last data signal stored in the temporary storage device whereby the terminal user may change a previously selected response prior to storage in the permanent storage means.
-
10. A method of anonymously collecting opinion data including the steps of
recording a plurality of inquiries with multiple choice responses for each individual inquiry, simultaneously displaying the record of the plurality of inquiries and the corresponding responses with a keyboard so that the individual keys of the keyboard are associated with and represent one of the multiple choice responses of the group of responses for an individual inquiry, providing a manually operable mode select switch switchable between an "operate" mode for collecting opinion data or a "parameter" mode for storing data in a permanent memory and reading out the data, permanently storing data including program data in a permanent memory that is addressable to read out the data and write in new data when the mode select switch is in the "parameter" mode, placing the select switch in the "operate" mode for acquiring response data represented by an operated key, while the select switch is in the "operate" mode, electronically scanning the keyboard to acquire response data represented by an operated key and continuously displaying the fact that an individual key has been operated and the corresponding response or responses for each displayed inquiry has been selected, designating addressable locations in the permanent memory as tally counters for storing a count representative of the number of times each individual key of the keyboard associated with an individual response has been selected, incrementing each tally counter in the permanent memory for each of said keys that have been operated, the program data stored in the permanent data includes data for identifying an inquiry as requiring multiple responses or single responses to the displayed inquiries, examining the program data to determine the single or multiple response requirement for each displayed inquiry, upon determining that an inquiry has been programmed for multiple responses, incrementing each tally counter for each operated key, and upon determining that an inquiry has been programmed for a single response, incrementing the tally counter for the last operated key only for said single response inquiry.
-
17. A method of anonymously collecting opinion data including the steps of
recording a plurality of inquiries with multiple choice responses for each individual inquiry, simultaneously displaying the record of the plurality of inquiries and the corresponding responses with a keyboard so that the individual keys of the keyboard are associated with and represent one of the multiple choice responses of the group or responses for an individual inquiry, providing a manually operable mode select switch switchable between an "operate" mode for collecting opinion data or a "parameter" mode for storing data in a permanent memory and reading out the data, permanently storing data including program data in a permanent memory that is addressable to read out the data and write in new data when the mode select switch is in the "parameter" mode, placing the select switch in the "operate" mode for acquiring response data represented by an operated key, while the select switch is in the "operate" mode, electronically scanning the keyboard to acquire response data represented by an operated key and continuously displaying the fact that an individual key has been operated and the corresponding response or responses for each displayed inquiry has been selected, dedicating addressable locations in the permanent memory as tally counters for storing a count representative of the number of times each individual key of the keyboard associated with an individual response has been selected, incrementing each tally counter in the permanent memory for each of said keys that have been operated, dedicating an addressable location in the permanent memory for storing a number corresponding to a displayed inquiry that is characterized as a "key" inquiry, the "key" inquiry being a reference for a plurality of other displayed inquiries whose responses being correlated to the "key" inquiry, dedicating an addressable location in the permanent memory for storing a number corresponding to a displayed inquiry that will provide a "correlated" response to the response to the "key" inquiry, repeating the last mentioned step of dedicating an addressable location in the permanent memory
-
21. A data collection terminal comprising
a housing having a plurality of keys arranged in rows and columns on one face thereof, said housing simultaneously displaying a plurality of inquiries with multiple responses for each inquiry, a response of the group of multiple responses for an individual inquiry being arranged in association with an individual key whereby the operation of a key represents the selection by the terminal user of the associated response, the keys being arranged in an electrical matrix of rows and columns with each key arranged in electrical open circuit relationship with an individual row and column and the operation of the key momentarily bridges the row and column lines of an operated key to provide an answer signal, the keys including a "record key" arranged at a preselected location in the rows and columns of keys to provide a "record" signal to said terminal, microprocessor control circuit means mounted in the housing for providing key scan signals to the electrical matrix of rows and columns, row-by-row, for detecting and signalling the operation of an individual key and providing an answer signal to said microprocessor circuit means representative of the operated key, said microprocessor control circuit means including temporary storage means for temporarily storing the answer signals at preselected storage locations in accordance with the positions of the keys in said rows and columns, permanent storage means for summing the number of times an individual response is selected with each response being assigned an individual storage location in said permanent storage means, the operation of the "record" key provides a "record" signal to said microprocessor circuit means and said circuit means provides the necessary control signals for transferring the answer signals from the temporary storage means to said permanent storage means at the individual storage locations for summing the answer signals and thereby the number of times the individual responses have been selected by the terminal users, the plurality of keys including a plurality of keys representative of numerical data, each key being representative of a different piece of numerical data, and wherein said housing includes digital display means for displaying alpha-numeric data and a mode select switch operable between an "operate" mode and a "parameter" mode, the mode select switch being mounted and secured in said terminal to be accessible only to an authorized individual, the "operate" mode of the select switch permitting anonymous individuals to operate the keys of the terminal to select the individual responses and thereby cause the microprocessor control circuit means to acquire the individual responses and display the selected responses as selected and to cause the recording of the selected responses in the permanent storage means only upon operation of the "record" key, the permanent storage means having preselected parameters stored therein in the form of individual segments of numerical data for programming the terminal for performing preselected operations, the "parameters" mode of the select switch permitting only authorized individuals to view the data comprising the answer data and programming data stored in the permanent memory by means of the digital display means, said microprocessor control circuit means being responsive to the mode select switch being operated to the "parameter" position to permit the answer data and programming data to be displayed on the digital display the keys including a "clear" key arranged at a preselected location in the rows and columns of keys, said microprocessor control circuit means being further coupled to be responsive to the operation of the "record" and "clear" keys and being coupled to said digital display means for displaying the numerical data stored in the permanent storage means on the digital display means, the microprocessor control circuit means being further constructed and defined to be responsive to the operation of the "record" key to display the identification of a numerical value representative of a parameter and then responsive to the next sequential operation of the record key to display the identified numerical value so that the parameter and numerical value are displayed in the same sequence as their storage locations in the permanent storage means and to be responsive to the operation of the "clear" key to display the same numerical value and then responsive to the sequential operation of the "clear" key to display the same associate parameter identification data so that they are displayed in reverse sequence from their storage locations in the permanent storage means.
-
23. A data collection terminal comprising
a housing having a plurality of keys arranged in rows and columns on one face thereof, said housing simultaneously displaying a plurality of inquiries with multiple responses for each inquiry, a response of the group of multiple responses for an individual inquiry being arranged in association with an individual key whereby the operation of a key represents the selection by the terminal user of the associated response, the keys being arranged in an electrical matrix of rows and columns with each key arranged in electrical open circuit relationship with an individual row and column and the operation of the key momentarily bridges the row and column lines of an operated key to provide an answer signal, the keys including a "record key" arranged at a preselected location in the rows and columns of keys, microprocessor control circuit means mounted in the housing for providing key scan signals to the electrical matrix of rows and columns, row-by-row, for detecting and signalling the operation of an individual key and providing a key scan signal to said microprocessor circuit means representative of the operated key, said microprocessor control circuit means including temporary storage means for temporarily storing the answer signals at preselected storage locations in accordance with the position of the key in said rows and columns, permanent storage means for summing the number of times an individual response is selected with each response being assigned an individual storage location in said permanent storage means, the operation of the "record" key provides a key scan signal to said microprocessor circuit means and said circuit means provides the necessary control signals for transferring the answer signals from the temporary storage means to said permanent storage means at the individual storage locations for summing the number of times the individual responses have been selected by the terminal users, and the keys including a plurality of keys representative of numerical data, each key being representative of different numerical data, the keys further including a "clear" key arranged at a preselected location in the rows and columns of keys, the housing including digital display means for displaying alpha-numeric data and a mode select switch operable between an "operate" mode and a "parameter" mode, the mode select switch being in the "operate" mode for collecting data, the permanent storage means includes numerical data stored therein through the operation of the numerical data keys for programming preselected functions in accordance with the preselected different values of the numerical data and identification data representative of a unique parameter stored therein for each piece of numerical data, said microprocessor control circuit means coupled to be responsive to the "parameter" mode of the mode select switch and the operation of the "record" and "clear" keys and being coupled to said digital display means for displaying the numerical data stored in the permanent storage means on the digital display means, the microprocessor control circuit means being further constructed and defined to be responsive to the operation of the "record" key to display the identification of a numerical value representative of a parameter and then responsive to the next sequential operation of the record key to display the identified numerical value so that the parameter and numerical value are displayed in the same sequence as their storage locations in the permanent storage means and to be responsive to the operation of the "clear" key to display the same numerical value and then responsive to the sequential operation or the "clear" key to display the same associated parameter identification data so that they are displayed in reverse sequence from their storage locations in the permanent storage means, and circuit means coupled to be responsive to the operation of the keys representative of numerical data for transferring different programming numerical data into the permanent storage means at the locations of said stored numerical data and to be displayed at the digital display means as it is keyed in.
-
30. A data collection terminal comprising
a housing having a plurality of keys arranged in rows and columns on one face thereof, said housing simultaneously displaying a plurality of inquiries with multiple responses for each inquiry, a response of the group of multiple responses for an individual inquiry being arranged in association with an individual key whereby the operation of a key respresents the selection of the terminal user of the associated response, the keys being arranged in an electrical matrix of rows and columns with each key arranged in electrical open circuit relationship with an individual row and column and the operation of the key momentarily bridges the row and column lines of an operated key, the keys including a "record key" arranged at a preselected location in the rows and columns of keys, microprocessor control circuit means mounted in the housing for providing key scan signals to the electrical matrix of rows and columns, row-by-row, for detecting and signalling the operation of an individual key and providing an answer signal to said circuit means representative of the operated key, said microprocessor control circuit means including temporary storage means for temporarily storing the answer signals at preselected storage locations in accordance with the position of the key in said rows and columns, permanent storage means for summing the number of times an individual response is selected with each response being assigned an individual storage location in said permanent storage means, the operation of the "record" key provides a key scan signal to said microprocessor control circuit means and said circuit means provides the necessary control signals for transferring the answer signals from the temporary storage means to said permanent storage means at the individual storage locations for summing the number of times the individual response have been selected by the terminal users, and the keys including a "clear" key arranged at a preselected location in the rows and columns of keys, digital display means and a mode select switch operable between an "operate" mode and a "parameter" mode, the mode select switch being in the "operate" mode for collecting data, microprocessor control circuit means coupled to be responsive to the "parameter" mode of the mode select switch and the operation of the "record" and "clear" keys and being coupled to said digital display means for displaying the numerical data stored in the permanent storage means on the digital display means, the microprocessor control circuit means being further constructed and defined to be responsive to the operation of the "record" key to display the identification of a numerical value representative of a parameter and then responsive to the next sequential operation of the "record" key to display the identified numerical value so that the parameter and numerical value are displayed in the same sequence as their storage locations in the permanent storage means and to be responsive to the operation of the "clear" key to display the same numerical value and then responsive to the sequential operation of the "clear" key to display the same associated parameter identification data so that they are displayed in reverse sequence from their storage locations in the permanent storage means.
Specification