System and method for retrieving customer information at a transaction center

• US 6,101,486 A
• Filed: 04/20/1998
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Brisebois, Mitch A., Stolte, Patricia A., Roberts, Jobe L. W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stamber, Eric W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US09/062,727
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 370/904, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27, 379/267, 379/321, 379/308
• US Class Current: 705/14.66
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent

Abstract

A method and system for gathering and storing customer profile data when the customer accesses a website location. Dynamic content messages from company marketing material are selected in accordance with the profile data and used to provide a customized webpage to the customer. In addition, a customer service representative can provide real-time updates to the customized webpage when the customer contacts a customer service representative to place a product or service order.

Claims

1. A system for customizing a website in accordance with user profile information the system having a transaction center, the transaction center comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of user identification data;

means for creating a user profile corresponding to the plurality of user identification data received, wherein the user profile includes a list of products by the user;

means for retrieving the user profile from a profile database;

means for selecting a number of messages from the plurality of company marketing material;

means for generating a dynamic content message by comparing the list of products owned with a plurality of company marketing material having a list of company products to create a marked product list corresponding to products offered by the company and not in the user profile; and

means for configuring a webpage to include the dynamic content message; and

means for displaying the user profile on a customer service terminal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile database resides at a transaction center, and wherein the means for retrieving includes

means, at the transaction center, for receiving a call and associated identifying information from the user;

means for routing the call to place the user in voice communication with a communication device; and

means for retrieving the user profile from the profile database in accordance with the identifying information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the user profile includes a plurality of preference attributes, and wherein the means for selecting includes

means for grading the plurality of preference attributes to determine a customer preference type;

and

means for selecting the marketing messages in accordance with the determined customer preference type.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the means for configuring the webpage further includes

means for transmitting a script to a web browser;

means for retrieving the dynamic content message from a server in data communication with the web browser, wherein the retrieved dynamic content message corresponds to the selected marketing messages;

means for inserting the dynamic content message into a webpage template generated by the script; and

means for configuring the webpage template and inserted dynamic content message for display on a user terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the means for configuring the webpage template and inserted dynamic content message further includes

means for inserting a bookmark corresponding to a website selected by the customer service representative into the template.

6. In a system for providing a customized webpage to a website maintained by a server apparatus, the system including a transaction center in data communication with the server apparatus, the transaction center comprising:

a database configured to store a customer profile;

a switch, coupled to a receiver, configured to retrieve the customer profile from the database when a call is received, and to route the customer profile to a computer workstation;

a communication device, coupled to the switch, and configured to place the customer in voice communication with a customer service representative;

a processor in data communication with the computer workstation and configured to select a dynamic content message in accordance with the customer profile, the processor further including

means for storing a plurality of marketing material having a list of products offered by the company;

means for comparing a list of products owned by the customer to the list of products offered to create a marketed product list corresponding to products offered by the company and not in the customer profile;

means for comparing the user profile and the marketed product list to the plurality of marketing material; and

means for selecting a number of messages from the plurality of marketing material; and

a transmitter coupled to the computer workstation and configured to transmit the selected dynamic content message to the server apparatus.

7. The system of claim 6 further including a customer terminal in data communication with the server apparatus including, the customer terminal

an input device configured to input user identification information in accordance with a user action;

a web browser stored in the customer terminal configured to receive the identification information from the input device; and

a transmitter configured to place the web browser in data communication with the server.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the customer profile includes a plurality of customer preference attributes, and wherein the means for selecting includes

means for grading the plurality of preference attributes to determine a customer preference type;

and

means for selecting the marketing messages in accordance with the determined customer preference type.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the transaction center further includes

means for configuring a webpage template for display;

and

means for inserting a bookmark corresponding to a website into the template.

10. A method for customizing a website in accordance with user profile information comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of user identification data;

creating a user profile corresponding to the plurality of user identification data received, wherein the user profile includes a list of products owned by the user;

retrieving the user profile from a profile database;

selecting a number of messages from the plurality of company marketing material;

generating a dynamic content message by comparing the list of products owned with a plurality of company marketing material having a list of company products to create a marketed product list corresponding to products offered by the company and not in the user profile;

configuring a webpage to include the dynamic content message; and

displaying the user profile on a customer service terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the profile database resides at a transaction center, and wherein the step of retrieving includes the substeps of

receiving, at the transaction center, a call and associated identifying information from the user;

routing the call to place the user in voice communication with the communication device; and

retrieving the user profile from the profile database in accordance with the identifying information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of configuring the webpage includes the substeps of

transmitting a script to a web browser;

retrieving the dynamic content message from a server in data communication with the web browser;

inserting the dynamic content message into a webpage template generated by the script; and

configuring the webpage template and inserted dynamic content message for display.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of configuring the webpage template and inserted dynamic content message further includes the substep of

inserting a bookmark corresponding to a website selected by the customer service representative into the template.

14. The method of claim 13, further including the step of

displaying the webpage on a user terminal display.