Customer management system for automobile sales industry

• US 6,941,305 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Symeron Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Magouirk, Brent, Wallace, Shawn E., Kennan, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US10/052,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 707 3- 5, 707/10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/9, 707/2, 707/104.1, 705 27- 29, 705/34, 705/40, 705/10, 705/37, 705/26, 705/25, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of collecting client contact data is provided. The method includes the steps of opening a client ticket session to create a client ticket, supplying the client ticket with information, and closing the client ticket session after a predetermined time. Once the client ticket session is closed further alteration of the client ticket is precluded.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of collecting client contact data, comprising:

opening a client ticket session to create a client ticket;

supplying the client ticket with information; and

closing the client ticket session before a sale is executed, and once the client ticket session is closed, limiting further alteration of the client ticket.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein supplying the client ticket with information comprises:

providing client identification information to associate the client ticket with a client; and

associating an item with the client ticket.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein supplying the client ticket with information further comprises:

associating a trade-in item with the client ticket.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein associating an item with the client ticket comprises:

searching available inventory for an item desired by the client;

identifying the item; and

transferring information to the client ticket that pertains to the item.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein before the client ticket session is closed, the method further comprises:

creating a deal based on the information recorded in the client ticket.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein after the client ticket session is closed, the method further comprises:

prohibiting any creation of a deal based on the client ticket.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein supplying the client ticket with information comprises:

utilizing a computer input device to manually provide information as prompted by a computer generated display.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein supplying the client ticket with information comprises:

utilizing a computing device to review a client communication and automatically parse a relevant set of information to be transferred to the client ticket; and

transferring the relevant set of information to the client ticket.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising an initial step of:

obtaining a qualified client contact which is characterized by an instance of interaction with a client that can reasonably be construed as a sale opportunity.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein supplying the client ticket with information further comprises:

supplying the client ticket with information pertaining to the qualified client contact.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

repeating said receiving, opening, supplying and closing steps for a plurality of additional qualified client contacts.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing within a database, for each client ticket session, an informational overview that generally archives a collection of events and input information that corresponds to an associated client ticket session.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing with each informational overview an indication of when the associated client ticket session was opened.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing within a database an informational overview of the client ticket session.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein storing the informational overview of the client ticket session further comprises:

storing the informational overview of the client ticket session with an indication of when the client ticket session was opened.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

repeating the steps such that a plurality of informational overviews are stored in the database with an indication of when an associated client ticket session was opened.

17. A computer readable data storage device storing computer implementable steps, which, when executed cause a computer to:

open a first client ticket session, thereby triggering creation of a first client ticket;

close the client ticket session;

open a second client ticket session, thereby triggering creation of a second client ticket; and

analyze data contained in the first client ticket relative to data contained in the second client ticket.

18. A computer-implemented method of recording and tracking interactions between an automobile sales organization and one of its customers, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a qualified client contact which is characterized by an interaction between the automobile sales organization and the customer that can reasonably be construed as a sale opportunity;

opening a client ticket session to create a client ticket;

supplying the client ticket with information pertaining to the qualified client contact; and

closing the client ticket session if a sale is not completed within a predetermined amount of time, and once the client ticket session is closed, limiting further alteration of the client ticket.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, further comprising:

repeating said obtaining, opening, supplying and closing steps for a plurality of additional interactions between the automobile sales organization and the client.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising:

storing within a database, for each client ticket session, an informational overview that generally archives a collection of events and input information that corresponds to an associated client ticket session; and

storing with each informational overview an indication of when the associated client ticket session was opened.

21. A computer-implemented method for collecting client contact data, comprising:

generating, for a given client, a multiple client ticket history that represents a plurality of interactions between a sales organization and the given client.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein generating a multiple client ticket history comprises generating at least one client ticket that is associated with a client ticket session that is closed before a sale is executed.