Method, system, and program product for on-line service call scheduling

• US 7,664,667 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2000
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Skilling, Jeffrey Karl, Heckman, Ian Killeen, Lowry, Charles David, Ruppelt, Kevin Michael, Cornell, Glenn William
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayat; Bradley
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOFTIS, JOHNNA RONEE
• Application Number:
  US09/480,589
• Time in Patent Office: 3,690 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/7, 705/8, 705/9, 701/29
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services

Abstract

A computing environment or system is disclosed for use by a homeowner for real-time, on-line scheduling of a visit by technician or repairman to diagnose and, if authorized by the user, repair a home appliance such as a refrigerator or washing machine. The system is desirably accessible over the Internet by a customer using a Web browser wherein an interactive screen prompts the user and suggests product information and a nature of the problem. The system desirably obtains and provides to the user a schedule of available appointments for a manufacturer'"'"'s factory service based on the product and customer information and location of the product. Where factory service is not available in the locality of the user, the system obtains and provides one or more local manufacturer authorized service providers. After selection of a service provider by the user, available appointments are provided. The user selects and confirms one of the appointments. Thereafter, the service provider is notified, for example, automatically by e-mail or facsimile, by the system and is requested to confirm the appointment with the user.

Claims

1. A method of enabling scheduling of a service call in a computing environment, the method comprising:

obtaining product information regarding a product from a user of the computing environment;

validating product warranty service information of the product in real-time from a database including warranty service information based on at least one of the product information and customer information obtained from the user;

establishing a priority order to a service call among a plurality of service calls based on the product warranty service information, a higher priority given to a service call regarding a product that does not have a warranty than a priority given to a service call regarding a product that has a warranty;

determining by a first computing unit including a web browser, whether the product is serviced by a manufacturer of the product or a service provider different than the manufacturer;

automatically providing to the user, from whom the product information is obtained, at least one available appointment based on the priority order within a calendar schedule in real-time for scheduling a service call with at least one of the manufacturer and the service provider based on the product information and on said determination made by the first computing unit without interaction between the user and any other human being, and enabling the user to select one available appointment in real-time for at least one service provider from the calendar schedule; and

automatically providing a service call price estimate that varies based on a regional location of the user, without interaction between the user and any other human being.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the product information comprises a location of the product, and at least one of a product type, a product manufacturer, and a product model number, and wherein the at least one available appointment is based on the location of the product.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically providing comprises selecting the at least one available appointment from a plurality of appointments, and wherein the plurality of appointments are associated with a plurality of service providers at a plurality of locations;

and providing to the user a preferred service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically providing comprises determining in real-time the at least one available appointment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically providing comprises updating in real-time the at least one available appointment as unavailable in the event another user has selected the at least one available appointment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing suggested product information to the user for use by the user in providing the product information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the suggested product information comprises at least one of a product type, a product manufacturer, and a product model number.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to the user a suggested nature of a problem based on the product information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining one of the at least one available appointment selected by the user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising notifying the service provider of the one of the at least one available appointment selected by the user.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising setting the one of the at least one available appointment selected by the user as unavailable for other users.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising validating warranty coverage for the product based on the product information.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a nature of a problem of the product, and providing do-it-yourself repair information based on the nature of the problem.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining comprises obtaining the product information at the first computing unit from input of the product information by the user at a second computing unit coupled to the first computing unit via a communications network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the communications network is a global computer network.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said service call is for repair of a home appliance, the authorized service provider further comprising at least one of at least one service provider under an agreement with the manufacturer to provide service similar to factory service coverage under warranty and at least one service provider satisfying requirements for becoming one authorized service provider for the product, wherein said service call is for repair of a home appliance.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a nature of a problem of the product, and providing do-it-yourself repair information based on the nature of the problem.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining whether the product is serviced comprises determining whether the product is serviced by an authorized service provider if the product is not serviced by the manufacturer, the authorized service provider having agreed with the manufacturer to provide a service similar to that provided by the manufacturer.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a priority to the service call if the product is out of warranty, wherein said providing a priority includes providing the priority to the service call over a service call corresponding to a product that is under warranty.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one available appointment includes at least two available appointments, said method further comprising providing a number of the at least two available appointments if the product is out of warranty, wherein said providing a number includes providing the at least two available appointments that are higher in number than a number of at least one available appointment corresponding to a product under warranty.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, via the first computing unit, a reminder of the service call to the user, wherein said providing a reminder of the service call to the user includes providing the reminder before a time at which the service call is scheduled.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting, via a graphical user interface, a portion of the calendar schedule for scheduling a service call.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising prioritizing, by the first computing unit, a problem associated with the product upon determining that the product has encountered the problem.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, by the first computing unit, a procedure for fixing a problem associated with the product; and

displaying, by the first computing unit, the procedure to the user.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, by the first computing unit, whether the product is covered by a first warranty; and

offering, by the first computing unit to the user, a second warranty upon determining that the product is not covered by the first warranty.

26. A system for enabling scheduling of a service call in a computing environment, said system comprising:

at least one processor adapted to obtain product information regarding a product from a user of the computing environment; and

said at least one processor adapted to;

validate product warranty service information of the product in real-time from a database including warranty service information based on at least one of the product information and customer information obtained from the user;

establish a priority order to a service call among a plurality of service calls based on the product warranty service information, a higher priority given to a service call regarding a product that does not have a warranty than a priority given to a service call regarding a product that has a warranty;

determine whether the product is serviced by a manufacturer of the product or a service provider different than the manufacturer;

provide to the user, from whom the product information is obtained, at least one available appointment based on the priority order in real-time for scheduling a service call, wherein the at least one available appointment is based on the product information and on the determination made by said at least one processor, and said at least one processor adapted to provide the at least one available appointment based on a determination to display the at least one available appointment within a calendar schedule in real-time for scheduling the service call; and

provide to the user, prior to scheduling the service call, a price estimate that varies based on a regional location of the user for the service call without interaction between the user and any other human being.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the product information comprises a location of the product, and at least one of a product type, a product manufacturer, and a product model number, and wherein the at least one available appointment is based on the location of the product.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to select the at least one available appointment from at least one possible appointment for at least one service provider.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to select the at least one available appointment from a plurality of appointments, and wherein the plurality of appointments are associated with a plurality of service providers at a plurality of locations.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to determine in real-time the at least one available appointment.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to update in real-time the at least one available appointment as unavailable in the event another user has selected the at least one available appointment.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to provide suggested product information to the user for use by the user in providing the product information.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the suggested product information comprises at least one of a product type, a product manufacturer, and a product model number.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to provide to the user a suggested nature of a problem based on the product information.

35. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to obtain one of the at least one available appointment selected by the user.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to notify the service provider of the one of the at least one available appointment selected by the user.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to set the one of the at least one available appointment selected by the user as unavailable for other users.

38. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to validate warranty coverage for the product based on the product information.

39. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to obtain a nature of a problem of the product, and to provide do-it-yourself repair information based on the nature of the problem.

40. The system of claim 26, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to obtain the product information at a first computing unit from input of the product information by the user at a second computing unit coupled to the first computing unit via a communications network.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the communications network is a global computer network.

42. The system of claim 26, wherein the service call is for repair of a home appliance, the authorized service provider further comprising at least one of a service provider under an agreement with the manufacturer to provide service similar to factory service for coverage under warranty and a service provider satisfying requirements for becoming one authorized service provider for the product.

43. The system of claim 26, wherein to determine whether the product is serviced said at least one processor is adapted to determine whether the product is serviced by an authorized service provider if the product is not serviced by the manufacturer, and the authorized service provider has agreed with the manufacturer to provide a service similar to that provided by the manufacturer.

44. A system for enabling scheduling of a service call for repair of a home appliance in a computing environment, said system comprising:

means for obtaining product information regarding a product at a first computing unit from input of the product information by the user at a second computing unit coupled to the first computing unit via a communications network, wherein said first computing unit includes a web browser, is configured to determine whether the product is serviced by a manufacturer of the product or a service provider different than the manufacturer;

means for validating product warranty service information of the product in real-time from a database including warranty service information based on at least one of the product information and customer information obtained from the user;

means for establishing a priority order to a service call among a plurality of service calls based on the product warranty service information, a higher priority given to a service call regarding a product that does not have a warranty than a priority given to a service call regarding a product that has a warranty;

means for providing from the first computing unit to the user that input the product information at the second computing unit at least one available appointment based on the priority order in real-time for scheduling a service call based on the product information and the determination made by said first computing unit, wherein the means for providing provides without interaction between the user and any other human being, and said means for providing provides the at least one available appointment based on a determination to display to the user the at least one available appointment within a calendar schedule in real-time for scheduling the service call; and

means for providing from the first computing unit to the user, prior to scheduling the service call, a price estimate that varies based on a regional location of the user for the service call without interaction between the user and any other human being.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the product information comprises a location of the product, and at least one of a product type, a product manufacturer, and a product model number, and wherein the at least one available appointment is based on the location of the product.

46. The system of claim 44, further comprising means for selecting the at least one available appointment from a plurality of appointments, and wherein the plurality of appointments are associated with a plurality of service providers at a plurality of locations.

47. The system of claim 44, wherein said means for providing comprises means for determining in real-time the at least one available appointment.

48. The system of claim 44, wherein said means for providing comprises means for updating in real-time the at least one available appointment as unavailable in the event another user has selected the at least one available appointment.

49. The system of claim 44, further comprising means for obtaining a nature of a problem of the product, and means for providing do-it-yourself repair information based on the nature of the problem.

50. The system of claim 44, further comprising means for obtaining one of the at least one available appointment selected by the user.

51. The system of claim 50, further comprising means for notifying the service provider of the one of the at least one available appointment selected by the user.

52. The system of claim 50, further comprising means for setting the one of the at least one available appointment selected by the user as unavailable for other users.

53. At least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of enabling scheduling a service call, the method comprising:

obtaining product information regarding a product from a user;

validating product warranty service information of the product in real-time from a database including warranty service information based on at least one of the product information and customer information obtained from the user;

establishing a priority order to a service call among a plurality of service calls based on the product warranty service information, a higher priority given to a service call regarding a product that does not have a warranty than a priority given to a service call regarding a product that has a warranty;

determining, by the machine, whether the product is serviced by a manufacturer of the product or a service provider different than the manufacturer;

automatically providing to the user, from whom the product information is obtained, at least one available appointment based on the priority order in real-time for scheduling a service call based on the product information and said determination made by the machine, wherein said automatically providing includes providing without interaction between the user and any other human being, and said automatically providing includes providing based on a determination to display the at least one available appointment within a calendar schedule in real-time for scheduling the service call; and

automatically providing to the user, prior to scheduling the service call, a price estimate that varies based on a regional location of the user for the service call without interaction between the user and any other human being.

54. The at least one program storage device of claim 53, wherein the product information comprises a location of the product, and at least one of a product type, a product manufacturer, and a product model number, and wherein the at least one available appointment is based on the location of the product.

55. The at least one program storage device of claim 53, wherein the automatically providing comprises selecting the at least one available appointment from a plurality of appointments, and wherein the plurality of appointments are associated with a plurality of service providers at a plurality of locations.

56. The at least one program storage device of claim 53, wherein the automatically providing comprises determining in real-time the at least one available appointment.

57. The at least one program storage device of claim 53, wherein the automatically providing comprises updating in real-time the at least one available appointment as unavailable in an event another user has selected the at least one available appointment.

58. The at least one program storage device of claim 53, further comprising obtaining a nature of a problem of the product, and providing do-it-yourself repair information based on the nature of the problem.

59. The at least one program storage device of claim 53, further comprising obtaining one of the at least one available appointment selected by the user.

60. The at least one program storage device of claim 59, further comprising notifying the service provider of the one of the at least one available appointment selected by the user.

61. The at least one program storage device of claim 59, further comprising setting one of the at least one available appointment selected by the user as unavailable for other users.