Method and system for enhancing customer loyalty

• US 7,813,956 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2003
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Invatron Systems Corp.
• Original Assignee: Invatron Systems Corp.
• Inventors: Smirlies, Joseph, Doerwald, Axel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruhl; Dennis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fisher; Paul R
• Application Number:
  US10/412,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,738 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/1.1, 705/14.36
• US Class Current: 705/14.36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A method of and system for providing customer-specific information involving a) obtaining customer identification information for identifying a customer to be served at the weigh station; b) storing a plurality of customer profiles for a plurality of customers wherein each customer in the plurality of customers has an associated customer profile; and, c) when the customer is in the plurality of customers, retrieving the associated customer profile for the customer using the customer identification information and providing associated customer-specific information based on the associated customer profile to a weigh station display.

Claims

1. A method for providing customer-specific information for a customer to a weigh station, the method comprising:

a) obtaining customer identification information for identifying a customer to be served at the weigh station;

b) storing a plurality of customer profiles for a plurality of customers wherein each customer in the plurality of customers has an associated customer profile; and

, c) when the customer is in the plurality of customers, retrieving the associated customer profile for the customer using the customer identification information and providing associated customer-specific information based on the associated customer profile to a weigh station display, wherein the associated customer profile comprises, for each customer in the plurality of customers, a unique associated customer identifier, the customer-specific information comprises associated reward information, and the associated reward information specifies at last one of an associated coupon and an associated discount to be provided to the customer.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises, when the customer is not in the plurality of customers, generating a customer profile for the customer and providing default information to the weigh station display.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the customer-specific information comprises at least one of associated time estimate information for serving the customer, associated historical order information for the customer, associated reward information for the customer, and associated marketing information oriented to the customer.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising providing, for each customer in the plurality of customers, an associated identification card for providing the unique associated customer identifier for the customer.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising obtaining associated purchase information for the customer and updating the associated customer profile for the customer based on the associated purchase information.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising updating the associated customer profile for each customer based on the associated customer-specific information.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising providing an associated service number to the customer, linking the associated service number with the unique associated customer identifier, and inputting the associated service number at the weigh station, wherein step (c) comprises using the associated service number to retrieve the associated customer profile.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the customer-specific information comprises associated reward point information for the customer;

and, the method further comprises;

selectably redeeming an associated selected number of reward points from an associated total number of reward points specified by the associated reward point information for the customer;

determining an associated value represented by the selected number of points;

issuing at least one of an associated coupon and an associated discount to the customer, the at least one of an associated coupon and an associated discount being of the associated value; and

updating the customer profile for the customer by reducing the associated total number of reward points by the associated selected number of reward points.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises determining an associated value of the at least one of the associated coupon and the associated discount.

10. The method as defined in claim 9 further comprising obtaining identification information for the product, determining the weight of the product;

and, determining associated reward information based on the associated customer profile, product identification information and the weight of the product.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the information processing module comprises a product correlating means for correlating at least one associated product with the product;

and, when the customer is in the plurality of customers, the associated reward information specifies an associated coupon for the associated product; and

, the weigh scale station comprises a printing module for printing the associated coupon for the associated product.

12. A system for enhancing customer loyalty, the system comprising:

an input module for receiving customer identification information for identifying a customer;

a weigh station comprising a weigh scale for determining a weight of a product, and a weigh station display for displaying information;

a storage module for storing a plurality of customer profiles for a plurality of customers wherein each customer in the plurality of customers has an associated customer profile;

an information retrieval module for receiving the customer identification information from the input module and for, when the customer is in the plurality of customers, retrieving the associated customer profile, the information retrieval module being linked for communication with the storage module and the input module; and

, an information processing means for, when the customer is in the plurality of customers, providing associated customer-specific information based on the associated customer profile to the weigh station display, the information processing module being linked for communication with the weigh station display and the information retrieval module;

wherein the customer-specific information comprises, for each customer in the plurality of customers, a unique associated customer identifier, and the associated customer-specific information comprises associated reward information, and the associated reward information specifies at least one of an associated coupon and an associated discount to be provided to the customer.

13. The system as defined in claim 12 further comprising a customer profile updating means for updating the associated customer profile for each customer in the plurality of customers based on at least one of the associated customer-specific information and associated purchase information for the customer.

14. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the customer-specific information comprises associated reward point information for the customer.

15. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the associated customer profile comprises at least one of associated time estimate information for serving the customer, associated historical order information for the customer, associated reward information for the customer, and associated marketing information oriented to the customer.

16. The system as defined in claim 15 further comprising a customer profile updating means for, when the customer is not in the plurality of customers, adding the customer to the plurality of customers and generating an associated customer profile for the customer.

17. The system as defined in claim 16, wherein the weigh station comprises a communication module for communicating with a server associated with the storage module, the information retrieval module and the information processing module.

18. The system as defined in claim 17 further comprising a point-of-sale station for obtaining associated purchase information from the customer and for transmitting the associated purchase information to the server, wherein the point-of-sale station is connected to the server for communication therewith, and the customer profile updating means is operable to update the associated customer profile for the customer based on the associated purchase information.

19. The system as defined in claim 18 further comprising a plurality of weigh stations, and a plurality of point-of-sale stations connected to the server.

20. The system as defined in claim 19, wherein the input module comprises a service number provider for providing an associated service number to the customer, linking the associated service number with the unique associated customer identifier, and transmitting the associated service number and the unique associated customer identifier to the information retrieval module;

each weigh station in the plurality of weigh stations comprises an associated information input means for inputting the associated service number into the communication module for transmission to the information processing module; and

the information processing module is operable, when the associated service number is received from a weigh station in the plurality of weigh stations, to provide to the weigh station display the associated customer-specific information for the customer identified by the unique associated customer identifier linked to the associated service number.

21. The system as defined in claim 15 further comprising, for each customer in the plurality of customers, an associated identification card for identifying the customer.

22. The system as defined in claim 21, wherein, for each customer in the plurality of customers, the associated identification card is electronically-readable and the input module is operable to read the unique associated customer identifier from the electronically-readable identification card.

23. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein an associated value of the at least one of the associated coupon and the associated discount is based on the associated customer profile.

24. The system as defined in claim 23, wherein each weigh station comprises an associated information receiving module for receiving product identification information for the product, and is operable to transmit the product identification information for the product and the weight of the product to the information processing module;

and, the associated value is based on the associated customer profile, the product identification information and the weight of the product.

25. The system as defined in claim 24, wherein the information processing module comprises a product correlating means for correlating at least one associated product with the product;

the associated reward information specifies an associated coupon for the at least one associated product; and

, the weigh scale station further comprises a printing module for printing the associated coupon for the at least one associated product.