Multifunction card dispenser and customer information collection device

• US 7,850,079 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Long Range Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Long Range Systems LLC
• Inventors: Blink, Russell P., Lovegreen, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): St. Cyr; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/588,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/492, 235/485, 235/487
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42

Abstract

A method and a computer-controlled, multi-function device for generating and dispensing retail cards such as gift cards and loyalty cards and for collecting customer survey information. The device includes a reader such as a magnetic strip reader for receiving payment for the gift card from the customer. A card inspector determines whether the gift card is electronically readable and if not, disposes the card in a bad card hopper. If the card is readable, the device dispenses the card to the customer. An electronic survey apparatus obtains customer information and stores it in an external server. The customer information may include customer responses to survey questions or customer contact information. An external interface enables survey questions to be automatically uploaded to the device and for responses and customer contact information to be downloaded from the device.

Claims

1. A computer-controlled, multi-function device for generating and dispensing a gift card to a customer and for collecting customer survey information, said gift card having a financial value for purchasing goods and/or services from an associated merchant, said device comprising:

payment input means for receiving payment for the gift card from the customer;

dispensing means for dispensing the gift card to the customer in response to receiving the payment;

electronic means for obtaining and storing customer survey information, the electronic means including;

means for presenting to the customer a plurality of survey questions; and

means for obtaining customer responses to the survey questions; and

paging means for sending a page to a manager if a customer response indicates a level of satisfaction above a first threshold or below a second threshold.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the payment input means includes a magnetic strip reader for reading identifying information from a card selected from a group consisting of a credit card, a debit card, a loyalty card, and a club card.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing means includes:

inspecting means for determining whether a gift card that is preprogrammed with an identifier can be properly read;

disposing means in communication with the inspecting means for disposing of the gift card if the inspecting means cannot properly read the identifier; and

dispensing means in communication with the inspecting means for dispensing the gift card to the customer if the inspecting means can properly read the identifier.

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising printing means for printing a thank-you note thanking the customer for taking the survey.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising printing means for printing as a reward for taking the survey, a discount coupon for goods or services provided by the merchant.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing the customer with a discount on a gift card as a reward for taking the survey.

7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising interfacing means for interfacing the device with an external server for uploading survey questions to the device and downloading customer responses from the device.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic means for obtaining and storing customer information includes means for obtaining customer contact information, said contact information being selected from a group consisting of an electronic mail (e-mail) address, a mailing address, and a telephone number.

9. The device according to claim 8, further comprising interfacing means for interfacing the device with an external server for generation of customer correspondence.

10. A computer-controlled, multi-function device for generating and dispensing a gift certificate and for collecting customer information, said gift certificate having a financial value for purchasing goods and/or services from an associated merchant, said device comprising:

payment input means for receiving payment for the gift certificate from the customer;

printing means for printing the gift certificate and dispensing the gift certificate to the customer in response to receiving the payment;

electronic means for obtaining and storing customer survey information; and

paging means for sending a page to a manager if a customer response to a survey question indicates a level of satisfaction above a first threshold or below a second threshold.

11. A computer-controlled device for generating and dispensing a retail card to a customer, said device comprising:

input means for receiving predefined information from the customer;

means for associating the received predefined information with a unique retail card;

dispensing means for dispensing the unique retail card to the customer in response to receiving the predefined information;

electronic means for obtaining customer survey information; and

paging means for sending a page to a manager if a customer response to a survey question indicates a level of satisfaction above a first threshold or below a second threshold.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the retail card is selected from a group consisting of a gift card, a loyalty card, a prepaid phone card, and a prepaid shopping card.

13. The device according to claim 11, further comprising means for interfacing the device with an external server for storing personal customer information.

14. A computer-controlled method of generating and dispensing a retail card to a customer, said method comprising:

providing a multi-function device in a location in the retail establishment accessible by a customer;

receiving through the device, predefined information from the customer;

associating the received predefined information with a unique retail card;

dispensing by the multi-function device, the unique retail card to the customer in response to receiving the predefined information;

obtaining customer survey information through the multi-function device; and

sending a page to a manager if a customer response to a survey question indicates a level of satisfaction above a first threshold or below a second threshold.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising interfacing the device with an external server for storing personal customer information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of interfacing the device with an external server includes sending customer contact information to the server, said contact information being selected from a group consisting of an electronic mail (e-mail) address, a mailing address, and a telephone number.