Automated service scheduling system based on customer value

• US 8,000,990 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caesars License Company, LLC (Caesars Entertainment, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc. (Caesars Entertainment, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pace, Mark C., Cook, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterrett; Jonathan G
• Application Number:
  US12/816,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

An automated system uses a decisioning system to schedule service attendants to service events at patron locations. The decisioning system schedules the events for servicing using various factors to establish the priority of different events. Service attendants are paged by the system to inform them of a service to be provided.

Claims

1. A method of servicing customers in a business establishment, the method comprising:

at a service location physically located in a business establishment, identifying a customer who is physically located at the service location;

identifying an event at the service location for which the customer who is physically located at the service location in the business establishment needs service by a service attendant;

transmitting from a communication device at the service location to a gaming machine management system a message pertaining to the identified event;

receiving the transmitted message;

scheduling the event for servicing by a first service attendant according to at least a value of the customer;

transmitting a message to the first service attendant identifying the service location to be serviced for the event; and

dispatching the first service attendant to travel to the service location and service the event;

receiving from the first service attendant a message accepting to service the event, wherein the message from the first service attendant is transmitted from the communication device fixed at the service location;

establishing the first service attendant as being unavailable to service another event at another service location until the first service attendant completes service of the accepted event at the service location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the event for servicing further comprises:

scheduling the event for servicing according to a location of the service location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the event for servicing further comprises:

selecting a service attendant for servicing an event based on the service location which generated the event and a location of the service attendant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the event for servicing further comprises:

scheduling the event for servicing using a plurality of rules.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the event for servicing further comprises:

scheduling the event for servicing according to an age of the event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the event for servicing further comprises:

scheduling the event for servicing according to a type of event.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from a customer at a service location, data identifying the customer, wherein transmitted message includes data identifying at least one of the customer or the service location; and

wherein scheduling the event for servicing by a first service attendant according to at least a value of the customer at the service location further comprises determining from the identifying data the value of the customer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service locations are hotel rooms.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the service locations are cruise ship cabins.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the service locations are amusement park facilities.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the service locations are restaurant tables.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring an amount of time taken by a service attendant to service the event; and

responsive to the time taken to by a service attendant service an event exceeding a threshold amount, transmitting a message to another employee to notify of an incomplete service.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a plurality of service attendants servicing events to determine an aggregate performance criteria for servicing the events; and

responsive the aggregate performance criteria exceeding a threshold amount, transmitting a message to supervisor.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer value is based on a room rate of a room occupied by the customer.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer value is based on a room type of a room occupied by the customer.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer value is based on a number of persons in a party associated with the customer.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the event for servicing further comprises:

scheduling the event for servicing according to a combination of an age of the event and a value of the customer.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the event for servicing further comprises:

messaging a supervisor of the first service attendant if the first service attendant has not completed servicing the event in a certain amount of time.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the event for servicing further comprises:

scheduling the event for servicing according to, an age of the event, a type of event, a location of the service location; and

selecting a service attendant for servicing an event based on the service location which generated the event and a location of the service attendant.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the service location a customer identification number;

querying a customer database with the received customer identification number to obtain the measure of the customer'"'"'s value; and

scheduling the event for service according to the obtained customer value.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein each service location includes a customer identification card reader, for reading a customer identification number from a customer identification card.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the event further comprises scheduling the event using scheduling rules pertaining to an amount of time an event has been pending, an evaluation of the customer'"'"'s value, and a type of the event.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is a jackpot at a gaming machine.

24. A system for providing service to customers in a business establishment, the system comprising:

a plurality of service locations physically located in a business establishment, each service location including a communication device adapted to communicate one or more events pertaining to a service event for a customer who is physically located at the service location in the business establishment, wherein the service locations comprise gaming machines, and the communication devices of the gaming machines are adapted to communicate game events to a gaming machine management system;

a decisioning system communicatively coupled to the communication devices to receive the events, the decisioning system configured to schedule a primary service attendant from a plurality of service attendants for servicing each event according to at least a value of the customer at the service location that generated the event;

a communication system communicatively coupled to the decisioning system to transmit a message to the primary service attendant selected for an event, the message indicating a physical location in the business establishment, corresponding to the service location at which the event is to be serviced and to which the primary service attendant is to travel to service the service event; and

a plurality of message receivers for use by the service attendants, including the primary service attendant, each message receiver configured to receive messages from the communication system and display the received messages to a service attendant,

wherein the decisioning system is further configured to receive acceptance messages transmitted from the communication devices at the service locations; and

wherein the decisioning system is further configured to establish the first service attendant as being unavailable to service another event until the first service attendant completes service of the accepted event at the service location.