Method of managing customer information

• US 8,045,967 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2001
• 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): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US12/387,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20090240566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 345/25, 345/169, 345/172, 455/414.3, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/414.1, 455/557, 705/10, 705/15, 705/28, 705/7.11, 705/7.38, 705/7.41, 709/203, 709/217, 709/223, 707/15, 707/28
• US Class Current: 455/414.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A multi-function customer satisfaction survey device, system, and method. A restaurant management system includes a plurality of electronic tip trays and a base unit. Each of the tip trays electronically obtains and stores customer contact information, customer payment information, and responses to a customer satisfaction survey. A data transceiver wirelessly transmits the information to the base unit. The base unit collects the information and sends the contact information to a correspondence server such as an e-mail server. The payment information is sent to an external authorization network and/or the restaurant'"'"'s POS system. The survey responses are sent to an analysis unit. Particularly adverse or positive responses may be matched through the POS system to a food server and a food order.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of managing customer information in a restaurant, said method comprising the steps of:

presenting customer satisfaction survey questions to a customer utilizing a portable electronic survey device;

electronically obtaining and storing the customers responses in a memory in the survey device;

receiving in the survey device, a command from a base unit to download the responses;

wirelessly transmitting the responses from the survey device to the base unit in response to receiving the command; and

analyzing the responses to derive management information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electronically obtaining and storing in the memory in the survey device, contact information for the customer;

sending the contact information to a server; and

generating by the server, customer correspondence from the restaurant.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining customer payment information with the survey device;

wirelessly transmitting the payment information to the base unit;

connecting the base unit to an external financial authorization network; and

obtaining authorization for the customer'"'"'s payment from the external financial authorization network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the base unit to a point-of-sale (POS) system having a database for associating a survey device number with a food-server, a food-order number, and food items included in the associated food-order; and

wherein the step of analyzing the responses to derive management information includes matching particularly adverse or particularly positive responses with associated food-servers and food-orders.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

posting the customer responses and management information on a website; and

providing selected managers with access to the website.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of sending the contact information to the server includes:

wirelessly transmitting the contact information from the survey device to the base unit; and

sending the contact information from the base unit to the server.