Systems and methods for tracking changes of address based on service disconnect/connect data

• US 8,175,889 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Experian Information Solutions Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Experian Information Solutions Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Girulat, Rollin M. Jr., Dang, Arlene Grace
• Primary Examiner(s): Plucinski, Jami A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahl, Sangeeta
• Application Number:
  US11/398,504
• Time in Patent Office: 2,225 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/1.1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services

Abstract

A computer-implemented system for updating mailing address or other contact information using service disconnect and connect information, such as for telephone, utility, or other service, is described. Electronic information about service disconnect requests and service connection requests is received and compared to identify requests that are linked to the same individual, household, or other entity. A confidence assessment module may produce an indicator, such as a score, of a confidence level in a correct matching of a disconnect and a connect request, based at least in part on similarity of names or other account information, proximity of addresses, and proximity of effective dates associated with potentially matching service connect and disconnect requests. In some embodiments, service disconnect and connect records from a plurality of services are used.

Claims

1. A method, for performance by a computer system, of identifying a potential new address for at least one customer of a service-provider, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system that comprises one or more processors, data about a first set of consumers comprising individual customers of at least one service-provider, said customers having submitted a service disconnect request to the at least one service-provider, requesting that their service be disconnected, wherein the data about the first set of consumers comprises, for each individual customer, at least a customer name, a service disconnect date, and a service disconnect address at which the service is to be disconnected;

receiving, by the computer system, data about a second set of consumers comprising individual customers of at least one service-provider, said customers having submitted a service connect request to the at least one service-provider requesting that service be connected, wherein the data about the second set of consumers comprises, for each individual customer, at least a customer name, a service connect date, and a service connect address at which the service is to be connected;

programmatically comparing, by the computer system, the data about the individual customers in the first set of consumers and the data about the individual customers in the second set of consumers;

identifying, by the computer system, at least one individual customer in the first set of consumers who is also possibly a member of the second set of consumers;

assessing a level of confidence that the identified at least one individual customer in the first set of consumers is in fact the same customer in the second set of consumers, said confidence assessment comprising calculating a likelihood that the compared data reflects a change of address for the identified at least one individual customer, said likelihood being based, at least in part, on at least two of a set of factors, the set comprising;

geographical proximity of a service connect address and a service disconnect address, similarity of names associated with a service connect request and a service disconnect request, proximity of a service connect date and a service disconnect date, uniqueness of a name associated with a service connect request and a service disconnect request, and similarity of service plan details associated with a service connect request and service plan details associated with a service disconnect request; and

if the assessed level of confidence is above a threshold amount, storing, in computer readable storage, an indication of the service connect address for the identified at least one customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the consumers in the first set and each of the consumers in the second set is at least one of the set comprising:

a person, a household, a business, and an organization.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of factors for calculating the likelihood that the compared data reflects a change of address for the identified at least one customer further comprises:

similarity of service payment information, sameness of telephone number associated with a service disconnect request and a service connect request, sameness of a geographical state associated with a service disconnect request and a service connect request, and uniqueness of a name that is associated with a service disconnect request and a service connect request, wherein the uniqueness of the name is determined with respect to a geographical proximity associated with the service disconnect request and the service connect request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing a level of confidence that the identified at least one individual customer in the first set of consumers is in fact the same customer in the second set of consumers further comprises calculating, based on an analysis algorithm, a likelihood that the compared information reflects a change of address for the identified at least one customer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service disconnect requests comprise telephone service disconnect requests, and wherein the service connect requests comprise telephone service connect requests.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service disconnect requests and the service connect requests regarding at least one of the set comprising:

electricity service, water service, gas service, cable service, satellite televisions service, direct television service, fuel delivery service, newspaper delivery service, water delivery service, garbage pick-up service, gardening service, and pool maintenance service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data about the first set of consumers comprise data about service disconnect requests submitted to a plurality of types of service providers;

and

wherein the data about the second set of consumers comprise data about service connect requests submitted to a plurality of types of service providers.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the set of factors for calculating the likelihood that the compared information reflects a change of address for the identified at least one individual customer further comprises:

a number of services for which service connect requests and service disconnect requests are available, and information about one or more types of services for which service connect information and service disconnect request information are available.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one service-provider to which the first set of consumers submitted a service disconnect request and the at least one service-provider to which the second set of consumers submitted a service connect request are the same.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one service-provider to which the first set of consumers submitted a service disconnect request and the at least one service-provider to which the second set of consumers submitted a service connect request are different.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more types of service provided by the at least one service-provider to which the first set of consumers submitted a service disconnect request and one or more types of service provided by the at least one service-provider to which the second set of consumers submitted a service connect request are the same.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more types of service provided by the at least one service-provider to which the first set of consumers submitted a service disconnect request and one or more types of service provided by the at least one service-provider to which the second set of consumers submitted a service connect request are different.

13. A computer-based system for using information about service connect orders and service disconnect orders to identify potential new contact information for at least one customer of a service-provider, the system comprising:

electronically readable data comprising information about a first set of consumers that comprises individual customers who have submitted service disconnect orders, each service disconnect order requesting that a service or utility at a service disconnect address associated with contact information for a customer having a customer name be discontinued on a given service disconnect date;

electronically readable data comprising information about a second set of consumers that comprises individual customers who have submitted service connect orders, each service connect order requesting that a service or utility at a service connect address associated with contact information for a customer having a customer name be connected on a given service connect date; and

a computer system comprising one or more processors configured to;

compare the electronically readable data about the first set of consumers with the electronically readable data comprising information about the second set of consumers;

identify at least one individual customer in the first set of consumers who is also possibly a member of the second set of consumers;

assess a level of confidence that the identified at least one individual customer in the first set of consumers is in fact the same customer in the second set of consumers, said confidence assessment comprising calculating a likelihood that the compared data reflects a change of address for the identified at least one individual customer, said likelihood being based, at least in part, on at least two of a set of factors comprising;

geographical proximity of a service connect address and a service disconnect address, similarity of names associated with a service connect request and a service disconnect request, proximity of a service connect date and a service disconnect date, uniqueness of a name associated with a service connect request and a service disconnect request, and similarity of service plan details associated with a service connect request and service plan details associated with a service disconnect request; and

if the assessed level of confidence is above a threshold amount, store, in computer readable storage, a record of the contact information from the service connect order as a potential change of contact information for the identified at least one customer.

14. The computer-based system of claim 13, wherein each of the consumers in the first set and each of the consumers in the second set is at least one of the set comprising:

a person, a household, a business, and an organization.

15. The computer-based system of claim 13, wherein the change of contact information is at least one of:

a change of residential address, a change of telephone number, and a change of mailing address.

16. The computer-based system of claim 13, further comprising a data repository for storing information about the change of contact information.

17. The computer-based system of claim 13, wherein the electronically readable data comprises information associated with telephone service connect and disconnect orders.

18. The computer-based system of claim 13, wherein the electronically readable data comprises information associated with service connect and disconnect orders for at least one of the set comprising:

electricity service, water service, gas service, cable service, satellite televisions service, direct television service, fuel delivery service, newspaper delivery service, water delivery service, garbage pick-up service, gardening service, and pool maintenance service.