Method and computer program product for obtaining reviews of businesses from customers

• US 8,255,248 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Del Favero, James Robert, Goodyear, Todd Frey, Schirmacher, Jay, Madurzak, David Otto
• Primary Examiner(s): Jasmin, Lynda
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOY, PAN G
• Application Number:
  US11/490,666
• Time in Patent Office: 2,231 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.11, 705/7.29, 705/7.32
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically soliciting business reviews includes a process for automatically soliciting business reviews whereby searches made, and/or reviews submitted, by individuals using a community based business listing and review system are monitored and user specific usage data is collected including: the user'"'"'s identification; the business listing category in which a search was conducted and/or the business listing category in which a review was submitted by the user; and the community in which the user resides, and/or the community in which the search was made, and/or the community in which the business reviewed resides. Once user specific usage data about the user, and the searches the user conducts and/or the reviews the user has submitted, is gathered, the user specific usage data is then used to create user specific review solicitations of various types.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically soliciting business reviews comprising:

a process for automatically soliciting business reviews using a community based business listing and review system executed at least in part by a processor, the process comprising;

obtaining, by the processor, business reviews through the community based business listing and review system;

organizing, by the processor, the business reviews by community and by business listing category;

detecting, by the processor, a review search by a first user in a first business listing category, the first business listing category having been previously deemed a priority business listing category by the provider of the community based business listings and review service in response to the first business listing category having less than a threshold number of reviews, the reviews counting towards the threshold being only those reviews submitted subsequent to a predefined amount of time ago, the first business listing category being continually monitored for additional reviews due to the priority designation of the first business listing category; and

responsive to the review search by the first user, and after a period of time has passed since the review search by the first user, the period of time varying based on the particular business listing category searched by the first user, automatically creating and sending one or more first user specific review solicitations to the first user, the first user specific review solicitations being specifically targeted at the first user based on first user specific usage data and user-defined parameters, the first user specific usage data including first user identification and contact information, the first business listing category searched by the first user, a community in which the first user resides, and a location of a business associated with the first user specific review solicitation.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the process for automatically soliciting business reviews further comprises:

waiting a pre-defined period of time between detecting a review search by a first user in a first business listing category and automatically creating and sending one or more first user specific review solicitations to the first user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the process for automatically soliciting business reviews further comprises:

subsequent to automatically creating and sending one or more first user specific review solicitations to the first user, obtaining a business review from the first user.

4. A computer program product for automatically soliciting business reviews comprising:

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer instructions, when executed by a processor to perform;

providing a community based business listing and review system;

obtaining business reviews through the community based business listing and review system;

organizing the business reviews by community and by business listing category;

detecting a review search by a first user in a first business listing category, the first business listing category having been previously deemed a priority business listing category by the provider of the community based business listings and review service in response to the first business listing category having less than a threshold number of reviews, the reviews counting towards the threshold being only those reviews submitted subsequent to a predefined amount of time ago, the first business listing category being continually monitored for additional reviews due to the priority designation of the first business listing category; and

responsive to the review search by the first user, and after a period of time has passed since the review search by the first user, the period of time varying based on the particular business listing category searched by the first user, automatically creating and sending one or more first user specific review solicitations to the first user, the first user specific review solicitations being specifically targeted at the first user based on first user specific usage data and user-defined parameters, the first user specific usage data including first user identification and contact information, the first business listing category searched by the first user, a community in which the first user resides, and a location of a business associated with the first user specific review solicitation.