Online method and system for advising customers on service needs, facilitating the scheduling of vehicle service appointments, and checking vehicle service status
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- receiving a service request, a scheduled maintenance request, a recall request or a vehicle status request at a dealer management system (DMS);
receiving, at the DMS, a real-time ongoing vehicle repair status check;
accessing, through the DMS, a database containing the real-time ongoing vehicle repair status; and
transmitting, from the DMS to a user computer, the real-time ongoing vehicle repair status.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One aspect of the present invention is an online method for advising a customer on service needs and facilitating the scheduling of a vehicle service appointment. The method can comprise receiving a service inquiry, receiving input information regarding potential service of the vehicle, transmitting an open appointments request to a dealer management system (DMS), receiving a plurality of open appointments from the DMS, causing display of the plurality of open appointments wherein one of the plurality of open appointments is selected as an appointment request, and transmitting the input information and the appointment request to the DMS to facilitate the scheduling of the vehicle service appointment. The last four steps outlined can be conducted in substantially real-time.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving a service request, a scheduled maintenance request, a recall request or a vehicle status request at a dealer management system (DMS); receiving, at the DMS, a real-time ongoing vehicle repair status check; accessing, through the DMS, a database containing the real-time ongoing vehicle repair status; and transmitting, from the DMS to a user computer, the real-time ongoing vehicle repair status. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An apparatus for use in facilitating scheduling of a vehicle service appointment based on a service inquiry, comprising:
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a dealer computer having an interface for communicating over a computer network, the at least one dealer computer having a memory for storing data; a service request routine, wherein a service request for at least one of an HVAC, steering, braking, transmission or smell problems causes the dealer computer to send, to a user computer, at least two symptom probing questions, wherein at least one of the symptom probing questions is directed to the conditions under which the problem occurs, and wherein user entered responses are sent in response from the user computer to the dealer computer; a data structure stored in the memory, the data structure including open appointments data for facilitating scheduling of a vehicle service appointment based on a service inquiry; and an application program operable to utilize the interface for communicating over the computer network, executable on the dealer computer for transmitting in real-time at least a portion of the open appointments data in response to an open appointments request and is operable to receive in real-time an appointment request and input information regarding the service inquiry, wherein one of the plurality of open appointments is selectable as an appointment request. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification