Customer loyalty, product demonstration, and store/contact center/internet coupling system and method

• US 8,589,245 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2012
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Michaelis, Paul Roller, Mohler, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Civan, Ethan D
• Application Number:
  US13/345,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20120209781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 705/14, 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations

Abstract

A system for storing information about searches and inquiries by a customer is provided. The system includes a customer service server that receives information from two or more sources, such as from a retail location sales agent, a website, a call center agent, etc. The information is associated and correlated to interrelate inquiries from the different sources. Further, when the user enters a retail location, a node or server at the retail location can push test application to a user'"'"'s mobile device based on the past inquiries. These test applications are provided only when the customer is present in the retail location. As such, hacking the application is prevented. Further, with the customer using the application in the retail location, a sales agent is present to assist the customer.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a customer service server, the customer service server operable to receive customer activity information from at least one of a group comprising a customer service agent computer, a user computer, and an in-store agent computer, wherein the customer activity information includes purchases and searches conducted by a customer, wherein the customer service server receives customer information from a retail server node, wherein the customer information allows the customer service server to associate a mobile device, present in a geo-fenced, physical retail location based on a Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

) location and in communication with the retail server node, with the customer activity information stored in a customer information database, wherein the customer service server sends the customer activity information to the retail server node, and wherein the retail server node pushes information an application to be installed and executed on the mobile device associated with the customer based on the customer activity information and a physical location of the mobile device in the geo-fenced, physical retail location based on the GPS location; and

the customer information database in communication with the customer service server, the customer information database operable to store the customer activity information for the customer.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the customer activity information is stored in a customer activity record, the customer activity record comprising an entry, the entry comprising at least one of:

a product data field including a product identifier for a product;

an indication of whether the customer researched the product in the geo-fenced, physical retail location based on the GPS location;

an indication of whether the customer researched the product on an Internet website;

an indication of whether the customer researched the product through a phone call to a customer service agent; and

an indication of whether the customer purchased the product.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the customer service server determines an application that the customer has searched based on the customer activity information, wherein the customer service server pushes the application to the retail server node to send to the mobile device.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the customer service server stores at least a portion of the customer activity information as a cookie on the user computer for future retrieval.

11. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the customer service server is further operable to determine if the customer has purchased the application to be installed and executed on the mobile device and the mobile device is configured to determine if the customer has exited the geo-fenced physical retail location and responsive to determining if the customer has not purchased the application to be installed and executed on the mobile device and has exited the geo-fenced physical retail location, uninstalling the application from the mobile device.

12. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the received customer activity information is from a customer service agent computer.

5. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, customer activity information from at least one of a group comprising a customer service agent computer, a user computer, and an in-store agent computer, wherein the customer activity information includes purchases and searches conducted by a customer;

receiving, by the processor, customer information from a retail server node, wherein the customer information allows the processor to associate a mobile device, present in a geo-fenced, physical retail location based on a Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

) location and in communication with the retail server node, with the customer activity information stored in a customer information database;

sending, by the processor, the customer activity information to the retail server node, and wherein the retail server node pushes an application to be installed and executed on the mobile device associated with the customer based on the customer activity information and a physical location of the mobile device in the geo-fenced, physical retail location based on the GPS location; and

storing the customer activity information for the customer in the customer information database in communication with the processor.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the customer activity information is stored in a customer activity record, the customer activity record comprising an entry, the entry comprising at least one of:

a product data field including a product identifier for a product;

an indication of whether the customer researched the product in the geo-fenced, physical retail location based on the GPS location;

an indication of whether the customer researched the product on an Internet website;

an indication of whether the customer researched the product through a phone call to a customer service agent; and

an indication of whether the customer purchased the product.

7. The method as defined in claim 5, further comprising the step of determining an application that the customer has searched based on the customer activity information, wherein the processor pushes the application to the retail server node to send to the mobile device.

8. The method as defined in claim 5, further comprising the step of storing at least a portion of the customer activity information as a cookie on the user computer for future retrieval.

9. The method as defined in claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the customer has purchased the application to be installed and executed on the mobile device;

determining if the customer has exited the geo-fenced physical retail location; and

responsive to determining if the customer has not purchased the application to be installed and executed on the mobile device and has exited the geo-fenced physical retail location, uninstalling the application from the mobile device.

10. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the received customer activity information is from a customer service agent computer.