Automated complaint resolution system

• US 20020010591A1
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brenda Pomerance
• Original Assignee: Brenda Pomerance
• Inventors: Pomerance, Brenda
• Granted Patent: US 7,343,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/182 Alternative dispute resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A complaint resolution system, also referred to as a disputes system, enables registered consumers to file a complaint against a merchant. During complaint preparation, the disputes system advises the consumer of relevant cases and other information, allows the consumer to vent their emotions, and prepares a well-formed complaint on behalf of the consumer. After the consumer approves filing of the complaint, the complaint is compared with the merchant'"'"'s stored business rules. If the merchant'"'"'s solution for the problem and the consumer'"'"'s desired solution match, then the disputes system automatically forms an agreement. The disputes system monitors compliance with the agreement by the merchant and consumer. If the merchant has specified a business rule for the problem, but the merchant'"'"'s solution for the problem and the consumer'"'"'s desired solution differ, then the disputes system initiates automated mediation, automatically preparing an Answer comprising the solution from the merchant'"'"'s business rule as the merchant'"'"'s starting negotiating position. If the merchant has not specified a business rule for the consumer'"'"'s problem, then the disputes system initiates automated mediation, asking the merchant for his or her Answer to the consumer'"'"'s complaint. During processing of the consumer'"'"'s complaint, the disputes system maintains and updates a detailed case record. At the conclusion of the case, the disputes system automatically prepares an anonymized case summary, and adds the anonymized case summary to a database of anonymized case summaries.

Claims

1. A method for automated resolution of a complaint from a complainer against a party, comprising:

detecting lack of agreement between the complainer and the party, and

automatically mediating between the complainer and the party to resolve the complaint, the mediating occurring without a human mediator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting relevant contextual information to the complainer during preparation of the complaint.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant contextual information is based on a set of advisory rules.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically collecting emotional detail information, and

automatically generating emotional state information for the complaint from the emotional detail information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically determining what information is needed to detect lack of agreement based on information previously supplied by the party, and automatically collecting the needed information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the previously supplied information includes values for parameters relating to the complainer or to a subject of the complaint.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting lack of agreement includes comparing the complaint with rules of the party.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically generating the party'"'"'s answer to the complaint.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the party'"'"'s answer to the complaint occurs when the complaint'"'"'s desired solution does not match acceptable solutions specified in rules of the party.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically mediating includes collecting response information and preparing a well-formed response based on the collected response information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the response information includes emotional detail information and the well-formed response includes emotional state information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically mediating includes suggesting a response.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein automatically mediating includes collecting response information, and the suggested response is based on the collected response information.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically monitoring compliance by at least one of the complainer and the party with terms of an agreement resolving the complaint.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein automatically monitoring compliance includes receiving compliance information from at least one of the complainer and the party.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein automatically monitoring compliance includes receiving compliance information from an external source.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically preparing a summary of processing of the complaint.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the summary is anonymized.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the summary has at least two levels of information granularity.

20. A method for automated resolution of a complaint from a complainer against a party, comprising:

automatically collecting emotional detail information,

automatically generating emotional state information for the complaint from the emotional detail information,

automatically comparing the complaint with rules previously supplied by the party to detect whether there is a match between a solution desired by the complainer and solutions that the party agrees to.

21. A method for automated resolution of a complaint from a complainer against a party, comprising:

automatically collecting the complaint from the complainer, and

when the complaint'"'"'s desired solution does not match acceptable solutions specified in rules of the party, automatically generating a complaint resolution offer on behalf of the party based on the acceptable solutions specified in the rules of the party.

22. A method for automated resolution of a complaint from a complainer against a party, comprising:

obtaining an agreement resolving the complaint, and

automatically monitoring compliance by at least one of the complainer and the party with terms of the agreement.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein automatically monitoring compliance includes receiving compliance information from at least one of the complainer and the party.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein automatically monitoring compliance includes receiving compliance information from an external source.