Customer management system for automobile sales industry

• US 20020116366A1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Symeron Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Magouirk, Brent, Wallace, Shawn E., Kennan, William B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,941,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of collecting client contact data is provided. The method includes the steps of opening a client ticket session to create a client ticket, supplying the client ticket with information, and closing the client ticket session after a predetermined time. Once the client ticket session is closed further alteration of the client ticket is precluded.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of collecting client contact data, comprising:

opening a client ticket session to create a client ticket;

supplying the client ticket with information; and

closing the client ticket session after a predetermined time, and once the client ticket session is closed, precluding further alteration of the client ticket.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein supplying the client ticket with information comprises:

providing client identification information to associate the client ticket with a client; and

associating an item with the client ticket.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein supplying the client ticket with information further comprises:

associating a trade-in item with the client ticket.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein associating an item with the client ticket comprises:

searching available inventory for an item desired by the client;

identifying the item; and

transferring information to the client ticket that pertains to the item.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein before the client ticket session is closed, the method further comprises:

creating a deal based on the information recorded in the client ticket.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein after the client ticket session is closed, the method further comprises:

prohibiting any creation of a deal based on the client ticket.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein supplying the client ticket with information comprises:

utilizing a computer input device to manually provide information as prompted by a computer generated display.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein supplying the client ticket with information comprises:

utilizing a computing device to review a client communication and automatically parse a relevant set of information to be transferred to the client ticket; and

transferring the relevant set of information to the client ticket.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising an initial step of:

obtaining a qualified client contact which is characterized by an instance of interaction with a client that can reasonably be construed as a sale opportunity.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein supplying the client ticket with information further comprises:

supplying the client ticket with information pertaining to the qualified client contact.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

repeating said receiving, opening, supplying and closing steps for a plurality of additional qualified client contacts.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing within a database, for each client ticket session, an informational overview that generally archives a collection of events and input information that corresponds to an associated client ticket session.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing with each informational overview an indication of when the associated client ticket session was opened.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing within a database an informational overview of the client ticket session.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein storing the informational overview of the client ticket session further comprises:

storing the informational overview of the client ticket session with an indication of when the client ticket session was opened.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

repeating the steps such that a plurality of informational overviews are stored in the database with an indication of when an associated client ticket session was opened.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, further comprising:

repeating said obtaining, opening, supplying and closing steps for a plurality of additional interactions between the automobile sales organization and the client.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising:

storing within a database, for each client ticket session, an informational overview that generally archives a collection of events and input information that corresponds to an associated client ticket session; and

storing with each informational overview an indication of when the associated client ticket session was opened.

17. A computer readable data storage device storing computer implementable steps, which, when executed cause a computer to:

open, in response to a user input, a client ticket session, thereby triggering creation of a client ticket;

display a screen prompting the user to associate the client ticket to a client;

display a screen prompting the user to associate the client ticket to a product; and

close the client ticket session after a predetermined time, and once the client ticket session is closed, precluding further alteration of the client ticket.

18. A computer-implemented method of recording and tracking interactions between an automobile sales organization and one of its customers, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a qualified client contact which is characterized by an interaction between the automobile sales organization and the customer that can reasonably be construed as a sale opportunity;

opening a client ticket session to create a client ticket;

supplying the client ticket with information pertaining to the qualified client contact;

and

closing the client ticket session after a predetermined time, and once the client ticket session is closed, precluding further alteration of the client ticket.

21. A system for collecting client contact data, comprising:

means for opening a client ticket session to create a client ticket;

means for supplying the client ticket with information; and

means for closing the client ticket session after a predetermined time, and once the client ticket session is closed, precluding further alteration of the client ticket.