Ranking system using instant post-transaction surveying of transaction judges

• US 20060155642A1
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LeadPoint Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LeadPoint Incorporated
• Inventors: Pettersen, Per
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

After a telecommunications interaction apparently concludes between first and second parties to the interaction, an automated means for detecting the termination of the interaction jumps in and presents at least one of the parties with an opportunity to participate in a survey (an instant survey) relating to the just-terminated interaction. In one embodiment, the interaction is between a prospective consumer and a lead buyer (or an agent of the buyer) and the instant survey queries the buyer or agent regarding immediate impressions of the quality of the purchased lead that brought the prospective consumer and the lead buyer (or agent) into contact with one another. In one embodiment, results of instant surveys feed into a ranking system that ranks the quality of leads provided through a specific sponsor and remuneration to the sponsor is automatically adjusted according to instant survey results collected for that sponsor.

Claims

1. A hot-contact managing method comprising:

(a) automatically detecting a termination by one of plural transactors involved in a hot-contact telecommunication interaction, the termination generally indicating that the one transactor has concluded his or her part of the interaction;

(b) in response to detection of the termination by said step (a), automatically maintaining connection with a transaction-evaluating one of the transactors; and

(c) in response to detection of the termination by said step (a), automatically presenting a survey proposal to the transaction-evaluator regarding the just-concluded hot-contact interaction.

2. The hot-contact managing method of claim 1 and further comprising:

(d) automatically collecting the evaluator'"'"'s response, if any, and logically associating the response with at least an identification of the just-conducted interaction, if not other interaction-related data.

3. The hot-contact managing method of claim 2 and further comprising:

(e) using the automatically collected data to operate an automated marketing system whose price settings are reflective of automatically collected evaluator responses from plural evaluators.

4. The hot-contact managing method of claim 2 and further comprising:

(e) forwarding the response and associated interaction-related data to a database which stores plural ones of such hot-responses.

5. The hot-contact managing method of claim 4 and further comprising:

(f) using data from the database to manage future transactions based on plural responses obtained by step (e) for plural ones of recently concluded hot interactions.

6. The hot-contact managing method of claim 5 wherein:

(f.1) said database is operatively integrated within an automated marketing system whose price settings are reflective of hot response data collected by the database.

7. The hot-contact managing method of claim 6 wherein:

(f.2) said automated marketing system includes an automated leads auctioning system.

8. The hot-contact managing method of claim 1 wherein:

(a.1) said automatic detecting of a termination includes at least one of;

(a.1a) detecting a telephone hang-up event;

(a.1b) detecting an end of message (EOM) code; and

(a1.c) detecting a prespecified sequence of codes that indicate a termination of interaction by at least one party.

9. The hot-contact managing method of claim 1 and further comprising:

(d) automatically detecting a termination by the transaction-evaluating one of the transactors before the automatic presenting of the survey proposal is carried out;

(e) automatically re-establishing connection with the transaction-evaluating one of the transactors essentially immediately after said automatic detection (d) of termination by the transaction-evaluating one; and

(f) performing said presenting step (c) after said re-establishing step (e).

10. The hot-contact managing method of claim 9 and further comprising:

(g) automatically collecting the evaluator'"'"'s response, if any, and logically associating the response with at least an identification of the just-conducted interaction, if not other interaction-related data; and

(h) using the automatically collected data to operate an automated marketing system whose price settings are reflective of the automatically collected evaluator responses.

11. A method of providing to a first party of a multi-party interaction that takes place over a telecommunications channel, an opportunity to record immediate impressions of the interaction after the first party'"'"'s participation in that interaction appears to have concluded, the method comprising:

(a) automatically detecting an indication that participation between the first party and one or more other parties of said multi-party interaction has terminated; and

(b) in essentially immediate response to said detecting, presenting the first party with a proposal for the first party to participate in an instant survey relating to said apparently terminated participation in the multi-party interaction.

12. The providing method of claim 11 wherein:

(b.1) said essentially immediate response includes a time lag for re-establishing telecommunication contact with the first party if the first party terminated the first party'"'"'s connection to the telecommunications channel.

13. The providing method of claim 11 wherein:

(b.1) said presenting includes an auditory presenting of the survey proposal.

14. The providing method of claim 13 wherein:

(b.2) said presenting includes a visual presenting of the survey proposal.

15. The providing method of claim 13 wherein:

(b.2) said presenting includes providing the first party with a first list of response actions which the first party may employ to respond to a proposed first survey inquiry.

16. The providing method of claim 15 wherein:

(b.2a) said list of response actions includes one or more pressings of specific keys to represent specific responses by the first party.

17. The providing method of claim 15 wherein:

(b.2a) said list of response actions includes one or more utterances of specific words or phrases to represent specific responses by the first party.

18. The providing method of claim 15 wherein:

(b.2a) said list of response actions includes one or more activations of on-screen menu items to represent specific responses by the first party.

19. The providing method of claim 11 and further comprising:

(c) automatically recording a response, if any, by said first party to the proposal; and

(d) logically linking the response with an identification of at least one of;

(d.1) the first party;

(d.2) at least one of said one or more other parties of the multi-party interaction;

(d.3) the time of the multi-party interaction;

(d.4) the telecommunications channel over which the multi-party interaction took place;

(d.5) a sponsor who referred one or more of the parties of the multi-party interaction to another of said one or more of the parties;

(d.6) a data package which provides contact and/or qualification information about at least one of the parties of the multi-party interaction, the qualification information indicating a qualification of the corresponding party to participate in the interaction.

20. The providing method of claim 11 wherein:

(a.1) said first party is a lead-buyer or an agent of a lead buyer; and

(a.2) said one or more other parties includes a prospective consumer for whom the lead-buyer purchased a lead that allowed the first party to engage in said interaction with the prospective consumer.

21. The providing method of claim 20 wherein:

(a.2a) said lead-buyer purchased the lead through an automated market system.

22. A machine system for providing a first party of a multi-party interaction that takes place over a telecommunications channel, with an opportunity to record immediate impressions of the interaction after the first party'"'"'s participation in that interaction appears to have concluded, the system comprising:

(a) detecting means for automatically detecting an indication that participation between the first party and one or more other parties of said multi-party interaction has terminated; and

(b) presenting means, responsive to said detecting means, for presenting the first party with an essentially instant proposal for the first party to participate in an instant survey relating to said apparently terminated participation in the multi-party interaction.