Method and means for evaluating customer service performance

• US 6,970,831 B1
• Filed: 02/23/1999
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vision-1 LLC
• Original Assignee: Performax Incorporated (Aetna Health Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Anderson, Nancy L., Pannkuk, Lois J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reagan, James A.
• Application Number:
  US09/255,968
• Time in Patent Office: 2,471 Days
• Field of Search: 705 8- 11, 180 35- 37, 180/52, 180/53, 180/59
• US Class Current: 705/7.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls

Abstract

A method for evaluating customer service performance is implemented by a computer software application. Customers are presented with transaction specific questions to evaluate particular employees. A customer'"'"'s response to a survey question is stored on a computer. Different performance indicators are calculated for the employee based on the responses to the customer surveys. The employee is evaluated based on these performance indicators.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating customer service performance of a specific employee at the originating point of transaction and at the originating time of transaction, comprising:

presenting a question to a customer at the originating point of transaction and the originating time of transaction about the employee'"'"'s performance using an electronic payment device;

obtaining a response to the question from the customer at the originating point of transaction using the electronic payment device;

recording the customer'"'"'s response;

evaluating the response.

2. The method of evaluating customer service performance according to claim 1, further comprising:

linking the question and response with the employee who served the customer.

3. The method of evaluating customer service performance according to claim 1 wherein the question is presented to the customer on a display of the electronic payment device.

4. The method of evaluating customer service performance according to claim 1 wherein the question is presented on a monitor of the electronic payment device and the response is entered on a keyboard of the electronic payment device.

5. The method of evaluating customer service performance according to claim 1 wherein the question that is presented to the customer is randomly picked from a group of questions.

6. The method of evaluating customer service performance according to claim 1, further comprising:

accumulating scores for questions for individual employees over a defined time period.

7. The method of evaluating customer service performance according to claim 1, further comprising:

accumulating scores for questions for different measurement levels over a defined time period.

8. The method of evaluating customer service performance according to claim 1 wherein the response is compiled in a computer.

9. The method of evaluating customer service performance according to claim 1, further comprising:

communicating an alert signal when the customer service response falls below a threshold.

10. The method of evaluating customer service performance according to claim 1, further comprising:

offering the customer a reward as an incentive to answer the question.

11. A method of evaluating customer service performance of an employee at the originating point of transaction and at the originating time of transaction, comprising:

presenting a question to a customer at the originating point of transaction and at the originating time of transaction about the employee'"'"'s performance using an electronic payment device;

obtaining a response to the question from the customer at the originating point of transaction and the time of transaction using the electronic payment device; and

evaluating the response at the point of transaction and the time of transaction.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising communicating an alert signal at the time of transaction based on the response.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising offering the customer a reward as an incentive to provide the response to the question.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising selecting the question to present from a group of questions using the electronic payment device.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the point of transaction is a store, the customer and the employee being physically present at the store at the time of transaction.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of evaluating the response is scoring the response.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising storing the response.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising tying the employee'"'"'s compensation to the response.

19. A system for collecting customer feedback of an employee'"'"'s performance at the originating point of transaction and at the originating time of transaction, comprising:

an electronic payment device adapted to present a question to the customer about the employee'"'"'s performance and adapted to obtain a response to the question from the customer at the originating time of transaction and at the originating point of transaction;

a memory in operative connection with the electronic payment device for storing the response; and

a control program adapted to link the employee and the response and adapted to cumulatively evaluate the employee'"'"'s performance.