System and method for aiding customers in defining problems and finding solutions
OwnerNancy Kirkconnell-Ewing, Kyle Neal +1inventors
InventorsNancy Kirkconnell-Ewing, Kyle Neal, Lynn Sauder
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for aiding customers. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of prompting the customer in a problem defining process to provide information about issues relevant to its business and a problem the customer is experiencing, receiving customer responses to the prompts, automatically determining a potential solution to the customer problem based upon the customer responses, presenting a description of the potential solution to the customer for review.
Claims36
A method for aiding a customer with a business problem, comprising:
- prompting the customer to provide information about the customer's business;
- prompting the customer to provide information about a business problem the customer is experiencing;
- receiving customer responses to the prompts;
- automatically determining the nature of the business problem based upon the customer responses;
- automatically determining a potential business solution to the problem based upon the customer responses;
- and
- presenting a description of the business problem and the potential business solution to the customer for review such that the customer can learn about the problem and solution before speaking with an agent that sells the solution.
A system for aiding a customer with a business problem, comprising:
- means for prompting the customer to provide information about the customer's business;
- means for prompting the customer to provide information about a business problem the customer is experiencing;
- means for receiving customer responses to the prompts about the business and problem;
- means for automatically determining the nature of the business problem based upon the customer responses;
- means for automatically determining a potential business solution to the problem based upon the customer responses;
- and
- means for presenting a description of the business problem and the potential business solution to the customer for review such that the customer can learn about the problem and solution before speaking with an agent that sells the solution.
A method for aiding a customer with a business solution, comprising:
- generating a customer web site that the customer can access;
- prompting a customer via the web site to provide information about its business and a business problem the customer is experiencing;
- receiving customer responses to the prompts entered via the web site;
- automatically cross-referencing the customer responses with problem definitions and available business solutions offered via the web site to determine a set of problem definitions and potential solutions to the problems;
- and
- presenting the set of problem definitions and potential business solutions to the customer for review.
A web server including computer readable media, comprising:
- logic configured to prompt a customer via a web site to provide information about its business and a business problem the customer is experiencing;
- logic configured to receive customer responses to the prompts entered via the web site;
- logic configured to automatically cross-reference the customer responses with problem definitions and available business solutions offered via the web site to determine a set of problem definitions and potential solutions to the problems;
- and
- logic configured to present the set of problem definitions and potential business solutions to the customer for review.
A method for selling business solutions, comprising:
- providing an agent/service provider web site that agents and service providers can access;
- registering an agent and a service provider with a business solution sales system of which the agent/service provider web site is a part;
- facilitating authorization of the agent to sell a business solution of the service provider to a customer via the agent/service provider web site;
- providing a customer web site that customers can access, the web site being configured to prompt the customer for information about the customer's business and a business problem the customer is experiencing, receive customer responses to the prompts, and automatically determine the nature of the business problem based upon the customer responses as well as a business solution to the problem;
- and
- facilitating contact between the customer and an agent authorized to sell a business solution to the customer's problem.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.