Method and apparatus for using prior activities to improve the probability of completing transactions for a customer in a retail environment

A system for selecting one or more activities to be presented to a customer, the system comprising:

• at least one terminal for dispatching a customer identifier, for presenting information to the customer and for receiving information from the customer;
• a customer database including (i) customer identification data and (ii) customer profile data including preferred activity identifiers, historical information regarding a customer's prior activities with respect to said system and an estimation of a probability that an activity identifier will be selected by a customer;
• an activity database including means for configuring interactive, single transaction dialogues;
• a server responsive to a customer identifier from said at least one terminal, to access said customer database, to select and order one or more activities, based on said customer profile data, to utilize said activity database to configure a dialogue based on said one or more activities that are selected, to dispatch said dialogue to said terminal for presentation to said customer and to receive responses from said customer, without the customer, having to initiate another transaction;
• wherein the server, in selecting a dialog, makes use of historically experienced customer actions for a population of customers in a same venue as a venue of said customer checkout location.

A system for selecting one or more activities to be presented to a customer, the system comprising:

• at least one terminal for dispatching a customer identifier, for presenting information to the customer and for receiving information from the customer;
• a customer database including (i) customer identification data and (ii) customer profile data including preferred activity identifiers, historical information regarding a customer's prior activities with respect to said system and an estimation of a probability that an activity identifier will be selected by a customer;
• an activity database including means for configuring interactive, single transaction dialogues;
• a server responsive to a customer identifier from said at least one terminal, to access said customer database, to select and order one or more activities, based on said customer profile data, to utilize said activity database to configure a dialogue based on said one or more activities that are selected, to dispatch said dialogue to said terminal for presentation to said customer and to receive responses from said customer, without the customer, having to initiate another transaction;
• wherein the server, in selecting a dialog, makes use of a time and day of an action of said customer.

A memory media including instructions for controlling a system to select one or more activities to be presented to a customer, the system including at least one terminal for dispatching a customer identifier for presenting information to the customer and for receiving information from the customer;

• a customer database including (i) customer identification data and (ii) customer profile data including preferred activity identifiers, historical information regarding a customer's prior activities with respect to said system and an estimation of a probability that an activity identifier will be selected by a customer;
• an activity database including means for configuring dialogues;
• and a server, the memory media comprising:
• a) means for controlling said server to respond to a customer identifier from said at least one terminal, by accessing said customer database, to select and order one or more activities, based on said customer profile data;
• b) means for controlling said server to cause said activity database to configure an interactive, single transaction dialogue based on said one or more activities that are selected;
• c) means for controlling said server to dispatch said dialogue to said terminal for presentation to said customer, and without the customer having to initiate another transaction;
• d) means for controlling said server to receive responses from said customer and to provide a message to said customer;
• wherein means b), in selecting a dialog, makes use of historically experienced customer actions for a population of customers in similar venues to a venue of said customer checkout location.

A memory media including instructions for controlling a system to select one or more activities to be presented to a customer, the system including at least one terminal for dispatching a customer identifier for presenting information to the customer and for receiving information from the customer;

• a customer database including (i) customer identification data and (ii) customer profile data including preferred activity identifiers, historical information regarding a customer's prior activities with respect to said system and an estimation of a probability that an activity identifier will be selected by a customer;
• an activity database including means for configuring dialogues;
• and a server, the memory media comprising:
• a) means for controlling said server to respond to a customer identifier from said at least one terminal, by accessing said customer database, to select and order one or more activities, based on said customer profile data;
• b) means for controlling said server to cause said activity database to configure an interactive, single transaction dialogue based on said one or more activities that are, selected;
• c) means for controlling said server to dispatch said dialogue to said terminal for presentation to said customer, and without the customer having to initiate another transaction;
• d) means for controlling said server to receive responses from said customer and to provide a message to said customer;
• wherein means b), in selecting a dialog, makes use of historically experienced customer actions for a population of customers in same venue as a venue of said checkout location.

A memory media including instructions for controlling a system to select one or more activities to be presented to a customer, the system including at least one terminal for dispatching a customer identifier for presenting information to the customer and for receiving information from the customer;

• a customer database including (i) customer identification data and (ii) customer profile data including preferred activity identifiers, historical information regarding a customer's prior activities with respect to said system and an estimation of a probability that an activity identifier will be selected by a customer;
• an activity database including means for configuring dialogues;
• and a server, the memory media comprising:
• a) means for controlling said server to respond to a customer identifier from said at least one terminal, by accessing said customer database, to select and order one or more activities, based on said customer profile data;
• b) means for controlling said server to cause said activity database to configure an interactive, single transaction dialogue based on said one or more activities that are selected;
• c) means for controlling said server to dispatch said dialogue to said terminal for presentation to said customer, and without the customer having to initiate another transaction;
• d) means for controlling said server to receive responses from said customer and to provide a message to said customer;
• wherein means b), in selecting a dialog, makes use of time and day of an action of said customer.