System and method for real-time updating service provider ratings

Abstract

Service providers are evaluated and rated according to criteria that includes customer satisfaction with the services provided by the service provider. If the service provider meets and/or exceeds certain predetermined criteria, the service provider is certified, and a list of certified companies together with a satisfaction rating, can be posted on an website maintained by the rating company for access by the consuming public. A member using the service of a certified company, may register his/her credit card with the Rating Company. When the service is rendered, and paid for by the registered credit card, the payment is detected to trigger the sending of Internet e-mail to the consumer to solicit information as to the consumer's satisfaction with the service. A response to the Internet e-mail by the Rating Company is used to update on a real-time basis the customer satisfaction of the service provider that provided the service.

1 . A method, comprising:
 determining at a rating provider node whether a service provider qualifies to be included in a subset of service providers based on a first information associated with the service provider and based on a predetermined criteria, the subset being a subset of available service providers;   sending a second information associated with the subset of service providers from the rating provider node to a financial service node via a communication network, the second information being different than the first information;   receiving an indication from the financial service node that a customer has transacted business with the service provider if the service provider is from the subset of service providers, the business being transacted via a customer node and via a service provider node;   sending to the customer via the customer node a feedback request in response to the indication;   receiving, via the customer node, feedback from the customer based on the transaction; and   updating at the rating provider node a service provider rating of the service provider based on an analysis of the feedback using a predetermined algorithm.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback request includes a request regarding a quality of service received by the customer from the service provider. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 offering a benefit to the customer after the business has been transacted between the customer and the service provider.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the financial service node is from a plurality of financial service nodes,
 the method further comprising:   registering the customer as an evaluator of a service provided by at least one service provider from the subset of service providers, the registering being performed based on a financial account number associated with the customer; and   sending the financial account number associated with the customer to the plurality of financial service nodes in response to the registering.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second information includes a merchant identifier associated with at least one service provider from the subset of service providers. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the financial service node is from a plurality of financial service nodes,
 the method further comprising:   sending the second information to the plurality of financial service nodes after the determining and before the receiving the indication.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the financial service node is independent from the customer node and the service provider node. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the financial service node is from a plurality of financial service nodes,
 the method further comprising:   registering the customer as an evaluator based on a financial account number associated with the customer; and   sending the financial account number associated with the customer to the plurality of financial service nodes after the registering,   the indication is defined at the financial service node from the plurality of financial service nodes in response to the financial service node determining based on the financial account number that the business between the customer and the service provider has been transacted.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indication is defined at the financial service node in response to the transaction being identified by the financial service node based on a search conducted by the financial service node,
 the method further comprising:   registering the customer as an evaluator before the search is conducted by the financial service node.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indication includes a predetermined portion of an amount of a payment from the customer to the service provider. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indication is defined at the financial service node when it is determined at the financial service node that the customer is registered as an evaluator based on a financial account number associated with the customer.