Service call-ahead system and method

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing service orders are disclosed herein. A computer implemented method, according to some implementations of the present disclosure, includes storing an estimated travel time (e.g., an estimated period of time for a servicer to travel from a current location to a service destination associated with a customer who is to receive a service from the servicer) and estimated time of arrival (ETA) (e.g., an estimated time of day when the servicer is expected to arrive at the service destination). The computer implemented method also includes calculating a call-ahead time for notifying the customer of the servicer's ETA at the service destination. The calculation of the call-ahead time may be based in part on a predetermined advanced-warning time period (e.g., a predetermined amount of time before the ETA for providing an advanced warning of the ETA) and the ETA.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A service order management system comprising:
 a processing device configured to execute logic instructions; and   a memory device in communication with the processing device, the memory device configured to store an order management program enabling the processing device to:
 store an estimated travel time and estimated time of arrival (ETA) in the memory device, wherein the estimated travel time is defined by an estimated period of time for a servicer to travel from a start location to a service destination associated with a customer for whom the servicer is to perform a service job, and wherein the ETA is defined by an estimated time of day when the servicer is expected to arrive at the service destination; 
 calculate a call-ahead time defined by a time of day when the customer is to be notified of the ETA of the servicer at the service destination, wherein the calculation of the call-ahead time is based in part on a predetermined advanced-warning time period and the ETA, and wherein the predetermined advanced-warning time period is defined by a predetermined amount of time before the ETA for providing an advanced warning of the ETA; and 
 automatically notify the customer of the ETA of the servicer at the service destination no earlier than the call-ahead time. 
   
     
     
         2 . The service order management system of  claim 1 , wherein the order management program further enables the processing device to:
 receive information related to the start location of the servicer and information related to the service destination;   in response to receipt of at least the start location information and service destination information, determine the estimated travel time and ETA.   
     
     
         3 . The service order management system of  claim 1 , wherein the order management program further enables the processing device:
 to receive at least one of the estimated travel time and ETA from the servicer and   to calculate the ETA when only the estimated travel time is received from the servicer and calculate the estimated travel time when only the ETA is received from the servicer.   
     
     
         4 . The service order management system of  claim 1 , wherein the order management program further enables the processing device to:
 receive a request from the servicer to extend the estimated travel time by a specific amount of time;   add the specific amount of time to the estimated travel time to obtain a revised estimated travel time;   advance the ETA by the specific amount of time to obtain a revised ETA.   
     
     
         5 . The service order management system of  claim 1 , wherein the call-ahead time is calculated independently of information related to locations of the servicer between the start location and the service destination. 
     
     
         6 . The service order management system of  claim 1 , wherein automatically notifying the customer of the ETA comprises notifying the customer of the ETA of the servicer at the service destination no later than a latest call time, wherein the latest call time is defined by the latest time before the ETA at which an automatic notification is made to the customer. 
     
     
         7 . The service order management system of  claim 1 , wherein the order management program further enables the processing device to:
 receive an indication that the servicer has arrived at the service destination; and   record information regarding the servicer's arrival.   
     
     
         8 . The service order management system of  claim 1 , wherein the order management program further enables the processing device to:
 receive an indication that the servicer has completed the service job and is leaving the service destination; and   receive an indication from the servicer of a next service destination, if any, wherein the next service destination is associated with another customer.   
     
     
         9 . The service order management system of  claim 1 , further comprising an interface device configured to communicate with a mobile device associated with the servicer, wherein the interface device comprises an integrated voice response device. 
     
     
         10 . A computer implemented method comprising:
 storing an estimated travel time and estimated time of arrival (ETA), the estimated travel time being defined as an estimated period of time for a servicer to travel from a current location to a service destination associated with a customer who is to receive a service from the servicer, and the ETA being defined as an estimated time of day when the servicer is expected to arrive at the service destination;   calculating a call-ahead time defined by a time of day when the customer is to be notified of the servicer's ETA at the service destination, the calculation of the call-ahead time being based in part on a predetermined advanced-warning time period and the ETA, and the predetermined advanced-warning time period being defined as a predetermined amount of time before the ETA for providing an advanced warning of the ETA; and   automatically notifying the customer of the servicer's ETA at the service destination no earlier than the call-ahead time.   
     
     
         11 . The computer implemented method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving information related to the start location of the servicer and information related to the service destination;   in response to receiving the start location information and service destination information, determining the estimated travel time and ETA.   
     
     
         12 . The computer implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein the computer implemented method further comprises receiving at least one of the estimated travel time and ETA from the servicer. 
     
     
         13 . The computer implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the computer implemented method further comprises calculating the ETA when only the estimated travel time is received from the servicer and calculating the estimated travel time when only the ETA is received from the servicer. 
     
     
         14 . The computer implemented method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving a request from the servicer to extend the estimated travel time by a specific amount of time;   adding the specific amount of time to the estimated travel time to obtain a revised estimated travel time;   advancing the ETA by the specific amount of time to obtain a revised ETA.   
     
     
         15 . The computer implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein calculating the call-ahead time comprises calculating the call-ahead time independently of information related to intermediate locations of the servicer between the start location and the service destination. 
     
     
         16 . A computer implemented method comprising:
 receiving a service order from a business, the service order including information related to a service job to be performed for a customer, the information including at least a telephone number associated with the customer;   automatically calling the telephone number to obtain confirmation of the service job; and   enabling a recipient of the telephone call to connect with a live operator if desired.   
     
     
         17 . The computer implemented method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving a plurality of service orders from a business, each service order including information related to a respective service job to be performed for a customer, the information for each respective service job including at least a telephone number associated with the respective customer;   automatically calling in succession the telephone numbers associated with the respective customers to obtain confirmation of the respective service jobs; and   enabling a recipient of each of the telephone calls to connect with the live operator if desired.   
     
     
         18 . The computer implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein automatically calling the telephone number comprises utilizing an integrated voice response (IVR) device. 
     
     
         19 . The computer implemented method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving an indication when the servicer has arrived at a loading location;   indicating to the servicer which items are to be loaded onto a vehicle associated with the servicer; and   receiving an indication when the servicer is leaving the loading location.   
     
     
         20 . The computer implemented method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 receiving an indication that an item to be delivered has been scanned by the servicer;   receiving an indication as to whether or not the scanned item is being loaded; and   recording an issue with the scanned item if it is not loaded.   
     
     
         21 . The computer implemented method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 communicating to the servicer which item is to be delivered;   receiving an indication from the servicer when the item is scanned;   receiving an indication as to whether or not the scanned item is being unloaded and delivered; and   recording an issue with the scanned item if it is not unloaded and delivered.   
     
     
         22 . A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions, the computer-readable medium comprising:
 logic adapted to receive a service order from a business, the service order including information related to a service job to be performed for a customer, the information including at least a telephone number associated with the customer;   logic adapted to automatically call a telephone number to obtain confirmation of the service job; and   logic adapted to enable a recipient of the telephone call to connect with a live operator if desired.   
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 logic adapted to receive a plurality of service orders from a business, each service order including information related to a respective service job to be performed for a customer, the information for each respective service job including at least a telephone number associated with the respective customer;   logic adapted to automatically call in succession the telephone numbers associated with the respective customers to obtain confirmation of the respective service jobs; and   logic adapted to enable a recipient of each of the telephone calls to connect with the live operator if desired.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 logic adapted to store an estimated travel time and estimated time of arrival (ETA), wherein the estimated travel time is an estimated period of time for a servicer to travel from a start location to a service destination associated with the customer for whom the servicer is to perform the service job, and wherein the ETA is an estimated time of day when the servicer is expected to arrive at the service destination;   logic adapted to calculate a call-ahead time defined by a time of day when the customer is to be notified of the ETA of the servicer at the service destination, wherein the calculation of the call-ahead time is based in part on a predetermined advanced-warning time period and the ETA, and wherein the predetermined advanced-warning time period is a predetermined amount of time before the ETA for providing an advanced warning of the ETA; and   logic adapted to automatically notify the customer of the ETA of the servicer at the service destination no earlier than the call-ahead time.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 logic adapted to receive information related to the start location of the servicer and information related to the service destination;   logic adapted to determine the estimated travel time and ETA based in part on the start location information and service destination information.   
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 logic adapted to receive an indication of an additional amount of time requested by the servicer to travel from the start location to the service destination;   wherein the logic adapted to automatically calculate the estimated travel time and ETA is further adapted to add the requested additional amount of time to the estimated travel time and extend the ETA by the requested additional amount of time.   
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 logic adapted to receive an indication that the servicer has arrived at the service destination; and   logic adapted to record information regarding the servicer's arrival.