System and Method for Online Agency

Abstract

The present disclosure describes novel systems and methods for a customer to receive information and/or purchase a product or service while interacting with multiple vendors through a single contact/agency. The customer is able to communicate with the agency through a variety of communication modes. The agency adapts the customer's input as necessary to meet the requirements of the vendors and the agency returns information to the customer so that the customer can conveniently interact with the multiple vendors. The systems and methods allow for the customer to stop and restart the process at various points using any of the communication modes. The agency has the ability to present the customer with prospecting, sales, service, upgrades, cross-sells, and other pre- and post-purchase services at the single point-of-contact agency.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for providing information to a customer for choosing a product, comprising:
 a first module including a first network interface device for receiving from a customer a first set of information regarding a product;   a second module including a first processor for providing a second set of information to the customer, via said first module, based on the received first set of information, wherein said second module is operatively connected to said first module;   a third module including a second processor and a second network interface device for receiving and processing first customer data regarding said product, wherein said third module is operatively connected to said first module, and wherein the first processed customer data is formatted in a first data format for a first one of a plurality of product providers, and wherein the first processed customer data is formatted in a second data format for a second one of the plurality of product providers, wherein said first and second data formats are different;   a fourth module including a third network interface device for sending the first processed customer data to each of the plural product providers and for receiving a reply from one or more of the plural product providers in response to said first processed customer data, wherein said fourth module is operatively connected to said third module and to each of the plural product providers;   said third module further for determining, individually, if the reply from the one or more plural product providers includes first product data:
 (a) if so, formatting the first product data from said first product provider into a first predetermined format and formatting the first product data from said second product provider into said first predetermined format; 
 (b) if not:
 (1) sending to the customer a notification that no product data was received; 
 (2) receiving and processing second customer data regarding the product, wherein the second processed customer data is formatted in said first data format and said second data format, and sending, via said fourth module, the processed second customer data to each of the plural product providers; and 
 (3) receiving, via said fourth module, first product data from one or more of the plural product providers and formatting the first product data from said first product provider into a second predetermined format and formatting the first product data from said second product provider into said second predetermined format; 
 
   said third module further for sending to said customer, in one of said first or second predetermined formats, said first product data from said first and second product providers, and for receiving a product choice from said customer in response to said first product data from said first or second product provider, and for receiving and processing third customer data regarding said product choice;   said fourth module further for sending said third processed customer data to said first or second product provider and for receiving from said first or second product provider second product data in response to said third processed customer data; and   said third module further for processing said second product data and for sending said second product data to said customer.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said third module further for receiving from said customer an acceptance of said second product data including customer payment information; 
 said fourth module further for sending to said one product provider an indication of receipt of the customer payment information; and 
 said third module further for sending to said customer an indication of purchase of said product choice. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said first set of information includes customer matching information. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein said system is owned and operated by an online-capable business and wherein:
 said second module includes a first database that is internal to said online-capable business and a second database that is external to said online-capable business; and 
 said second processor processes first and second customer data and second product data. 
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein said online-capable business is selected from the group consisting of: a financial institution, a subsidiary of a financial institution, a company affiliated with a financial institution, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4  wherein said first processor is operatively connected to said first and second databases, and wherein said first processor is programmed for:
 (a) determining if the customer is an online client of the online-capable business; 
 (b) determining a status of the customer if the customer is not a current online client of the online-capable business or if said first set of information is not verified by the online-capable business, including determining if the customer is an offline client of the online-capable business and if so, presenting a first content to the customer, otherwise flagging the customer as a pending customer; and 
 (c) establishing for the customer credentials which allow the customer to save a third set of information so that the customer may later resume choosing a product via an online channel, an offline channel, a telephonic channel, or combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said system is owned and operated by an online-capable business and said customer identification information includes an online identification for said customer with said online-capable business. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein said online-capable business is selected from the group consisting of: a financial institution, a subsidiary of a financial institution, a company affiliated with a financial institution, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said first customer data comprises insurance coverage information. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein said first processed customer data includes a first modification to said first customer data wherein said first modification is based on a first predetermined information for at least one of said product providers,
 and wherein said first product data includes an insurance quote based on said first processed customer data, 
 and wherein said product choice includes a selection of an insurance quote from said one of the plural product providers, 
 and wherein said second customer data includes specific information provided by said customer wherein said specific information is required by said one of the plural product providers for said product choice, 
 and wherein said second processed customer data includes a second modification to said second customer data wherein said second modification is based on a second predetermined information for said one of the plural product providers, 
 and wherein said second product data includes insurance policy information for said product choice. 
 
     
     
         11 . A system for providing information to a customer for choosing a product, comprising:
 a first module including a first network interface device for receiving from a customer a first set of information regarding a product;   a second module including a first processor for providing a second set of information to the customer, via said first module, based on the received first set of information, wherein said second module is operatively connected to said first module;   a third module including a second processor operatively connected to said first module, for receiving, via said first module, first customer data regarding said product and processing said first customer data, and wherein the first processed customer data is formatted in a first data format for a first one of a plurality of product providers, and wherein the first processed customer data is formatted in a second data format for a second one of the plurality of product providers, wherein said first and second data formats are different;   a fourth module including a second network interface device operatively connected to said third module and to each of the plural product providers, for sending said first processed customer data to each of the plural product providers and for receiving a reply from one or more of the plural product providers in response to said first processed customer data;   said third module further for determining, individually, if the reply from the one or more plural product providers includes first product data:
 (a) if so, formatting the first product data from said first product provider into a first predetermined format and formatting the first product data from said second product provider into said first predetermined format; 
 (b) if not:
 (1) sending to the customer, via said first module, a notification that no product data was received; 
 (2) receiving and processing second customer data regarding the product, wherein the second processed customer data is formatted in said first data format and said second data format, and sending, via said fourth module, the processed second customer data to each of the plural product providers; and 
 (3) receiving, via said fourth module, first product data from one or more of the plural product providers and formatting the first product data from said first product provider into a second predetermined format and formatting the first product data from said second product provider into said second predetermined format; 
 
   said third module further for sending to said customer, via said first module, in one of said first or second predetermined formats, said first product data from said first and second product providers, and for receiving, via said first module, a product choice from said customer in response to said first product data from said first or second product provider, and for receiving, via said first module, and processing third customer data regarding said product choice;   said fourth module further for sending said third processed customer data to said first or second product provider and for receiving from said first or second product provider second product data in response to said third processed customer data; and   said third module further for processing said second product data and for sending, via said first module, said second product data to said customer.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein:
 said third module further for receiving from said customer, via said first module, an acceptance of said second product data including customer payment information; 
 said fourth module further for sending to said one product provider an indication of receipt of the customer payment information; and 
 said third module further for sending to said customer, via said first module, an indication of purchase of said product choice. 
 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said first set of information includes customer matching information. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein said system is owned and operated by an online-capable business and wherein:
 said second module includes a first database that is internal to said online-capable business and a second database that is external to said online-capable business; 
 said second processor processes first and second customer data and second product data. 
 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said online-capable business is selected from the group consisting of: a financial institution, a subsidiary of a financial institution, a company affiliated with a financial institution, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said first processor is operatively connected to said first and second databases, and wherein said first processor is programmed for:
 (a) determining if the customer is an online client of the online-capable business; 
 (b) determining a status of the customer if the customer is not a current online client of the online-capable business or if said first set of information is not verified by the online-capable business, including determining if the customer is an offline client of the online-capable business and if so, presenting a first content to the customer, otherwise flagging the customer as a pending customer; and 
 (c) establishing for the customer credentials which allow the customer to save a third set of information so that the customer may later resume choosing a product via an online channel, an offline channel, a telephonic channel, or combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said system is owned and operated by an online-capable business and said customer identification information includes an online identification for said customer with said online-capable business. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein said online-capable business is selected from the group consisting of: a financial institution, a subsidiary of a financial institution, a company affiliated with a financial institution, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said first customer data comprises insurance coverage information. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein said first processed customer data includes a first modification to said first customer data wherein said first modification is based on a first predetermined information for at least one of said product providers,
 and wherein said first product data includes an insurance quote based on said first processed customer data, 
 and wherein said product choice includes a selection of an insurance quote from said one of the plural product providers, 
 and wherein said second customer data includes specific information provided by said customer wherein said specific information is required by said one of the plural product providers for said product choice, 
 and wherein said second processed customer data includes a second modification to said second customer data wherein said second modification is based on a second predetermined information for said one of the plural product providers, 
 and wherein said second product data includes insurance policy information for said product choice.