Cascading call notification system and method

Abstract

Systems and methods for notifying customers of ETAs associated with service orders are disclosed herein. A computer implemented method, according to various implementations, includes automatically receiving, by a service application, an ETA from a service order management system. The computer implemented method also includes automatically determining whether an en route notification is to be displayed on at least one servicer device associated with the service application, and automatically displaying the en route notification on the at least one servicer device in response to determining that the en route notification is to be displayed by the servicer device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A notification system comprising:
 a plurality of servicer devices, each servicer device of the plurality of servicer devices including a service application and being communicatively connected to at least a service order management system, each service application of each servicer device of the plurality of servicer devices configured to
 automatically receive an initial estimated time of arrival (ETA) from the service order management system, 
 automatically display an en route notification on the servicer device when it is determined that the initial ETA is within an ETA notification window, the en route notification enabling a servicer to enter a modified ETA, 
 receive from the servicer a selection to initiate a notification to a customer and the modified ETA; and 
 responsive to receiving the selection to initiate the notification to the customer and the modified ETA, transmit a signal to the service order management system to notify the customer of the modified ETA, wherein enabling the servicer to enter the modified ETA enables the service order management system to notify the customer of the modified ETA which is more accurate than the initial ETA. 
   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The notification system of  claim 1 , wherein the ETA notification window is within about one hour prior to the initial ETA. 
     
     
         5 . The notification system of  claim 1 , wherein the ETA notification window is from one hour prior to the initial ETA to two minutes prior to the initial ETA. 
     
     
         6 . The notification system of  claim 1 , wherein the service application is further configured to:
 upon receiving an adjustment to a stop duration or the modified ETA from the servicer, cascade the adjustment and the modified ETA to subsequent stops of the servicer.   
     
     
         7 . The notification system of  claim 1 , wherein the service application is executed on a mobile device of the servicer. 
     
     
         8 . The notification system of  claim 1 , wherein the service order management system is further configured to and enable at least one dispatcher to communicate with the servicer device. 
     
     
         9 . A computer implemented method comprising:
 automatically receiving, by a service application, an initial ETA from a service order management system;   automatically displaying the en route notification on the at least one servicer device when it is determined that the initial ETA is within an ETA notification window, the en route notification enabling a servicer to enter a modified ETA;   upon displaying the en route notification on the at least one servicer device, receiving from the at least one servicer device a selection to initiate a notification to a customer and the modified ETA;   and   responsive to receiving the selection to initiate a notification to the customer, transmitting a signal to the service order management system to notify the customer of the modified ETA, wherein enabling the servicer to enter the modified ETA enables the service order management system to notify the customer of the modified ETA which is more accurate than the initial ETA.   
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The computer implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the initial ETA notification window is within about one hour prior to the initial ETA. 
     
     
         13 . The computer implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the ETA notification window is from one hour prior to the initial ETA to two minutes prior to the initial ETA. 
     
     
         14 . The computer implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 upon receiving an adjustment to a stop duration or the modified ETA from the servicer, cascading the adjustment and modified ETA to subsequent stops of the servicer.   
     
     
         15 . The computer implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the service application executes on a mobile device of the servicer. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions, the computer-readable medium comprising:
 logic adapted to automatically receive an initial ETA from a service order management system;   logic adapted to automatically display the en route notification on the at least one servicer device when it is determined that the initial ETA is within an ETA notification window, the en route notification enabling a servicer to enter a modified ETA;   logic adapted to receive from the at least one servicer device a selection to initiate a notification to a customer and the modified ETA; and   logic adapted to transmit a signal to the service order management system to notify the customer of the modified ETA upon receiving the selection to initiate the notification to the customer, wherein enabling the servicer to enter the modified ETA enables the service order management system to notify the customer of the modified ETA which is more accurate than the initial ETA.   
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the initial ETA notification window about one hour prior to the initial ETA. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the initial ETA notification window is from one hour prior to the initial ETA to two minutes prior to the initial ETA. 
     
     
         21 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , further including at least one stop duration and further comprising logic adapted to cascade to subsequent servicer stops adjustments made to the at least one stop duration of one servicer stop. 
     
     
         22 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , further comprising logic that enables at least one dispatcher to communicate with the at least one servicer device. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , further comprising logic to enable the at least one servicer device to access a service application on a mobile phone. 
     
     
         24 . A notification system comprising:
 a service order management system, the service order management system including an application server and being communicatively connected to at least one servicer device, the application server including at least an order management program, the service order management system configured to   automatically determine and send an ETA to the at least one servicer device;   automatically display the en route notification on the at least one servicer device when it is determined that the ETA is within an ETA notification window, the en route notification enabling a servicer to enter a modified ETA;   responsive to receiving a selection to initiate a notification to the customer, receiving a signal from the at least one servicer device to notify the customer of the modified ETA; and   notify the customer of the modified ETA, wherein enabling the servicer to enter the modified ETA enables the service order management system to notify the customer of the modified ETA which is more accurate than the initial ETA.   
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The notification system of  claim 24 , wherein the ETA notification window is within about one hour prior to the initial ETA. 
     
     
         28 . The notification system of  claim 24 , wherein the ETA notification window is from one hour prior to the initial ETA to two minutes prior to the initial ETA. 
     
     
         29 . The notification system of  claim 24 , wherein the service application is further configured to:
 upon receiving an adjustment to a stop duration or the modified ETA from a servicer on at least one servicer device, cascade the adjustment and the modified ETA to subsequent stops of the servicer.   
     
     
         30 . The notification system of  claim 24 , wherein the service order management system is further configured to enable at least one dispatcher to communicate with the at least one servicer device.