Service Provider Performance Monitoring System

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to service provider performance monitoring systems and in particular to systems for generating customer surveys, collating customer survey responses and providing a measure of performance.

Review of Art Known to the Applicant

The closest art known to the applicant is a system which generates customer surveys in the form of standard letters which are automatically produced from the data inputted into a database and then dispatched to a customer's postal address and/or email address. The system is reliant on the customer completing the survey and returning a completed survey. The system suffers with inherent inaccuracies due to the customer not returning the completed survey. These inaccuracies affect the performance monitored because the data often only originates from a small sample of the customer base.

Inaccuracies also occur if the customer does not immediately return the completed survey. These inaccuracies affect the system's ability of being able to provide an immediate measure of performance, if the customer survey data is incomplete.

The technical problem which this invention addresses may be defined as how to improve the precision and rapidity of delivery of surveys to users such as customers whilst simultaneously improving the quantity, precision and rapidity of feedback and its assessment to assist in service provider performance monitoring.

Summary of the Invention

In its broadest independent aspect, the invention provides a service provider performance monitoring system comprising:

(a) means for logging one or more signals representative of one or more individual interactions by a user with a service provider;

(b) means for automatically generating in response to said one or more logged signals further signals which are displayed to a user as one or more electronic messages such as e-mails; wherein said electronic messages are configured to allow further interaction such as scoring by modification or input by a user;

(c) means for allowing user access to one or more electronic surveys;

(d) means for receiving signals representative of user interaction with said electronic messages and/or said electronic surveys; and (e) means for assessing said received signals in order to assess a service provider's performance.

This configuration has a number of potential technical effects:

• the "real time" interactions of users allow the automatic generation of surveys;

• improved precision and rapidity for targeted delivery of surveys;

• improved quantity of likely feedback from users by allowing feedback in a plurality of forms eg. by minimal input or by minimal input followed by full survey completion; in order to obtain feedback from a large proportion of the users if not a 100% of the users; and

• improved precision and rapidity of feedback processing in a form allowing potential "real time" assessment.

In a subsidiary aspect, the system logs the data generated from a customer's contact with a service provider. The data may be collected from a number of sources; typically websites, call centres or other data collecting applications. In a subsidiary aspect, the data is automatically collated and logged when the client's contact with the service provider has been completed.

In a subsidiary aspect, the system automatically generates in "real time" one or more e- mails in response to the customer contact. The automatic e-mails are capable of containing a variety of customer survey messages, which may contain a means of scoring a service that the customer has received. Or, contain one or more survey questions, which may require additional information from the customer.

In a subsidiary aspect, customer surveys may be conducted dynamically. For example, a sample group from a service provider's customer database may be sent a customer survey, whilst another sample group from the same service provider's customer database is sent an alternative customer survey. Furthermore, relevant customer surveys may be automatically sent to customers, which have experienced either good or bad service from a service provider.

In a subsidiary aspect, the automatic generation of one or more e-mails in response to the customer contact may be delayed for a set period of time. This is particularly advantageous for the service providers, for example, customers who have booked a holiday will be required to complete a customer survey when they return from the holiday. This configuration enables the service provider to schedule the dispatch of a customer survey, via e-mail, after the customer has returned from the holiday.

In a subsidiary aspect, the system may be configured to be capable of receiving the customer's survey response immediately after completion. For example, if a customer had a bad experience with the service provided and completes a customer survey. The service provider will immediately receive the completed customer survey and initiate corrective action for retaining the customer. It may be commercially critical to respond to a negative customer survey response as quickly as possible before the customer finds an alternative service provider. This configuration enables fast processing of the completed customer

survey and automatically initiates a corrective response, which is critical for retaining the customer.

Another advantage of this configuration is the ability of assessing the service provider's performance. This may be in the form of the service provider's management analysing all of the received customer survey responses, which are contained within a database and perform statistical analysis to assess the service provider's performance. For example statistical analysis may be used by comparing the information obtained from completed customer surveys, with data available from third parties for comparing the service provider's performance with the performance of alternative service provider's within the same sector for similar brands or services. This may be useful for identifying which products are succeeding or failing. It could also be used for assessing the performance of marketing campaigns by assessing if the campaign requires more investment to proliferate the service product.

The received customer survey responses may also be used in assessing staff within a service providers' organisation i.e. this may be in the form of back office staff as such like call centre staff, customer interface staff, client to contact staff etc.

In a subsidiary aspect in accordance with the invention's broadest independent aspect, said signals representative of one or more individual interactions by a user are packaged in one or more encrypted data packets to prevent unauthorised access to confidential data.

This configuration is particularly advantageous because the information produced in response to the clients' contact with the service provider may contain confidential information. In a subsidiary aspect, the information is encrypted within data packets before they are dispatched to the system which is advantageous to prevent the data from being intercepted before it reaches the system, and therefore prevents any confidential information contained within from being compromised.

In a further subsidiary aspect, the system further comprises means for delaying the dispatch of electronic messages for an inputted period.

The advantage of this configuration is that it enables the automatic production of electronic messages, typically in the form of one or more e-mails, which may be delayed for a set period of time. This is particularly advantageous for automatically scheduling the dispatch of a customer survey to a customer, when they have pre-booked a service which exists over a period of time. This may be typically in the form of a holiday, weekend break or theatre etc. When the customer has returned, they will receive the customer survey so that they can respond with their holiday /service experience.

In a further subsidiary aspect, the system further comprises means for immediately allowing said service provider access to one or more survey following user interaction with said electronic messages.

This configuration is particularly advantageous because it allows the service provider "real time" access to analyse the customer survey responses and if need be to initiate corrective measures to retain the customer account whenever they have had a negative experience with the service. Rapid action by the service provider is critical if they intend to retain the customer before the customer approaches other alternative service providers. Any delay could lead to the loss of the customer.

In a further subsidiary aspect, the system further comprises means for automatically alerting a service provider if monitored performance levels fall below a configurable level.

This configuration is particularly advantageous because it enables the service provider to be automatically alerted, whenever a performance of a service falls below a predetermined threshold. This is particularly important if a service provider wishes to monitor and compare their service product against similar service products offered by competing service providers.

Furthermore, this configuration is advantageous because it will allow the service provider to monitor its own staff and their performance levels. Therefore, if staff performance levels have increased, the profitability of the revenue obtained by the product is also increased. Also, if staff performance levels have decreased, the profitability of the revenue obtained by the product is also decreased. This may be in the form of customers who are

dissatisfied with the service they have received from staff who represents the service provider.

In a further subsidiary aspect, said means for receiving signals representative of user interaction operate separately from said means for assessing said received signals.

In a further subsidiary aspect, the client's transaction data signals are continuously stored within a memory array, which is incorporated within the live web service. The memory array may be configured into a memory queue. Furthermore, the customer survey responses data signals may be continuously stored within a memory array, which would be incorporated within the customer feedback portal. The memory array may be configured into a memory queue. Therefore, no customer transaction data signals or customer survey response data signals may be lost if the windows service, system database or service console goes off-line due to maintenance, hardware / software upgrade or unforeseen system failure.

In a further subsidiary aspect, the system further comprises means for comparing assessments obtained from different services.

This configuration may be particularly advantageous because it may enable the service provider to compare and assess their service products and/or the performance of their staff to similar services products provided by competitors within the same field of service and comparison between sets of staff between each of the service providers. This may be useful in reporting data to a review website for reviewing the services in a similar field by third party service providers and ranking them in hierarchical order to highlight the services which are providing the best customer satisfaction. This may also be used for statistical analysis for social analysis by looking at motivation of staff across a sector and determining which company is rewarding or which company is regarded as beneficial to work for or not so beneficial to work for e.g. employee satisfaction etc.

In a second broad independent aspect, the invention provides a method of service provider performance monitoring comprising the steps of:

• logging one or more signals representative of one or more individual interactions by a user with a service provider;

• generating in response to said one or more logged signals further signals which are displayable to a user as one or more electronic messages such as e-mails; wherein said electronic messages are configured to allow further user interaction such as scoring by modification or input by a user; • allowing user access to one or more electronic surveys;

• receiving signals representative of user interaction with said electronic messages and/or said electronic surveys; and

• assessing said received signals in order to assess a service provider's performance.

Brief Description of the Figures

Figure 1 shows a system diagram of the service provider performance monitoring system.

Figure 2 shows a system diagram of the service provider performance monitoring system, excluding all system components which are incorporated within the system's critical paths.

Detailed Description of the Figures

Figure 1 shows a full system diagram for a Service Provider Performance Monitoring System 1. The back office application 2 collates data from the service provider's customers; this may be typically in the form of a website, call centre or any other data collecting application. The information obtained from the initial contact made by the service provider's customer is amalgamated to form a single data object. This single data object is known as a transaction 3. The data object is then compiled into a signal which incorporates one or more packets of encrypted data 4. The signal is then immediately dispatched across the transport layer within the internet, to the system's live web service component 5. The signal will typically conform to the Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). The signal establishes a link between the back office application 2 and the live web service component 5, which communicates the single data objects to the live web service component 5 substantially instantaneously. This method of fast communication of signal data is substantially used in "real time" systems.

The live web service component 5 immediately authenticates the one or more packets of encrypted data 4 incorporated within the received signal, to verify that the sender is legitimate. The live web service component 5 automatically decrypts the received one or more packets of encrypted data 4 and then amalgamates the received data into one or more transaction objects 6. The one or more transaction objects 6 are compiled into a signal which establishes a link between the live web service component 5 and the message queue 7. The signal communicates the one or more transaction objects 6 to the message queue 7 substantially instantaneously. When the one or more transaction objects 6 have been entered into the message queue 7 they will not be exposed to any further processing.

Once one or more transaction objects 6 have been placed within the message queue 7, the transaction objects 6 are then safely stored within the service provider performance monitoring system 1 and the incorporated customer data is secured. This is the end of the critical path 9 and up to this point the system is not reliant on the system's database 10. Therefore, the live web service component 5 and message queue 7, within the critical area 8 are able to function continually, whilst the remaining components of the system are switched off. This would be typically if a problem has occurred within the hardware / software, installing upgrades or system maintenance.

The critical area 8 comprises the following system components: the live web server 5, one or more transaction objects 6 and message queue 7 within the service provider performance monitoring system 1. The critical area is where the received customer data is processed for authentication, verification and placed in a stored location. The customer data is at risk from corruption or being lost if any of these identified components fail or go offline during the processing of the customer data. The accuracy and completeness of the received customer data is critical to the intended functioning of the service provider performance monitoring system 1.

The windows service 11 processes the customer data received from the back office application 2. A signal links message queue 7 to the windows service 11. The signal communicates a sequentially extracted transaction object 12 from the message queue 7 to the windows service 11. Each extracted transaction object 12 is processed and the incorporated customer's transaction data is then verified to ensure validity. The

customer's transaction data incorporates all the attributes of the stored customer's transaction along with the customer's email address.

A signal is automatically generated, which incorporates a compiled electronic message that is immediately dispatched to the service provider's customer's contactable address.

A signal links the windows service 11 to the system's database 10. Once the electronic message has been dispatched, the signal communicates each extracted transition object 12 to the system's database 10.

Therefore the Service Provider Performance Monitoring System 1 is capable of generating and dispatching an electronic message, in the form of an e-mail 13, almost instantaneously after first contact was established at the back office application 2 by the customer 14. The required system performance can only be achieved via automatically generated signals, which directly links and communicates data to each system component substantially instantaneously.

When the service provider's customer 14 receives the automatically dispatched e-mail communication 13, the customer 14 may choose to ignore it, or may choose to respond to the survey information incorporated within the sent e-mail 13. The survey information may be typically in the form of selecting a score for the service provided. Or, responding to a selection of one or more questions for acquiring the customer's opinions and comments in regards to the service provided. The customer 14 may choose to ignore the one or more survey questions, in which case only the survey score will be dispatched back to the customer feedback portal 18. If the customer 14 partially completes any of the survey questions contained within the sent e-mail 13, all of the customer's survey response will be dispatched back to the customer feedback portal 14, even though it is incomplete. Immediately after the customer 14 selects and clicks on the appropriate score for the service provided and / or selects the feedback button incorporated within the e- mail 13. A signal is automatically generated which establishes a link 17 between the customers's automatically dispatched e-mail 13, and the customer feedback portal 18 incorporated within the service provider performance monitoring system 1. The information obtained from the customer's survey response is amalgamated to form a single data object. The data object is then compiled into a signal which incorporates one

or more packets of data 16. The signal is then immediately dispatched across the transport layer within the internet, to the system's customer feedback portal 18. The signal will typically conform to the Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). The signal communicates the data objects to the system's customer feedback portal 18 substantially instantaneously.

The customer feedback portal 18 immediately reformats the received one or more packets data 16 within the received signal. The customer survey response data, incorporated within the one or more data packets 16 is amalgamated into one or more customer's survey response data objects 19. The one or more customer's survey response data objects 19 are compiled into a signal which establishes a link between the customer feedback portal 18 and the message queue ZO. The signal communicates the one or more customer's survey response data objects 19 are then entered into the message queue 20. The signal communicates the one or more customer's survey response data objects 19 substantially instantaneously. When the one or more customer's survey response data objects 19 have been entered into the message queue 20 they will not be exposed to any further processing.

Once the one or more customer's survey response data objects 19 have been placed within the message queue 20, the customer's survey response data objects 19 are then safely stored within the service provider performance monitoring system 1 and the customer's survey response data is then secured. This is the end of the critical path 21 and up to this point the system is not reliant on the system's data base 10. Therefore, the customer feedback portal component 18 and message queue 20 within the critical area 21 are able to function continually, while the remaining components of the system are switched off. This would typically be if a problem has occurred within the hardware / software, installing upgrades or system maintenance.

The critical area 21 comprises the following system components: the customer feedback portal 18, one or more customer's survey response data objects 19 and message queue 20 within the service provider performance monitoring system 1. The critical area is where the received customer's survey response data is being processed, repackaged and placed in a stored location. The customer's survey response data is at risk from corruption or being lost if any of these identified components fail or go offline during the processing of the

data. The accuracy and completeness of the received customer's survey response data is critical to the intended functioning of the service provider performance monitoring system 1.

The windows service 23 processes all of the customer's survey response data received from the customer 14. A signal links message queue 20 to the windows service 23. The signal communicates a sequentially extracted customer's survey response data objects 19 from the message queue 20 to the windows service 20. Each extracted customer's survey response data object 19 is processed and the incorporated customer's survey response data is then verified to ensure validity. The customer's survey response data incorporates all the attributes of the stored customer's survey response. A signal links the windows service 23 to the system's database 10. The signal communicates each extracted customer's survey response data object 19 to the system's database 10.

System components 28, 29 and 30 are illustrating all the signal interfaces to the service provider performance monitoring system 1 from external entities.

The Boolean responses 31 and 32 are techniques to ensure that all customer transactions are successfully communicated through the service provider performance monitoring system 1 without compromising the incorporated transaction data. The Boolean responses 31 and 32 employ data handshaking techniques.

The listen for transaction 33 and listen for data 34 are techniques for interrogating messages queues 7 and 20 to initialise the extraction of any data objects that may have arrived since the last extraction. The listen for transaction 33 and listen for data 34 employ data poling techniques.

Database 10 is directly linked to a service console 24 which is incorporated within the service provider performance monitoring system 1. The service console 24 is a graphical/textual interface unit, which provides the executives 25 of a service provider the ability of immediately assessing and quantifying a measure of performance at various levels of granularity. This may be in the form of analysing a service product, a department or individual members of staff. The service console 24 provides the ability of providing immediate reporting data 26 in response to report request 27. This is critical in applying

corrective measures in salvaging a customer's account, a non-performing product service or correcting non performing member of staff before it impacts the product service's customer base.

The service console 24 provides the executives 25 of a service provider the ability of immediately predicting potential future performances and immediate analysis of past performances of a subject, by drawing upon the data stored within the system's 1 database 10.

The service console 24 provides the executives 25 of a service provider the ability of monitoring service product performance. Therefore, if a customer has a negative experience with the service product, the service console will immediately activate an action for initialising a service provider's representative to contact the customer, to retain the account. It is essential that the customer's bad experience is responded to as quick as possible to prevent them from migrating to an alternative service provider.

In a further embodiment of the system 1, the service console 24 may be given access to 3 ^rd party data. Therefore, a benchmark comparison may be drawn up to compare the service product with similar service products, which are being offered by alternative service providers. This may be enhanced further, by giving consumer reviewing bodies or organisations access to the system's database 10 to provide independent reviews and a means of ranking the services accordingly.

In a further embodiment of the system 1, the service console 24 will monitor the performance of any service product and/or staff in order to assess the impact of any corporate changes.

In a further embodiment of the system, customer survey responses will be collated from text based messaging originating from mobile networks, as well as from the internet.

In a further embodiment of the system 1, it will be able to immediately determine if a customer is a bad risk, therefore, the system may automatically adjust any premium annuities accordingly. Or in extreme cases, the system may suspend / close a customer's account. This may be typically used in insurance services.

Figure 2 shows a system diagram that incorporates all the system components which form critical paths 9 and 22. These components continually function in collating customer data and customer survey responses, whilst being disconnected from the system's 1 window services 11 and 23, database 10 and service console 24.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the customer may be assigned a score index. The score index is an aggregate score, which is derived from two or more Service Provider Performance Monitoring Systems. These systems may be operated by other alternative services providers, who have agreed to collaborate with each other to share customer data.

Therefore, when a customer contacts the service provider, the service provider has the means to immediately obtain a score index for the customer, from the system. The service provider is then able to make quick decisions, in regards to the customer, on the basis of customer's score index. For example, the service provider may decide to cancel or suspend a customer's insurance policy. If the customer's score index indicates that the customer is a high and / or bad risk. Another example, the service provider may use the customer's score index make an adjustment to customer's insurance premium, if the score index reflects any previous insurance claims.

The advantage of this embodiment is that it offers a fast and efficient means for service providers to assess new or existing customers. Therefore, reducing any risk to the service provider themselves.