The present application claims priority from Japanese application JP 2004-185795 filed on Jun. 24, 2004, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a customer information management system and a point service system (FSP: Frequent Shoppers Program) for retail traders, and more particularly to a point management method of managing points by using portable terminals and managing and analyzing customer information, and to a portable terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A point service system (hereinafter called point service) is generally used to attract customers, in which a point is added in accordance with a customer shopping history, and predetermined services are provided for accumulated points. For example, there are stamp cards used at shopping malls, frequent shoppers program at department stores or the like, a mileage program by air line companies and the like. With these services, customers are provided with incentives in the form of points, whereas enterprises collect customer information and aim at sales promotion and attracting customer. In general point service, customer data is collectively managed in a server, including basic information such as customer names, addresses and telephone numbers, customer preferences, purchase histories. In accordance with such information, sales promotion for individual customers is generally performed (one-to-one promotion). Market strategic planning and promotion are performed by collecting and analyzing customer information. This process is called CRM (Customer Relationship Management). Many such CRM tools are introduced to retail traders.
Point services have been proposed which use mobile phones, now commonly prevailing media, as customer identification devices. As an example of point services using mobile phones, services are known in which a server manages customer personal information and point information registered beforehand and point information is displayed upon login to a server from a mobile phone or upon reception of a mail (for example, refer to JP-A-2002-163537).
As the technologies of point management using mobile phones, in one technology a customer identifier and a point management module are fabricated in an IC card (IC chip) to be inserted in a mobile phone (for example, refer to JP-A-2002-15196), in another technology a customer ID is authenticated by reading at a shop the customer information displayed on a mobile phone screen in a two-dimensional bar code, and a customer point is added and stored in a point card storage unit in the mobile phone (for example, refer to JP-A-2002-109039).
In still another technology, latest analysis results can be obtained readily by analyzing customer information from minimum data (for example, refer to JP-A-2003-132431), and in still another technology, enciphered purchase data is input to a portable terminal such as a mobile phone allowing the customer information to be analyzed within the portable terminal off-line/real-time (for example, refer to U.S. 2004/0249758A1.)
In many conventional point services, customer information is collectively managed on a server side. Companies send direct mails and transmit emails to customers to promote them to come to the shops, in accordance with analysis results of customer information such as good customer rank reflecting purchase histories of individual costumers, and other data. To this end, in many cases, customers are required to disclose personal information such as names, telephone numbers and mail addresses when membership is registered (upon participation). A server at a company knows all information on who purchased what goods at which shop. This brings some resistance to customers from the viewpoint of privacy protection.
From the standpoint of companies, recently many cases of leakage of customer information from companies issue a social problem. Since the personal information protection law is enforced, strict management of customer information is necessary. The background of the social problem resides in a high risk caused by collecting customer personal information. It is therefore desired that customer personal information is not collected too much, and promotion proper to individual customers is performed to promote the customers to come to shops or purchase goods.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a point service/customer management system capable of performing one-to-one promotion to individual customer in accordance with analysis results of customer information such as histories and customer rank, and customer preferences, without a necessity of storing customer personal information in a server on a company side.
In order-to solve the above-described issues, the present invention provides a terminal or a program on the terminal, in which in accordance with analysis results of customer information such as a point value and a customer rank changing from time to time according to customer shopping, promotion information only meeting the customer conditions is extracted from the promotion information supplied from a shop to customers, and presented to the customer.
For example, the terminal is a portable terminal such as a mobile phone possessed by a customer. Customer information analysis calculation is executed in the terminal by using purchase data stored in the terminal, and in accordance with the analysis results, proper promotion information-is extracted and presented to the customer. In this case, the promotion information before extraction may be stored in the terminal or may be supplied from an external upon a request from the terminal.
Another configuration may be used in which a server on a shop side executes all of purchase data input, customer information analysis and promotion information extraction. Also in this case, since a reception request for the extracted promotion information is issued from a portable terminal possessed by each customer, the server side is not required to store customer identification information such as mail addresses, residences and telephone numbers for customer access.
The present invention provides the point service/customer management system capable of performing one-to-one promotion to individual customer in accordance with customer analysis results of customer information such as histories and customer rank information, and customer preferences, without a necessity of storing customer personal information in a server on a company side, and promoting customers to come to shops and purchase goods.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the following, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, description will be made on the first embodiment of a system realized by the present invention.
When a customer 101 enters a shop (401), the customer activates the point management program in the portable terminal 100 to display a bar code on the screen (414). The “bar code” is intended to mean not only a one-dimensional bar code but also a multi-dimensional code such as a two-dimensional code capable of containing a larger amount of information. The bar code is generated in the portable terminal, containing information such as the customer ID, a current point value, the customer analysis results from the previous shopping time. A clerk 201 reads (415) the bar code with the shop terminal 200. The shop terminal analyzes the bar code and displays (416) the customer point value, analysis results and the like. The clerk can know the present customer point value and analysis results.
Next, as the clerk inputs present purchase data (417), a simple customer information analysis is executed, for example, by the method disclosed in JP-A-2003-132431, and the results are displayed (418). Although the customer information analysis same as the usual analysis may be executed, it can be considered that the simple customer information analysis capable of being executed simply even by the shop terminal is sufficient, because detailed information is not necessary for additional services and promotion in the shop. The clerk can grasp the summary of the shopping tendency of the customer from the obtained information, and by utilizing this information, additional services and promotion are executed (419). The input purchase data is enciphered (420) and input to the portable terminal (421). The method of inputting the enciphered purchase data may be a method of printing an already enciphered character string on a receipt and manually input it to a portable terminal, a method of making a portable terminal recognize enciphered purchase data displayed in the bar code format, a method of transmitting enciphered purchase data to a portable terminal via infrared communications or the like, or other method. It is therefore not necessary that the shop terminal side stores personal information such as an address of a portable terminal in order to access the portable terminal. The purchase data input method is not limited only to those described above. As the purchase information is input, the point value in the portable terminal is renewed (422). In the case that purchase information is printed on a receipt or the like and manually input to the portable terminal, the customer ID read at (415) to encipher the purchase information (420) may be entered in order to prevent inappropriate input of purchase information of another customer.
When the customer 101 does not come to the shop (402) and activates the point management program of the portable terminal 100 to execute the simple customer information analysis by the method disclosed in JP-A-2003-132431 by using history data 118 such as the point data, previously calculated analysis results, and purchase histories, the latest analysis results are displayed (423) and the history data 118 is updated. The point management program stores beforehand source promotion data 116 defining the promotion conditions and contents. By using the source promotion data and in accordance with the history data 118 such as the point value and customer information analysis results, promotion information matching the present customer is extracted (424). The customer browses (425) the extracted promotion information, and the browse histories are stored in the program as the history data 118.
Point data, history data, promotion information and the like are displayed on the display unit 103. The display unit also displays a bar code if data transfer to and from the shop terminal is executed by using the bar code. The data input unit may be a keyboard, a camera used for reading a bar code or a voice input unit. The data communication unit performs communications through cellular communications, wireless LAN, Bluetooth, infrared or the like, and is used for transmission/reception of point data, purchase data, programs and the like to and from the shop terminal or server.
The display screen 231 is used for displaying point data, history data, promotion information and the like of the terminal user.
Next, with reference to
The source promotion data contains promotion information of a plurality of patterns. The promotion information of each pattern is assumed to be prepared in accordance with a different shopping tendency of each customer. The source promotion data may be transmitted from the shop terminal to the portable terminal, together with the point management program. The pattern of the promotion data to be presented to a user is selected by the process flow (
Next, with reference to
Next, as the clerk inputs purchase data (616), simple customer information analysis calculation is executed in the shop terminal (617) and the obtained results are displayed (618). In accordance with the displayed contents, the clerk can conduct additional services and promotion to the customer (619). The input purchase data is enciphered (620), and is output to the portable terminal (621). If the purchase data is enciphered in such a manner that it can be deciphered only by the portable terminal of the purchaser, it is possible to prevent the customer from inputting a larger purchase money amount to its portable terminal or inputting purchase information of the third party. Enciphering is not necessarily required if the purchase data is input by using a bar code camera or infrared communications. The portable terminal inputs the output enciphered purchase data through manual input of an enciphered character string, reading/recognizing a bar code, infrared communications or the like (512). The input purchase data is deciphered (513) to renew the point value (514), and the customer information is analyzed to display the analysis results (515).
In order not to input purchase data of the third party, additional information such as the customer ID may be used. In this case, the source promotion data as well as the purchase data may be transmitted to the portable terminal to renew the source promotion data stored in the portable terminal. Also in this case, similar to the process flow (
The first embodiment of the system realized by the present invention has been described above. According to this system, even while away from the shop, the customer-can receive additional services and promotion matching the purchase tendency in the shop, and can browse the promotion information extracted to suit the customer which could be a trigger for next going to the shop. Since the source promotion data can be downloaded in the shop or when the member is registered by accessing from a portable terminal, the company side is not required to access a user portable terminal. At the same time, only the promotion information matching a customer is presented, so it is possible to realize one-to-one promotion outside the shop even in off-line situation. Since this system does not require a center server and a customer database, leakage of customer information will not occur so that shops can adopt this system without the risks. Since a process of presenting promotion information is executed off-line, the customer is not required to communicate with a server and can receive promotion communication charges.
Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 13, description will be made on a system of the second embodiment realized by the present invention.
When a customer 101 enters a shop (401), the customer activates the point management program in the portable terminal 100 to display a bar code on the screen (434). A clerk 201 reads (435) the bar code with a shop terminal 200. The shop terminal analyzes the bar code and displays (436) information such as the customer point value, analysis results and the like. As the clerk inputs present purchase data (437), a simple customer information analysis is executed, and the results are displayed (438). In accordance with the displayed information, the clerk can conduct additional services and promotion (439). The input purchase data is enciphered and output (440) and input to the portable terminal (441) so that the point value in the portable terminal is renewed (442). The above-described process flow can be executed in a manner similar to the first embodiment. The input purchase data is transmitted to and stored in the server at a proper timing (443).
In the center server 300, the stored sales log 301 is analyzed to grasp a sales tendency of all customers as a group. In accordance with the sales tendency, sales promotion data such as sale information is input when necessary (444) to generate source promotion data with conditions 302 to be presented to customers (445). Here, it should be noted that customer personal information is not necessary when using the shopping tendency of whole purchase data.
When the customer 101 does not come to the shop (402) and activates the point management program of the portable terminal 100 to execute the simple customer information analysis by using history data 118 such as the point data, previously calculated analysis results, and purchase histories, the latest analysis results are displayed (446). In accordance with this information, the conditions of receiving the promotion information are automatically set (447). This information is compared with the source promotion data 302 stored in the server 300, to thereby receive only the promotion information matching the customer (448). Only the necessary promotion information may be extracted by checking the source promotion data 116 stored beforehand in the portable terminal (449). Using the source promotion data 116 stored beforehand in the portable terminal is advantageous in that data does not need to be acquired each time through communications. The customer browses the extracted promotion information (450), and the browse histories are stored in the program.
As the program of the portable terminal 100 is activated, customer information analysis calculation is executed to obtain the latest results (541). The extraction conditions are set from the analysis results and the latest data such as the point value (542). By adding the extraction conditions and using address information of the server stored beforehand, the server is accessed to request the server for the reception of promotion information (543) (the customer information analysis and extraction condition setting may be executed on the server side by transmitting all or a portion of the history information.) Upon reception of the reception request and extraction conditions from the portable terminal (713), the server extracts the promotion information matching the conditions from the source promotion data (713) and transmits it to the portable terminal (715). The portable terminal receives this data (544) and presents the promotion information to the customer. By using also the source promotion data 116 stored in the portable terminal, the promotion information to be presented may be extracted (545) and presented to the customer (546). The promotion information is extracted by using the extraction conditions of the promotion information transmitted from the portable terminal to the server, and transmitted to the portable server. With this method, the promotion information suitable for each customer can be presented without a necessity that the server holds beforehand customer personal information such as a telephone number.
The second embodiment of the system realized by the present invention has been described above. According to this system, the customer can receive additional services and promotion matching the purchase tendency in the shop, and can browse the promotion information outside the shop. In this case, the customer can receive not only the source promotion data stored beforehand in the portable terminal but also the latest promotion information (sales information, new goods information and the like) stored in the server, to have more chances of going to the shop. Both shops and customers gain from many advantages because one-to-one promotion away from the shop can be realized without disclosing personal information.
Next, with reference to FIGS. 14 to 20, description will be made on a system of the third embodiment realized by the present invention. In the third embodiment, a customer ID is assigned to a portable terminal and a center server manages history data of each customer by using customer IDs.
When a customer 101 enters a shop (401), the customer either activates the point management program in the portable terminal 100 to display a bar code containing similar information to that shown in
In the center server 300, the stored sales log 301 and the history data and the like stored in the anonymous customer database are analyzed to grasp a sales tendency of all customers as a group. In accordance with the sales tendency, sales promotion data such as sale information is input when necessary (463) to generate source promotion data with conditions 302 (464).
When the customer 101 does not come to the shop (402) and activates the point management program of the portable terminal 100 to access the anonymous customer database 303 of the server and acquire and update the latest point value corresponding to the customer ID (465), and to execute the simple customer information analysis by using history data 118 stored in the portable terminal, and the latest analysis results are displayed (466). In accordance with this information, the conditions of receiving the promotion information are set (467). This information is compared with the source promotion data 302 stored in the server, to thereby supply only the promotion information matching the customer (468). By the method similar to the first embodiment, the necessary promotion information may be extracted from the source promotion data 116 stored beforehand in the portable terminal (469). Using the source promotion data 116 stored beforehand in the portable terminal, is advantageous in that data does need to be acquired each time through communications. The customer browses the extracted promotion information (470), and the browse histories are stored in the program.
Next, the extraction conditions are set in accordance with the analysis results and the latest data such as the point value (564), by additionally using the extraction conditions, and the portable terminal request the server for the reception of the promotion information (565). The server receives the reception request and extraction conditions from the portable terminal (736), extracts the promotion information matching the conditions from the source promotion data (737) and transmits it to the portable terminal (738). The portable terminal receives this data (566) to present the promotion information to the customer. By additionally using the source promotion data 116 stored in the portable terminal by the method similar to that of the first embodiment, the promotion information may be extracted (567) and presented to the customer (568). Alternatively, only the customer data may be stored in the portable terminal, and when the promotion information is requested, the customer ID is transmitted to the server to execute, on the server side, point calculation, setting the extraction conditions of the promotion information, extracting the promotion information and the like.
The third embodiment of the system realized by the present invention has been described above. According to this system, as compared to the first and second embodiments, since the latest point value is managed by the server, it is not necessary to input purchase data to the portable terminal. Although the purchase histories and the like of each customer are managed by the server, it is not necessary to disclose information for identifying an individual customer. If the promotion information is required, a check of the purchase history information stored in the server can be made by transmitting the customer ID from the portable terminal. Communications from the portable terminal out of the shop to the server can be reduced minimum and the customer feels comfortable. The company side can avoid the risk of leakage from holding customer personal information. Also in this system, it is possible to conduct the promotion in the shop, and also the one-to-one promotion outside the shop.
Next, with reference to FIGS. 21 to 25, description will be made on a system of the fourth embodiment realized by the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, a dedicated point management program does not need to be installed in a portable terminal.
When a customer 101 enters a shop (401), the customer presents the customer ID by displaying it on the display unit of the portable terminal and shows it to a clerk 201 or by other methods (475). The shop terminal 202 refers to the anonymous customer database 303 of the server 300 by using as a key the customer ID acquired at (476), and acquires the latest point value, purchase histories, customer information analysis results and the like (477) and displays them (478). As the clerk inputs present purchase data (479), a simple customer information analysis is executed, and the results are displayed (480). In this case, if the latest analysis results can be acquired immediately, the latest analysis results may be acquired from the server instead of executing analysis calculation in the shop terminal. In accordance with the displayed information, the clerk can conduct additional services and promotion (481). The input purchase data is transmitted to and stored in the server (483) and the point value is renewed (482).
In the center server 300, the stored sales log 301 and the history data and the like stored in the anonymous customer database are analyzed to grasp a sales tendency of all customers as a group. In accordance with the sales tendency, sales promotion data such as sale information is input when necessary (484) to generate source promotion data with conditions 302 (485). The promotion information matching the customer is extracted from the source promotion data at a proper timing in accordance with the sales tendency of the customers, and stored in the anonymous database 303 as a link to each pattern of the promotion information.
When the customer 101 does not come to the shop (402) and accesses the personal Web page in he server 300 from the portable terminal 100 (487), the promotion information extracted for the customer can be browsed (488).
The fourth embodiment of the system realized by the present invention has been described above. According to this system, the portable terminal only accesses a particular URL and the dedicated program does not need to be installed in the portable terminal. Therefore, the range of types of usable portable terminals is broadened. Although the server manages the purchase histories and the like of each customer, it is not necessary to disclose information that can be used for identifying an individual customer, and the customer can use the system without anxiety. The company side can avoid the risk of leakage from holding customer personal information. Also in this system, it is possible to conduct the promotion in the shop and the one-to-one promotion outside the shop.
Next, with reference to
Assuming that the customer information analysis shows, for example, a rank corresponding to the purchase amount during the week, a rank corresponding to the number of shop visits during the year, and the like, a rank of recent purchase amount may be represented using a tree figure (from a bud to large tree in full bloom) and a rank of the number of shop visits in a long term may be represented by the number of trees. The display screen 134 is presented to the customer with both a small number of shop visits and a small amount of purchase, the display screen 135 is presented to the customer with a large amount of recently purchase and a small number of recent shop visits, and the display screen 136 is presented to the customer with a large number of shop visits in the long term and a reduced amount of recent purchase. The customer rank can therefore be confirmed visually. In addition to this method, the growth degree or look of a character may be changed with the customer rank, to spur the customer to the next shop visit. The history information stored in the portable terminal or server in each embodiment is used as the customer history information necessary for displaying the screens described above.
Promotion information suitable for the current situation of the customer extracted from the source promotion data in accordance with the customer information analysis results, is displayed in the promotion information display area 133. The example in
With the above-described screens, the customer can refer to the present point value and the promotion information from the shop by using the portable terminal even outside the shop. Such information changes from time to time according to the shopping state of a customer. Therefore, motivation for shopping by a customer can be improved. The relation between customers and shops can be improved by devising in such a manner that customers enjoy activating the point management program in combination with the link to other functions.
The categories of the present invention include the following matters.
(1) A management program for providing a customer with promotion information, the management program being stored in a portable terminal of the customer having a storage unit, a program execution unit, a communication unit and a display unit and executing steps of:
storing history information in said storage unit, said history information including purchase data input to said portable terminal;
making said program execution unit generate a promotion information request corresponding to source promotion data stored in advance in said storage unit, in accordance with said stored history information; making said communication unit transmit said promotion information request to a server and receive promotion information transmitted from said server in response to said promotion information request; and
displaying said received promotion information on said display unit.
(2) A management program according to (1), wherein the management program is downloaded from an external apparatus in response to a request from said portable terminal.
(3) A management program according to (1), wherein the history information is updated by inputting the purchase data output from a shop terminal in accordance with purchase of said customer.
(4) A management program according to (1), wherein the history information is downloaded from said history information stored in said server in accordance with purchase of said customer, in response to a request from said portable terminal.
(5) A management program according to (1), wherein a notice of personal information of said customer to an external apparatus is not requested when said management program is stored and said promotion information request is responded.
(6) A promotion information providing method for providing promotion information to a portable terminal of a customer, wherein a server capable of communicating with said portable terminal:
stores customer history information corresponding to ID information of said customer issued in a promotion information providing system, and source promotion data containing promotion information of a plurality of patterns;
generates an individual Web page for each customer;
extracts promotion information matching said customer from said source promotion data in accordance with said stored history information of said customer and relates said extracted promotion information to said individual Web page; and
in response to a reception of an access request including the customer ID information from said portable terminal, presents said individual Web page corresponding to the customer ID information and said related promotion information.
(7) The promotion information providing method according to (6), wherein said history information of said customer is updated by receiving said customer ID information and purchase data presented to a shop terminal in accordance with purchase of said customer, from said shop terminal.
(8) The promotion information providing method according to (6), wherein said customer ID information is issued in response to a request from said portable terminal during member registration and downloaded to said portable terminal.
(9) The promotion information providing method according to (8), wherein a notice of personal information of said customer from said personal terminal is not requested when said customer ID information is issued and said portable terminal issues an access request.
It should be further understood by those skilled in the art that although the foregoing description has been made on embodiments of the invention, the invention is not limited thereto and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2004-185795 | Jun 2004 | JP | national |