Information processing system and program

Abstract

To reduce a practitioner turnover rate by supporting customer stabilization and enhancing challenging spirit.SOLUTION: An information processing system 10 includes a customer management part 28 for managing identification information of a customer, a practitioner management part 26 for managing identification information of a practitioner for providing the customer with treatment, an acquisition part 20 for acquiring gratitude information about gratitude given from the customer to the practitioner, a gratitude information management part 80 for managing the acquired gratitude information by associating it with the identification information of the customer and the practitioner, and a notification part 22 for notifying information related to a cumulative amount of the gratitude given to the practitioner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing system and a program.

Background Art

[0002] A system has been proposed that stores favorite treatment information representing treatments that beauticians are good at and searches for favorite treatment information based on desired treatment information regarding the treatments desired by customers, thereby searching for beauticians who are good at the treatments desired by customers (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The above prior art can lead to the arrival of new customers for beauticians by proposing beauticians according to customer needs. However, it does not mention the retention of customers who have once visited the store. Customer retention is very important from the perspective of reducing the turnover rate of beauticians. It is preferable to be able to provide a mechanism for retaining newly acquired customers and having them visit the store continuously.

[0005] One exemplary object of an aspect of the present invention is to support customer retention, enhance the job satisfaction of practitioners, and reduce the turnover rate of practitioners.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing system in one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a customer management unit for managing customer identification information, a practitioner management unit for managing practitioner identification information for providing services to customers, an acquisition unit for acquiring gratitude information related to gratitude given by customers to practitioners, a gratitude information management unit for managing the acquired gratitude information in association with customer and practitioner identification information, and a notification unit for notifying practitioners of the cumulative amount of gratitude given.

[0007] Furthermore, any combination of the above components, or any conversion of the expressions of this disclosure between devices, computer programs, recording media on which computer programs are stored, etc., are also valid forms of this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to support customer retention, increase job satisfaction for practitioners, and reduce the turnover rate of practitioners. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram schematically shows the functional configuration of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figures 2(a) to 2(c) show an example of the data structure of practitioner information managed by the Practitioner Management Department. [Figure 3] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) show an example of the data structure of customer information managed by the Customer Management Department. [Figure 4] Figures 4(a) to 4(c) show an example of the data structure of treatment record information managed by the Treatment Record Management Department. [Figure 5] This is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the operation of an information processing system. [Figure 6] This figure schematically shows the functional configuration of the information processing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the data structure of gratitude information managed by the Gratitude Information Management Department. [Figure 8] This diagram schematically shows an example of how the thank-you information viewing screen looks. [Figure 9] This diagram schematically shows an example of the display of the thank-you information input screen. [Figure 10] This is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the operation of an information processing system. [Figure 11] This diagram schematically shows an example of the display screen for sending a thank-you stamp. [Figure 12] This diagram schematically shows an example of the display screen for sending a thank-you gift. [Figure 13] This diagram schematically shows an example of the display screen for sending emotional stamps. [Figure 14] This diagram schematically shows an example of the summary screen displayed on a customer's terminal. [Figure 15] This diagram schematically shows an example of the summary screen displayed on the practitioner's terminal. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] (First Embodiment) This document outlines the disclosure. This disclosure relates to an information processing system that matches customers with practitioners who provide services to those customers. An example of a service in this disclosure is a beauty service, in which case the practitioner is a beautician or barber. In this disclosure, treatment record information (medical record information) that records the details of the services provided by practitioners to customers is centrally managed by an information processing device, and practitioners selected based on the practitioner's treatment record information are presented to the customer. According to this disclosure, since practitioners can be selected based on their performance, the objectivity and reliability of the matching can be improved compared to information based on the practitioner's self-reporting.

[0011] One of the objectives of the information processing system of the present disclosure is to present a practitioner with high compatibility with a customer in response to needs such as not being able to find a practitioner compatible with the customer. Depending on the circumstances of the customer or the practitioner, etc., there may be cases where the customer is unable to request a procedure from a compatible practitioner who has been continuously requested in the past. In such cases, it is not easy to find a substitute compatible practitioner. Searching for a seemingly compatible practitioner using the Internet or the like requires a great deal of effort. If the compatibility is not suitable after actually receiving the procedure, another practitioner must be searched for. According to an example of the present disclosure, when there is past procedure record information of the customer, a practitioner is selected based on the correlation between the past procedure record information of the customer and the procedure record information of the practitioner. According to this example, by selecting a practitioner in consideration of the customer's preferences for past procedures, it is possible to present a practitioner considered to have high compatibility with the customer, thus reducing the effort for the customer to newly search for a practitioner.

[0012] In addition, in the business format where the practitioner has face-to-face contact with the customer and communicates, the practitioner has concerns and worries that they cannot grasp the customer's satisfaction with the procedure. According to an example of the present disclosure, since the evaluation from the customer can be visualized, the anxiety of the practitioner can be reduced. Also, even if the content is difficult to convey to the practitioner face-to-face for the customer, if it is a situation where it is not face-to-face via the information processing system, the customer can convey their feelings and true thoughts without resistance. Therefore, according to an example of the present disclosure, it is possible to enhance the mutual relationship recognition between both the practitioner and the customer and improve the relationship.

[0013] Hereinafter, the technology of the present disclosure will be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and not all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments necessarily pertain to the essence of the invention. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted as appropriate. Also, the scales and shapes of the respective parts shown in each figure are set for convenience in facilitating the explanation, and are not to be construed restrictively unless otherwise specified. Further, when terms such as "first", "second", etc. are used in this specification or claims, they do not represent any order or importance unless otherwise specified, and are for distinguishing one configuration from another.

[0014] The main body of the apparatus or method in the present disclosure includes a computer. By this computer executing a computer program, the functions of the main body of the apparatus or method in the present disclosure are realized. The computer includes a processor that operates according to the computer program as the main hardware configuration. The type of the processor is not limited as long as it can realize functions by executing the computer program. The processor is composed of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs, LSIs, etc.). The computer program is recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a ROM, optical disk, or hard disk drive that can be read by the computer. The computer program may be pre-stored in the recording medium or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide-area communication network including the Internet or the like.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the functional configuration of an information processing system 10 according to the first embodiment. The information processing system 10 includes an information processing apparatus 12, a store terminal 14, and a customer terminal 16. The information processing apparatus 12 is connected to the store terminal 14 and the customer terminal 16 via a network 18.

[0016] Each block shown in the block diagram of this disclosure can be realized in hardware terms by components and mechanical devices such as the CPU and memory of a computer, and in software terms by computer programs, etc., but here we are depicting functional blocks that are realized through the cooperation of these. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combinations of hardware and software.

[0017] A computer program implementing the functions of at least some of the functional blocks shown in Figure 1 may be installed on the storage of one or more computers. The CPU of one or more computers may perform the functions of the functional blocks shown in Figure 1 by reading the computer program installed on its machine into main memory and executing it.

[0018] Furthermore, the functions of the multiple functional blocks shown in Figure 1 may be executed by a single computer or in a distributed manner across multiple computers. When the functions of the multiple functional blocks shown in Figure 1 are executed in a distributed manner across multiple computers, these multiple computers may send and receive data via a communication network including a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the Internet.

[0019] The information processing device 12 performs information processing to provide a platform operated by an intermediary business that matches customers with practitioners. The information processing device 12 includes an acquisition unit 20, a notification unit 22, a store management unit 24, a practitioner management unit 26, a customer management unit 28, a treatment record management unit 30, a product management unit 32, a diary management unit 34, a practitioner selection unit 36, and a product suggestion unit 38.

[0020] The acquisition unit 20 acquires information from the store terminal 14 and the customer terminal 16 via the network 18. The notification unit 22 notifies the store terminal 14 and the customer terminal 16 of the information via the network 18.

[0021] The store management unit 24 stores and manages information about the stores that provide services to customers (also called store information). The store management unit 24 manages store information based on information acquired from the store terminal 14 through the acquisition unit 20. Store information includes store name, telephone number, location, business hours, service menu, prices, store description, and store images, with the store ID, which is the store's identification information, as the key. If the store is a hair salon, specific examples of service menus include cuts, shampoos, coloring, perms, hair straightening, treatments, and hair styling. Prices are set for each service menu, for example.

[0022] The practitioner management unit 26 stores and manages information about practitioners who provide treatments (also called practitioner information). The practitioner management unit 26 manages practitioner information based on information acquired from the store terminal 14 through the acquisition unit 20. Practitioner information is managed using the practitioner ID, which is the practitioner's identification information, as a key, and includes practitioner attribute information, specialty treatment information, specialty attribute information, etc.

[0023] Figures 2(a) to 2(c) show an example of the data structure of practitioner information managed by the practitioner management unit 26. Figure 2(a) shows an example of the data structure of practitioner attribute information included in practitioner information. Practitioner attribute information includes attribute information such as store ID, name, age, hobbies and preferences, practitioner description, and practitioner image, with practitioner ID as the key. Hobbies and preferences include information such as the practitioner's favorite magazines, celebrities, and brands. The practitioner description is a comment that concisely describes the practitioner's characteristics and is displayed on web pages introducing the practitioner. The practitioner image is a photograph of the practitioner's face, etc.

[0024] Figure 2(b) shows an example of the data structure of the specialty treatment information included in the practitioner information. The specialty treatment information is information about the treatments that the practitioner is good at, and includes information such as treatment menus and treatment techniques, with the practitioner ID as the key. If the practitioner is a beautician, the specialty treatment information includes information such as the hairstyles they are good at, cutting techniques, coloring techniques, perming techniques, and hair straightening. The information processing device 12, for example, holds table information of classification numbers (e.g., S1~, T1~, U1~, V1~, W1~) that indicate the type of treatment menu or treatment technique, and the type of treatment menu or treatment technique is identified by the classification number.

[0025] Figure 2(c) shows an example of the data structure of the expert attribute information included in the practitioner information. Expert attribute information is information about the attributes of customers that the practitioner is good at treating, and includes information such as the customer's age, gender, hobbies and preferences, using the practitioner ID as the key. Expert attribute information may also include information about the customer's favorite topics during treatment (e.g., fashion, interior design, travel, sports, art, gourmet food, romance, work, childcare).

[0026] The practitioner management unit 26 may manage practitioner information, including the practitioner's work schedule and appointment schedule.

[0027] The customer management unit 28 stores and manages information about customers receiving treatments (also called customer information). The customer management unit 28 manages customer information based on information acquired from customer terminals 16 through the acquisition unit 20. The customer information is managed using the customer ID, which is the customer's identification information, as the key, and includes customer attribute information, treatment preference information, etc.

[0028] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) show an example of the data structure of customer information managed by the Customer Management Department 28. Figure 3(a) shows an example of the data structure of customer attribute information included in customer information. Customer attribute information includes information such as name, age, gender, occupation, family structure, hobbies and preferences, with the customer ID as the key. Hobbies and preferences may also include information such as the customer's favorite magazines, celebrities, brands, topics of conversation during treatments, and favorite products.

[0029] Figure 3(b) shows an example of the data structure of treatment preference information included in customer information. Treatment preference information is information about the treatment the customer desires, and includes information such as the desired treatment menu and technique, the quality and condition of the area to be treated, concerns, budget and duration of treatment, frequency of treatment, location of treatment, and preferred attributes of the store and practitioner. If the area to be treated is hair, treatment preference information may also include information such as the desired hairstyle, the customer's hair type, and the customer's hair concerns. Information regarding hair type may include information such as hair thickness, hair volume, hair hardness, hair color, presence or absence of coarseness, presence or absence of split ends, presence or absence of breakage, presence or absence of static electricity, presence or absence of curly hair, and hair tendency to fall out. Information regarding hair concerns may include details such as hair easily becoming frizzy, hair easily getting bedhead, hair taking a long time to style, hair not styling well, hair not staying styled, not knowing when to cut hair, bangs becoming wavy, hair becoming greasy at night, lack of volume, irritation from perm or coloring agents, hair color fading easily, perms not coming out easily, and concerns about gray hair.

[0030] The treatment record management unit 30 stores and manages treatment record information, which records the details of treatments provided by practitioners to customers. For example, the treatment record management unit 30 generates treatment record information based on treatment reservation information obtained from the customer terminal 16, and updates the treatment record information based on information obtained from the store terminal 14 after the treatment. The treatment record management unit 30 manages the treatment record information in association with the practitioner ID, which is the identification information of the practitioner who provided the treatment, and the customer ID, which is the identification information of the customer who received the treatment.

[0031] Figures 4(a) to 4(c) show an example of the data structure of treatment record information managed by the treatment record management unit 30. Figure 4(a) shows an example of the data structure of basic information included in the treatment record information. The basic information includes information such as store ID, practitioner ID, customer ID, treatment date and time, fee, and duration, with the record ID, which is the identification information of the treatment record, as the key.

[0032] Treatment information includes the customer's treatment preferences before the treatment and treatment performance information regarding the treatments provided to the customer. Treatment preferences may include information such as the customer's desired hairstyle, hair type, and hair concerns before the treatment. Treatment preferences include data similar to the treatment preferences in Figure 3(b), for example, using the record ID as the key. The treatment preferences included in the treatment information record the customer's treatment preferences at the time of the treatment.

[0033] Figure 4(b) shows an example of the data structure of treatment performance information included in treatment record information. Treatment performance information may include information such as the treatment menu, treatment techniques, and advice provided to fulfill the customer's wishes included in the treatment preference information. Treatment performance information may include information such as the area cut, the length cut, the type of scissors and cutting technique used, and the type of chemicals used for coloring, perming, treatment, etc., and the application time. Treatment performance information may also include information about the quality and condition of the customer's treated area as identified by the stylist, for example, information such as the customer's hair type and hair concerns from the stylist's perspective. Treatment performance information may also include information about topics discussed during the treatment. Treatment performance information may include image data of the customer's treated area before and after the treatment. Treatment performance information may also include video data of the customer's treated area during the treatment, for example, a styling video of the stylist styling process.

[0034] The treatment record management unit 30 may manage treatment evaluation information relating to customer evaluations of treatments in association with treatment record information. For example, if the treatment record management unit 30 registers treatment performance information based on information obtained from the store terminal 14, it notifies the customer terminal 16 via the notification unit 22 to request the input of treatment evaluation information. The treatment record management unit 30 manages the treatment evaluation information obtained from the customer terminal 16 in association with treatment record information.

[0035] Figure 4(c) shows an example of the data structure of treatment evaluation information included in treatment record information. Treatment evaluation information may include comments and scores (e.g., a 5-point scale) indicating an overall evaluation of the treatment, using the record ID as the key, or it may include comments and scores indicating individual evaluations of items such as the treatment menu, treatment technique, topics discussed during the treatment, fees, and duration. Considering cases where it is difficult to evaluate numerically using scores, or where there is a concern that clearly defining the evaluation with scores may give a harsh impression to the practitioner, evaluation using emojis or symbols may be made possible. If emojis or symbols are entered as evaluation, the type of emoji or symbol may be converted into a score (numerical value) and recorded. The treatment record management unit 30 may manage comments from the practitioner for after-care regarding the customer's evaluation as treatment evaluation information. The treatment record management unit 30 may manage comments and scores regarding the customer's re-evaluation of the comments from the practitioner as treatment evaluation information. The treatment record management unit 30 may generate treatment evaluation information based on diary information stored in the diary management unit 34.

[0036] The product management unit 32 stores and manages information about products used by customers (also called product information). The product management unit 32 manages information such as product name, product type, product image, and product description, using the product ID, which is product identification information, as the key. The product management unit 32 stores and manages customer purchase history information. Purchase history information includes information such as customer ID, product ID, purchase date and time, purchase amount, and quantity purchased. The product management unit 32 stores and manages product evaluation information, which is customer evaluation of products. For example, the product management unit 32 notifies customer terminals 16 used by customers with a purchase history of products via the notification unit 22 to request input of product evaluation information. The product management unit 32 manages the product evaluation information obtained from customer terminals 16 by associating it with product information or purchase history information. Product evaluation information may include comments and scores (e.g., a 5-point scale) indicating an overall evaluation of the product, or it may include comments and scores indicating individual evaluations of items such as how to use the product, the effects of using it, and the price. The product management unit 32 may generate product evaluation information based on the diary information stored in the diary management unit 34.

[0037] The diary management unit 34 stores and manages diary information that customers freely write about treatments and products. The diary management unit 34 acquires diary information from the customer terminal 16 through the acquisition unit 20 and manages the diary information in association with the customer's identification information. The diary information may include progress information regarding the progress of the treated area of ​​the customer after the treatment. For example, if the treatment is a hair treatment, the progress information may include information about the continuity of the treatment's effects, such as "My hair is still easy to manage after one month" or "I started to experience more breakage after two weeks." The diary management unit 34 may manage the diary information in association with treatment record information. The diary information may also include information about the progress of the customer's body part to which the product is applied. For example, if the product is a hair treatment, it may include information about the product's effect on the customer's body part (e.g., hair), such as "My hair became easier to manage after using it for a week" or "My hair became more frizzy after using it every day." The diary management unit 34 may manage the diary information in association with purchase history information.

[0038] The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​selects a practitioner suitable for the customer based on a request from the customer terminal 16. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​obtains treatment preference information from the customer terminal 16 through the acquisition unit 20 and selects a practitioner that matches the treatment preference information. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​narrows down the candidate stores based on the treatment location specified by the customer. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may also narrow down the candidate stores based on the attributes of the stores specified by the customer (for example, the atmosphere of the store). The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​narrows down the practitioners with available appointments at the candidate stores based on the treatment date and time specified by the customer and the practitioner's reservation information. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​calculates the fee if the candidate practitioner were to perform the treatment based on the treatment menu specified by the customer and narrows down the practitioners to those that fit within the customer's budget. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​extracts candidate practitioners based on the basic conditions of location, date and time, and budget specified by the customer.

[0039] The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​selects a practitioner from the list of candidates based on detailed conditions (such as treatment menu, treatment technique, hairstyle, hair type, hair concerns, and practitioner attributes) that differ from the basic conditions included in the treatment preference information. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​selects a practitioner based on the correlation between the treatment preference information specified by the customer and the practitioner's treatment record information. For example, the practitioner selection unit 36 ​​calculates an evaluation value that shows the similarity between the treatment preference information specified by the customer and the practitioner's treatment record information, and selects the practitioner with the highest evaluation value. The evaluation value calculated by the practitioner selection unit 36 ​​is higher the more matching points there are, and the higher the number of registered treatment records with many matching points. For example, if the customer's desired hairstyle is "long, with bangs," a practitioner with many registered treatment records for "long, with bangs" will receive a high score, while a practitioner with many registered treatment records for "short" or "no bangs" will receive a low score. By comparing the customer's desired treatment preference information with the practitioner's treatment record information, it is possible to select a practitioner with a large number of experience performing the treatment the customer desires.

[0040] The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may select a practitioner from the selection candidates based on treatment evaluation information associated with the practitioner's treatment record information. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may also calculate an evaluation value based on the treatment evaluation information. The evaluation value calculated by the practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may be weighted according to the level of customer evaluation included in the treatment evaluation information, so that a practitioner with more highly-rated treatment record information will receive a higher score, and a practitioner with more low-rated treatment record information will receive a lower score. For example, if the customer's desired hairstyle is "long hair with bangs," then practitioners who receive high customer evaluations for "long hair with bangs" treatment records will receive a high score, and practitioners who receive low customer evaluations for "long hair with bangs" treatment records will receive a low score. The evaluation value based on treatment evaluation information may be added to or multiplied by the evaluation value based on treatment record information. By further incorporating treatment evaluation information, it is possible to select practitioners who receive high evaluations for the treatments desired by the customer.

[0041] The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may select a practitioner from the candidates based on the customer's treatment record information. If the customer's treatment record information is already registered, the practitioner may be selected based on the correlation between the customer's past treatment record information and the practitioner's treatment record information. For example, the practitioner selection unit 36 ​​calculates an evaluation value indicating the similarity between the customer's past treatment record information and the practitioner's treatment record information, and selects a practitioner with a higher evaluation value. The evaluation value calculated by the practitioner selection unit 36 ​​will be higher if there are many registered treatment record information similar to the treatment record information that the customer has previously given a high rating to, and if the evaluation from other customers of the treatment record information similar to the treatment record information that the customer has previously given a high rating to is high. By using the customer's past treatment record information as a basis, the perspective of a professional practitioner can be taken into account, and a practitioner who is more likely to meet the customer's wishes can be selected more appropriately.

[0042] The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may select a practitioner from the selection candidates based on the customer's attribute information. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may also select a practitioner based on the correlation between the customer's attribute information and the customer's attribute information associated with the practitioner's treatment record information. For example, the practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may calculate an evaluation value indicating the similarity between the customer's attribute information and the customer's attribute information associated with the practitioner's treatment record information, and select a practitioner with a higher evaluation value. For example, if the customer's attributes are "female, 32 years old, likes to travel," then a practitioner with a large number of registered treatment records associated with customers with the attributes "female, early 30s, likes to travel" will be selected. By further basing the selection on the customer's attribute information, a practitioner that matches the customer's hobbies and preferences can be selected.

[0043] The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may select a practitioner from the candidates based on the practitioner's specialty information. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may also select a practitioner based on the correlation between the treatment preference information specified by the customer and the practitioner's specialty information. The evaluation score calculated by the practitioner selection unit 36 ​​will be higher the more points of agreement there are between the customer's desired treatment information and the practitioner's specialty information. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may also select a practitioner from the candidates based on the practitioner's specialty attribute information. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may also select a practitioner based on the correlation between the customer's attribute information and the practitioner's specialty attribute information. The evaluation score calculated by the practitioner selection unit 36 ​​will be higher the more points of agreement there are between the customer's attribute information and the practitioner's specialty attribute information. By further basing the selection on the specialty information self-reported by the practitioner, it is possible to select a practitioner who is skilled in the treatment the customer desires and the customer's attributes.

[0044] The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may select a predetermined number of practitioners from the selection candidates, for example, it may select 3 to 5 practitioners. By providing multiple practitioner options to notify the customer terminal 16, the customer can be given the final decision-making power, and customer satisfaction can be increased by allowing the customer to make the final decision themselves. Furthermore, by reducing the number of practitioner options notified to the customer terminal 16, the burden on the customer when making a final decision can be reduced, and it is possible to prevent the customer from having difficulty making a final decision due to having too many options.

[0045] The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may select multiple practitioners based on a single selection criterion. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may calculate evaluation values ​​for candidate practitioners using only one selection criterion and select multiple practitioners in order of the highest calculated evaluation values. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may select multiple practitioners based on multiple selection criteria. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may use a first selection criterion that uses all of the conditions related to the customer, and a second selection criterion that excludes some of the conditions specified by the customer. The second selection criterion may be, for example, a selection criterion that excludes any of the basic conditions specified by the customer, such as location, date and time, or budget. When using the second selection criterion, the practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may select practitioners with higher evaluation values ​​than when using the first selection criterion. In this case, it may be possible to propose practitioners who are considered to be a very good match for the customer, even if the location is a little far away or the budget is slightly exceeded.

[0046] The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​notifies the customer terminal 16 of information regarding the selected practitioner via the notification unit 22. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may notify the customer terminal 16 only of the practitioner information of the selected practitioner, or it may notify the customer terminal 16 of treatment record information associated with the selected practitioner, or treatment evaluation information associated with the treatment record information of the selected practitioner. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may calculate evaluation values ​​for multiple treatment record information associated with the selected practitioner and notify the customer terminal 16 of the treatment record information with the highest evaluation value. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may notify the customer terminal 16 of treatment evaluation information associated with the treatment record information with the highest evaluation value, or it may notify the customer terminal 16 of treatment evaluation information that another customer has given a high rating to. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may notify the customer terminal 16 of information for playing video data associated with the treatment record information, or it may notify the customer terminal 16 of information for playing video data (e.g., set video) of a treatment that another customer has given a high rating to. The video data may be videos taken during treatments for other clients, or videos prepared in advance that are unrelated to the actual treatment. Such treatment record information and treatment evaluation information often match the client's conditions and can be considered decisive information in selecting a practitioner. Therefore, by notifying the client terminal 16 of the treatment record information and treatment evaluation information as information about the selected practitioner, useful information for the client to make a final decision about the practitioner can be provided.

[0047] The product suggestion unit 38 determines which products to suggest to the customer based on the customer's treatment record information and notifies the customer terminal 16 of the information regarding the determined products. For example, based on the customer's treatment record information, the product suggestion unit 38 determines which products are useful for maintaining the customer's treated area after treatment. If the treated area is hair, specific examples of products include hair care products such as shampoo, conditioner, treatment, hair dryer, hair iron, and hot curler.

[0048] The product suggestion unit 38 may determine which products to suggest to a customer based on the treatment record information of multiple customers and the product evaluation information of multiple customers. For example, it may classify customers based on their treatment record information and determine which products have received high ratings from customers in the same classification as the customer to whom the product is to be suggested. The product suggestion unit 38 may also classify customers using so-called collaborative filtering technology and determine which products to suggest. For example, it becomes possible to suggest products that have received high ratings from customers who have received similar treatments, or products that have received high ratings from customers with similar hair types or hair concerns, thereby suggesting products that are likely to be useful to the customer.

[0049] Next, the functional configuration of the store terminal 14 will be described. The store terminal 14 is a terminal used in stores that provide treatments to customers, and is used by the store operator and the practitioners working at the store. The store terminal 14 is a personal computer or tablet terminal installed in the store. The store terminal 14 comprises a communication unit 40, a display and operation unit 42, an imaging unit 44, a store setting unit 46, a practitioner setting unit 48, a treatment record input unit 50, a customer evaluation viewing unit 52, and a diary viewing unit 54.

[0050] The communication unit 40 communicates with the information processing device 12 via the network 18. The communication unit 40 transmits information entered into the store terminal 14 to the information processing device 12 and receives information to be displayed on the store terminal 14 from the information processing device 12.

[0051] The display and operation unit 42 is, for example, a touch panel display and provides screen display and input operations for operating the store terminal 14. The display and operation unit 42 may have a display unit made up of liquid crystal display or the like, and an operation unit made up of a mouse or keyboard or the like. Input operations may be free-form text or selection-based.

[0052] The imaging unit 44 is a camera for capturing images of customers receiving treatments and generating image data and video data. The imaging unit 44 may be built into the store terminal 14, or it may be configured separately from the store terminal 14.

[0053] The store setting unit 46 accepts the setting of store information managed by the store management unit 24. The store setting unit 46 displays an input screen for entering store information on the display operation unit 42 and transmits the store information entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 40.

[0054] The practitioner setting unit 48 accepts the setting of practitioner information managed by the practitioner management unit 26. The practitioner setting unit 48 displays an input screen for entering practitioner information on the display operation unit 42 and transmits the practitioner information entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 40.

[0055] The treatment record input unit 50 receives input of treatment record information managed by the treatment record management unit 30. The treatment record input unit 50 displays an input screen for entering treatment record information on the display operation unit 42 and transmits the practitioner record information entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 40. The treatment record input unit 50 may also receive image data and video data captured by the imaging unit 44 through the input screen and transmit the image data and video data to the information processing device 12 in association with the treatment record information. The treatment record input unit 50 may also display a viewing screen on the display operation unit 42 for viewing treatment reservation information and treatment preference information provided by customers.

[0056] The customer evaluation viewing unit 52 displays a viewing screen on the display operation unit 42 for viewing treatment evaluation information managed by the treatment record management unit 30. The customer evaluation viewing unit 52 may also display an input screen on the display operation unit 42 for the practitioner to enter comments on the treatment evaluation information entered by the customer, and transmit the comment information entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 40.

[0057] The customer evaluation viewing unit 52 may display a viewing screen on the display operation unit 42 for viewing product evaluation information managed by the product management unit 32. The customer evaluation viewing unit 52 may also display an input screen on the display operation unit 42 for entering comments from practitioners regarding product evaluation information entered by customers, and transmit the comment information entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 40.

[0058] The diary viewing unit 54 displays a viewing screen on the display operation unit 42 for viewing diary information managed by the diary management unit 34. The diary viewing unit 54 may also display an input screen on the display operation unit 42 for the practitioner to enter comments on the customer's diary, and transmit the comment information entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 40.

[0059] Next, the functional configuration of the customer terminal 16 will be described. The customer terminal 16 is a terminal used by the customer and can be a personal computer, tablet, smartphone, etc. owned by the customer. The customer terminal 16 includes a communication unit 60, a display and operation unit 62, an imaging unit 64, a user setting unit 66, a practitioner search unit 68, a treatment record viewing unit 70, a product search unit 72, and a diary input unit 74.

[0060] The display and operation unit 62 is, for example, a touch panel display and provides screen display and input operations for operating the customer terminal 16. The display and operation unit 62 may have a display unit made up of a liquid crystal display or the like, and an operation unit made up of a mouse or keyboard or the like.

[0061] The imaging unit 64 is a camera for generating image data and video data of customers and products used by customers. The imaging unit 64 may be built into the customer terminal 16, or it may be configured separately from the customer terminal 16.

[0062] The user setting unit 66 accepts settings for customer information managed by the customer management unit 28. The user setting unit 66 displays an input screen for entering customer information on the display operation unit 62 and transmits the customer information entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60. The user setting unit 66 may also accept input of the customer's treatment preferences.

[0063] The practitioner search unit 68 displays an input screen for entering treatment conditions on the display operation unit 62 and transmits the conditions entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60. The practitioner search unit 68 associates the conditions entered on the input screen with the identification information of the customer using the customer terminal 16 and transmits it to the information processing device 12. The practitioner search unit 68 may also accept input of the customer's desired treatment information. For example, the practitioner search unit 68 may accept input of basic conditions specified by the customer, such as location, date and time, and budget. The practitioner search unit 68 may also accept input of detailed conditions for desired treatment that are different from the basic conditions (such as treatment menu, treatment technique, hairstyle, hair type, hair concerns, and practitioner attributes).

[0064] The practitioner search unit 68 obtains information regarding the practitioner search results from the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60 and displays it on the display operation unit 62. For example, the practitioner search unit 68 obtains information regarding the practitioner selected by the practitioner selection unit 36 ​​from the information processing device 12 and displays it on the display operation unit 62. The practitioner search unit 68 may also obtain practitioner information, store information, treatment record information, treatment evaluation information, etc., from the information processing device 12 as information regarding the practitioner and display it on the display operation unit 62.

[0065] The practitioner search unit 68 may display a reservation screen for booking treatments on the display operation unit 62. The practitioner search unit 68 may obtain availability information of the practitioner selected by the customer from the information processing device 12 and display it on the display operation unit 42, and may accept the customer's input of the reservation date and time. The practitioner search unit 68 may transmit the entered reservation date and time to the information processing device 12, associating it with the customer's identification information and the practitioner's identification information.

[0066] The treatment record viewing unit 70 acquires treatment record information managed by the treatment record management unit 30 from the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60 and displays it on the display operation unit 62. The treatment record viewing unit 70 acquires treatment record information associated with the identification information of the customer using the customer terminal 16 and displays it on the display operation unit 62. The treatment record viewing unit 70 may also display video data, such as set videos, associated with the treatment record information on the display operation unit 62. The treatment record viewing unit 70 may also acquire treatment record information associated with a customer other than the customer using the customer terminal 16 and display it on the display operation unit 62.

[0067] The treatment record viewing unit 70 may display an input screen for entering treatment evaluation information on the display operation unit 62 and transmit the treatment evaluation information entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60. The treatment record viewing unit 70 may also display comments from the practitioner regarding the treatment evaluation information, or it may display an input screen for entering a re-evaluation of the comments from the practitioner and transmit the re-evaluation information entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60.

[0068] The product search unit 72 displays an input screen for searching for products managed by the product management unit 32 on the display operation unit 62, and transmits the search conditions entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60. The product search unit 72 obtains information regarding the product search results from the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60 and displays it on the display operation unit 62. The product search unit 72 may, for example, obtain information regarding products determined by the product suggestion unit 38 from the information processing device 12 and display it on the display operation unit 62. The product search unit 72 may also obtain product information, product evaluation information, etc., as product information from the information processing device 12 and display it on the display operation unit 62.

[0069] The diary input unit 74 displays an input screen for inputting diary information managed by the diary management unit 34 on the display operation unit 62. The diary input unit 74 transmits the diary information entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60. The diary input unit 74 may also receive image data and video data captured by the imaging unit 64 through the input screen, associate the image data and video data with the diary information, and transmit it to the information processing device 12.

[0070] The diary input unit 74 may display information related to the diary theme on the display operation unit 62 to encourage the customer to enter a diary entry. The diary input unit 74 may also display information related to the treatments the customer received and the products the customer used on the display operation unit 42 based on the customer's treatment record information and purchase history information, and encourage the customer to enter a diary entry that includes their evaluation of the treatments and products. When the customer enters a diary entry about a treatment or product, the diary input unit 74 may associate the diary information with a record ID and a product ID and send it to the information processing device 12.

[0071] Figure 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the information processing system 10. The customer terminal 16 transmits customer information entered by the customer to the information processing device 12 (S10). The information processing device 12 registers the customer information obtained from the customer terminal 16 (S12) and notifies the customer terminal 16 that registration is complete (S14). The customer terminal 16 transmits the treatment preference information entered by the customer to the information processing device 12 (S16). The information processing device 12 selects a practitioner based on the treatment preference information obtained from the customer terminal 16 (S18). The information processing device 12 selects a practitioner based on the correlation between the obtained treatment preference information and the treatment record information of the candidate practitioners. The information processing device 12 notifies the customer terminal 16 of the information regarding the selected practitioner (S20).

[0072] The customer terminal 16 displays information about the practitioner obtained from the information processing device 12 (S22). When the customer terminal 16 receives input from the customer to reserve a practitioner, it sends the reservation information to the information processing device 12 (S24). The information processing device 12 generates treatment record information based on the reservation information obtained from the customer terminal 16 (S26). The treatment record information at the time of S26 includes treatment request information but does not include treatment performance information. The information processing device 12 notifies the store terminal 14 of the treatment record information (S28).

[0073] The store terminal 14 transmits the treatment record information entered by the practitioner after the treatment to the customer to the information processing device 12 (S30). The treatment record information at the time of S30 includes treatment performance information. The information processing device 12 retrieves the treatment record information from the store terminal 14 and updates the treatment record information (S32). The information processing device 12 notifies the customer terminal 16 of a request to input treatment evaluation information corresponding to the treatment record information (S34). The customer terminal 16 transmits the treatment evaluation information entered by the customer to the information processing device 12 (S36). The information processing device 12 registers the treatment evaluation information retrieved from the customer terminal 16 (S38) and notifies the store terminal 14 of the treatment evaluation information (S40).

[0074] The above-described embodiment exemplifies treatment services in a beauty salon. This embodiment can be applied to any treatment service other than those offered in a beauty salon. For example, it may be applied to nail salons where the treatment area is the nails, eyelash salons where the treatment area is the eyelashes, relaxation salons and massage parlors where the treatment area is the shoulders or lower back, beauty salons where the treatment area is the face or the whole body, and other intermediary businesses such as osteopathic clinics.

[0075] The above embodiment describes a case in which the treatment record management unit 30 and the product management unit 32 generate evaluation information based on diary information stored in the diary management unit 34. In a modified example, evaluation information may be generated by obtaining information about treatments and products from an external social networking service (SNS) used by the customer.

[0076] In a modified example, the information processing device 12 may further include a payment management unit for providing a payment function from the customer to the practitioner or store. The payment management unit may perform a payment process to pay the treatment fee from the customer to the practitioner after the treatment. The payment management unit may perform the payment process using a payment method (credit card, barcode payment, etc.) that has been pre-registered in the customer information. The payment management unit may also enable the customer to pay a tip (additional money for the treatment) to the practitioner. For example, the information processing device 12 may, upon receiving treatment record information after the treatment, display a screen on the customer terminal for entering the tip amount. The customer can pay any additional money to the practitioner through the customer terminal.

[0077] Several aspects of this disclosure are described below.

[0078] The first embodiment is an information processing system comprising: a practitioner management unit that manages practitioner identification information; a treatment record management unit that manages treatment record information, which records the content of treatments provided by practitioners to customers, in association with the practitioner identification information; an acquisition unit that acquires treatment preference information from a terminal used by the customer regarding the treatment the customer desires; a practitioner selection unit that selects a practitioner from among the candidates based on the correlation between the acquired treatment preference information and the treatment record information of the candidate practitioners; and a notification unit that notifies the terminal used by the customer of information regarding the selected practitioner. According to the first embodiment, by correlating the customer's treatment preference information with the treatment record information of the candidate practitioners, it is possible to present the customer with practitioners who have a track record of performing treatments that can fulfill the customer's treatment preference. As a result, the objectivity and reliability of the presented information can be improved compared to when practitioners are selected based on information self-reported by practitioners.

[0079] The second embodiment is an information processing system according to the first embodiment, wherein the notification unit notifies the customer's terminal of information regarding the treatment record of the selected practitioner. According to the second embodiment, the practitioner's treatment record can be presented to the customer, thereby further improving the objectivity and reliability of the presented information compared to cases where the treatment record is not presented.

[0080] The third embodiment is an information processing system according to the first or second embodiment, wherein the acquisition unit acquires treatment evaluation information relating to the customer's evaluation of the treatment from a terminal used by the customer, the treatment record management unit manages the acquired treatment evaluation information in association with treatment record information, and the practitioner selection unit selects a practitioner based on the treatment evaluation information associated with the treatment record information of candidate practitioners. According to the third embodiment, the objectivity and reliability of the presented content can be further improved by basing it on customer evaluation information regarding the practitioner's treatment record. For example, by presenting the customer with a treatment record that has received high customer evaluations, it is possible to present a practitioner who can fulfill the customer's treatment wishes with high quality.

[0081] A fourth aspect is the information processing system according to the third aspect, wherein the notification unit notifies the terminal used by the customer of information relating to treatment evaluation information associated with the treatment record information of the selected practitioner. According to the fourth aspect, since evaluation information from other customers regarding the practitioner's treatment performance can be presented to the customer, the objectivity and reliability of the presented information can be further improved compared to cases where evaluation information is not presented.

[0082] A fifth embodiment is an information processing system according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, further comprising a customer management unit for managing customer identification information, a treatment record management unit for managing treatment record information in association with customer identification information, an acquisition unit for acquiring customer identification information from a terminal used by the customer, and a practitioner selection unit for selecting a practitioner based on the acquired customer identification information and the associated treatment record information. According to the fifth embodiment, since treatment records made by expert practitioners regarding treatments the customer has received in the past are taken into consideration, an appropriate practitioner can be presented with an expert's perspective. Furthermore, by taking into account the customer's evaluation of past treatments, a practitioner can be presented that more appropriately takes into account the customer's preferences regarding past treatments.

[0083] The sixth aspect is the information processing system according to the fifth aspect, further comprising a product suggestion unit that determines products to suggest to the customer based on the customer's treatment record information, and the notification unit notifies the customer of information regarding the determined products to the terminal used by the customer. According to the sixth aspect, products can be suggested based on treatment records kept by a professional practitioner regarding treatments the customer has received in the past, thus enabling the suggestion of more appropriate products that take into account the perspective of a professional.

[0084] The seventh aspect is an information processing system according to the sixth aspect, wherein the acquisition unit acquires product evaluation information relating to customer evaluations of products from a terminal used by the customer, and the product suggestion unit determines products to suggest to the customer based on the treatment record information of multiple customers and the product evaluation information of multiple customers. According to the seventh aspect, multiple customers can be classified based on their treatment history, and products with high customer evaluations can be suggested for each customer classification, thus enabling the suggestion of more appropriate products to customer groups classified from a professional perspective.

[0085] The eighth aspect is an information processing system according to any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, wherein the notification unit notifies the customer's terminal of information for displaying the customer's treatment record information. According to the eighth aspect, by presenting the customer with treatment records prepared by a professional practitioner, it becomes possible to provide various advice to encourage the customer to become a repeat customer. The customer can manage the details of past treatments and refer to the treatment records when maintaining the treated area themselves or when selecting products to use for maintenance.

[0086] The ninth aspect is an information processing system according to the eighth aspect, wherein the treatment record management unit manages video data of treatments provided to the customer in association with treatment record information, and the notification unit notifies the customer's terminal of information for playing the video data associated with the customer's treatment record information. According to the ninth aspect, by presenting the customer with video data of treatment areas that the customer cannot directly see during the treatment, it is possible to improve customer satisfaction and trust in the treatment. Customers can maintain the treatment areas themselves based on the video data, thus improving customer convenience.

[0087] The tenth embodiment is an information processing system according to any one of the first to ninth embodiments, wherein the practitioner selection unit evaluates the correlation between the acquired treatment preference information and the treatment record information of candidate practitioners using a plurality of selection criteria, selects a plurality of practitioners corresponding to the plurality of selection criteria, and the notification unit notifies the terminal used by the customer of information regarding the plurality of selected practitioners. According to the tenth embodiment, by selecting practitioners using a plurality of selection criteria, it is possible to present a plurality of practitioners of different types. For example, it becomes possible to make unexpected suggestions to the customer, notify the customer of a new way to try something new, and show them the possibility of discovering a new version of themselves.

[0088] The eleventh embodiment is an information processing system according to any one of the first to tenth embodiments, wherein the practitioner selection unit further selects a practitioner based on the number of registered treatment record information of the candidate practitioners. According to the eleventh embodiment, by selecting a practitioner based on the number of registered treatment record information, practitioners with extensive experience can be presented.

[0089] The twelfth embodiment is an information processing system according to any one of the first to eleventh embodiments, wherein the practitioner management unit manages information on the treatments that practitioners are good at, in association with the practitioner's identification information, and the practitioner selection unit selects a practitioner based on the information on the treatments that practitioners are good at. According to the twelfth embodiment, it is possible to present a practitioner who is good at the treatment that the customer wants, and to present a practitioner who is a better match for the customer.

[0090] The 13th embodiment is an information processing system according to any one of the first to 12 embodiments, wherein the treatment record management unit manages attribute information of customers to whom treatments have been provided in association with treatment record information, the acquisition unit acquires customer attribute information from a terminal used by the customer, and the practitioner selection unit selects a practitioner based on the acquired customer attribute information and the customer attribute information associated with the treatment record information of candidate practitioners. According to the 13th embodiment, practitioners with extensive experience in treating customers with similar attributes to the customer can be presented, and practitioners with a higher compatibility with the customer can be presented.

[0091] The 14th embodiment is an information processing system according to any one of the first to 12 embodiments, wherein the practitioner management unit manages expert attribute information relating to the attributes of customers that practitioners are skilled at, in association with the practitioner's identification information, the acquisition unit acquires customer attribute information from a terminal used by the customer, and the practitioner selection unit selects a practitioner based on the acquired customer attribute information and the expert attribute information of candidate practitioners. According to the 14th embodiment, practitioners who are considered skilled at the customer's attributes can be presented, thus enabling the presentation of practitioners with a higher compatibility with the customer.

[0092] The 15th embodiment is an information processing system comprising: a practitioner management unit for managing practitioner identification information; a customer management unit for managing customer identification information; a treatment record management unit for managing treatment record information, which records the details of treatments provided by practitioners to customers, in association with practitioner identification information and customer identification information; a practitioner selection unit for selecting a practitioner from among candidates based on the correlation between the customer's treatment record information and the treatment record information of candidate practitioners; and a notification unit for notifying the customer's terminal of information regarding the selected practitioner. According to the 15th embodiment, by selecting a practitioner based on the customer's treatment record information, it is possible to present a practitioner similar to one the customer has used in the past. For example, if circumstances arise that prevent a customer from receiving treatment from a practitioner they previously requested and they are looking for an alternative practitioner, a practitioner similar to the previous practitioner can be presented.

[0093] (Second Embodiment) The information processing system disclosed here further provides a mechanism for circulating gratitude between customers and practitioners. Traditionally, if a customer is satisfied with a practitioner's treatment and feels grateful to the practitioner, they can express their gratitude directly to the practitioner at the store where they received the treatment. However, if the timing for expressing gratitude is missed, or if the customer feels embarrassed to express their gratitude frankly, it becomes difficult for the customer to express their gratitude to the practitioner. Furthermore, if gratitude from the customer is not conveyed to the practitioner, the practitioner cannot confirm the customer's satisfaction, making it difficult to deepen their confidence and sense of fulfillment in their work (treatment). As a result, it becomes difficult to find an opportunity to build a good relationship between the customer and the practitioner, and it becomes difficult to retain customers. If customers cannot be retained, it becomes difficult for the practitioner to stabilize their sales, and it becomes difficult for the practitioner to continue working while receiving sufficient compensation (salary).

[0094] According to one example of this disclosure, a system can be used to exchange gratitude information between customers and practitioners, visualizing feelings of gratitude. This gratitude information includes gratitude points, which numerically represent gratitude, and gratitude messages, which express gratitude using text or emojis. The gratitude information is managed in association with the identification information of the customer and practitioner, and is accumulated for each customer and practitioner. Practitioners can check the accumulated amount of gratitude given by customers, and as the accumulated amount of gratitude increases, they can deepen their confidence and sense of fulfillment in their work. Customers can check the accumulated amount of gratitude they have given to practitioners, and can gain a sense of fulfillment as their gratitude accumulates. As a result, it can have a positive psychological impact on both customers and practitioners, and can provide an opportunity to build good relationships between customers and practitioners. It can also promote a cycle of gratitude between customers and practitioners, and can help retain customers.

[0095] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing system 10 according to the second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that the information processing device 12 further comprises a thank you information management unit 80 and a reward management unit 82, the store terminal 14 further comprises a thank you information viewing unit 84 and a reward application unit 86, and the customer terminal 16 further comprises a thank you information input unit 88. The second embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment, and common points will be omitted from explanation as appropriate.

[0096] The gratitude information management unit 80 stores and manages gratitude information exchanged between customers and practitioners. Customers who have received treatment can send gratitude information to the practitioner who performed the treatment to express their gratitude. The gratitude information may include gratitude points, which represent the degree of gratitude numerically. The gratitude information may also include gratitude messages, which express the content of gratitude using text, emojis, etc. The gratitude information management unit 80 manages the gratitude information acquired from the customer terminal 16 through the acquisition unit 20, associating it with the customer's identification information and the practitioner's identification information.

[0097] Figure 7 shows an example of the data structure of gratitude information managed by the gratitude information management unit 80. The gratitude information includes a gratitude ID as the key, sender ID, recipient ID, date and time of transmission, gratitude points, and a gratitude message. The sender ID can be a customer ID, and the recipient ID can be a practitioner ID. Gratitude points are a numerical value that represents the degree of gratitude. For example, a customer who wishes to express gratitude can determine the value of gratitude points according to the level of gratitude they feel. The customer can also input a gratitude message to the practitioner according to the level of gratitude they feel, such as "It turned out exactly as I imagined!" or "I was so impressed by the courteous service!!"

[0098] The thank-you message may be sent from the customer to multiple service providers. For example, the thank-you message may be sent to multiple service providers such as the first service provider who cut the hair, the second service provider who colored the hair, and the third service provider who styled the hair. The thank-you message may also be sent from the customer to the store. In this case, the thank-you message management unit 80 may manage the thank-you message obtained from the customer terminal 16 in association with the customer's identification information and the store's identification information. In other words, the recipient ID may be the store ID.

[0099] The thank-you information may be sent from the practitioner to the customer. For example, a practitioner who receives thank-you information from a customer may send the thank-you information back to the customer. In this case, the thank-you information management unit 80 may manage the thank-you information obtained from the store terminal 14 in association with the practitioner's identification information and the customer's identification information. That is, the sender ID may be the practitioner's ID and the recipient ID may be the customer's ID.

[0100] The thank-you information may be sent from one practitioner to another. For example, if the first practitioner, such as the stylist who is primarily responsible for the treatment of a customer, receives thank-you information from the customer, the first practitioner may send the thank-you information to the second practitioner, such as the assistant who was in charge of the same customer. For example, the first practitioner may share the thank-you points included in the thank-you information they received with the second practitioner. In this case, the thank-you information obtained from the store terminal 14 is managed in association with the identification information of the first and second practitioners. In other words, both the sender ID and the recipient ID may be the practitioner ID.

[0101] Thank you information may be sent from the store to the practitioner. For example, if the store receives thank you information from a customer, it may send it to the practitioner who served that customer. Thank you information may also be sent from one store to another. For example, if store A is unable to accept a customer's reservation and refers the customer to another store B, store B may send thank you information to store A. In this case, thank you information is sent from the customer to store B, and then from store B to store A, creating a cycle of gratitude. Thank you information may also be sent from the store to the customer. In these cases, the thank you information management unit 80 manages the thank you information obtained from the store terminal 14 in association with the store's identification information. That is, at least one of the sender ID and recipient ID of the thank you information may be the store ID.

[0102] The Gratitude Information Management Unit 80 awards gratitude points to customers and tallyes the remaining amount of gratitude points that customers can use. The Gratitude Information Management Unit 80 may award gratitude points to customers when they receive treatment. For example, gratitude points may be awarded to customers when the treatment record information is updated after the treatment (for example, the process in S32 of Figure 5). The Gratitude Information Management Unit 80 may also award gratitude points when customers input treatment evaluations. For example, gratitude points may be awarded to customers when the treatment evaluation information is registered (for example, the process in S38 of Figure 5). Gratitude points may also be purchased by customers with money. The Gratitude Information Management Unit 80 may, for example, award gratitude points when a customer purchases gratitude points.

[0103] The appreciation information management unit 80 adds to the remaining amount of appreciation points when a customer acquires appreciation points, according to the number of appreciation points acquired. The appreciation information management unit 80 subtracts from the remaining amount of appreciation points when a customer uses appreciation points to send appreciation information, according to the number of appreciation points used. The appreciation information management unit 80 may also notify the customer terminal 16 of the remaining amount of appreciation points of the customer through the notification unit 22.

[0104] The Gratitude Information Management Unit 80 tallyes the remaining amount of gratitude points available to each practitioner. Practitioners can use the gratitude points they have earned to obtain rewards. Rewards are goods or services that can be obtained by using gratitude points. There are no particular restrictions on the goods that can be obtained as rewards, but they could be food gifts such as sweets or beverages. There are no particular restrictions on the services that can be obtained as rewards, but they could be experience gifts such as meals or trips. Practitioners can also use the gratitude points they have earned to give gratitude points to other practitioners or customers.

[0105] The gratitude information management unit 80 adds to the remaining gratitude points when a practitioner earns gratitude points, according to the number of gratitude points earned. The gratitude information management unit 80 subtracts from the remaining gratitude points when a practitioner uses gratitude points to earn a reward or gives gratitude points, according to the number of gratitude points used. The gratitude information management unit 80 may also notify the store terminal 14 of the practitioner's remaining gratitude points through the notification unit 22.

[0106] The Gratitude Information Management Unit 80 may aggregate the remaining amount of gratitude points for each store or region. For example, the Gratitude Information Management Unit 80 may aggregate the remaining amount of gratitude points that can be used by multiple practitioners belonging to the same store. This makes it possible to understand the total remaining amount of gratitude points that can be used across the entire store, and for example, to obtain greater rewards by using the gratitude points accumulated across the entire store. The Gratitude Information Management Unit 80 may aggregate the total remaining amount of usable gratitude points by combining multiple stores located in a specific region. This makes it possible to understand the total remaining amount of gratitude points that can be used across the entire region, and for example, to obtain greater rewards by using the gratitude points accumulated across the entire region. The rewards obtained may be used for the revitalization of the region.

[0107] The gratitude information management unit 80 aggregates the cumulative amount of gratitude points given by customers. The gratitude information management unit 80 aggregates, for example, the cumulative amount of gratitude points given by customers to practitioners for each customer ID. The gratitude information management unit 80 aggregates the cumulative amount of gratitude points acquired by practitioners for each practitioner. The gratitude information management unit 80 aggregates, for example, the cumulative amount of gratitude points given by customers to practitioners for each practitioner ID. The gratitude information management unit 80 may also aggregate the cumulative amount of gratitude points for each combination of practitioner ID and customer ID. This allows practitioners to understand which customers have given them the most gratitude points. Customers can also understand which practitioners they have given them the most gratitude points to. The gratitude information management unit 80 may also notify the store terminal 14 or customer terminal 16 of the cumulative amount of gratitude points through the notification unit 22.

[0108] The gratitude information management unit 80 may aggregate the cumulative amount of gratitude points for each store or region. The gratitude information management unit 80 may, for example, aggregate the cumulative amount of gratitude points given to multiple practitioners belonging to the same store. This allows the total cumulative amount of gratitude points that could be obtained across the entire store to be grasped. The gratitude information management unit 80 may also aggregate the cumulative amount of gratitude points given to practitioners or stores for each combination of store ID and customer ID. This allows each store to understand which customers have given them the most gratitude points. The gratitude information management unit 80 may also notify the store terminal 14 of the cumulative amount of gratitude points for each store or region via the notification unit 22.

[0109] The reward management unit 82 stores reward information regarding rewards that practitioners can earn and manages the awarding of rewards in accordance with the acquisition of appreciation points. The reward management unit 82 manages information such as reward name, reward image, and reward description, using the reward ID, which is the identification information of the reward, as the key. The reward name indicates the content of the reward, such as confectionery set A, beverage set B, meal voucher C, and travel voucher D. The confectionery set and beverage set may be subscription services for confectionery or beverages.

[0110] The reward management unit 82 stores and manages information (also called reward acquisition information) regarding the acquisition of rewards by practitioners or stores. The reward acquisition information includes information such as the acquirer ID, acquisition date and time, reward ID, reward name, and number of points used, with the acquisition ID as the key. When a practitioner acquires a reward, the acquirer ID is the practitioner ID, and when a store acquires a reward, the acquirer ID is the store ID. The number of points used is the number of appreciation points used to acquire the reward. The reward management unit 82 may also manage rewards that can be acquired based on the accumulated amount of appreciation points, rather than the use of appreciation points. For example, rewards that can be acquired when the accumulated amount of appreciation points reaches milestones such as 100 or 1000 may be available.

[0111] The gratitude information viewing unit 84 acquires gratitude information managed by the gratitude information management unit 80 from the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 40 and displays it on the display operation unit 42. The gratitude information viewing unit 84 displays gratitude information associated with practitioners and stores on the display operation unit 42. For example, the gratitude information viewing unit 84 acquires information regarding the cumulative amount of gratitude given to practitioners and displays it on the display operation unit 42. The gratitude information viewing unit 84 may display the cumulative amount of gratitude points acquired by practitioners as a numerical value, or it may display object images with different display modes depending on the numerical value of the cumulative amount. The gratitude information viewing unit 84 may acquire at least one piece of gratitude information given to practitioners by customers and display these in a list in chronological order or by customer order.

[0112] Figure 8 schematically shows an example of the display of the gratitude information viewing screen, illustrating the screen viewed by the practitioner using the store terminal 14. In the upper left corner of the gratitude information viewing screen, a practitioner image 90 corresponding to the practitioner ID is displayed, and near the practitioner image 90, an accumulation image 91 showing the accumulated amount of gratitude points and a balance image 92 showing the remaining usable gratitude points are displayed. In the illustrated example, the numerical value of the gratitude points is shown, and an image of a cushion is displayed as an object image corresponding to the numerical value of the gratitude points.

[0113] In the example in Figure 8, the cumulative image 91 displays two red cushions corresponding to 100 points, two purple cushions corresponding to 10 points, and one white cushion corresponding to 1 point, indicating that a total of 221 points have been accumulated. Additionally, the balance image 92, showing the remaining amount of gratitude points available for redemption, displays two purple cushions corresponding to 10 points and one white cushion corresponding to 1 point, indicating that 21 points are available for redemption. Depending on the value of gratitude points, a gold cushion corresponding to 1,000 points or a rainbow-colored cushion corresponding to 10,000 points may also be displayed. On the gratitude information viewing screen, both the cumulative image 91 and the balance image 92 may be displayed, or only one of them may be displayed.

[0114] Furthermore, the example of an object image is not limited to a cushion; any image can be used. Similarly, there are no particular restrictions on the color of the object image; any color can be used. Additionally, the size of the object image may vary depending on the number of gratitude points. In other words, at least one aspect of the display of the object images (cushions), such as the number, color, or size, can be varied depending on the number of gratitude points.

[0115] At the bottom of the gratitude information viewing screen in Figure 8, individual gratitude information 93a and 93b sent by customers to practitioners are displayed in a list. Gratitude information 93a and 93b include customer ID, date and time of sending, and gratitude message. Gratitude information 93a and 93b also include individual images 94a and 94b that show the gratitude points sent by customers to practitioners. Individual images 94a and 94b also display an image of a cushion as an object image corresponding to the numerical value of gratitude points. In individual images 94a and 94b, the display manner, such as the number, color, and size of the object images (cushions), may differ depending on the numerical value of gratitude points.

[0116] The gratitude information viewing unit 84 may accept replies to the received gratitude information. The practitioner can input a reply comment 96 to the customer's gratitude information 93b by pressing a comment button 95 displayed near (for example, below) the gratitude information 93b in Figure 8. The practitioner can add a reaction image 98, such as a star, heart, or thumbs-up, to the customer's gratitude information 93b by pressing a reaction button 97 displayed near (for example, below) the gratitude information 93b. The gratitude information viewing unit 84 may transmit the reply information, including the reply comment 96 and reaction image 98 entered by the practitioner, to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60.

[0117] The gratitude information viewing unit 84 may display the cumulative amount of gratitude points totaled for each customer. For example, multiple customers may be listed in descending order of the cumulative amount of gratitude points given by the customer to the practitioner. The gratitude information viewing unit 84 may display an input screen on the display operation unit 42 for practitioners to give gratitude points to other practitioners. The gratitude information viewing unit 84 may display an input screen on the display operation unit 42 for practitioners to give gratitude points to customers.

[0118] The reward application unit 86 accepts applications to acquire rewards managed by the reward management unit 82. The reward application unit 86 obtains reward information managed by the reward management unit 82 from the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 40 and displays it on the display operation unit 42. The reward application unit 86 obtains information indicating the remaining amount of usable gratitude points from the gratitude information management unit 80 from the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 40 and displays it on the display operation unit 42. The reward application unit 86 displays an application screen on the display operation unit 42 to accept applications for acquiring rewards that can be acquired within the range of the remaining amount of gratitude points. The reward application unit 86 may also display an application screen on the display operation unit 42 to accept applications for acquiring rewards that can be acquired according to the accumulated amount of gratitude points. The reward application unit 86 generates reward acquisition information based on the input operation on the application screen and transmits it to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 40. The reward application unit 86 may accept reward acquisition applications for each practitioner, or it may accept reward acquisition applications for each store or region.

[0119] The gratitude information input unit 88 displays an input screen on the display operation unit 62 for the customer to input gratitude information, and transmits the gratitude information entered on the input screen to the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60. The gratitude information input unit 88 displays a selection screen for selecting the practitioner to whom the gratitude information will be sent. The gratitude information input unit 88 may also display practitioners associated with the customer's treatment record information on the selection screen. The gratitude information input unit 88 displays an input screen on the display operation unit 62 for the gratitude message and the amount of gratitude points. The gratitude information input unit 88 may obtain the remaining amount of gratitude points available to the customer from the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60 and display it on the input screen. The gratitude information input unit 88 may accept the input of gratitude points within the range of the customer's remaining amount of gratitude points.

[0120] The gratitude information input unit 88 may obtain the past cumulative amount of gratitude points used by the customer from the information processing device 12 via the communication unit 60 and display it on the display operation unit 62. The gratitude information input unit 88 may also aggregate and display the cumulative amount of gratitude points given by the customer to the practitioner for each practitioner ID. For example, multiple practitioners may be listed in descending order of the cumulative amount of gratitude points given by the customer to the practitioner. The gratitude information input unit 88 may also obtain information from the information processing device 12 regarding reply comments and reaction images entered by the practitioner in response to the gratitude information given by the customer and display it on the display operation unit 62.

[0121] Figure 9 schematically shows an example of the display of the thank-you information input screen, illustrating the screen on which a customer inputs thank-you information using the customer terminal 16. In the upper left of the thank-you information input screen, a customer image 100 corresponding to the customer ID is displayed, and near the customer image 100, a cumulative image 101 showing the cumulative amount of thank-you points given by the customer and a balance image 102 showing the remaining balance of thank-you points that can be used are displayed. Similar to the example in Figure 8, the numerical value of the thank-you points is displayed, and an image of a cushion is displayed as an object image corresponding to the numerical value of the thank-you points.

[0122] Below the gratitude information input screen in Figure 9, there are fields for selecting the practitioner to whom the gratitude information will be sent (recipient) 103, a field for inputting the number of gratitude points to be given to the practitioner 104, and a field for inputting a gratitude message to be given to the practitioner 105. When a number of gratitude points is entered, an object image 106 corresponding to the entered number may be displayed, for example, an animation showing cushions piling up as the number increases. After entering the recipient, the number of gratitude points, and the gratitude message, the send button 107 is pressed, and the gratitude information is sent from the customer terminal 16 to the information processing device 12.

[0123] The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may extract potential practitioners based on the gratitude information recorded in the gratitude information management unit 80. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may also extract potential practitioners by considering the accumulated amount of gratitude points. The practitioner selection unit 36 ​​may calculate an evaluation value indicating the similarity between the customer and the practitioner according to the accumulated amount of gratitude points, and the evaluation value may be higher as the accumulated amount of gratitude points increases. By using the accumulated value of gratitude points, the compatibility between the customer and the practitioner can be quantitatively analyzed, and practitioners who are considered to be a good match can be suggested.

[0124] The treatment record viewing unit 70 may display an editing screen on the display operation unit 62 for processing image data and video data associated with the treatment record information. For example, the treatment record viewing unit 70 may display an editing screen on the display operation unit 62 for processing image data and video data of customers taken at the store. The editing screen may enable decoration processing such as adding frame images and stamp images, makeup processing on the face, deformation processing of facial features (eyes, nose, mouth, ears), mosaic processing, blurring processing, etc. The editing screen may disable image processing on the treatment area (e.g., hair) and enable image processing on parts other than the treatment area (e.g., face). This makes it possible to generate images that display the treatment area as is while decorating parts related to privacy (such as the face). Such decoration functions ensure consideration for privacy and promote the posting of image data.

[0125] Image data and video data edited in the treatment record viewing unit 70 may be transmitted to the information processing device 12 in association with the treatment record information, or they may be posted to external social media. Other customers or practitioners may be able to send thank-you messages or thank-you points in response to the treatment record information edited by a customer. In addition, other customers or practitioners may be able to reply to the treatment record information edited by a customer, and they may be able to attach reply messages or reaction images.

[0126] The treatment record input unit 50 may display an editing screen on the display operation unit 42 for processing image data and video data captured by the imaging unit 44. The editing screen displayed on the display operation unit 42 by the treatment record input unit 50 may be the same as the editing screen displayed on the display operation unit 62 by the treatment record viewing unit 70. The practitioner can transmit the image data and video data edited on the treatment record viewing unit 70 to the information processing device 12, associated with the treatment record information. The customer can refer to the image data and video data edited by the practitioner through the treatment record viewing unit 70. The customer may further edit the image data and video data edited by the practitioner through the treatment record viewing unit 70.

[0127] The diary input unit 74 may display an editing screen on the display operation unit 62 for processing image data and video data captured by the imaging unit 64. The diary input unit 74 may also display an editing screen on the display operation unit 62 that is similar to the editing screen provided by the treatment record viewing unit 70. The image data and video data edited by the diary input unit 74 may be transmitted to the information processing device 12 as diary information, or may be posted to an external social networking service (SNS). Other customers or practitioners may be able to send thank-you information in response to diary information generated by a customer, and may be able to send thank-you messages or thank-you points. In addition, other customers or practitioners may be able to reply to diary information generated by a customer, and may be able to attach reply messages or reaction images.

[0128] Figure 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the information processing system 10. The customer terminal 16 transmits the thank you information entered by the customer to the information processing device 12 (S50). The information processing device 12 records the thank you information obtained from the customer terminal 16 (S52). The information processing device 12 notifies the store terminal 14, which is the recipient of the recorded thank you information, of the thank you information (S54). The store terminal 14 displays the thank you information obtained from the information processing device 12 (S56). The store terminal 14 may also display the cumulative amount of thank you points that the practitioner or store has acquired so far.

[0129] When a practitioner enters a reply to the thank-you information, the store terminal 14 sends the entered reply information to the information processing device 12 (S58). The information processing device 12 associates the reply information obtained from the store terminal 14 with the thank-you information and updates the thank-you information (S60). The information processing device 12 sends the updated thank-you information, including the reply information, to the customer terminal 16 (S62). The customer terminal 16 displays the thank-you information obtained from the information processing device 12 (S64). For example, the customer terminal 16 displays the reply information to the thank-you information that the customer has sent to the practitioner. The customer terminal 16 may also display the cumulative amount of thank-you points that have been sent so far.

[0130] (modified version) In the above-described embodiment, blockchain technology may be applied to the sending and receiving of gratitude information. For example, gratitude points may be issued as cryptocurrency or NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), and the entire flow of gratitude points being exchanged between the customer and the practitioner may be recorded. This may make the cycle and connection of gratitude between the customer and the practitioner visible.

[0131] In the above-described embodiment, treatment services in a beauty salon were used as an example, but this embodiment is not limited to specific treatments and can be applied to any treatment service. The "treatment" in this embodiment may include medical procedures. In this case, the practitioner may be a medical professional such as a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, laboratory technician, physical therapist, or occupational therapist at a medical institution such as a hospital, and the customer may be a patient receiving medical treatment. This embodiment can also be applied to any service business other than treatments. In this case, the practitioner may be a service provider that provides any service to a customer, or an employee of a business that provides any service such as retail, food and beverage, accommodation, entertainment, education, welfare, real estate, transportation, or public services.

[0132] In the modified version, instead of the store terminal 14, a practitioner's personal computer, tablet, smartphone, or other personal device owned by the practitioner may be used. The practitioner's device may have the same functions as the store terminal 14.

[0133] In the modified version, instead of managing practitioners by store, individual practitioners may be managed independently of the store to which they belong. In this case, the information processing device 12 does not need to have a store management unit 24. By managing individual practitioners independently of the store, treatment record information and gratitude information can be accumulated in the relationship between the customer and the individual practitioner, even if the store to which the individual practitioner belongs changes. This promotes a cycle of gratitude and connection between customers and practitioners, regardless of the store to which the practitioner belongs.

[0134] The second embodiment described above illustrates a case where a customer gives a thank-you point to a practitioner. In a modified version, the system may be configured to allow the customer to give a thank-you stamp to the practitioner to express their gratitude. The thank-you stamp in the modified version can be considered an example of thank-you information in the second embodiment.

[0135] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the display of the thank-you stamp sending screen. Figure 11 corresponds to the thank-you information input screen displayed on the customer terminal 16 by the thank-you information input unit 88. At the top of the screen, practitioner information 110 about the practitioner to whom the thank-you stamp will be sent is displayed. In the center of the screen, multiple thank-you stamps 112a, 112b, 112c, and 112d that can be selected are displayed. Each of the thank-you stamps 112a to 112d can include text, emojis, symbols, images, etc. The screen in Figure 11 is configured so that, for example, only one of the multiple thank-you stamps 112a to 112d can be selected. The screen in Figure 11 may also be configured so that two or more of the multiple thank-you stamps 112a to 112d can be selected in any combination. At the bottom of the screen, a free-text field 114 for a message of support to be sent to the practitioner is displayed. Text, emojis, symbols, etc. can be entered in the free-text field 114. When the "Send Thank You Stamp" button 116 at the bottom of the screen is pressed, the selected thank you stamp and message of support are sent to the practitioner. The thank you stamps and messages of support sent from the customer to the practitioner are managed as thank you information by the thank you information management unit 80. The practitioner can check the thank you stamps and messages of support from the customer on the store terminal 14 (or practitioner terminal).

[0136] The second embodiment described above showed a case where the practitioner could obtain rewards such as food gifts or experience gifts by using appreciation points. In a modified version, the system may be configured so that the customer can give an appreciation gift to the practitioner to express their gratitude. In this modified version, instead of obtaining rewards by using appreciation points, the customer can directly give a specific reward to the practitioner. The appreciation gift can be considered an example of appreciation information in the second embodiment.

[0137] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the display of the thank-you gift sending screen. Figure 12 corresponds to the thank-you information input screen displayed on the customer terminal 16 by the thank-you information input unit 88. At the top of the screen, practitioner information 120 about the practitioner to whom the thank-you stamp will be sent is displayed. In the center of the screen, several thank-you gifts 122a, 122b, and 122c that can be selected are displayed. In the example of Figure 12, food gifts such as sweets and beverages are displayed. The screen in Figure 12 may be configured to allow the selection of only one of the multiple thank-you gifts 122a to 122c, or it may be configured to allow the selection of two or more in any combination. When the "Send Gift" button 124 at the bottom of the screen is pressed, the procedure for sending the selected thank-you gift to the practitioner begins. Thank-you gifts sent from customers to practitioners are managed as thank-you information by the thank-you information management unit 80. Practitioners can check thank-you gifts from customers on the store terminal 14 (or practitioner terminal).

[0138] The screen in Figure 12 may be displayed after pressing the "Send Thank You Stamp" button 116 on the thank you stamp sending screen in Figure 11. In this case, after sending a thank you stamp, a thank you gift can be sent as an additional token of appreciation, making it easier for customers to express more gratitude to the practitioner.

[0139] In the second embodiment described above, when a practitioner receives thank-you information from a customer, the practitioner can input a reply to the received thank-you information. In a modified version, the system may be configured so that the practitioner can send an "emotional stamp" to the customer to express their feelings of gratitude. For example, the system may be configured so that the practitioner can send an emotional stamp back to the customer in response to a thank-you stamp sent by the customer. An emotional stamp can be considered an example of thank-you information in the second embodiment.

[0140] FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a display screen for transmitting a moving stamp. The screen of FIG. 13 is displayed on the store terminal 14 (or the practitioner terminal) by the gratitude information viewing unit 84. At the upper part of the screen, customer information 130 regarding the customer who will receive the moving stamp is displayed. In the example of FIG. 13, the customer's name (Mr. XXX) is displayed as the customer information 130. In the center of the screen, a plurality of moving stamps 132a, 132b as selection candidates are displayed. Each of the moving stamps 132a to 132b can include characters, emojis, symbols, images, and the like. The plurality of moving stamps 132a to 132b are configured such that the contents of characters, emojis, symbols, images, etc. are different from those of the gratitude stamps 112a to 112d in FIG. 11. The screen of FIG. 13 may be configured to allow only one of the plurality of moving stamps 132a to 132b to be selected, or may be configured to allow two or more to be selected in any combination. At the lower part of the screen, a free description field 134 for a moving message to be sent to the customer is displayed. Characters, emojis, symbols, etc. can be input into the free description field 134. When the send button 136 at the lower part of the screen is pressed, the selected moving stamp and the moving message are sent to the customer. The moving stamps and the moving messages sent from the practitioner to the customer are managed as gratitude information by the gratitude information management unit 80. The customer can confirm the moving stamps and the moving messages from the practitioner on the customer terminal 16.

[0141] In the above-described second embodiment, the case where a viewing screen showing the accumulated amount and the balance of the gratitude points given from the customer to the practitioner is displayed has been shown. In a modification, a summary screen showing the accumulated amount of at least one of the gratitude stamps, the gratitude gifts, and the moving stamps may be displayed.

[0142] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the summary screen displayed on the customer terminal 16. At the top of the screen, customer information 140 is displayed, including the customer's avatar image, name, and status. Below the customer information 140, cumulative information 142 is displayed, showing the cumulative total of thank-you stamps and thank-you gifts sent by the customer, and the emotional stamps received by the customer. In the example in Figure 14, the length of the bar indicates the magnitude of the cumulative amount. The value shown by cumulative information 142 can be calculated by aggregating the thank-you information managed by the thank-you information management unit 80. Specifically, it is calculated by adding up the thank-you stamp points corresponding to thank-you stamps sent by the customer in the past, the thank-you gift points corresponding to thank-you gifts sent by the customer in the past, and the emotional stamp points corresponding to emotional stamps received by the customer in the past. If the customer has exchanged thank-you stamps, thank-you gifts, and emotional stamps with multiple practitioners, the combined value for all practitioners is displayed as cumulative information 142. Customers can be assigned a status (or level) corresponding to the cumulative amount shown as cumulative information 142, and their status (or level) is upgraded when the cumulative amount reaches a predetermined value.

[0143] At the lower part of the screen in FIG. 14, the cumulative amounts for each operator and each type of point are shown. In the example of FIG. 14, operator information 144 regarding a specific operator, cumulative information 146 indicating the cumulative amount of appreciation gift points, cumulative information 148 indicating the cumulative amount of appreciation stamp points, and cumulative information 150 indicating the cumulative amount of moving stamp points are displayed. The cumulative information 146 of appreciation gift points can be calculated by summing up the point numbers set in advance for each content of the appreciation gift according to the history of appreciation gifts given from customers to a specific operator. The cumulative information 148 of appreciation stamp points can be calculated by summing up the point numbers set in advance for each content of the appreciation stamp according to the history of appreciation stamps given from customers to a specific operator. The cumulative information 148 of moving stamp points can be calculated by summing up the point numbers set in advance for each content of the moving stamp according to the history of moving stamps received by customers from a specific operator.

[0144] In FIG. 14, below each of the cumulative information 146, 148, and 150, viewing buttons 146a, 148a, and 150a for "View Details" are displayed. When any one of the viewing buttons 146a, 148a, and 150a is pressed, a list of the history of any one of the appreciation gifts, appreciation stamps, and moving stamps exchanged between the customer and the specific operator is displayed.

[0145] Figure 15 schematically shows an example of the summary screen displayed on the practitioner's terminal. The summary screen displayed on the practitioner's terminal is the same as the summary screen displayed on the customer terminal 16 in Figure 14. At the top of the screen, practitioner information 152 is displayed, including the practitioner's avatar image, name, and status. Below the practitioner information 152, cumulative information 154 is displayed, showing the cumulative amount of gratitude stamps and gratitude gifts received by the practitioner, and the emotional stamps given by the practitioner. In the example in Figure 15, the length of the bar indicates the magnitude of the cumulative amount. The value shown by cumulative information 154 can be calculated by aggregating the gratitude information managed by the gratitude information management unit 80. Specifically, it is calculated by adding up the gratitude stamp points corresponding to gratitude stamps received by the practitioner in the past, the gratitude gift points corresponding to gratitude gifts received by the practitioner in the past, and the emotional stamp points corresponding to emotional stamps given by the practitioner in the past. If the practitioner has exchanged gratitude stamps, gratitude gifts, and emotional stamps with multiple customers, the sum of the values ​​for multiple customers is displayed as cumulative information 154. The practitioner can be assigned a status (or level) corresponding to the accumulated amount shown as cumulative information 154, and the status (or level) is upgraded when the accumulated amount reaches a predetermined value.

[0146] At the lower part of the screen in Fig. 15, the cumulative amounts for each customer and each type of points are shown. In the example of Fig. 15, customer information 156 regarding a specific customer, cumulative information 158 indicating the cumulative amount of appreciation gift points, cumulative information 160 indicating the cumulative amount of appreciation stamp points, and cumulative information 162 indicating the cumulative amount of moving stamp points are displayed. The cumulative information 158 of appreciation gift points can be calculated by adding up the points set in advance for each content of the appreciation gift according to the history of appreciation gifts received by the practitioner from the specific customer. The cumulative information 160 of appreciation stamp points can be calculated by adding up the points set in advance for each content of the appreciation stamp according to the history of appreciation stamps received by the practitioner from the specific customer. The cumulative information 162 of moving stamp points can be calculated by adding up the points set in advance for each content of the moving stamp according to the history of moving stamps given by the practitioner to the specific customer.

[0147] In Fig. 15, below each of the cumulative information 158, 160, and 162, browsing buttons 158a, 160a, and 162a of "View Details" are displayed. When any of the browsing buttons 158a, 160a, and 162a is pressed, a list of the history of any of the appreciation gifts, appreciation stamps, and moving stamps exchanged between the practitioner and the specific customer is displayed.

[0148] In the modified version, the store terminal 14 or the practitioner terminal may have a function to output information indicating a practitioner ID for identifying the practitioner. The customer terminal 16 may have a function to obtain the practitioner ID output from the store terminal 14 or the practitioner terminal. When the customer terminal 16 obtains the practitioner ID, it may display a screen for inputting thank-you information to send a thank-you stamp or thank-you gift to the practitioner corresponding to the obtained practitioner ID. For example, when a customer receives their first treatment from a specific practitioner, the practitioner ID for the first treatment may not be linked to the customer ID, and a situation may arise where the customer cannot send a thank-you stamp or thank-you gift after receiving the treatment. In this case, the customer can obtain the practitioner ID at the store where they received their first treatment, and then send a thank-you stamp or thank-you gift from the customer terminal 16.

[0149] The customer terminal 16 may obtain the practitioner ID wirelessly using the communication unit 60. The customer terminal 16 may obtain the practitioner ID from the store terminal 14 or practitioner terminal using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth® or FeliCa®. The customer terminal 16 may obtain the practitioner ID by imaging a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode using the imaging unit 64. In this case, a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode indicating the practitioner ID may be displayed on the display screen of the store terminal 14 or practitioner terminal, or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode indicating the practitioner ID may be printed and displayed on printed material. The printed material may be a poster or other notice placed in the store, a practitioner's nameplate, or a practitioner's business card. The customer terminal 16 can obtain the practitioner ID by reading a machine-readable code indicating the practitioner ID through the communication unit 60 or imaging unit 64.

[0150] In the modified version, the store terminal 14 or the practitioner terminal may have a function to output information indicating a customer ID for identifying the customer. When the customer terminal 16 obtains a customer ID output from the store terminal 14 or the practitioner terminal, it may display a screen for inputting thank-you information to send a thank-you stamp or thank-you gift to the practitioner corresponding to the practitioner ID linked to the obtained customer ID. For example, if the application for executing the functions provided by the information processing system 10 is not installed on the customer terminal, the customer needs to install the application on the customer terminal 16 and perform the initial setup. At this time, if a customer ID for creating treatment record information has been issued by the store terminal 14 or the practitioner terminal, the issued customer ID can be notified to the customer terminal 16, allowing the customer terminal 16 to perform the initial setup using the issued customer ID. Furthermore, since the linking of the customer ID and practitioner ID is completed by the treatment record information, the customer can send a thank-you stamp or thank-you gift from the customer terminal 16.

[0151] The customer terminal 16 may acquire the customer ID wirelessly using the communication unit 60. The customer terminal 16 may acquire the customer ID from the store terminal 14 or the practitioner terminal using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth® or FeliCa®. The customer terminal 16 may acquire the customer ID by imaging a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode using the imaging unit 64. In this case, the one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode indicating the customer ID may be displayed on the display screen of the store terminal 14 or the practitioner terminal, or the one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode indicating the customer ID may be printed and displayed on a printed document. The printed document may be a membership card issued by the store to each customer. The customer terminal 16 can acquire the customer ID by reading a machine-readable code indicating the customer ID through the communication unit 60 or the imaging unit 64.

[0152] The embodiment may be a program for a computer to implement the functions for realizing the above-described method, or it may be a recording medium for storing the program. Such a recording medium for storing the program may be a non-transitory and tangible computer-readable storage medium, and may be a non-volatile memory, a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape or magnetic disk, or an optical recording medium such as an optical disk.

[0153] Several aspects of this disclosure are described below.

[0154] The 16th embodiment is an information processing system comprising: a customer management unit for managing customer identification information; a practitioner management unit for managing practitioner identification information for providing treatments to customers; an acquisition unit for acquiring gratitude information related to gratitude given by customers to practitioners; a gratitude information management unit for managing the acquired gratitude information in association with customer and practitioner identification information; and a notification unit for notifying practitioners of the cumulative amount of gratitude given. According to the 16th embodiment, gratitude information can be sent directly from customers to practitioners, thus ensuring that customers' feelings of gratitude are conveyed to practitioners. This promotes a cycle of gratitude between customers and practitioners and helps to retain customers.

[0155] The 17th aspect is the information processing system according to the 16th aspect, further comprising a reward management unit for managing reward information relating to rewards that can be obtained by the practitioner in response to the gratitude given to the practitioner. According to the 17th aspect, the practitioner can obtain rewards in response to the gratitude given by the customer, and therefore can experience greater joy in the gratitude given through the information processing system.

[0156] The 18th aspect is an information processing system according to the 16th or 17th aspect, wherein the notification unit notifies the terminal used by the customer of information regarding the cumulative amount of gratitude given by the customer. According to the 18th aspect, the customer can check the amount of gratitude given in the past and feel a connection and good relationship with the practitioner in proportion to the increase in the cumulative amount of gratitude. This promotes a cycle of gratitude between the customer and the practitioner and helps to retain the customer.

[0157] The 19th embodiment is an information processing system according to any one of the 16th to 18th embodiments, wherein the notification unit notifies a terminal used by the practitioner of information regarding the cumulative amount of gratitude given to the practitioner. According to the 19th embodiment, the practitioner can check the cumulative amount of gratitude given to them and gain confidence and a sense of fulfillment in their work as the cumulative amount of gratitude increases.

[0158] The 20th embodiment is an information processing system according to any one of the 16th to 19th embodiments, wherein the acquisition unit acquires at least one of the following: gratitude information related to gratitude given from one practitioner to another practitioner, gratitude information related to gratitude given from a practitioner to a customer, and gratitude information related to gratitude given from the store to which the practitioner belongs to another store. According to the 20th embodiment, since practitioners and stores that have received gratitude can give gratitude to other practitioners, customers, or stores, the cycle of gratitude can be further promoted.

[0159] The 21st aspect is an information processing system according to any one of the 16th to 20th aspects, wherein the notification unit notifies information regarding the total cumulative amount of gratitude given to multiple practitioners belonging to the same store. According to the 21st aspect, the cumulative amount of gratitude for the entire store can be confirmed, thereby encouraging efforts to increase customer gratitude throughout the store. This promotes improved teamwork among practitioners belonging to the same store and increases the motivation of each practitioner in their work.

[0160] The 22nd embodiment is an information processing system according to any one of the 16th to 21st embodiments, further comprising a treatment record management unit that manages treatment record information, which records the details of treatments provided by a practitioner to a customer, in association with the identification information of the customer and the practitioner, and the notification unit notifies the customer's terminal of information about the practitioner associated with the customer's treatment record information. According to the 21st embodiment, since the customer is notified of the information of the practitioner who provided the treatment, it is possible to encourage the input of thank-you information for the practitioner who provided the treatment.

[0161] The 23rd embodiment is the information processing system according to the 22nd embodiment, wherein the acquisition unit acquires treatment preference information regarding the treatment desired by the customer from a terminal used by the customer, the information processing system further comprises a practitioner selection unit that selects a practitioner from among the candidates based on the correlation between the acquired treatment preference information and the treatment record information of the candidate practitioners, and the notification unit notifies the terminal used by the customer of the information regarding the selected practitioner. According to the 23rd embodiment, by correlating the customer's treatment preference information with the treatment record information of the candidate practitioners, it is possible to present the customer with practitioners who have a track record of performing treatments that can fulfill the customer's treatment preference. As a result, it is possible to prevent mismatches between customers and practitioners and to present practitioners that customers will want to use again, thereby supporting customer retention.

[0162] The 24th embodiment is an information processing system according to any one of the 16th to 23rd embodiments, wherein the terminal used by the customer or practitioner is capable of displaying an editing screen for editing image data, and the acquisition unit acquires the image data edited on the editing screen. According to the 24th embodiment, since images of customers or practitioners can be edited on the terminal used by the customer or practitioner, it becomes possible to process the images in a way that respects privacy and transmit them to the information processing device, thereby promoting the posting of image data.

[0163] The 25th embodiment is an information processing system according to any one of the 16th to 24th embodiments, wherein the terminal used by the practitioner is capable of outputting machine-readable codes indicating the practitioner's identification information, and the terminal used by the customer is capable of acquiring the practitioner's identification information using the machine-readable codes. According to the 25th embodiment, even if the customer and practitioner's identification information are not linked in the information processing system, the terminal used by the customer can read the machine-readable codes and acquire the practitioner's identification information. As a result, the customer can use the terminal used by the customer to send a thank you message to the practitioner corresponding to the acquired identification information.

[0164] The 26th aspect is an information processing system according to any one of the 16th to 25th aspects, wherein the terminal used by the practitioner is capable of outputting machine-readable codes indicating customer identification information, and the terminal used by the customer is capable of acquiring customer identification information using the machine-readable codes. According to the 26th aspect, although customer and practitioner identification information are linked in the information processing system, if customer identification information is not initially set on the terminal used by the customer, the terminal used by the customer can acquire customer identification information by reading the machine-readable codes. As a result, the terminal used by the customer can acquire the practitioner identification information linked in the information processing system. Consequently, the customer can use the terminal used by the customer to send a thank you message to the practitioner corresponding to the acquired identification information.

[0165] Any combination of the configurations relating to the embodiments or aspects described above is also useful as an embodiment of the present disclosure. The new embodiments resulting from the combinations will have the combined effects of the respective embodiments and modifications. Furthermore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the functions to be performed by each component described in the claims can be achieved by each component shown in the embodiments and modifications individually or in combination thereof. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0166] 10... Information processing system, 12... Information processing device, 14... Store terminal, 16... Customer terminal, 20... Acquisition unit, 22... Notification unit, 24... Store management unit, 26... Practitioner management unit, 28... Customer management unit, 30... Treatment record management unit, 32... Product management unit, 34... Diary management unit, 36... Practitioner selection unit, 38... Product suggestion unit, 80... Gratitude information management unit, 82... Benefits management unit.

Claims

1. a customer management department that manages customer identification information; a practitioner management unit that manages identification information of practitioners who provide treatment to customers; an acquisition unit that acquires thank-you information regarding gratitude given to a therapist by a customer; an appreciation information management unit that manages the acquired appreciation information in association with identification information of the customer and the practitioner;

2. The information processing system described in claim 1, wherein the gratitude information includes a gratitude gift given by a customer to a therapist that the therapist can obtain.

3. The information processing system described in Claim 2, wherein the gratitude information further includes a gratitude stamp that is given by the customer to the therapist and can be viewed by the therapist.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a benefit management unit that manages benefit information relating to benefits that can be acquired by a practitioner in response to gratitude given to the practitioner.

5. An information processing system described in any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a notification unit that notifies information regarding the cumulative amount of gratitude given to the practitioner.

6. 6. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein the notification unit notifies a terminal used by the customer of information relating to the accumulated amount of gratitude gifts given by the customer.

7. The information processing system according to claim 5 , wherein the notification unit notifies a terminal used by the practitioner of information relating to an accumulated amount of gratitude given to the practitioner.

8. The information processing system according to claim 5 , wherein the notification unit notifies information regarding a total cumulative amount of gratitude given to a plurality of practitioners belonging to the same salon.

9. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the acquisition unit acquires at least one of gratitude information regarding gratitude given from one therapist to another, gratitude information regarding gratitude given from a therapist to a customer, and gratitude information regarding gratitude given from a store to which the therapist belongs to another store.

10. a treatment record management unit that manages treatment record information that records details of treatments provided by a therapist to a customer in association with identification information of the customer and the therapist; The information processing system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a notification unit that notifies a terminal used by a customer of information about a therapist associated with the customer's treatment record information.

11. The acquisition unit acquires treatment request information related to a treatment desired by the customer from a terminal used by the customer, The information processing system further includes a therapist selection unit that selects a therapist from among the candidates based on a correlation between the acquired treatment request information and treatment record information of the therapists who are candidates for selection, The information processing system according to claim 10 , wherein the notification unit notifies a terminal used by the customer of information about the selected practitioner.

12. The terminal used by the customer or the practitioner is capable of displaying an editing screen for editing image data, The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires image data edited on the editing screen.

13. The terminal used by the practitioner is capable of outputting a machine-readable code indicating the practitioner's identification information, The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein a terminal used by a customer is capable of acquiring the identification information of the therapist using the machine-readable code.

14. The terminal used by the therapist is capable of outputting a machine-readable code indicating the customer's identification information; The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein a terminal used by a customer is capable of acquiring customer identification information using the machine-readable code.

15. The ability to manage customer identity information; A function for managing the identification information of practitioners who provide treatment to customers; A function to acquire thank-you information regarding gratitude given by customers to practitioners; and a program configured to cause a computer to realize a function of managing the acquired thank-you information in association with identification information of the customer and the practitioner.

Images