Employee motivation system

Abstract

We propose an employee motivation system that can improve employee morale by providing employees with customer support information. [Solution] The management server 3 receives proof of entry information based on the two-dimensional code read by the customer, and upon receiving this proof of entry information, it assigns non-monetizable employee support information to the customer. Based on the employee support rights information, the customer can send employee support information to the employee of their choice. As a result, customers who actually visit the store can send employee support information to the employee based on the excellent service actually provided by the employee in the store, and the employee who receives the employee support information will be motivated as it encourages them in their work.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an employee motivation system that can enhance employee motivation.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in Patent Document 1, when a customer sends a tip (money) and a message to an employee of a store from a personal terminal, the employee can receive a reward from the business owner for the tip and obtain evaluation points based on the message, and the business operator can evaluate the employee based on the number of tips and evaluation points. This configuration can enhance the motivation of employees because employees can receive rewards and evaluations based on the tips and messages obtained from customers.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the above-described conventional configuration, since the customer himself / herself pays the tip (money) borne by himself / herself to the employee, in countries where the culture of paying tips for services has not developed (for example, Japan), the flow of sending tips from customers to employees is extremely unlikely to occur. For this reason, in such countries, there has been a problem that it is difficult to enhance the motivation of employees. In addition, recently, the spread effect of information based on the influence power of so-called influencers and the like has been significantly increasing, and a phenomenon in which the excellent service-providing ability of employees is widely known by influencers and the like can also be seen.

[0005] This invention solves the aforementioned problems and can utilize the ripple effect of information in recent times, proposing an employee motivation system that can improve employee motivation by gaining support from the customer's perspective. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is an employee motivation system characterized by comprising a management server that is connected via a network to a customer terminal operated by a customer who receives a predetermined product or service from an employee in person within a store, wherein there are multiple employees and employee identification information for identifying each employee is stored in employee information storage means; employee information provision means that transmits employee identification information selected by the management server from the employee information storage means to the customer terminal in response to a request from the customer terminal; employee support right information distribution means that, when the management server receives proof of entry information issued based on the customer obtaining store installation reading information installed within the store via the customer terminal, the management server transmits employee support right information as a right to grant non-monetary employee support information to the customer terminal; and employee support information transmission means that, upon receiving the non-monetary employee support right information, the customer terminal can, at the customer's operation, specify a predetermined employee from the multiple employees and transmit the employee support information addressed to that employee.

[0007] This configuration allows customers who actually visit a store to send employee support information to employees based on the excellent service they actually provide. Therefore, employees who receive this employee support information will be motivated as it encourages them in their work. Furthermore, since employee support information is not convertible into cash, it is not necessary for only a portion of the parties (companies) involved in this system to bear the cost, making it easier to implement. In addition, since customers need to visit the store and obtain employee support rights information in order to send employee support information, employers who employ employees and store managers can more easily create opportunities for customers to visit the store, thereby promoting increased sales and providing an overall incentive to adopt this system. It is also possible to provide the store with the necessary rewards for customers who send employee support information to further encourage customers to visit the store.

[0008] Herein, a configuration is proposed in which the employee support information can be viewed via the network from third-party terminals of third parties other than the employee and the customer.

[0009] In such a configuration, third parties can see which customers are sending employee support information to which employees. If the customer sending employee support information is a so-called influencer with significant information dissemination power, it creates an attractive customer base where third parties will visit the store specifically to see the employees that person promotes. This offers significant advantages for store managers (for example, owners or employers who hire employees).

[0010] The related invention is an employee motivation system characterized by comprising: an employee information storage means storing employee identification information for identifying the employee; an employee information provision means that transmits the employee identification information selected by the management server from the employee information storage means to the customer terminal in response to a request from the customer terminal; a coin distribution means that transmits non-cashable coin information to the customer terminal in response to instructions entered by the employer; and a designated provision means that, upon receiving the non-cashable coin information, the customer terminal, by operation by the customer, designates an employee and transmits the coin information to that employee. In the configuration of the related invention, a preferred configuration is one in which, when predetermined coin provision conditions are met, the employer provides a predetermined reward to the employee based on coin information sent to the employee by a designated provisioning means. Here, the coin provision conditions can be set as follows: the employee's request is entered into the management server; a predetermined unit period (e.g., one week or one month) has elapsed; or the cumulative number of coins reaches a predetermined number. Furthermore, "to provide the reward" refers to actions taken in order for the reward to be provided to the employee, and is not limited to processing the provision of the reward to the employee, but also includes, for example, giving instructions or procedures for providing the reward. In addition, the reward can refer to money or goods as a token of appreciation or gratitude, and also includes education and experiential events.

[0011] In this configuration, the rewards given by customers to employees (so-called tips) are funded by the employer's resources (non-cashable coin information), thus eliminating any financial burden on customers. In addition, since the coin information provided to customers is non-cashable, it has no direct value to the customer other than being sent to employees. For these reasons, even in countries where a tipping culture is not well-developed, it becomes easier for customers to send coin information to employees, thus creating a stable flow of customers sending coin information to employees.

[0012] The present invention's configuration allows employees to receive rewards based on their performance evaluations not from the employer, but through customers, thereby dramatically improving the value employees place on such rewards. Because employees receive rewards in the form of coin information as customer evaluations, this not only improves their motivation for work but also appropriately enhances their self-awareness regarding their work and life. Furthermore, the presence of customers who evaluate employees increases employee autonomy and reduces employee turnover. Additionally, employers can fairly and consistently evaluate employees based on the coin information they receive through customers.

[0013] In the aforementioned related invention employee motivation system, a configuration is proposed in which the management server is equipped with a coin counting means that counts coin information transmitted from customer terminals by designated provision means for each employee and stores the counted cumulative number of coins in the employee's identification information, and a third-party terminal and the management server are connected via a network so that at least the cumulative number of coins in the employee's identification information can be viewed on the third-party terminal.

[0014] In this configuration, by making employees' accumulated coin counts viewable to third parties, it is possible to stimulate third-party interest in employees with high coin counts, thus potentially leading to the acquisition of new customers. Furthermore, it can evoke in third parties a desire to work with employees who have high coin counts, which is expected to increase new hires and make it easier to secure excellent talent. On the other hand, it can also motivate employees to actively work during times when there are more opportunities to interact with new customers.

[0015] In the employee motivation system of the aforementioned related invention, a configuration is proposed in which an employee terminal that has acquired coin information by designated provision means is equipped with an employee-to-employee provision means that allows the employee to designate another employee and transmit the coin information to that other employee.

[0016] In this configuration, since coin information obtained from customers can be provided from one employee to another, employees can evaluate each other through the provision of coin information. This can improve the motivation of other employees who receive coin information from other employees, and thus more stably produce the effect of the present invention, which is to improve employee motivation. In addition, employers have the excellent advantage of being able to know how employees evaluate each other through the provision of coin information among employees.

[0017] Furthermore, in particular, the system includes an employee terminal operated by an employee providing goods and / or services to a customer in the store and a customer terminal operated by a customer using the store, which is connected via a network to an employee terminal and which performs predetermined operations according to instructions entered by the employer who employs the employee, and includes an employee information storage means that stores employee identification information for identifying the employee, and an employee information provision means that transmits the employee identification information selected by the management server from the employee information storage means to the customer terminal in response to a request from the customer terminal, An employee motivation system is useful, characterized in that it includes a coin distribution means in which the management server transmits non-cashable coin information to the customer terminal in accordance with instructions entered by the employer, and a designated provision means in which the customer terminal that receives the non-cashable coin information is made capable of transmitting the coin information only to the employee, and the customer terminal, at the customer's operation, designates an employee and transmits the coin information addressed to that employee, and when predetermined coin provision conditions are met, the employer provides a predetermined reward to the employee based on the coin information addressed to the employee transmitted by the designated provision means.

[0018] Here, Patent Document 1 describes the effect of promoting the sale of goods or services by granting virtual coins from advertisers to users and having them use them in the entity. In other words, the users in Patent Document 1 do not need to be customers who have used the entity, and the purpose of granting virtual coins is to have them use the entity. It also describes that a first user who has received virtual coins from an advertiser can gift virtual coins to another second user (paragraph 0011), that the first user and the second user 2 can use virtual coins to evaluate staff (paragraph 0112), and that the first user and the second user 2 can use virtual coins in the entity (paragraphs 0085, 0097). In other words, Patent Document 1 states that a first user who has received virtual coins from an advertiser may send virtual coins to a second user, or the first user may use them in the entity themselves. As mentioned above, in Patent Document 1, the user who sends the virtual coins is a customer who will be having the entity used. On the other hand, the above invention provides coin information to customers who have used the store. Thus, there is a significant difference in that the recipient of the coin information (virtual coins) is either the customer who has used the service (the present invention) or a user who requests future use (Patent Document 1). Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, the first user who is granted virtual coins by the advertiser can use them in the entity. On the other hand, in the above invention, the customer can only use the coin information obtained from their employer to send to their employees, and the customer themselves cannot use it as something of value, nor can they give it to other customers. Thus, the inability to share coin information among customers and the value of the coins granted to the customer (first user) differ between the above invention and Patent Document 1.

[0019] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 limits the members who receive points from the administrator to members belonging to a target group (an organization such as a company or union) (paragraph numbers 0030, 0031). Moreover, the points can only be transferred among these members. On the other hand, the aforementioned invention provides coin information to customers who use the store, differing from Patent Document 2 in that the recipients of the coin information are a predetermined target group (Patent Document 2) or an unspecified customer who uses the store (the aforementioned invention). Furthermore, in the aforementioned invention, customers cannot transfer coin information to other customers; it can only be given to employees. In other words, the transferable recipients differ from Patent Document 2, which allows the transfer of points among members who can receive points from the administrator. Here, Patent Document 1 provides virtual coins to users who utilize the entity, while Patent Document 2 provides points to members belonging to a predetermined target group. Thus, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 differ in their recipients of virtual coins (points). Patent Document 2 describes a configuration in which points can be exchanged among members belonging to a target group, whereas Patent Document 1 describes a user A (influencer) who is given coins by an advertiser and then gifting them to other users B (friends, family, peers, viewers, etc.), and does not describe a configuration in which users A who directly obtained coins from an advertiser can exchange or gift those coins to each other. Patent Document 2 points out that in a conventional configuration in which points exchangeable for a value entity are transferred and received among members belonging to an organization, if there are selfish members, they may not transfer the points given by the administrator to other members and instead try to maximize their own profits, which is a problem as it hinders communication within the organization (paragraph number 0011). Patent Document 2 is an invention that solves this problem, and in other words, it rejects a configuration in which points given by the administrator can be used by the user themselves. On the other hand, Patent Document 1 shows that a first user who is given virtual coins (equivalent to points) can use the virtual coins themselves and also transfer them to other users.That is, Patent Document 1 includes the constituent elements whose problems have been pointed out by Patent Document 2, and can be said to be the object negated by Patent Document 2. When Patent Documents 1 and 2 are compared in this way, although there are common parts, in Patent Document 2, since the configuration of Patent Document 1 is negated, considering other differences, their technical ideas are clearly different from each other.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the employee motivation system of the present invention, an employee who receives employee support information can achieve the effect of increasing motivation by using it as an incentive for his or her work.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the employee motivation system 1 of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing the functions of the employee motivation system 1 of Reference Example 1. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of sending and receiving information in the employee motivation system 1 of Reference Example 1. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart showing the processing by the employee motivation system 1 of Reference Example 1. [Figure 5] It is a block diagram showing the functions of the employee motivation system 1 of Reference Example 2 (and Reference Example 3). [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of sending and receiving information in the employee motivation system 1 of Reference Example 2. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of sending and receiving information in the employee motivation system 1 of Reference Example 3. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of sending and receiving information in the employee motivation system 1 of the embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The employee motivation system 1 of this embodiment is used by employers who employ employees working in stores such as restaurants and shops, the employees themselves, and the customers of the store. Stores also include those that provide services indoors, such as hospitals and government offices. [Reference example 1]

[0023] Figure 1 shows the configuration of the employee motivation system 1 in this reference example. The employee motivation system 1 consists of a management server 3 and a database 4, and employer terminals 5, employee terminals 6, and customer terminals 7 that can connect to the management server 3 via a communication network (such as the Internet) 2. The employer terminals 5, employee terminals 6, and customer terminals 7 are personal computers, tablets, or smartphones, etc., that have the function of communicating via the communication network and have application software installed that can access the management server 3.

[0024] The management server 3 is composed of one or more computers equipped with a central control unit (CPU), storage devices (ROM, RAM), and transceivers that communicate with the communication network 2, and the storage devices store programs and data executed by the central control unit. The database 4 is composed of storage devices that store and hold data used by the programs of the management server 3 and data updated by those programs.

[0025] As shown in the functional diagram in Figure 2, the database 4 includes an identification information storage unit 11 that stores identification information for employers, employees, and customers, and a setting information storage unit 12 that stores setting information for coins. The identification information stored in the identification information storage unit 11 includes information such as names, IDs, and addresses to identify each individual employer, employee, and customer, as well as information on the coins held by employees and the cumulative number of such coins, and information on the coins held by customers and the employee to whom those coins are transferred. This information is then associated and stored for each individual employee and customer. The setting information stored in the setting information storage unit 12 includes information such as the number of coins to be distributed and the distribution period, the coin rate (reward amount per coin), and reward payment conditions.

[0026] The management server 3 comprises an identification information management means 14, a coin distribution means 15, an information provision means 16, a coin transfer means 17, a coin supply means 18, and an information viewing means 19. The identification information management means 14 registers and updates the identification information of employers, employees, and customers, and stores and manages the identification information in the database 4.

[0027] The coin distribution means 15 distributes coins to customers based on instructions sent from the employer terminal 5. This distribution process is carried out by counting the number of coins held by each customer in the identification information registered in the database 4. In other words, in this example, the distribution of coins is performed as an internal process of the management server 3. Then, information indicating that the customer has received coins is sent to the customer terminal 7.

[0028] The information provision means 16 processes the transmission of employee and customer identification information to the employer terminal 5, employee terminal 6, and customer terminal 7 in accordance with requests from these terminals. The identification information that can be transmitted to each terminal 6, 7 is predetermined according to the employer, employee, and customer.

[0029] The coin transfer means 17 is a process that transfers coins to a designated employee according to the coin transfer information transmitted from the customer terminal 7. In this process, the coins stored in the customer's identification information are moved and stored in the designated employee's identification information. Then, information indicating that coins have been acquired is transmitted to the employee terminal 6. Furthermore, each time coins are moved to the employee's identification information, the coin transfer means 17 counts the cumulative number of coins and updates this cumulative number in the employee's identification information.

[0030] When the pre-set coin provision conditions are met, the coin provision means 18 performs a process to deduct the coins stored in each employee's identification information and also sends an instruction to the employer terminal 5 requesting payment of the reward assigned to those coins. In this example, the coin provision conditions are set to one month having passed since the previous deduction process (reaching a predetermined date in one-month increments). As a result, the coin provision means 18 performs the coin deduction process and the payment instruction transmission process on a predetermined day each month (hereinafter referred to as the condition fulfillment date). Since these processes are performed by accessing the identification information of each employee stored in the database 4, these deduction and transmission processes are not performed for employees who do not have coins in their identification information.

[0031] The information viewing means 19 transmits employee identification information to the third-party terminal 8 in accordance with a request from the third-party terminal 8. Here, the identification information that can be transmitted to the third-party terminal 8 is predetermined and is more limited than the identification information transmitted by the information providing means 16. The third-party terminal 8 is a terminal such as a smartphone operated by a third party other than the employer, employee, and customer, and is accessible via the communication network 2 by installing a predetermined application software.

[0032] On the other hand, the employer terminal 5, employee terminal 6, customer terminal 7, and third-party terminal 8 described above have the following processing functions through the application software.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the employer terminal 5 includes an identification information update means 21 and an information management means 22. The identification information update means 21 can perform a process to confirm or update the employer's identification information by launching the application software and accessing the management server 3. The information management means 22 can perform a process to confirm the identification information of employees, customers, and third parties by accessing the management server 3. Furthermore, when the employer terminal 5 receives a payment instruction from the coin disbursement means 18 of the management server 3, it can perform a predetermined procedure for paying rewards to employees.

[0034] The employee terminal 6 includes an identification information update means 23 and a message transmission means 24. The identification information update means 23 can perform the process of confirming or updating the employee's identification information by launching the application software and accessing the management server 3. The identification information update means 23 also has the function of displaying information received from the management server 3 when it receives information that coins have been acquired from a customer. The message transmission means 24 can perform the process of sending a message to a customer to whom coins have been transferred by accessing the management server 3. The message transmission means 24 also has the function of creating a message using text, standard phrases, emojis, etc., arbitrarily decided by the employee, and sending the message via the management server 3.

[0035] The customer terminal 7 includes an identification information update means 25, an employee information confirmation means 26, and a designated transfer means 27. The identification information update means 25 can perform a process to confirm or update the customer's identification information by launching the application software and accessing the management server 3. The employee information confirmation means 26 can perform a process to view the employee's identification information by accessing the management server 3. The designated transfer means 27 can perform a process to send information to transfer coins to a designated employee by accessing the management server 3. Here, the designated transfer means 27 has the function of sending a message to the designated employee along with the transfer of coins. This function sends a message created by the customer using arbitrarily decided text, standard phrases, emojis, etc., via the management server 3.

[0036] The third-party terminal 8 includes an identification information update means 28 and a viewing means 29. The identification information update means 28 can perform the process of confirming or updating the third party's identification information by launching the application software and accessing the management server 3. The viewing means 29 can perform the process of viewing employee identification information by accessing the management server 3.

[0037] Next, the processing flow of the employee motivation system 1 will be explained using Figures 3 and 4. As mentioned above, the database 4 of the employee motivation system 1 registers identification information for employers, employees, and customers. Here, the employer's identification information is registered in the database 4 when the employer creates an account (ID) to access the management server 3 by operating their own employer terminal 5. Similarly, the employee's identification information is registered in the database 4 when the employee creates an account (ID) to access the management server 3 by operating their own employee terminal 6. On the other hand, the customer's identification information is registered in the database 4 when the customer creates an account (ID) to access the management server 3 from the customer terminal 7 using an optical reading code when visiting the store.

[0038] When the employer terminal 5 receives an instruction to distribute coins through the employer's operation, it sends this instruction to the management server 3 (sending coin distribution instruction). When the management server 3 receives this instruction from the employer terminal 5, it executes a process to count the number of coins held by each customer in the identification information of database 4 (coin distribution process). As a result of this process, coins are distributed to and stored in the identification information of each customer. After executing the coin distribution process, information indicating that coins have been acquired is sent to each customer's customer terminal 7 (sending coin acquisition information process). In this example, as mentioned above, the timing of coin distribution, validity period, number of coins to be distributed (for example, one per customer), and reward amount per coin are pre-set and stored in the setting information storage unit 12 of database 4. The management server 3 executes the coin distribution process according to this information.

[0039] When the customer terminal 7 receives information about coin acquisition from the management server 3, it displays the information to notify the customer. The customer can then access the management server 3 from the customer terminal 7 to view their own identification information and confirm their coin possession. Furthermore, while possessing coins, the customer can perform an input process to transfer those coins to an employee (coin transfer input process). In this process, based on the employee's identification information viewed by the customer via access to the management server 3, an employee is designated, and the transfer of coins to the designated employee is determined. Once the employee designation and coin transfer are decided, information to transfer the coins to that employee is sent to the management server 3 (coin transfer instruction transmission process). In this way, by operating the customer terminal 7, the customer can transfer the distributed coins to a designated employee as a tip (gratuity). These coins, stored in the customer's identification information in the database 4 (counted in the coin possession count), are not eligible for compensation payments and cannot be exchanged for money, goods, or services by the customer. In other words, the coins in this example are stored in the customer's identification information and are non-redeemable. Therefore, customers can only use the coins as tips to give to employees.

[0040] Furthermore, the customer terminal 7 can input a message to an employee along with the transfer of coins through the coin transfer input process. When a message is entered, it is sent to the management server 3 along with the coin transfer information via the coin transfer instruction transmission process. The message may be one created arbitrarily by the customer, or it may be selected from a predetermined set of standard phrases or emojis.

[0041] When the management server 3 receives coin transfer information from the customer terminal 7, it performs the following processes: subtracting the coins from the identification information of the customer who sent the information, and adding the coins to the identification information of the employee specified in the information (coin transfer process). Each time a coin is added, the cumulative number of coins is counted in the employee's identification information. At this point, when coins are added to the employee's identification information, those coins become eligible for reward payment, as will be described later. In other words, when coins are moved from the customer's identification information to the employee's identification information, they are converted into something that can be converted into cash.

[0042] Furthermore, in conjunction with the coin transfer process, the management server 3 sends information indicating that it has acquired coins from the customer, along with the message received from the customer, to the employee terminal 6 of the employee specified by the transfer information from the customer terminal 7 (coin acquisition information transmission). The management server 3 also stores this transfer of coins from the customer's identification information to the employee's identification information. As a result, employers can accurately know the flow of coins by accessing the management server 3.

[0043] When employee terminal 6 receives coin acquisition information from management server 3, it displays the acquisition information and notifies the employee. By accessing management server 3 from employee terminal 6, the employee can view their own identification information and confirm the acquisition of coins and the customer information of the person who transferred the coins (the identification information of the customer who transferred the coins). Furthermore, when employee terminal 6 receives a customer message from management server 3 along with the coin acquisition information, it notifies the employee of the message. Conversely, when an employee inputs a message addressed to the customer who transferred the coins through an employee operation, employee terminal 6 sends that message to management server 3 (message transmission).

[0044] When the predetermined conditions are met (when the coin provision conditions are met), the management server 3 checks the identification information of each employee and performs a process to subtract the coins from the identification information of employees who have acquired coins (coin subtraction process). Along with this process, it performs a process to send a payment instruction for the reward assigned to the coins to the employer terminal 5 and a process to send information that the reward payment instruction has been executed to the employee terminal 6 (reward payment instruction transmission). When the employer terminal 5 receives the reward payment instruction from the management server 3, it notifies the employer of the instruction. As a result, the employer carries out the reward payment procedure and the reward is paid to the employee. Meanwhile, when the employee terminal 6 receives the information about the reward payment instruction, it notifies the employee of the information. As a result, the employee is aware that the reward will be paid and that the acquired coins have been used.

[0045] Furthermore, when the management server 3 receives the aforementioned message from the employee terminal 6 addressed to the customer, it processes the message to send to the customer's terminal 7 (message sending process). Upon receiving this message, the customer terminal 7 notifies the customer of the message. In this way, messages can be exchanged between the customer terminal 7 and the employee terminal 6 via the management server 3 in connection with the transfer of coins from the customer to the employee.

[0046] On the other hand, a third-party terminal 8 can access the management server 3 and register its identification information to view employee information (Figure 3). More specifically, a registered third-party terminal 8 accesses the management server 3 and requests to view employee information. When the management server 3 receives a viewing request from the third-party terminal 8, it makes predetermined employee information viewable on the third-party terminal 8. As a result, the third party can view employee information on the third-party terminal 8. In this embodiment, the employee information viewable on the third-party terminal 8 is limited to basic profile information such as the employee's name (or nickname) and photograph (or caricature), and the information such as the accumulated number of coins mentioned above. Thus, in this reference example, a third party can view employees and the accumulated number of coins corresponding to the employee's evaluation by operating the third-party terminal 8.

[0047] As mentioned above, employee motivation system 1 in this example allows employees to receive rewards assigned to non-cash coins, which are distributed by the employer to customers and then transferred from those customers to employees. These coins are equivalent to tips given by customers to employees. In this example configuration, since the rewards paid by the employer are based on the coins given by customers, employees can receive the rewards as customer evaluations. This can improve employees' perception of the value placed on the rewards, thereby effectively increasing their motivation to work. Furthermore, these customer evaluations can improve employees' autonomy in their work and contribute to reducing employee turnover. In particular, receiving coins from multiple customers or from the same customer multiple times can significantly enhance the effects of improving employee motivation and reducing turnover. On the other hand, employers have the advantage of being able to fairly evaluate employees by using the distributed coins to evaluate them through customers.

[0048] In this example, the coins (tips) are funded by the employer and, being non-cashable, have no direct value to the customer other than being given to the employee. This makes it easier for customers to give coins (tips) to employees, thereby stimulating the flow of customers giving coins to employees, and allowing the effects of this example described above to be exerted more stably.

[0049] Furthermore, the configuration of this example allows customers to send messages along with the transfer of coins, and employees who receive coins can also send messages to customers. This allows customers to express gratitude and goodwill to employees, and by receiving messages from employees, they can feel a personal connection with them, making them more likely to experience happiness. This can stimulate customers' desire to visit the store again in search of further happiness, and also has the excellent advantage of making them more likely to transfer coins to employees again. On the other hand, employees may feel that they are being noticed and supported by customers when they receive coins and messages from them. By experiencing such close and real relationships with customers, employees are more likely to have their need for recognition stimulated, and to experience happiness and fulfillment. Thus, by exchanging messages in addition to transferring coins, the effects and advantages of the present invention described above can be further enhanced.

[0050] Furthermore, the configuration of this example, which makes employee information accessible to third parties, ensures transparency in the process of transferring coins from customers to employees. The ability to view each employee's accumulated coin count stimulates third-party interest in employees, potentially leading to the acquisition of new customers. Additionally, it can evoke a desire to work with employees who have accumulated a large number of coins, thus contributing to increased new hires and the securing of talented personnel. On the other hand, it can motivate employees to actively work during times when there are more opportunities to interact with new customers, making it easier for employers to create employee work schedules.

[0051] In the configuration of the aforementioned reference example, the communication network 2 corresponds to the network, and the database 4 corresponds to the employee information storage means. The information provision means 16 of the management server 3 corresponds to the employee information provision means. The coin transfer means 17 of the management server 3 corresponds to the coin counting means. The employee information confirmation means 26 and designated transfer means 27 of the customer terminal 7 correspond to the designated provision means.

[0052] Furthermore, the coin acquisition information (information indicating that coins have been acquired) transmitted from the management server 3 to the customer terminal 7 corresponds to non-exchangeable coin information. The coin transfer information (information indicating that coins will be transferred to an employee) transmitted from the customer terminal 7 corresponds to coin information addressed to the employee. [Reference example 2]

[0053] The employee motivation system 1 in Reference Example 2 has a function that allows an employee who has acquired coins from a customer to transfer those coins to other employees. Note that the configuration of Reference Example 2 is the same as that of Reference Example 1, except for the function that allows employees to transfer coins to each other. Therefore, the same components are denoted by the same symbols, and their explanations are omitted as appropriate.

[0054] As shown in Figure 5, the employee terminal 6 in Reference Example 2 is equipped with an employee-to-employee information provision means 31 that transmits information to transfer coins to a designated employee. The employee terminal 6 can send and receive messages between employees using a message sending means 24. This allows a message to be sent to the receiving employee when transferring coins, and a message to the transferring employee when coins are transferred. Here, even for messages between employees, the message sending means 24 can be created using text, standard phrases, emojis, etc., as described in Reference Example 1 above, and has the function of sending these messages via the management server 3.

[0055] Furthermore, the coin transfer means 17 of the management server 3 has the function of transferring coins to the employee specified in the coin transfer information transmitted from the employee terminal 6. This involves moving the coins stored in the identification information of the employee who sent the coin transfer information to the identification information of the specified employee and storing them there. Then, information indicating that the coins have been acquired is transmitted to the employee terminal 6 of the specified employee.

[0056] This section explains the process of transferring coins between employees in Employee Motivation System 1, as described in Reference Example 2. Similar to the aforementioned Reference Example 1, when the management server 3 receives coin transfer information from the customer terminal 7, it performs the process of subtracting the coins from the customer's identification information and adding the coins to the identification information of the employee to whom the coins were transferred, and then sends the coin acquisition information to the employee terminal 6 of that employee. The coin acquisition information is then displayed on the employee terminal 6.

[0057] In this state, employees can transfer coins to other employees. As shown in Figure 6, the employee terminal 6, based on the employee's operation, accesses the management server 3 and views the employee's identification information, then designates another employee and decides to transfer the coins to the designated employee. It then sends information indicating the designated employee and the transfer of coins to the management server 3. If an employee possesses multiple coins, they can arbitrarily set the number of coins to transfer, and can also designate multiple employees to transfer coins to.

[0058] When the management server 3 receives coin transfer information from an employee terminal 6, it performs the following processes: subtracting the coins from the identification information of the employee who sent the information, and adding the coins to the identification information of the employee specified in the information. Then, it sends information indicating that the coins have been acquired from the employee, along with the message received from that employee, to the employee terminal 6 of the employee specified in the transfer information. The management server 3 also stores this coin movement between employees. As a result, employers can access the management server 3 to accurately know the flow of coins between employees.

[0059] When an employee terminal 6 receives the coin acquisition information from the management server 3, it displays the acquisition information. This allows the employee to know about the coin acquisition and the employee who transferred the coin. This information can also be confirmed by accessing the management server 3 from the employee terminal 6. Furthermore, when the employee terminal 6 receives a message from the transferring employee along with the coin acquisition information, it notifies the employee of the message. On the other hand, when an employee inputs a message addressed to the transferring employee through an employee operation, the employee terminal 6 sends the message to the management server 3. This message is then sent to the transferring employee terminal 6 via the management server 3.

[0060] Furthermore, in this example, coins transferred by one employee can be transferred to another employee, making it possible to transfer coins multiple times between employees. This transfer process is carried out in the same way as when coins acquired from a customer are transferred to another employee, as described above.

[0061] Furthermore, even with coins transferred between employees in this manner, the rewards assigned to the coins will be paid to the employee holding those coins on the day the aforementioned conditions are met. This payment process is the same as the process for paying rewards for coins transferred from customers (coin deduction process and reward payment instruction process).

[0062] As mentioned above, Employee Motivation System 1 in Reference Example 2 allows employees to transfer coins they acquire from customers to other employees, thereby improving the motivation of the employees who receive the coins. In particular, if the coins are transferred by an employee who acquires many coins from customers (a so-called charismatic employee), the motivation of the employee who receives the coins can be dramatically increased. Furthermore, since employees can strengthen their connections with each other by transferring coins, the effect of reducing employee turnover can be improved. On the other hand, employers can evaluate employees more fairly by checking the flow of coins and understanding how employees are evaluating each other.

[0063] Furthermore, the configuration of Reference Example 2, like Reference Example 1 mentioned above, involves the transfer of coins from customers to employees, and therefore produces the same effects as Reference Example 1. [Reference example 3]

[0064] The employee motivation system 1 in Reference Example 3 has the function of distributing non-cashable virtual coins from the employer to employees and allowing these virtual coins to be transferred to other employees. Note that the configuration of Reference Example 3 is the same as that of Reference Example 1, except for the function of distributing virtual coins from the employer to employees and the function of allowing employees to transfer virtual coins to each other. Therefore, the same symbols are used for the same components, and their explanations are omitted.

[0065] In this Reference Example 3, the coin distribution means 15 of the management server 3 includes a process for distributing temporary coins to employees based on instructions sent from the employer terminal 5. This distribution process is carried out by counting the number of temporary coins held by each employee in the identification information of all employees who have been distributed temporary coins in the database 4. Here, the temporary coins in this Reference Example refer to non-exchangeable coins and are processed separately from coins that are the target of rewards (exchangeable coins). The coin distribution means 15 also sends information to the employee terminal 6 of each employee who has been distributed temporary coins, indicating that they have received temporary coins. This distribution of temporary coins is also executed as an internal process of the management server 3, similar to the coins described above.

[0066] The coin transfer means 17 of the management server 3 has the function of converting temporary coins into real coins and transferring them to the employee specified in the temporary coin transfer information transmitted from the employee terminal 6. This transfer and conversion function is performed by subtracting the number of temporary coins stored in the identification information of the employee who sent the temporary coin transfer information and counting the number of coins stored in the identification information of the specified employee. Then, information indicating that the specified employee has acquired coins from another employee is transmitted to the employee terminal 6.

[0067] As shown in Figure 5, the employee terminal 6 in Reference Example 3 is equipped with an employee-to-employee provision means 31. The employee-to-employee provision means 31 in Reference Example 3 executes a process to send information to transfer temporary coins to a designated employee. The employee terminal 6 can send and receive messages between employees using the message sending means 24. This allows a message to be sent to the receiving employee when transferring temporary coins, and a message to the transferring employee when coins are transferred. Here, the message sending means 24 can be created using text, standard phrases, emojis, etc., as described in Reference Examples 1 and 2 above.

[0068] This section explains the process of transferring temporary coins distributed to employees to other employees in Employee Motivation System 1, as described in Reference Example 3. As shown in Figure 7, when the employer terminal 5 receives an instruction from the employer to distribute temporary coins (non-exchangeable coins) to employees, it sends this instruction to the management server 3. If the employer wishes to specify which employees will receive the temporary coins, the employee information to which the temporary coins should be distributed is included in the distribution instruction and sent. The employer terminal 5 can also send instructions to distribute coins to customers, similar to the example 1 described above.

[0069] When the management server 3 receives a temporary coin distribution instruction from the employer terminal 5, it executes a process to count the number of temporary coins held by each employee using the identification information of each employee in the database 4. As a result of this process, temporary coins are distributed to and stored in each employee's identification information. Accordingly, information indicating that temporary coins have been acquired is sent to each employee's employee terminal 6. If the recipient employees of the temporary coins have been specified, the temporary coins will be distributed only to the specified employees. The distribution period, validity period, and number of temporary coins are also predetermined.

[0070] When employee terminal 6 receives information about the acquisition of temporary coins from the management server 3, it displays this information to inform the customer. Employees can then access the management server 3 from terminal 6 to view their own identification information and confirm their possession of temporary coins. Here, employee terminal 6 distinguishes and reports the possession of temporary coins from the coins obtainable from the customer terminal 7 mentioned above. This allows employees to correctly distinguish between non-exchangeable temporary coins and exchangeable coins.

[0071] In this state of possessing temporary coins, employees can use their terminal 6 to perform an input process to transfer these temporary coins to other employees. In this process, based on the identification information of other employees viewed by the employee through accessing the management server 3, the other employee is designated, and the transfer of the temporary coins to the designated employee is decided. Once the designation of the other employee and the transfer of the temporary coins are decided, information to transfer the coins to that employee is sent to the management server 3. In this way, employees who have been distributed temporary coins can transfer these temporary coins to other employees by operating their employee terminal 6. It should be noted that, as mentioned above, temporary coins are not convertible into cash and are therefore not eligible for reward payments. For this reason, employees who have been distributed temporary coins can only use them to transfer these temporary coins to other employees.

[0072] Furthermore, employee terminal 6 can send a message to the employee who receives the temporary coins upon their transfer. This message, along with the temporary coin transfer information, is sent to management server 3.

[0073] When the management server 3 receives information about the transfer of temporary coins from an employee terminal 6, it performs the following processes: subtracting the number of temporary coins held by the employee who sent the information from the employee's identification information, and adding coins to the identification information of other employees specified in the information. Through these temporary coin subtraction and addition processes, non-exchangeable temporary coins are converted into exchangeable coins. In addition, the management server 3 sends information indicating that it has acquired coins from the employee, along with the message received from the employee, to the employee terminal 6 of the other employee specified in the temporary coin transfer information. Furthermore, the management server 3 stores this movement of coins between employees. This allows employers to accurately know the flow of coins between employees by accessing the management server 3.

[0074] When an employee terminal 6 receives the coin acquisition information from the management server 3, it displays the acquisition information. This allows the employee to know about the coin acquisition and the information of the employee who transferred the coin. This information can also be confirmed by accessing the management server 3 from the employee terminal 6. Furthermore, when the employee terminal 6 receives a message from the transferring employee along with the coin acquisition information, it notifies the employee of the message. On the other hand, when a message addressed to the transferring employee is entered by the employee through an operation on the employee terminal 6, the message is sent to the management server 3. This message is then sent to the transferring employee terminal 6 via the management server 3.

[0075] Even with coins converted from temporary coins in this way, when the aforementioned conditions are met, the rewards assigned to those coins will be paid to the employees who hold them. This payment process is the same as the process for paying rewards for coins transferred by customers (coin deduction process and reward payment instruction process).

[0076] As mentioned above, Employee Motivation System 1 in Reference Example 3 involves a system where temporary coins (non-redeemable) distributed by the employer to employees are converted into redeemable coins when those temporary coins are transferred from one employee to another, allowing the other employee to receive a reward in the form of those coins. This configuration can improve the motivation of employees who receive coins. In particular, if coins are transferred by employees who are popular with many customers and other employees (so-called charismatic employees) or by employees who are workplace leaders, the motivation of the employee who receives the coins can be dramatically increased. Furthermore, since employees can strengthen their connections with each other by transferring coins, the effect of reducing employee turnover can be improved. On the other hand, employers can evaluate employees more fairly by checking the flow of coins and understanding how employees are being evaluated by each other.

[0077] Furthermore, the configuration of Reference Example 3, like Reference Example 1 mentioned above, involves the transfer of coins from the customer to the employee, and therefore produces the same effects as Reference Example 1.

[0078] Furthermore, in the configuration of Reference Example 3 described above, the coin distribution means 15 of the management server 3 corresponds to the employee distribution means of the present invention. The temporary coin acquisition information (information indicating that temporary coins have been acquired) transmitted from the management server 3 to the employee terminal 6 corresponds to the non-exchangeable coin information of the present invention.

[0079] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned Reference Examples 1 to 3, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, although Reference Examples 1 to 3 were intended for use in restaurants and shops, the invention is not limited to these, and can also be used in accommodation facilities such as hotels, transportation facilities such as railways and airplanes, entertainment facilities such as theaters and sports venues, professional facilities such as lawyers' offices, or corporate offices.

[0080] In examples 1-3, the system is configured to issue payment instructions for coins every month (coin provision condition), but it is not limited to this, and the coin provision condition for issuing payment instructions can be changed as needed. For example, it can be set to occur every week or every three months, or when a predetermined number of unpaid coins have accumulated (for example, three or five). Furthermore, payment instructions can be issued in response to requests from employees.

[0081] In Reference Examples 1-3, the configuration involves sending and receiving information about acquired coins between the management server, employee terminal, and customer terminal. However, the system is not limited to this configuration; coins (data) may also be sent and received. In this case, the coins (data) correspond to the coin information of the present invention. Similarly, in Reference Example 3, temporary coins (data) may be sent and received between the management server and employee terminal.

[0082] In Reference Example 1, the coins stored in the customer's identification information are non-redeemable, while the coins stored in the employee's identification information are redeemable. However, the system is not limited to this configuration. Similar to Reference Example 3, temporary coins may be stored in the customer's identification information, and these temporary coins may be converted into redeemable coins when they are stored in the employee's identification information.

[0083] In Example 2, the system was configured to allow employees to transfer coins to each other multiple times, but it is not limited to this; you could also set a limit on the number of times employees can transfer coins to each other. For example, you could restrict the transfer of coins to other employees to only those acquired from customers, and prevent employees from transferring coins acquired from other employees.

[0084] In Reference Example 2, the configuration involves transferring coins received from a customer to other employees. However, the system is not limited to this; a configuration in which the employer distributes temporary coins to employees and allows them to transfer to other employees (Reference Example 3) may also be added to Reference Example 2.

[0085] In Example 3, the system is configured so that temporary coins distributed by the employer are transferred to other employees. However, these transferred coins can also be transferred to other employees. In this case, it is possible to set a limit on the number of times the coins can be transferred, or to make it impossible to return them to the original employee.

[0086] In examples 1-3, non-exchangeable coins distributed by the employer to the customer are then transferred from the customer to the employee. However, it is also possible to configure the system so that customers can purchase these coins themselves. In this configuration, customers can transfer not only coins distributed by the employer but also coins they have purchased themselves to their employees.

[0087] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 8. As shown in Figure 8, for example, a customer may use their own customer terminal 7 to scan a two-dimensional code (store-installed reading information) installed in the store, and, on the condition that such reading information is obtained, send employee support information (so-called "favorite mark" or "like mark") to an employee terminal 6 owned by an employee designated by the customer.

[0088] The details are explained below. When a customer receives service from an employee in a store and develops a positive impression of that employee, they scan the QR code with their customer terminal 7. This information is then entered into the management server 3 as proof of entry and stored there. Upon receiving the entry proof, the management server 3 sends employee support rights information to the customer terminal 7, allowing the customer to select from several employees and send employee support information to one or more of them. The customer who receives the employee support rights information then sends employee designation information (employee designation information) to the management server 3 in order to send employee support information to the desired employee. The management server 3, upon receiving this employee designation information, then sends the employee support information, along with the customer information, to the designated employee's terminal, making it viewable. This configuration allows customers to express their support and gratitude to a designated employee. It should be noted that this employee support information is non-monetary; employees who earn many points as employee support information are motivated by the support and encouragement they receive from customers, precisely because the points themselves are not monetary. Furthermore, by structuring the system so that employee support information received by employees is quantified, for example by adding points, and these points can be given to other employees as redeemable points, it becomes possible to give back the support or encouragement received from customers to other employees, creating a chain reaction of recognition among employees. As a result of this chain reaction of recognition among employees, relationships among employees will improve and the employee retention rate of the store will increase. Also, since customers do not need to spend any money to give employee support information to employees, this system encourages them to actively use it. In addition, by making it possible for third parties other than employees and customers to view which employees are receiving employee support information from which customers, if the customer who is sending employee support information is a so-called influencer with a large amount of information dissemination power, it will create a customer attraction effect where third parties will visit the store specifically to see the employee that that person is promoting.This offers significant advantages from a store management perspective, especially for store managers (such as owners or employers who hire employees).

[0089] Furthermore, a portion of the management server 3 corresponds to an employee information storage means that stores employee identification information for identifying employees. Furthermore, a portion of the management server 3 corresponds to an employee information provision means that transmits the employee identification information selected by the management server 3 from the employee information storage means to the customer terminal 7 in response to a request from the customer terminal 7. Furthermore, the management server 3 corresponds to an employee support rights information distribution means, which, upon receiving store entry proof information issued based on store installation reading information installed in the store via the customer terminal, triggers the management server 3 to transmit employee support rights information, which is the right to grant non-monetary employee support information, to the customer terminal 7. Furthermore, a portion of the management server 3 corresponds to an employee support information transmission means that allows a customer terminal 7, which has received the non-monetizable employee support rights information, to send the employee support information to a designated employee through customer operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1. Employee Motivation System 2. Communication Network (Network) 3. Management Server 4. Database (means for storing employee information) 5. Employer terminal 6. Employee terminals 7 Customer terminals 8. Third-party terminals 15 Coin Distribution Methods 16. Means of providing information (means of providing employee information) 17. Coin Transfer Methods (Coin Counting Methods) 26. Employee Information Disclosure Methods (Designated Disclosure Methods) 27. Designated means of transfer (designated means of provision) 31. Means of providing services to employees

Claims

1. A management server is provided that is connected via a network to a customer terminal operated by a customer who receives a specified product or service in person from an employee within the store, There are multiple employees, and the employee information storage means stores employee identification information for identifying each employee, An employee information providing means that transmits the employee identification information selected by the management server from the employee information storage means to the customer terminal in response to a request from the customer terminal, An employee support rights information distribution means that, upon receiving entry proof information issued based on the customer obtaining store-installed reading information installed in the store via the customer terminal, the management server transmits employee support rights information, which is the right to grant non-monetary employee support information, to the customer terminal. A customer terminal that has received the non-monetizable employee support rights information is an employee support information transmission means that, at the customer's operation, selects a predetermined employee from the multiple employees and transmits the employee support information to that employee. An employee motivation system characterized by having the following features.

2. The aforementioned employee support information can be viewed via the network from third-party terminals of third parties other than the employee and the customer. The employee motivation system according to claim 1.

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