Product proposal method, program, and product proposal device

Abstract

To provide a product suggestion method, program, and device that minimize the burden of customer registration procedures and can introduce useful product information tailored to the characteristics of each customer. [Solution] The product proposal method includes a customer identification information acquisition step of acquiring SNS identification information on an SNS registered by the customer; a customer attribute information acquisition step of acquiring customer attribute information associated with the SNS identification information; a customer needs acquisition step of acquiring needs information indicating the customer's needs; a product information acquisition step of acquiring product information relating to a group of products to be offered to the customer; and a product identification processing step of identifying and presenting to the customer proposed products based on the customer attribute information, needs information and product information using a natural language model 5 that performs natural language processing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a product proposal method, a program, and a product proposal device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique for determining products to be introduced to customers based on information input by customers and purchase histories has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes this type of technique. Patent Document 1 describes a product introduction device that generates product introduction information using product information and purchase histories.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a store or the like, in order to reflect customer-related attributes and past information such as purchase histories in product introductions, it may be necessary to perform a registration procedure in which application software is installed on a customer terminal such as a smartphone possessed by the customer and information related to the customer is input. However, there are customers who find such a registration procedure troublesome. In stores that are not visited every time, such as souvenir shops, customers often have no knowledge of the products, and although the usefulness of product proposals is high, they may not have an image of using the same store next time and may hesitate to perform the registration procedure.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a product proposal method, a program, and a product proposal device that can introduce useful product information according to customer characteristics with a low burden on the customer registration procedure.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of this disclosure relates to a product proposal method that includes: a customer identification information acquisition step of acquiring SNS identification information on an SNS registered by the customer; a customer attribute information acquisition step of acquiring customer attribute information associated with the SNS identification information; a customer needs acquisition step of acquiring needs information indicating the customer's needs; a product information acquisition step of acquiring product information relating to a group of products to be offered to the customer; and a product identification processing step of identifying and presenting to the customer proposed products based on the customer attribute information, the needs information and the product information, using a natural language processing model.

[0007] The product information acquisition step may involve sending an instruction to the natural language model to generate a search query based on at least one of the customer attribute information and the needs information, and then extracting the product information from the product group based on the search query generated by the natural language model.

[0008] The customer needs acquisition step may involve having the customer terminal used by the customer read an identification code containing provider identification information that identifies the provider of the product, or having a terminal installed at the product provision location read an identification code containing information for identifying the customer's SNS identification information displayed on the customer terminal, thereby displaying a dialogue screen on the customer terminal for interactive communication with the customer, and acquiring the input information from the customer through the dialogue screen as the needs information.

[0009] The customer needs acquisition step may involve having the natural language model generate questions to extract the customer's needs based on the customer attribute information, and acquiring the customer's input information in response to the questions as the needs information.

[0010] The customer needs acquisition step may also acquire the needs information if the customer has registered a relationship on the SNS that allows them to receive information from the provider of the product.

[0011] The relationship registration step may further include a process to display a screen on the customer's terminal for the customer to perform the process of registering the relationship if the relationship registration has not been performed.

[0012] In the step of acquiring customer attribute information, the customer attribute information may be acquired by referring to a database in which the customer attribute information is registered in association with the SNS identification information.

[0013] In the step of acquiring customer needs, the needs information may be acquired by referring to a database in which the needs information is registered in association with the SNS identification information.

[0014] Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to execute the following steps: a customer identification information acquisition step of acquiring SNS identification information on an SNS registered by the customer; a customer attribute information acquisition step of acquiring customer attribute information associated with the SNS identification information; a customer needs acquisition step of acquiring needs information indicating the customer's needs; a product information acquisition step of acquiring product information relating to a group of products to be offered to the customer; and a product identification processing step of identifying and presenting to the customer suggested products based on the customer attribute information, the needs information, and the product information, using a natural language processing model.

[0015] Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is a product proposal device comprising: a customer identification information acquisition unit that acquires SNS identification information on an SNS registered by the customer; a customer attribute information acquisition unit that acquires customer attribute information associated with the SNS identification information; a customer needs acquisition unit that acquires needs information indicating the customer's needs; a product information acquisition unit that acquires product information relating to a group of products to be offered to the customer; and a product identification processing unit that identifies and presents to the customer proposed products based on the customer attribute information, the needs information, and the product information, using a natural language model that performs natural language processing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a product proposal method, a program, and a product proposal apparatus that can reduce the burden of customer registration procedures and introduce useful product information according to customer characteristics.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a product proposal system 1 to which a product proposal method for equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the product proposal apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the product proposal apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an example of an interactive screen for identifying proposed products displayed on the customer terminal. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an example of a proposal screen for presenting proposed products displayed on the customer terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing for displaying an interactive screen of a product proposal website on the customer terminal. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the first half of the flow of processing for identifying proposed products. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the second half of the flow of processing for identifying proposed products.

Embodiments of the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a product proposal system 1 to which a product proposal method for equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The product proposal system 1 provides a service for proposing products suitable for customers to customers in a store 2. The product proposal system 1 of the present embodiment includes an identification code display unit 3 installed in the store 2 and a product proposal apparatus 10.

[0020] Store 2 is a place that sells goods, such as a bookstore or a souvenir shop. Store 2 may be an unmanned store. The suggested products proposed by the product suggestion system 1 will correspond to the products sold at Store 2. If Store 2 is a bookstore, the suggested products will be books in a field that meets the customer's needs. If Store 2 is a souvenir shop, the suggested products will be local specialties that meet the customer's needs in that area. Note that the products are not particularly limited and may also include the provision of services other than tangible goods.

[0021] The identification code display unit 3 displays an identification code 100 for displaying a product suggestion website to the customer terminal 50 held by the customer. The identification code display unit 3 may be configured by printing the identification code 100 on a sign or poster, or it may be a digital sign that outputs information about the store 2.

[0022] Identification code 100 is a code that can be read by a camera, such as a QR code (registered trademark). However, identification code 100 is not limited to two-dimensional codes like QR codes (registered trademark). Any code that can read predetermined information through image processing is acceptable, including one-dimensional barcodes, text, and images.

[0023] The identification code 100 includes SNS login execution information for performing SNS login on the customer terminal 50 in order to display the product suggestion screen on the customer terminal 50, and provider identification information for identifying the store 2 that is the provider of the product.

[0024] The product suggestion device 10 is a server that sends and receives various information with customer terminals 50 owned by customers via a communication network such as the Internet. The hardware configuration for realizing the product suggestion device 10 will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the product suggestion device 10 of the first embodiment.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the product suggestion device 10 includes a processor 11, a ROM (read-only memory) 12, a RAM (random-access memory) 13, an auxiliary storage device 14, a communication interface 15, an input device 16, and an output device 17. The various hardware components of the product suggestion device 10 are connected by a bus or the like.

[0026] The processor 11 is the central part of the computer that performs calculations and control necessary for the operation of the product suggestion device 10, and performs various calculations and processes. The processor 11 is, for example, a CPU (central processing unit), MPU (micro processing unit), SoC (system on a chip), DSP (digital signal processor), GPU (graphics processing unit), ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), PLD (programmable logic device), or FPGA (field-programmable gate array). Alternatively, the processor 11 is a combination of several of these. Furthermore, the processor 11 may also be a combination of these with hardware accelerators, etc.

[0027] The processor 11 controls various parts to realize various functions based on programs such as firmware, system software, and application software stored in the ROM 12 or auxiliary storage device 14. The processor 11 also executes the processes described later based on the said programs. Note that some or all of the said programs may be incorporated into the circuit of the processor 11.

[0028] ROM12 and RAM13 are the main memory of the computer, with the processor 11 at its core. ROM12 is a non-volatile memory used exclusively for reading data. ROM12 stores programs such as firmware. ROM12 also stores data used by the processor 11 in various processes. RAM13 is memory used for reading and writing data. RAM13 is used as a work area to store data temporarily used by the processor 11 in various processes. RAM13 is typically a volatile memory.

[0029] The auxiliary storage device 14 is, for example, an EEPROM (electric erasable programmable read-only memory), an HDD (hard disk drive), or flash memory. The auxiliary storage device 14 stores, for example, system software and application software from the above-mentioned programs. The auxiliary storage device 14 also stores data used by the processor 11 in performing various processes, data generated by processing by the processor 11, and various setting values.

[0030] The communication interface 15 is an interface for communicating with external devices such as the customer terminal 50. The input device 16 is a means for receiving customer operations and is composed of a keyboard, touch panel, etc. The output device 17 is a means for outputting various information to the customer and is composed of a display. The input device 16 and the output device 17 may be composed of touch panel displays.

[0031] The product suggestion device 10 may consist of a single computer or multiple computers. Furthermore, the product suggestion device 10 may be a server built on a cloud computing service provided by a third party's computer.

[0032] <Functional Configuration> The product suggestion device 10 of this embodiment realizes various functions through the hardware configuration described above. Referring to Figure 3, the functions related to the product suggestion function among the functional units realized by the product suggestion device 10 will be described. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the product suggestion system 1.

[0033] The product suggestion device 10 includes, as functional units implemented on the processor 11, a communication processing unit 30, an SNS management unit 31, a customer identification information acquisition unit 32, a customer attribute information acquisition unit 33, a customer needs acquisition unit 34, a product information acquisition unit 35, and a product identification processing unit 36. Each functional unit is implemented by a program installed in the product suggestion device 10, prompts sent to the natural language model 5, the hardware of the product suggestion device 10, or a combination thereof.

[0034] The communication processing unit 30 performs processing to send and receive information by communicating with an external computer. In this embodiment, the communication processing unit 30 sends and receives various types of information to and from the natural language model 5 and the customer terminal 50 through communication processing. The communication processing unit 30 sends and receives various types of information using, for example, an API (application programming interface). The customer terminal 50 may communicate directly with the communication processing unit 30, or it may communicate indirectly through another computer.

[0035] The SNS management unit 31 performs processing to manage customers who receive product suggestion services. In this embodiment, the SNS management unit 31 manages customers who use pre-configured SNS (social networking services) as targets for product suggestion services. Examples of SNS include LINE®, Facebook®, Twitter®, Instagram®, TikTok®, and YouTube®.

[0036] The SNS management unit 31 of this embodiment grants permission to a customer to receive product suggestion services on the condition that a relationship registration has been made that allows the customer to receive information from the provider of the product on the SNS. Relationship registration may be, for example, adding the store's 2 accounts as friends on LINE® or Facebook®, or following the store's 2 accounts on Twitter®, Instagram®, TikTok®, etc.

[0037] If the SNS management unit 31 has not registered an SNS relationship on the customer terminal 50, it executes a process to send additional information to the customer terminal 50 so that the customer can perform the process of registering the relationship on the customer terminal 50.

[0038] The customer identification information acquisition unit 32 executes a process to acquire SNS identification information on the SNS. SNS identification information is, for example, an ID that can identify a customer's account on the SNS. If the SNS is LINE (registered trademark), the LINE ID becomes the SNS identification information.

[0039] The customer identification information acquisition unit 32 may identify SNS identification information based on information transmitted from the customer terminal 50, or it may identify SNS identification information based on information transmitted from the customer terminal 50 via SNS.

[0040] The customer attribute information acquisition unit 33 executes a process to acquire customer attribute information associated with SNS identification information. Customer attribute information includes, for example, purchase history, store visit history, and attribute information. The customer attribute information is registered, for example, in the customer information database 41.

[0041] The customer information database 41 may be stored in the auxiliary storage device 14 within the product suggestion device 10, or it may be stored in an external storage device or a cloud server. The customer information database 41 registers personal information for each customer. Customer purchase history, store visit history, attribute information, etc., are registered in association with SNS identification information.

[0042] Purchase history is registered based on, for example, the register information of the POS (Point of Sale) system at store 2. The purchase history is retrieved from the POS system via a communication network. The purchase history may be limited to purchases of products at store 2, or it may include purchases of products purchased at other stores or web services.

[0043] The entry history is information indicating that a customer has entered store 2, such as the date and time of entry and the duration of stay. The entry history is obtained based on processes such as reading the store 2 membership card, such as entering store 2 or purchasing goods. The membership card may be linked to the SNS registered by the customer and may be an identification code displayed on the customer terminal 50. The entry history may be only for the target store 2, or it may include the entry history of related stores 2.

[0044] Attribute information is an address that indicates customer attributes such as gender, age, and address. Attribute information is obtained based on information entered by the customer on the customer terminal 50 during relationship registration, as described later.

[0045] The customer needs acquisition unit 34 executes a process to acquire needs information that indicates the customer's needs. Needs information is information used to identify the products that a customer will purchase, such as the customer's preferences for the products and the circumstances under which they will purchase the products. Needs information is, for example, information that is directly entered by the customer.

[0046] The customer needs acquisition unit 34 displays or pronounces questions to the customer on the dialogue screen and acquires needs information using the customer's answers as input information. The needs information may be the customer's answers as they are, or it may be generated based on the results of analyzing the answers.

[0047] The questions presented to the customer may be pre-set standard questions, or they may be generated by the customer needs acquisition unit 34 using the natural language model 5. The following describes an example in which the customer needs acquisition unit 34 acquires needs information using the natural language model 5.

[0048] Figure 4 shows an example of a dialogue screen for identifying suggested products displayed on the customer terminal 50. Figure 4 shows a dialogue screen when the suggested product on the product suggestion website is a book. "Honda-san" is a virtual character on the product suggestion system 1. The customer will input information on the customer terminal 50 to identify their needs information, as if they were having a conversation with this character.

[0049] The customer needs acquisition unit 34 causes the natural language model 5 to generate new questions to further explore the customer's needs based on their responses. In the example in Figure 4, a second question 102 is asked to further explore the customer's needs based on their first response 111 to the first question 101, and a third question 103 is asked to further explore the needs based on their second response 112 to the second question 102.

[0050] Furthermore, the needs information may also be ranking information that shows the popularity ranking of products in store 2. The ranking information is registered, for example, in the product information database 42. The product information database 42 may be built on the auxiliary storage device 14 within the product suggestion device 10, or it may be built on an external storage device or a cloud server.

[0051] The product information acquisition unit 35 acquires product data catalog information related to the product group to be offered to customers. The product data catalog information is registered in the product information database 42. The product data catalog information includes, for example, information about the products sold at store 2, such as the product name, product category, author / manufacturer, product features / details, and materials / ingredients.

[0052] When product suggestion system 1 provides different types of product suggestion services in parallel, product data catalog information is registered for each product suggestion service provided.

[0053] The product identification processing unit 36 ​​uses a natural language model 5 to identify suggested products to the customer based on customer attribute information, needs information, and product information. For example, the product identification processing unit 36 ​​sends a prompt to the natural language model 5 instructing it to select multiple (e.g., three) suggested products from the product group included in the product data catalog information, and presents the suggested products to the customer based on the output of the natural language model 5.

[0054] Figure 5 is an example of a suggestion screen for displaying suggested products on the customer terminal 50. Figure 5 shows a suggestion screen that presents suggested products to the customer that reflect the needs information obtained through dialogue with the customer, as shown in Figure 4, when the suggested product on the product suggestion website is a book. In the example in Figure 5, the three suggested products identified by the product identification processing unit 36 ​​are displayed to the customer along with a recommendation letter and a suggestion unit 121, and a supplementary unit 122 is displayed that suggests the customer can enter any further requests. If the product identification processing unit 36 ​​obtains further responses from the customer regarding the suggestion screen in Figure 5, it performs processing to identify new suggested products that reflect the responses.

[0055] <Processing flow> Next, referring to Figure 6, we will explain the prerequisites for displaying the product suggestion website on the customer terminal 50. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processes for displaying the dialogue screen of the product suggestion website on the customer terminal 50.

[0056] In step S1, the customer terminal 50's camera function reads the identification code 100, which in turn launches the SNS application on the customer terminal 50.

[0057] In step S2, it is determined whether a relationship registration (friend registration) has been made with store 2 or a group associated with store 2 corresponding to the identification code 100 using the SNS application on the customer terminal 50. If the relationship registration has not been made, the process proceeds to step S3 (step S2; No), and if the relationship registration has not been made, the process proceeds to step S5 (step S2; Yes).

[0058] In step S3, a registration screen for registering a relationship (adding a friend) is displayed on the customer terminal 50.

[0059] In step S4, the registration procedure is performed on the registration screen of the customer terminal 50. During the registration procedure, information regarding customer attributes such as the customer's gender, age, and address may be entered. In this case, the entered information is registered in the customer information database 41.

[0060] In step S5, a product suggestion website is displayed on the customer terminal 50. The product suggestion website includes a dialogue screen or a link to display the dialogue screen.

[0061] As a result of the above series of processes, the dialogue screen of the product suggestion website is displayed on the customer terminal 50. Next, the flow of the process for identifying suggested products will be explained with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the first half of the process for identifying suggested products, and Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the second half of the process for identifying suggested products.

[0062] In step S11, the customer identification information acquisition unit 32 obtains the SNS account ID of the customer whose relationship registration on SNS has been confirmed by reading the identification code 100, etc.

[0063] In step S12, the customer attribute information acquisition unit 33 uses the identified customer's SNS account ID as a key to acquire customer attribute information (purchase history, store visit history, age and gender, etc.) from the customer information database 41.

[0064] In step S13, the customer needs acquisition unit 34 processes questions to identify the proposed product by displaying them on the dialogue screen of the product proposal website and presenting the questions to the customer. The customer needs acquisition unit 34 may present questions in the form of pre-set options or in the form of free-form input. In this embodiment, the customer needs acquisition unit 34 generates questions by sending a prompt to the natural language model 5 instructing it to generate questions to elicit the customer's needs.

[0065] In step S14, the customer needs acquisition unit 34 acquires the answer result based on the input information entered on the customer terminal 50 in response to the question. The answer result may be registered as dialogue history in the customer information database 41 in association with the customer's SNS identification information.

[0066] In step S15, the customer needs acquisition unit 34 processes the display of questions on the dialogue screen of the product suggestion website displayed on the customer terminal 50, based on the customer attribute information acquired by the customer attribute information acquisition unit 33 and the needs information acquired by the customer needs acquisition unit 34, in order to further explore the customer's needs and present the questions to the customer. In this embodiment, the customer needs acquisition unit 34 generates questions by sending a prompt to the natural language model 5, along with the customer attribute information and the needs information, instructing the generation of questions for further exploration.

[0067] In step S16, the customer needs acquisition unit 34 acquires the answer result based on the input information entered on the customer terminal 50 in response to the question. The answer result may be registered as dialogue history in the customer information database 41 in association with the customer's SNS identification information.

[0068] In step S17, the customer needs acquisition unit 34 determines whether the number of questions to be asked of the customer has reached a predetermined number. If the number of questions has reached the predetermined number, the customer needs acquisition unit 34 proceeds to step S18 in Figure 8 (step S17; Yes). If the number of questions has not reached the predetermined number, the customer needs acquisition unit 34 returns to step S15 and asks the questions again (step S17; No).

[0069] In step S18, the product information acquisition unit 35 acquires product data catalog information for store 2 corresponding to the identification code 100.

[0070] In step S19, the product identification processing unit 36 ​​sends a prompt to the natural language model 5 that includes instructions to generate a search query based on customer attribute information and needs information, and generates the search query.

[0071] In step S20, the product identification processing unit 36 ​​obtains product information to identify candidate products from the product data catalog information based on the search query. The product information includes, for example, the product name and product identification numbers such as ISBN.

[0072] In step S21, the product identification processing unit 36 ​​sends a request to the natural language model 5 to generate a response text for suggested products based on the acquired product information.

[0073] In step S22, the natural language model 5 determines whether the proposed product meets the customer's needs. If the proposed product does not meet the customer's needs, the process proceeds to step S23 (step S22; No). If the proposed product meets the customer's needs, the process proceeds to step S24 (step S22; Yes).

[0074] In step S23, it is determined whether the number of searches exceeds a threshold (for example, 3 times). This determination may be made by the natural language model 5 or by a rule-based algorithm. If the number of searches does not exceed the threshold, the process proceeds to step S19 to generate a search query and identify product information again (step S23; No). If the number of searches exceeds the threshold, the process proceeds to step S24 to generate a response using the information available at that time, in order to prevent the waiting time from becoming too long (step S23; Yes).

[0075] In step S24, the product identification processing unit 36 ​​sends the response text for the suggested product generated by the natural language model 5 to the customer terminal 50, and presents the suggested product to the user.

[0076] In step S25, if the customer needs acquisition unit 34 receives input of needs information from the customer who has reviewed the response, the process proceeds to step S19 (step S25; Yes). If the customer does not receive input of needs information from the customer who has reviewed the response, the process ends (step S25; No).

[0077] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which an identification code 100 for displaying a product suggestion website is read by a customer terminal 50 held by the customer, the configuration is not limited to this. Alternatively, a store-installed terminal installed in store 2 may be used to read the identification code 100, which includes information for identifying the customer's SNS information displayed on the customer terminal 50, thereby displaying the product suggestion website on the store-installed terminal.

[0078] As described above, the product proposal method of this embodiment includes a customer identification information acquisition step of acquiring SNS identification information on an SNS registered by the customer, a customer attribute information acquisition step of acquiring customer attribute information associated with the SNS identification information, a customer needs acquisition step of acquiring needs information indicating the customer's needs, a product information acquisition step of acquiring product information relating to a group of products to be offered to the customer, and a product identification processing step of identifying and presenting to the customer proposed products based on the customer attribute information, needs information and product information using a natural language model 5 that performs natural language processing.

[0079] Furthermore, the program of this embodiment causes a product introduction device, which is a computer, to execute the following steps: a customer identification information acquisition step to acquire SNS identification information on an SNS registered by the customer; a customer attribute information acquisition step to acquire customer attribute information associated with the SNS identification information; a customer needs acquisition step to acquire needs information indicating the customer's needs; a product information acquisition step to acquire product information related to the product group to be offered to the customer; and a product identification processing step to identify and present to the customer suggested products based on the customer attribute information, needs information, and product information, using a natural language model 5 that performs natural language processing.

[0080] Furthermore, the product suggestion device 10 of this embodiment includes a customer identification information acquisition unit 32 that acquires SNS identification information on an SNS registered by the customer, a customer attribute information acquisition unit 33 that acquires customer attribute information associated with the SNS identification information, a customer needs acquisition unit 34 that acquires needs information indicating the customer's needs, a product information acquisition unit 35 that acquires product information relating to a group of products to be offered to the customer, and a product identification processing unit 36 ​​that identifies and presents suggested products to the customer based on the customer attribute information, needs information, and product information, using a natural language model 5 that performs natural language processing.

[0081] In this way, the product introduction method, program, or product suggestion device 10 is configured to reduce the burden of customer registration procedures while providing customer service that supports product discovery / encounter, without the need for human intervention. This can improve customer satisfaction and contribute to increased purchase rates and average transaction value.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the product information acquisition step sends an instruction to the natural language model 5 to generate a search query based on at least one of customer attribute information and needs information, and extracts product information from the product group based on the search query generated by the natural language model 5.

[0083] This allows product information to be extracted from a product group using search queries that reflect customer attribute and needs information, without requiring the use of the natural language model 5. Compared to loading the entire product group into the natural language model 5, this improves response speed and reduces communication costs. Furthermore, if the product information database 42 is provided externally, the usage fees for the product information database 42 can be reduced. By using search queries, the overall cost of the product suggestion system 1 can be reduced.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the customer needs acquisition step involves having the customer terminal 50 used by the customer read an identification code 100 containing provider identification information that identifies the provider of the product, or having an installation terminal installed at the product provision location read an identification code containing information for identifying the customer's SNS identification information displayed on the customer terminal 50, thereby displaying a dialogue screen for interactive communication with the customer on the customer terminal 50, and acquiring the input information from the customer through the dialogue screen as needs information.

[0085] This simplifies the customer's tasks required to register for social media and view product introduction websites on the customer terminal 50, thereby encouraging customers to use the product suggestion service.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the customer needs acquisition step involves having the natural language model 5 generate questions to extract customer needs based on customer attribute information, and acquiring the customer's input information in response to the questions as needs information.

[0087] This allows for a more in-depth exploration of users' actual needs and latent needs they may not be aware of, through a natural language model 5 that can understand the context of user customer attribute information, enabling the suggestion of products that are more suitable for the user.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the customer needs acquisition step acquires needs information when a relationship registration has been made on the SNS in which the customer has given permission to receive information from the product provider.

[0089] This allows us to motivate customers to register as friends or engage in other relationship-based registrations by making it a condition for using the product recommendation service, and enables us to continue providing customers with product-related information even after the product introduction service has ended.

[0090] Furthermore, the product proposal method of this embodiment further includes a relationship registration step in which, if relationship registration has not been performed, a screen is displayed on the customer terminal 50 for the customer to perform the process of registering the relationship.

[0091] As a result, if a customer has not registered a relationship such as adding a friend, a registration screen will be displayed on the customer's terminal 50. This reduces the effort required from the customer to complete the relationship registration process and makes them more likely to register.

[0092] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the customer attribute information acquisition step, customer attribute information is acquired by referring to a customer information database 41 in which customer attribute information is registered in association with SNS identification information.

[0093] This allows for the continuous use of customer attribute information. Furthermore, even when providing product recommendation services to different stores or groups, the customer attribute information stored in the customer information database 41 can be used to provide those services.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the customer needs acquisition step, the customer information database 41, in which the needs information is registered in association with SNS identification information, is referenced to acquire the needs information.

[0095] This allows for the continuous use of needs information. Furthermore, even when providing product suggestion services to different stores or groups, the customer needs information stored in the customer information database 41 can be used to provide product suggestion services.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the product suggestion website is displayed on the customer terminal 50 by reading the identification code 100 displayed on the identification code display unit 3, but the system is not limited to this configuration. The system may also perform processes to acquire SNS identification information and display the product suggestion website based on the URL address entered into the web browser of the customer terminal 50 or the operation of the user interface of the application launched on the customer terminal 50.

[0097] Although one embodiment of the present invention and its modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and further modifications, improvements, etc., to the extent that the objectives of the present invention can be achieved are included in the present invention.

[0098] Furthermore, the series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional blocks described above are merely examples and are not particularly limiting. That is, it is sufficient for a computer or system to have the functionality to execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and the functional blocks used to realize this functionality are not particularly limited to the examples given above. Also, the location of the functional blocks is not particularly limited and can be arbitrary. For example, the functional blocks of the product suggestion device 10 may be transferred to other devices, etc. Conversely, the functional blocks of other devices may be transferred to the product suggestion device 10. In addition, a single functional block may consist of hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

[0099] When a series of processes are executed by software, the programs constituting that software are installed on a computer or other device from a network or storage medium. The computer may be a computer embedded in dedicated hardware. Alternatively, the computer may be a computer capable of performing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, a general-purpose smartphone, or a personal computer. Furthermore, when handling large amounts of data, technologies such as quantum computers may be used. The storage medium containing the program may consist of media distributed separately from the main device to provide the program to customers, etc., or it may be a storage medium provided to the equipment administrator, etc., already embedded in the main device. Since the program can be distributed via a network, the storage medium may be installed on or accessible from a computer connected to or capable of connecting to a network.

[0100] In this specification, descriptions of programs include not only processes that are performed chronologically, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically, but are executed in parallel or individually. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0101] 1. Product Proposal System 2 stores 3. Identification code display section 5. Natural Language Models 10 Product proposal device 30 Communication Processing Unit 31 SNS Management Department 32 Customer specific information acquisition department 33 Customer attribute information acquisition department 34. Customer Needs Acquisition Department 35 Product information acquisition department 36 Product Identification Processing Unit 50 Customer terminals 100 Identification Code

Claims

1. A method for suggesting products performed by a computer, The aforementioned computer, A customer identification information acquisition step involves acquiring SNS identification information that identifies the customer on the SNS registered by the customer who is the target of the product suggestion service, A customer attribute information acquisition step involves acquiring customer attribute information associated with the aforementioned SNS identification information, A customer needs acquisition step involves acquiring customer needs information that indicates the customer's needs, A product information acquisition step to acquire product information relating to the product group to be provided to the aforementioned customer, A product identification processing step that identifies and presents to the customer suggested products based on the customer attribute information, the needs information and the product information, using a natural language model that performs natural language processing, Execute, The aforementioned product information acquisition step is: Instructions are sent to the natural language model to generate a search query based on at least one of the customer attribute information and the needs information. Based on the search query generated by the natural language model, product information is extracted from the product group. Product proposal method.

2. A product suggestion method performed by a computer, The aforementioned computer, A customer identification information acquisition step involves acquiring SNS identification information that identifies the customer on the SNS registered by the customer who is the target of the product suggestion service, A customer attribute information acquisition step involves acquiring customer attribute information associated with the aforementioned SNS identification information, A customer needs acquisition step involves acquiring customer needs information that indicates the customer's needs, A product information acquisition step to acquire product information relating to the product group to be provided to the aforementioned customer, A product identification processing step that identifies and presents to the customer suggested products based on the customer attribute information, the needs information and the product information, using a natural language model that performs natural language processing, Execute, The aforementioned step of obtaining customer needs is, By having the customer terminal used by the customer read an identification code containing provider identification information that identifies the provider of the product, or by having the customer terminal installed at the place where the product is provided read an identification code containing information for identifying the customer's SNS identification information that is displayed on the customer terminal, A dialogue screen for interactive communication with the customer is displayed on the customer's terminal, and input information from the customer through the dialogue screen is acquired as the needs information. Product proposal method.

3. The aforementioned step of obtaining customer needs is, Based on the customer attribute information, the natural language model is made to generate questions to extract the customer's needs, and the customer's input information in response to the questions is obtained as the needs information. The product proposal method according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned step of obtaining customer needs is, The needs information is obtained when the customer has registered a relationship on the SNS that allows them to receive information from the provider of the product. The product proposal method according to claim 2.

5. If the aforementioned relationship registration has not been performed, the relationship registration step further includes a process to display a screen on the customer terminal for the customer to perform the process of registering the relationship. The product proposal method described in claim 4.

6. In the customer attribute information acquisition step, The customer attribute information is obtained by referencing a database in which the customer attribute information is registered in association with the SNS identification information. The product proposal method according to claim 1 or 2.

7. In the aforementioned step of obtaining customer needs, The aforementioned needs information is obtained by referencing a database in which the needs information is registered in association with the aforementioned SNS identification information. The product proposal method according to claim 1 or 2.

8. A customer identification information acquisition step of acquiring SNS identification information that identifies the customer on the SNS registered by the customer to whom the product proposal service is to be provided, A customer attribute information acquisition step involves acquiring customer attribute information associated with the aforementioned SNS identification information, A customer needs acquisition step involves acquiring customer needs information that indicates the customer's needs, A product information acquisition step to acquire product information relating to the product group to be provided to the aforementioned customer, A product identification processing step that identifies and presents to the customer suggested products based on the customer attribute information, the needs information and the product information, using a natural language model that performs natural language processing, A program that causes a computer to execute, The aforementioned product information acquisition step is: Instructions are sent to the natural language model to generate a search query based on at least one of the customer attribute information and the needs information. Based on the search query generated by the natural language model, product information is extracted from the product group. program.

9. A customer identification information acquisition step of acquiring SNS identification information that identifies the customer on the SNS registered by the customer to whom the product proposal service is to be provided, A customer attribute information acquisition step involves acquiring customer attribute information associated with the aforementioned SNS identification information, A customer needs acquisition step involves acquiring customer needs information that indicates the customer's needs, A product information acquisition step to acquire product information relating to the product group to be provided to the aforementioned customer, A product identification processing step that identifies and presents to the customer suggested products based on the customer attribute information, the needs information and the product information, using a natural language model that performs natural language processing, A program that causes a computer to execute, The aforementioned step of obtaining customer needs is, By having the customer terminal used by the customer read an identification code containing provider identification information that identifies the provider of the product, or by having the customer terminal installed at the place where the product is provided read an identification code containing information for identifying the customer's SNS identification information that is displayed on the customer terminal, A dialogue screen for interactive communication with the customer is displayed on the customer's terminal, and input information from the customer through the dialogue screen is acquired as the needs information. program.

10. A customer identification information acquisition unit that acquires SNS identification information that identifies the customer on an SNS registered by the customer to whom the product proposal service is to be provided, A customer attribute information acquisition unit acquires customer attribute information associated with the aforementioned SNS identification information, A customer needs acquisition unit that acquires needs information indicating the customer's needs, A product information acquisition unit that acquires product information relating to the product group to be provided to the aforementioned customer, A product identification processing unit that identifies and presents suggested products to the customer based on the customer attribute information, the needs information, and the product information, using a natural language model that performs natural language processing. Equipped with, The aforementioned product information acquisition unit is: Instructions are sent to the natural language model to generate a search query based on at least one of the customer attribute information and the needs information. Based on the search query generated by the natural language model, product information is extracted from the product group. Product proposal device.

11. A customer identification information acquisition unit that acquires SNS identification information that identifies the customer on an SNS registered by the customer to whom the product proposal service is to be provided, A customer attribute information acquisition unit acquires customer attribute information associated with the aforementioned SNS identification information, A customer needs acquisition unit that acquires needs information indicating the customer's needs, A product information acquisition unit that acquires product information relating to the product group to be provided to the aforementioned customer, A product identification processing unit that identifies and presents suggested products to the customer based on the customer attribute information, the needs information, and the product information, using a natural language model that performs natural language processing. Equipped with, The aforementioned customer needs acquisition unit, By having the customer terminal used by the customer read an identification code containing provider identification information that identifies the provider of the product, or by having the customer terminal installed at the place where the product is provided read an identification code containing information for identifying the customer's SNS identification information that is displayed on the customer terminal, A dialogue screen for interactive communication with the customer is displayed on the customer's terminal, and input information from the customer through the dialogue screen is acquired as the needs information. Product proposal device.

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