Location-Based Mobile Assistance for Retail Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
In-store customer service lacks personalized support, and online shopping experiences often lack the interactive assistance provided by in-store associates, leading to a suboptimal shopping experience.
Innovation Solution
A mobile application that enables customers to find and communicate with sales associates or social connections in real-time based on location and purchase intentions, utilizing commodity hardware, off-the-shelf software, and cloud-based infrastructure to provide personalized recommendations and assistance through various communication modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional in-store customer service is provided by sales associates, then personalized support is available, but service coverage and accessibility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile device as an intermediary between customers and customer service resources. The mobile device runs an application that connects customers to sales associates, product experts, and social connections, enabling personalized support to be delivered anywhere in the store without requiring physical presence of associates. This mediator extends service accessibility while maintaining personalized interaction quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a digital dimension to traditional in-store service by implementing location-based services through mobile devices. The system uses GPS or store positioning data to provide service in a new spatial dimension, allowing customers to access personalized support based on their location within the store, thereby expanding service coverage beyond physical associate availability.
2Loss of information
If online shopping is enhanced with chatbots and reviews, then information availability improves, but interactive assistance quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service capabilities through the mobile application, where customers can independently access product information, reviews, and recommendations based on their location and purchase history. The system automatically provides relevant information without requiring manual searching, while still enabling easy initiation of interactive assistance when needed, thus maintaining both information availability and interaction quality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If location-based assistance is implemented via mobile application, then service accessibility and personalization improve, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal mobile application platform that handles multiple customer service functions including location tracking, associate connection, product information delivery, and social networking integration. This single multi-functional system replaces what would otherwise require multiple separate systems, managing complexity through consolidation while delivering personalized adaptive service.
4Productivity
If real-time communication with sales associates is enabled, then customer service efficiency improves, but resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical communication systems (in-person interactions, phone calls) with digital communication through the mobile application. This substitution enables real-time text, voice, and video communication between customers and associates, improving service efficiency while reducing the physical resource requirements compared to traditional face-to-face service models.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for providing location based assistance. The method and system including hosting a database of information regarding a customer, hosting a database of information regarding sale associate availability, and receiving a customer assistance request. The system determines the location of the customer and determines the availability of at least one sale associate within a predetermined location threshold of the location of the customer to service the customer assistance request. The customer assistance request is then routed to the at least one sale associate within the predetermined location threshold of the location of the customer for assistance.