Retail Customer Assistance System with Mobile App and Location Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Customers experience a poor shopping experience when customer assistance associates are not readily available, leading to inefficient purchasing decisions, increased returns, and higher inventory overhead, as they may rush into buying unsuitable products or leave without making a purchase.
Innovation Solution
A system that provides customers with quick access to both physical and virtual customer assistance through a mobile application, utilizing a central processor, mobile devices for associates and customers, and overhead pendants for location tracking, which determines associate availability and provides notifications, product comparisons, and remote assistance when needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If customer assistance associates are made readily available in physical stores, then customer service quality improves, but labor costs and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile computing device as an intermediary between customers and customer assistance associates. The device includes a customer assistance application that enables customers to request assistance and receive notifications about associate availability, while associates use their mobile devices to receive requests and navigate to customer locations. This intermediary system manages the complexity of coordinating assistance without requiring constant physical presence of associates throughout the store.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical system of manual customer assistance requests (in-person or verbal) with an electronic digital system. The mobile computing devices use applications, notifications, and automated routing to manage assistance requests, substituting the mechanical coordination process with electronic communication and automated task management.
2Productivity
If customer assistance associates are not readily available, then labor costs decrease, but customer shopping experience deteriorates leading to increased returns and inventory overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service capabilities through the customer assistance application, which automatically routes assistance requests to available associates based on product knowledge matching and current location. The system autonomously manages the assistance workflow, including sending notifications to associates, providing navigation directions, and tracking request status, thereby maintaining service quality without requiring constant manual intervention from store management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where customer assistance requests are automatically routed based on real-time associate availability and product expertise matching. The system provides feedback to both customers (notification of associate arrival) and associates (notification of customer location and needs), creating a closed-loop system that optimizes assistance delivery without requiring excessive staffing.
3Speed
If physical customer assistance associates are deployed throughout the store, then immediate customer assistance is provided, but associate availability and coverage become difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic associate management where the system automatically adjusts assistance allocation based on real-time conditions. The customer assistance application monitors associate availability, product knowledge skills, and current customer requests, dynamically routing requests to the most appropriate available associate rather than relying on fixed physical deployment or static staffing patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile computing device serves multiple functions: it acts as a customer interface for requesting assistance, a notification system for alerting associates, a navigation guide for directing associates to customers, and a tracking system for monitoring request status. This multi-functional device simplifies the management infrastructure compared to deploying separate specialized systems for each function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the shopping experience by ensuring timely customer assistance, reducing returns and inventory overhead, and improving customer satisfaction through efficient access to knowledgeable associates, both physically and remotely.
Implementation Method 1
the central processor and the overhead pendants communicate via wireless communication with the mobile computing device of the customer
Implementation Method 2
A beacon on the mobile computing device of the customer pings as the mobile computing device of the customer moves throughout the retail store. At least three of the overhead pendants receive the pings from the beacon and the central processor triangulates a location of the mobile computing device
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a system for providing customer assistance for a product in a retail store. The customer accesses customer assistance through a mobile application on their mobile device. If available, a physical customer assistance associate provides assistance to the customer. If a physical customer assistance associate is not available, a remote customer assistance associate provides assistance to the customer. If neither a physical and/or remote customer assistance associate is available, the customer may select a comparison of the product with related in stock products. A comparison may also be selected in combination with a physical and/or remote customer assistance associate.