Device and method for pricing repair services

Abstract

A list of pricing information for repair services includes a potentially large number of repair services grouped into a limited number of price categories such that the price of any given pricing category represents the price of each different service included in that category. A method of using this price list to determine the price of a particular repair service desired by a customer includes the steps of identifying in the price list the pricing category which includes the particular service desired, and determining the unique price assigned to that pricing category. Preferably, the price list is initially displayed to a customer before the customer's equipment is diagnosed, and the customer is informed that the cost of the repair service will be one of the prices associated with a listed pricing category. Upon diagnosing the customer's equipment to determine the particular repair service needed, and advising the customer of such, the service technician as well as the customer can each reference the price list independently to readily determine the price of the desired service.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of determining pricing information corresponding to a service desired by a customer, the method comprising: 
 receiving information relating to a plurality of different services offered by a service provider, said information including a cost and an expected frequency for each of the services;    grouping the different services into a limited set of pricing categories to optimize pricing of the different services, at least one of said pricing categories including at least two unrelated different services;    determining a unique price associated with each of the pricing categories as a function of the cost and the expected frequency for each of the different services in the respective pricing category;    generating a price list, said price list including the grouped pricing categories and the determined unique prices associated therewith;    identifying in the price list the pricing category which includes the desired service; and    identifying in the price list the unique price associated with the identified pricing category, the identified price representing the price to be charged to the customer for the desired service.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each pricing category includes a plurality of unrelated different services.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of different services is a large number of services and wherein the limited set of pricing categories is no more than twenty five.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of different services is a large number of services and wherein the limited set of pricing categories is no more than eight.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of different services is a large number of services and wherein the limited set of pricing categories is no more than five.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the method is performed by the service provider and further comprises informing the customer of the identified price.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising diagnosing equipment of the customer by the service provider to determine which of the different services offered by the service provider is the service desired.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the equipment is selected from the group consisting of HVAC, plumbing, electrical and appliance equipment and diagnosing includes diagnosing the equipment at a location of the customer.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the equipment is selected from the group consisting of automotive and appliance equipment and diagnosing includes diagnosing the equipment at a service provider facility.  
     
     
         10 . A method of communicating to a customer pricing formation corresponding to a service desired by the customer, the method comprising: 
 receiving information relating to a plurality of different services offered by a service provider, said information including a cost and an expected frequency for each of the services;    grouping the different services into a limited set of pricing categories to optimize pricing of the services, at least one of said pricing categories including at least two unrelated different services;    determining a unique price associated with each of the pricing categories as a function of the cost and the expected frequency for each of the different services in the respective pricing category;    generating a price list, said price list including the grouped pricing categories and the determined unique prices associated therewith; and    displaying to the customer the price list, thereby enabling the customer to determine the price to be charged to the customer by the service provider for the desired service by identifying in the price list the unique price associated with the pricing category which includes the desired service.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein each pricing category includes a plurality of unrelated different services.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of different services is a large number of services and wherein the limited set of pricing categories is no more than twenty five.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of different services is a large number of services and wherein the limited set of pricing categories is no more than eight.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of different services is a large number of services and wherein the limited set of pricing categories is no more than five.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein displaying includes displaying the price list by the service provider to the customer at a location of the customer.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising diagnosing equipment of the customer by the service provider to determine which of the services offered by the service provider is the service desired.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the price list is displayed to the customer by the service provider before the equipment is diagnosed.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising informing the customer before the equipment is diagnosed that the price for the desired service will be one of said unique prices.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising advising the customer by the service provider of the service desired after diagnosing the equipment.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the equipment is selected from the group consisting of HVAC, plumbing, electrical and appliance equipment and diagnosing includes diagnosing the equipment at a location of the customer.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the equipment is selected from the group consisting of automotive and appliance equipment and diagnosing includes diagnosing the equipment at a service provider facility.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 10  wherein displaying includes providing the customer with a copy of the price list.  
     
     
         23 . A method of pricing a plurality of different services offered by a service provider, any one of which may be needed by a customer, the method comprising: 
 grouping the different services into a limited set of pricing categories as a function of a cost of each service and an expected frequency at which each service is rendered; at least one of said pricing categories including at least two unrelated different services;    determining a unique price for each of the pricing categories as a function of the cost and the expected frequency for each of the services in the respective pricing category;    assigning the unique prices to the pricing categories whereby the unique price assigned to a particular one of the pricing categories represents the price of each service grouped into that particular one pricing category; and    rendering information to the customer relating to the pricing categories and the unique prices assigned thereto.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein grouping includes grouping at least two unrelated different services into each pricing category.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the different services are repair services.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the plurality of different services are of a type commonly rendered at a customer location and are selected from the group consisting of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and appliance repair services.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the plurality of different services are of a type commonly rendered at a service provider facility and are selected from the group consisting of automotive repair and appliance repair services.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising producing a price list which includes the limited set of pricing categories, the different services grouped therein, and the unique prices assigned thereto.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the plurality of different services is a large number of different services and wherein grouping includes grouping the different services into no more than twenty-five pricing categories.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the plurality different services are a large number of HVAC services and grouping includes grouping the large number of different HVAC services into the limited set of pricing categories having no more than five pricing categories.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the different services are a large number of plumbing services and grouping includes grouping the large number of different plumbing services into the limited set of services categories having no more than eight pricing categories.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 23  wherein determining comprises determining the unique price of said particular one pricing category as a function of an average cost of rendering the different services grouped therein.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein determining comprises determining the unique price of said particular one pricing category as a weighted function of the expected frequency at which the different services grouped therein are rendered.