Accessible service provider clearinghouse

Abstract

A service that maintains a minimum criteria level for service providers to be listed and available for public access. It can list not only the service provider's credentials and insurance support (with monitored expiration dates), but may also provide a current up-to-date rating system by the users themselves, as to the satisfaction level of the quality and reliability of the work performed. It can also offer a double-check of the credentials by customer verification input. Furthermore, the example service can be easily accessible by the general public (for individual or business use) on the Internet, or by printed text directories sold direct or in bookstores.

1 - 34 . (canceled) 
   
   
       35 . A method of facilitating contact between consumers and service providers by providing a central clearinghouse of service provider performance information that offers insights into at least one of service provider qualifications, service provider reliability and service provider quality of workmanship, said central clearinghouse being easily accessible by consumers, said method being performed at least in part by a computer operated by a third party online listing service, said method comprising:
 maintaining listings of service providers in a database;   imposing minimum mandatory predetermined non-fee based qualification criteria specified by said third party online listing service for service provider listings to be qualified and acceptable for listing and available to consumers;   allowing consumers to remotely access and search said qualified service provider listings online over a data communications network;   presenting information concerning listed service providers in response to searches said consumers perform to search for and display qualified listings wherein said maintaining listings includes maintaining qualification information pertaining to said service providers as part of each individual profile, and qualifying service providers for initial listing and continually re-qualifying service providers, at least in part by an automatic computer process, for continued listing.   
   
   
       36 . A method as in  claim 35  wherein said qualifying and automatically continually requalifying is further based on at least one of the following:
 consumer experience references/ratings,   meeting licensing requirements,   insurance coverage, and   duration of business.   
   
   
       37 . A method as in  claim 35  wherein said presenting includes allowing said consumers to search for a qualified service provider in geographical proximity to the consumer, or other specified location. 
   
   
       38 . A method as in  claim 35  wherein said presenting includes cross-referencing at least one consumer search request, by trade or name or other identification, with service provider information stored in said database. 
   
   
       39 . The listings of  claim 35  include a listing display page that displays information about a selected service provider including at least one of trade, contact information, time in business, licensing information, insurance information, reported number of jobs, and consumer experience satisfaction rating and current status including if suspended or de-listed; and
 an experience rating page that displays categorized consumer satisfaction ratings.   
   
   
       40 . A method as in  claim 35  further including allowing consumers to input an individual experience rating for a service provider, storing said individual experience rating into said database, and using said individual experience rating as part of determination of acceptability of at least one of initial and continued listing of said service provider. 
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 35  wherein said requalifying includes continually rescoring the qualifications and listing eligibility of said service providers, including consumer references and ratings. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 35  further including actively addressing any service provider that has failed to continue to meet the imposed minimum mandatory predetermined criteria, including suspending or delisting. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 35  further including automatically and continually monitoring and addressing time dependent qualification criteria, such as licensing and insurance criteria, including expiration dates, related to said service providers. 
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 35  further including allowing consumers to recommend additional service providers for listing, sending an invitation to said service providers to apply for listing and complete an application. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 35  wherein said listing includes automatically processing a listing application; automatically initiating a reference request; and automatically monitoring, scoring and addressing responses. 
   
   
       46 . A method as in  claim 35  further comprising automatically addressing service providers regarding consumer complaints or reports of inaccurate information, and taking action including suspending or delisting. 
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 35  further including automatically recognizing and providing notice to a service provider when qualification criteria for said service provider falls below said minimum mandatory predetermined non-fee based qualification criteria. 
   
   
       48 . A method of facilitating contact between consumers and service providers by providing a central clearinghouse of service provider performance information that offers insights into at least one of service provider qualifications, service provide reliability and service provider quality of workmanship, said central clearinghouse being easily accessible by consumers, said method being performed at least in part by a computer operated by a third party online listing service, said method comprising:
 maintaining listings of service providers in a database;   imposing minimum mandatory predetermined non-fee based qualification criteria specified by said online listing service for service provider listings so as to make them qualified and acceptable for at least one of initial listing and continued listing and to be made available to consumers;   allowing consumers to remotely access and search said qualified service provider listings online over a data communications network;   presenting information concerning listed service providers in response to searches said consumers perform to search for and display qualified listings,   automatically continually monitoring service provider qualification information and continually determining whether said service providers are qualified for continued listing.   
   
   
       49 . An online computer system operated by an online listing service providing a central clearinghouse of service provider performance information that offers insights into at least one of service provider qualifications, service provider reliability and service provider quality of workmanship, said central clearinghouse being easily accessible by consumers, said online computer system comprising:
 a service provider database storing profile information for service providers;   a consumer database storing profile information for consumers having rights to access information stored within said service provider database;   a server and associated communication facility coupled to said service provider database and said consumer database; said server and associated communication facility configured for consumers to access over a digital network and retrieve via a web browser, information concerning said service providers within said service provider database that meet non-fee based predetermined minimum qualification criteria specified by said online listing service;   said computer system further including:   means for requiring and automatically using on a continual basis, said non-fee based predetermined minimum qualification criteria specified by said online listing service for service providers to become listed and remain listed and displayable to consumers.   
   
   
       50 . A computer system as in  claim 49  wherein said service provider database organizes service provider information by trade, name or other identification. 
   
   
       51 . A computer system as in  claim 49  wherein said service provider database organizes service provider and consumer information by geographical location. 
   
   
       52 . A computer system as in  claim 49  wherein said service provider database organizes service provider information by qualification categories including at least one of (1) consumer experience ratings, and (2) consumer references, and at least one of (a) duration of business, (b) meeting licensing requirements, and (c) insurance coverage, and displays up to date data on individual service provider listing page. 
   
   
       53 . The system of  claim 49  further including a recommender that allows consumers to recommend additional service providers for listing in said database, and a communications generator that automatically generates a communication to said additional service providers. 
   
   
       54 . The system of  claim 49  wherein said at least one computer comprises means for automatically processing a listing application, means for automatically initiating a reference request, and means for automatically monitoring scoring and addressing responses. 
   
   
       55 . The system of  claim 49  further including means for automatically and continually rescoring each service provider's eligibility, including consumer references and ratings, to remain listed. 
   
   
       56 . The system of  claim 49  further including means for automatically actively addressing any service provider that has failed to continue to meet said minimum criteria, including suspending or delisting. 
   
   
       57 . A computer system as in  claim 49  wherein said system monitors service provider information including license credentials and insurance support and their expiration dates. 
   
   
       58 . The system of  claim 49  further including automatic means for addressing said complaints and information inaccuracies with service providers, means for automatically monitoring responses and for taking action, including suspending or delisting selected service providers. 
   
   
       59 . The system of  claim 49  wherein said means for automatically using consumer input to determine at least in part whether service providers meet said predetermined qualification criteria. 
   
   
       60 . A computer system as in  claim 49  wherein said minimum qualification criteria includes a minimum required ratio of positive to negative consumer ratings, and wherein said means for requiring automatically provides notice to the service provider when said ratio falls below said minimum required ratio.