Customer Information System

Abstract

A system is provided for managing incoming communications placed in response to advertising, online content, and/or special service numbers. Information extracted from incoming communications can be received by a system server and cross-referenced with a database to obtain cross-referenced customer information pertaining to previous customer communications in the form of online communications, telephone calls, and/or in person customer meetings. The cross-referenced customer information can be passed to a client workstation and displayed to the user in the form of an industry-specific template formatted in accordance with the business needs of the user. The template can be automatically populated with the cross-referenced customer information. The user can view and update the customer information, thereby maintaining a retrievable record of the communication. With regard to the multi-housing industry in particular, customer information can be displayed in the form of a guest card template and/or a service card template.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A method for managing customer information, comprising:
 viewing a list of a plurality of incoming communications from customers;   selecting one of said communications from said list of the plurality of incoming communications from customers;   viewing previously stored customer information pertaining to a customer in response to said selected incoming communication;   entering additional customer information pertaining to the customer and said selected incoming communication; and   saving said additional customer information.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 at least one of said incoming communications is an electronic communication.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 said electronic communication comprises a response to online content.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 said electronic communication is an electronic communication selected from the group consisting of:
 an email message; and 
 a response to an online form of said online content. 
   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 said method is performed by a user interacting with a client workstation.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 said user and said client workstation are located at an office of an advertiser.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 at least a portion of said previously stored customer information comprises
 customer information of a walk-in customer obtained by reading a magnetic card provided by said walk-in customer. 
   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 at least a portion of said previously stored customer information comprises customer information of an online customer.   
     
     
         25 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A method for processing customer information, comprising:
 receiving information extracted from an incoming communication;   cross-referencing said extracted information with customer information of a database to obtain cross-referenced customer information;   sending said cross-referenced customer information to a client workstation;   receiving updated customer information from said client workstation; and   storing said updated customer information in said database.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein:
 at least one of said incoming communications is an electronic communication.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein:
 said electronic communication comprises a response to online content.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein:
 said electronic communication is an electronic communication selected from the group consisting of:
 an email message; and 
 a response to an online form of said online content. 
   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein:
 said method is performed by a system server of a customer information system.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein:
 at least a portion of said cross-referenced information comprises customer information of a walk-in customer obtained by reading a magnetic card provided by said walk-in customer.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein:
 at least a portion of said cross-referenced information comprises customer information of an online customer.   
     
     
         42 - 51 . (canceled)