Methods and systems for connected sales associate services

Abstract

A method and system for providing a connected sales associate service application via a mobile device. The application provide for an integrated platform upon which various tools for providing support to a sales associate are built. The application includes a database of information regarding the sales associates and operational information regarding a retail establishment, and provides a user interface for allowing the sales associate to access a central server for the retail establishment along with multiple additional sales associates on multiple additional mobile devices. The user interface displays information regarding trending sales data for the retail establishment and information regarding the sales associates accessing the central server. A sales associate can select and display information regarding one of the sales associates accessing the central server to at least one of view, create, delete, or assign a task to the selected sales associate

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions perform steps for connected a sales associate to a central server via a mobile computing device, comprising:
 hosting a database of information regarding the sales associates and operational information regarding a retail establishment; and   providing a first user interface comprising user interface elements for allowing the sales associate to access a central server for the retail establishment, the central server allowing multiple additional sales associates on multiple additional mobile devices to access the central server,   wherein the user interface causes the central sever to query the database to return and display information regarding trending sales data for the retail establishment,   wherein the user interface cause the central server to return and display information regarding the sales associates accessing the central server, and   wherein the user interface allows the sales associate to select the displayed information regarding one of the sales associates accessing the central server to at least one of view, create, delete, or assign a task to the selected sales associate.   
     
     
         2 . A computer-readable media as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions provide for a listing of sales associates accessing the central server to be presented in a map view. 
     
     
         3 . A computer-readable media as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions provide for the display of multiple application to the user. 
     
     
         4 . A computer-readable media as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions provide for a listing of tasks associated with the sales associate. 
     
     
         5 . A computer-readable media as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first user interface is provided on at least one of a mobile personal computer, a personal-digital assistant (“PDA”), a cellular telephone, a mobile device, a tablet, or an ereader. 
     
     
         6 . A computer-readable media as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions provide for access by the sales associate to a time-keeping application. 
     
     
         7 . A computer-readable media as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions provide for task items displayed within the to-do list to be filtered via the permission level of the sales associate. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-readable media as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions provide for the sales associate to access a membership portion of a rewards program. 
     
     
         9 . A computer-readable media as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the instructions further provide for the sales associate to create a new record in the membership portion of the rewards program. 
     
     
         10 . A computer-readable media as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions provide for allowing the sales associate to add one or more customer leads to a lead management list. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-readable media as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the instructions provide for allowing the sales associate to designate a lead item within the lead management list as requiring a follow-up action.