METHOD FOR PRESENTING INFORMATION TO AN ADVISOR AT A CALL CENTER
A method is disclosed herein for presenting information to an advisor at a call center. The method includes, but is not limited to, displaying basic vehicle information to the advisor regarding a remotely located vehicle. The method further includes presenting the advisor with an option to obtain additional vehicle information regarding the remotely located vehicle. The method further includes automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information from multiple data storage components in response to a request made by the advisor to obtain the additional vehicle information. The method also includes displaying the additional vehicle information to the advisor.
1 . A method for presenting information to an advisor at a call center, the method comprising:
displaying basic vehicle information to the advisor regarding a remotely located vehicle;
presenting the advisor with an option to obtain additional vehicle information regarding the remotely located vehicle;
automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information from an unaffiliated data storage component in response to a request made by the advisor to obtain the additional vehicle information; and
displaying the additional vehicle information to the advisor.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information comprises interrogating at least one data storage component associated with an entity other than the call center.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information comprises substantially simultaneously tasking a plurality of the unaffiliated data storage component to provide the additional vehicle information.
4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of interpreting data provided by the unaffiliated data storage component.
5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the step of interpreting data comprises applying a rule to at least some of the data provided by the unaffiliated data storage component to derive at least a portion of the additional vehicle information.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of presenting the advisor with an option to obtain the additional vehicle information comprises displaying an icon on a graphical user interface.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information comprises:
automatically obtaining information relating to a telematics unit mounted to the remotely located vehicle from a data storage component associated with a manufacturer of the telematics unit; and
automatically obtaining information relating the remotely located vehicle from a data storage component associated with a manufacturer of the remotely located vehicle.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information comprises obtaining an image of the remotely located vehicle and wherein the step of displaying the additional vehicle information comprises displaying the image of the remotely located vehicle.
9 . A method for presenting vehicle information to an advisor at a call center, the method comprising:
receiving an electronic transmission from a telematics unit mounted on a remotely located vehicle, the electronic transmission containing vehicle identifying information;
displaying basic vehicle information regarding the remotely located vehicle to the advisor in response receiving the electronic transmission;
presenting the advisor with an option to obtain additional vehicle information regarding the remotely located vehicle;
automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information from an unaffiliated data storage component in response to a request made by the advisor to obtain the additional vehicle information; and
displaying the additional vehicle information regarding the remotely located vehicle to the advisor.
10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the step of automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information comprises interrogating at least one data storage component associated with an entity other than the call center.
11 . The method of claim 9 wherein the step of automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information comprises:
automatically obtaining information relating to the telematics unit from a data storage component associated with a manufacturer of the telematics unit; and
automatically obtaining information relating the remotely located vehicle from a data storage component associated with a manufacturer of the remotely located vehicle.
12 . The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of interpreting data provided by the unaffiliated data storage component.
13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the step of interpreting data comprises applying a rule to at least some of the data provided by the unaffiliated data storage component to derive at least a portion of the additional vehicle information.
14 . The method of claim 9 wherein the step of presenting the advisor with an option to obtain the additional vehicle information comprises displaying an icon on a graphical user interface.
15 . The method of claim 9 wherein the step of automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information comprises obtaining an image of the remotely located vehicle and wherein the step of displaying the additional vehicle information comprises displaying the image of the remotely located vehicle.
16 . A method for presenting vehicle information to an advisor at a call center, the method comprising:
receiving an electronic transmission at the call center from a telematics unit mounted on a remotely located vehicle, the electronic transmission containing vehicle identifying information;
automatically obtaining basic vehicle information regarding the remotely located vehicle from a data storage component associated with the call center;
displaying the basic vehicle information to the advisor;
presenting the advisor with an option to obtain additional vehicle information regarding the remotely located vehicle;
automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information from a plurality of data storage components, at least one of which is associated with an entity other than the call center, in response to a request made by the advisor to obtain the additional vehicle information; and
displaying the additional vehicle information to the advisor.
17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the step of automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information comprises:
automatically obtaining information relating to the telematics unit from a data storage component associated with a manufacturer of the telematics unit; and
automatically obtaining information relating the remotely located vehicle from a data storage component associated with a manufacturer of the remotely located vehicle.
18 . The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of interpreting data provided by the plurality of data storage components.
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the step of interpreting data comprises applying a rule to at least some of the data provided by the plurality of data storage components to derive at least a portion of the additional vehicle information.
20 . The method of claim 16 wherein the step of automatically obtaining the additional vehicle information comprises obtaining an image of the remotely located vehicle and wherein the step of displaying the additional vehicle information comprises displaying the image of the remotely located vehicle.