Patents by Inventor Stefani R. Benefield
Stefani R. Benefield has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8804942Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatuses and methods for providing improved customer service and sales experiences through collaborative face-to-face interaction between a customer and an expert in another location. Some embodiments of the invention comprise apparatuses and methods for video collaboration between an associate of the business located on-site at the point of inquiry, the customer who requires customer service, and an expert located off-site, typically at a call center. Other embodiments of the invention comprise apparatuses and methods for queuing video collaboration and non-video collaboration calls within a call center. The embodiments of the invention relate to apparatuses and methods that can be used for any business that has on-site point of inquiry centers, but the apparatuses and methods are particularly useful for banking customers who enter banking centers to interact on a face-to-face basis with an expert in the area of the customer's needs.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2010Date of Patent: August 12, 2014Assignee: Bank of America CorporationInventors: Stefani R. Benefield, James R. Grimsley, Rosemary Hill, Varsha Shitut, Sheryl L. Stewart
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Patent number: 8731180Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatuses and methods for providing improved customer service and sales experiences through collaborative face-to-face interaction between a customer and an expert in another location. Some embodiments of the invention comprise apparatuses and methods for video collaboration between an associate of the business located on-site at the point of inquiry, the customer who requires customer service, and an expert located off-site, typically at a call center. Other embodiments of the invention comprise apparatuses and methods for queuing video collaboration and non-video collaboration calls within a call center. The embodiments of the invention relate to apparatuses and methods that can be used for any business that has on-site point of inquiry centers, but the apparatuses and methods are particularly useful for banking customers who enter banking centers to interact on a face-to-face basis with an expert in the area of the customer's needs.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2010Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Bank of America CorporationInventors: Stefani R. Benefield, James R. Grimsley, Rosemary Hill, Varsha Shitut, Sheryl L. Stewart
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Patent number: 8706590Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for presenting value exchange in conjunction with financial solution recommendations or offers. The value component, is not limited to monetary value but may, in specific embodiments, also include, convenience value, emotional value or the like. The value component allows the customer to make informed decisions on which financial solution recommendations or offers to select. Further, the value component may be uniquely and dynamically customized (i.e., determined on-the-fly) for the customer based on inputs received from the customer and/or customer profile data. In addition, the value component may reflect average value realized for the demographic group applicable to the customer.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2011Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Bank of America CorporationInventors: Stefani R. Benefield, Eric E. Ellis
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Patent number: 8417608Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for dynamically building financial solution recommendations based on received inputs. These inputs, which may be received from the customer, an associate collaborating with the customer or from a customer database, may include customer behaviors, customer attitudes, customer life events, customer life interests, customer personal/profile data, customer financial data, such as portfolio data and the like. Based on the received inputs, financial solution recommendations are determined and presented to the customer in real time or near time. As such, the customer is able to instantaneously see how each input of recommendation criteria impacts the financial solution recommendations.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2011Date of Patent: April 9, 2013Assignee: Bank of America CorporationInventors: Stefani R. Benefield, Eric E. Ellis
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Publication number: 20110261144Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatuses and methods for providing improved customer service and sales experiences through collaborative face-to-face interaction between a customer and an expert in another location. Some embodiments of the invention comprise apparatuses and methods for video collaboration between an associate of the business located on-site at the point of inquiry, the customer who requires customer service, and an expert located off-site, typically at a call center. Other embodiments of the invention comprise apparatuses and methods for queuing video collaboration and non-video collaboration calls within a call center. The embodiments of the invention relate to apparatuses and methods that can be used for any business that has on-site point of inquiry centers, but the apparatuses and methods are particularly useful for banking customers who enter banking centers to interact on a face-to-face basis with an expert in the area of the customer's needs.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2010Publication date: October 27, 2011Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATIONInventors: Stefani R. Benefield, James R. Grimsley, Rosemary Hill, Varsha Shitut, Sheryl L. Stewart
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Publication number: 20110261947Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatuses and methods for providing improved customer service and sales experiences through collaborative face-to-face interaction between a customer and an expert in another location. Some embodiments of the invention comprise apparatuses and methods for video collaboration between an associate of the business located on-site at the point of inquiry, the customer who requires customer service, and an expert located off-site, typically at a call center. Other embodiments of the invention comprise apparatuses and methods for queuing video collaboration and non-video collaboration calls within a call center. The embodiments of the invention relate to apparatuses and methods that can be used for any business that has on-site point of inquiry centers, but the apparatuses and methods are particularly useful for banking customers who enter banking centers to interact on a face-to-face basis with an expert in the area of the customer's needs.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2010Publication date: October 27, 2011Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATIONInventors: Stefani R. Benefield, James R. Grimsley, Rosemary Hill, Varsha Shitut, Sheryl L. Stewart
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Publication number: 20110208603Abstract: Financial institutions are continuously seeking effective ways “to onboard” customers. As used herein, “to onboard” or “onboarding” refers to a financial institution building its relationship with a customer just after that customer signs up for, or otherwise consumes, a financial product or service offered by the financial institution. Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatuses, methods and computer program products for onboarding customers. For example, according to an embodiment, the present invention provides an onboarding hub that onboards customers by helping customers set up and use an online banking website to manage their account(s).Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2010Publication date: August 25, 2011Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATIONInventors: Stefani R. Benefield, Jean Marsicano, Sophia Chong Tolsma, Kenneth Scott Jackowitz
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Publication number: 20110208629Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for providing notification messages relating to observations made about a customer's use of an account that is held by a bank. For example, one embodiment of the invention provides a bank computer system having a memory communicably coupled to a communication device and a processor. In one embodiment, the memory stores information about the customer's use of account services and features, including online banking. The processor is configured to monitor the information and make observations about the customer's use of the account services and features, and use the communication device to communicate a notification message containing information relating to how the customer could better utilize the account services and features.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2010Publication date: August 25, 2011Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATIONInventors: Stefani R. Benefield, Jean Marsicano, Sophia Chong Tolsma, Kenneth Scott Jackowitz
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Publication number: 20110178909Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for presenting value exchange in conjunction with financial solution recommendations or offers. The value component, is not limited to monetary value but may, in specific embodiments, also include, convenience value, emotional value or the like. The value component allows the customer to make informed decisions on which financial solution recommendations or offers to select. Further, the value component may be uniquely and dynamically customized (i.e., determined on-the-fly) for the customer based on inputs received from the customer and/or customer profile data. In addition, the value component may reflect average value realized for the demographic group applicable to the customer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2011Publication date: July 21, 2011Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATIONInventors: Stefani R. Benefield, Eric E. Ellis
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Publication number: 20110178910Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provide for initiating a financial institution interaction, such as financial solution recommendation interaction or the like, on a first financial institution channel and subsequently seamlessly completing the interaction on a second financial institution channel. The movement of the interaction from one channel to another allows the customer flexibility in completing the interaction and accommodates the customer's time constraints. The financial institution channels may include a financial institution banking center channel, an online banking channel, an ATM channel, a mobile application channel, a kiosk channel, a call center channel, a point-of-sale channel or the like.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2011Publication date: July 21, 2011Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATIONInventors: Stefani R. Benefield, Eric E. Ellis
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Publication number: 20110178908Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for dynamically building financial solution recommendations based on received inputs. These inputs, which may be received from the customer, an associate collaborating with the customer or from a customer database, may include customer behaviors, customer attitudes, customer life events, customer life interests, customer personal/profile data, customer financial data, such as portfolio data and the like. Based on the received inputs, financial solution recommendations are determined and presented to the customer in real time or near time. As such, the customer is able to instantaneously see how each input of recommendation criteria impacts the financial solution recommendations.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2011Publication date: July 21, 2011Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATIONInventors: Stefani R. Benefield, Eric E. Ellis