Patent ID: 7359864
Filing Date: 2008-04-15
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method of scheduling appointments, said method comprising the steps of: allocating job drop-off slots of varying size categories throughout a production period based upon a provider's sales goals; requiring that a job delivery slot correspond to each job drop-off slot; estimating a time necessary to complete a vehicle collision repair job for a customer as an estimated time; classifying said collision repair job into one of said size categories based upon said estimated time; selecting a desired drop-off day within said production period and repeating the following steps until at least one appointment option is presented: permitting said customer to accept or reject said at least one appointment option; and upon acceptance of said at least one appointment option by said customer, scheduling said job for said appointment option, consuming said drop-off slot of said accepted appointment option, consuming said delivery slot of said projected delivery date of said accepted appointment option, and increasing each of said daily drop-off total and said weekly drop-off total by said estimated time.