Patent Publication Number: US-2018032987-A1

Title: Customer interaction manager on a restaurant computer

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to managing purchase transactions. More particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to providing an alternative channel to interact with a customer during a purchase transaction. 
     REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Related implementations of the present inventions have been disclosed in three other copending U.S. patent applications that have the same assignee as the present patent application. The related copending U.S. patent applications are 1) U.S. patent application________(NCR 12-1758), filed Nov. 30, 2012 entitled “A CUSTOMER INTERACTION MANAGER”; 2) U.S. patent application________(NCR 12-1767), filed Nov. 30, 2012 entitled “A CUSTOMER INTERACTION MANAGER ON A MOBILE SMART DEVICE”; and 3) U.S. patent application ________(NCR 12-1774), filed Nov. 30, 2012 entitled “A CUSTOMER INTERACTION MANAGER ON A POINT OF SALE COMPUTER”. The three related copending U.S. patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     Any discussion of prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field. 
     Restaurants strive to provide a good customer experience so that customers will return, and tell others of their good experience. Providing a good customer experience includes providing quality food but it also includes focusing resources on the customer daring their visit. These resources include waitstaff that interacts with the customer during their visit to monitor and fulfill the customer&#39;s needs. 
     When customer traffic increases, such as daring peak dining periods, the waitstaff can become overloaded and the customer experience is less enjoyable because the waitstaff fails to identify and fulfill all of the customer&#39;s needs. This failure may cause the waitstaff and the customers to become frustrated further diminishing the customer experience. In addition to diminishing the customer experience, the waitstaff misses opportunities to up-sell the customer or sell additional beverages or menu items causing the restaurant to miss out on additional revenue. 
     A similar problem can exist in other types of businesses where a customer typically waits while a service is being performed or a product is being prepared. During the wait time the customer have little or no contact with employees of the business since they are usually helping customers that just arrived or ere making a payment before leaving. If the customer wants information or a progress update, they must usually wait in a line with newly arrived customers or try to find an employee that is not busy. Examples of these kinds of businesses include tire scores, auto repair centers, oil change centers, computer repair stores, restaurants with food take-out area where a customer orders food and waits for it to be prepared to take hose and hospital emergency centers where non-critical patients check in and wait, sometimes for hours, before seeing a doctor. 
     Among its several aspects, the present invention seeks to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative. 
     Among its several aspects, the present invention recognizes there is an advantage for a business to create an alternative channel to interact with a customer where the customer present at the business can initiate an interaction with the business instead of having to wait for an employee of the business to interact with the customer. 
     Among its several aspects, one embodiment of the present invention is directed to methods and systems for connecting customer mobile smart devices to an Internet server computer that accepts requests from the customer located at a business and processes the requests sending some of them to a point of sale server computer at the business that causes the requests to be performed. The requests may be carried out by the POS server computer or the POB server computer may send requests to personnel working at the business requesting them to perform a function for the customer. 
     Among its several aspects, one embodiment of the invention discloses a customer interaction manager that acts as an intermediary between a customer&#39;s mobile smart device and the computers used to operate a business. The customer interaction manager provides a common interface that can be used to communicate with different businesses without having to have specific applications or knowledge of each business. A single downloadable application or a web browser can be used by the mobile smart device to communicate with the customer interaction manager over the Internet. The customer interaction manager can then communicate with the computers used by the business where the customer is located. 
     For example, a customer may enter a restaurant and be seated at a table. A purchase transaction is started for the customer with a point of sale terminal at the business. The POS terminal communicates information identifying the purchase transaction to a customer interaction manager and receives a unique ID for the transaction. The unique ID is given to the customer with a uniform resource location (URL) for a web site serviced by the customer interaction manager. The customer using a web browser on a mobile smart device such as a smart phone, displays a web page at the URL address and enters the unique ID. The customer is authenticated and now has access to information about the purchase transaction and can receive information such as specials of the day and discount items plus the customer can make requests to the restaurant such as ordering additional items or services. The customer interaction manager also stores details of the customer&#39;s purchase and can provide offers based on prior purchases made at this and other restaurants that use the system. 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a computer implemented method used by a customer interaction manager to facilitate an additional method for a customer to interact with the business to receive faster service and additional options. To this end, a method of managing customer interaction with a business implemented by a point of sale computer located at the business and communicating over the Internet with a server computer is provided. The method comprising: receiving a playlist from a jukebox located at the business; starting a purchase transaction for a customer present at the business; establishing an Internet session with the server computer by transmitting a purchase transaction started notification for the started purchase transaction; receiving a unique identifier from the server computer in response to transmitting the purchase transaction started notification where the unique identifier uniquely identifies the started purchase transaction; providing the unique identifier and a uniform resource locator (URL) to the customer where the URL is an Internet address serviced by the server computer; receiving a request using the Internet session with the server computer over the Internet where the request includes the unique identifier; and processing the received request where processing the request include using the unique identifier to identify the started purchase transaction. 
     A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as further features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following Detailed Description and the accompanying Drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The aspects of the claimed invention can be better understood with reference to the Drawings and the Detailed Description. The Drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout the Drawings, like element numbers are used to describe the same parts throughout the various drawings, figures and charts. 
         FIG. 1  is a high-level block diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a Customer Interaction Manager (CIM) system. 
         FIG. 2  is a high-level block diagram illustrating selected hardware components of a CIM server computer. 
         FIG. 3  is a high-level block diagram illustrating selected hardware components of a POS server computer. 
         FIG. 4  is a high-level flow chart illustrating selected hardware components of a mobile smart device used by a customer. 
         FIG. 5  is a high-level flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of operating the customer interaction manager system on a point of sale computer at a restaurant. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of the claimed invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that aspects of the claimed invention may be practiced without utilizing all of these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments are possible and envisioned. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is provided a high-level block diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a customer interaction manager (CIM) system  100 . The CIM system  100  includes a restaurant system  105  and a customer interaction manager (CIM)  110 . The CIM  110  communicates, using a communications network including the Internet  115 , to computers and smart devices in the CIM system  100 . This embodiment of the CIM system  100  depicts a single restaurant system  105  however, it should be understood that the CIM system  100  is designed to include thousands of restaurants similar to the depicted restaurant system  105 . The additional restaurants may suitably include independent restaurants and chain restaurants where each chain may include thousands of the restaurants that are part of the CIM system  100 . 
     The restaurant system  105  includes a number of computer devices that are owned or operated by the restaurant system  105 . These devices may suitably include a point of sale (POS) terminal  130 , a valet terminal  135 , a plurality of mobile waitstaff devices (MSD)  140 , a jukebox  145 , a wireless access point  147  and a point of sale (POS) server computer  125  in communication with each of the other devices over a local area network  150 . The local area network  150  is a wired Ethernet network (IEEE 802.3). The POS server computer  125  is connected to the wired network  150  bat one or more of the other devices may be wirelessly connected to the network  150  using the wireless access point  147  . The wireless access point  147  supports one or more of the IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n standards. The POS server computer  125  communicates with the Internet  115  over an external network  155 . This network  155  may include different types of physical networks. 
     The POS terminal  130  includes a printer  132  that is used to print receipts and other documents. In some embodiments, multiple POS terminals  130  are present and they function in a similar manner to the depicted POS terminal  130 . 
     The plurality of mobile waitstaff devices  140  are used to communicate information between the waitstaff and the POS server computer  125 . Each of the mobile waitstaff devices  140  includes a wireless transceiver for communicating with the wireless access point  147 . Each of the waitstaff may carry one of the plurality of mobile waitstaff devices  140 . The POS computer server  125  communicates wirelessly to the plurality of mobile waitstaff devices  140  using the wireless access point  147 . In some embodiments, one or more of the waitstaff uses a personal smart device, such as a smart cellular phone, to perform the same functions as one of the plurality of mobile waitstaff device  140 . The waitstaff functions are performed on the personal smart device by an application that must be downloaded and executed by the personal smart device. 
     In some embodiments, there is one or more fixed waitstaff terminals and the POS server computer  125  communicates with some or all of the waitstaff through these fixed waitstaff terminals. For example, the bar area of a restaurant may use a fixed waitstaff terminal to communicate with personnel working the bar, but mobile waitstaff devices  140  are used by waitstaff assigned to handle tables. The term fixed means that the terminal is placed and used in a fixed location. They may be cabled to a power source or the network  150 . 
     The valet terminal  135  is used to communicate with parking attendants that perform a valet parking service for customers of the restaurant system  105 . It should be noted that not all restaurants provide a valet parking service so not all restaurants will have a valet terminal  135 . In some embodiments, the valet terminal  135  is wirelessly connected to the network  150  using the wireless access point  147 . 
     The jukebox  145  is a device that plays music or other recorded sounds. It can be operated from a control panel on the jukebox  145  or remotely controlled by the POS computer server  125 . The jukebox  145  may be physically connected to the network  150  or wirelessly connected to the network  150  using the wireless access point  147 . 
     The restaurant system  105  includes at least one mobile smart device (MSD)  120  that is used by a customer. The MSD  120  is owned by a customer patronizing the restaurant system  105 . To simplify the description, the present embodiment depicts a single MSD  120  but it should be appreciated that the CIM system  100  is designed to function with a restaurant system  105  where multiple customers employ their MSDs  120  and preferably the system  100  employs one MSD  120  per table or customer. The MSD  120  includes a web browser and connects to the Internet  115  to access web pages from web servers connected to the Internet  115 . Examples of an MSD  120  include a smart cellular phone, a tablet computer or any portable computer with access to the Internet  115 . The MSD  120  uses a wireless network  165  to connect to the Internet  115 . The wireless network  165  may suitably include a cellular network, a WIFI network or a near field network such as Bluetooth, The WIFI networks may suitable include IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networks. In some embodiments, the restaurant system  105  includes a fixed computing device at each table that performs the functions of the MSD  120 . 
     In some embodiments, a network based on near field communications is provided to the tables in the restaurant system  105 . The near field communications include support for Bluetooth communication with MSDs  120  located at a table. The PCS server computer  125  can use the near field network to communicate with the MSDs  120 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , there is provided a high-level block diagram illustrating selected hardware components of a CIM server computer  200  that executes the Customer Interaction Manager (CIM)  110 . The CIM server computer  200  is depicted as a single server computer but it should be appreciated that the CIM  110  can be scaled up and implemented across multiple copies of the server computer  200  allowing the CIM  110  to provide its service to a large number of restaurants system  105  and mobile smart devices  120 . In some embodiments, the CIM  110  is implemented on multiple server computers where the server computers are located in different computer data centers and the computer data centers can be located in different geographical locations around the world. In some embodiments, the server computer  200  is a virtual computer, such as the virtual computer product offered by Amazon&#39;s Elastic Compute Cloud™. Using such a virtual computer product allows for dynamic scaling of the CIM  110  to meet peek demand at any geographical location around the world. 
     The CIM server computer  200  includes at least one processor  210 , a memory  215 , control circuitry  230  and a network controller  235 . The control circuitry  230  allows the processor  210  to communicate with and control the memory  215  and the network controller  235 . While a single processor  210  is depicted, multiple processors and processors with multiple processor cores are envisioned and within the scope of this invention. 
     The memory  215  uses non-transitory data and program storage devices including both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory may suitably include flash memory, other types of solid state electronic memory and rotating storage devices. Computer instructions  220  stored in the memory  215  are executed by the processor  210  and cause the processor  210  to control the devices attached to the server computer  200  and to provide the services and functions performed by the software elements of the CIM  110 . The computer instructions  220  comprise software that includes an operating system, server applications, a database application and the software that comprises the CIM  110 . The server applications include an Internet web server and an email server that supports at least simple mail transport protocol (SMTP) to send and receive email. Data for a database  225  is also stored in the memory  215 . 
     The network controller  235  includes hardware and software required to communicate with the high speed network  160  which ultimately connects to the Internet  115 . The connection to the Internet  115  allows the CIM server computer  200  to communicate with other computers and smart devices and service requests made to the server computer  200 . The CIM server computer  200  is a web based server and the CIM  110  is a web based function. The CIM computer server  200  connects to the Internet  115  over a network  160 . The network 160 may include multiple types of physical networks. The CIM computer server  200  physically connects to a wired Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) network and then logically connects to one or more wide area networks that connect to the Internet  115 . In some embodiments, the CIM computer server  200  connects to an optical or other high speed network that allows communications with the Internet  115 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , there is provided a high-level block diagram illustrating selected hardware components of a POS server computer  125 . The POS server computer  125  includes at least one processor  310 , a memory  315 , control circuitry  330  and a network controller  335 . The control circuitry  330  allows the processor  310  to communicate with and control the memory  315 , the network controller  335  and any other components of the POS server computer  125 . While a single processor  310  is depicted, multiple processors and processors with multiple processor cores are envisioned and within the scope of this invention. 
     The memory  315  uses non-transitory data and program storage devices including both volatile arid non-volatile memory. The memory may suitably include flash memory (e.g., NOR, NAND), SRAM, DDR SDRAM, other types of solid state electronic memory and rotating storage devices. Computer instructions  320  stored in the memory  315  are executed by the processor  310  and cause she processor  310  to control the components of and devices attached to the POS server computer  125  and to provide the services and functions performed by the POS server computer  125 . The computer instructions  320  comprise software that includes an operating system, server applications and POS functions including software that allows purchase transactions for customers at restaurant system  105 . 
     The network controller  335  includes hardware and software required to communicate with the high speed network  155  which connects to the Internet  115 . The connection to the Internet  115  allows the POS server computer  125  to communicate with other computers connected to the Internet  115 . The network controller  335  further includes hardware and software required to communicate with the local area network  150  that is used within the restaurant system  105  to communicate with other computers or devices. The other computers and devices may suitably include, but are not limited to, the POS terminal  130 , the valet terminal  135 , the mobile waitstaff device  140 , the wireless access point  147  and the jukebox  145 . The POS server computer  125  communicates with the mobile waitstaff devices  140  using the local area network  150  and the wireless access point  147 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 4 , there is provided a high-level block diagram illustrating selected hardware components of the mobile smart device  120  used by a customer. The mobile smart device  120  includes at least one processor  410 , a memory  415 , control circuitry  430 , a communications controller  435 , a touch screen user display  425  and a global positioning system (GPS) device  440 . The control circuitry  430  allows the processor  410  to communicate with and control the memory  415 , the touch screen user display  425 , GPS device  440  and the communications controller  435 . While a single processor  410  is depicted, multiple processors and processors with multiple processor cores are envisioned and within the scope of this invention. In addition, two or more functions may be combined into a single device. 
     The memory  415  uses non-transitory data and program storage devices including both volatile and non-volatile memory. The memory may suitably include flash memory (e.g., NOR, NAND), SRAM, DDR SDRAM, other types of solid state electronic memory and rotating storage devices. Computer instructions  420  stored in the memory  415  are executed by the processor  410  and cause the processor  410  to control the component and devices of the mobile smart device  120  and to provide the features and functions performed by the mobile smart device  120 . The computer instructions  420  comprise software that includes an operating system, software that controls component and device functions, built-in applications and downloadable applications. 
     The communication controller  435  includes hardware and software required to communicate with multiple types of wireless networks. The communication controller  435  communicates with the wireless cellular network  165  using a first antenna  450 . Communicating over the wireless cellular network  165  allows the mobile smart device  120  to communicate with the Internet  115 . The connection to the Internet  115  allows the mobile smart device  120  to communicate with other computers connected to the Internet  115 . 
     The communication controller  435  further includes hardware and software required to communicate with a WIFI wireless local area network using a second antenna  455 . The WIFI networks include wireless networks bases on IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n standards. 
     The communication controller  435  further includes hardware and software required to communicate with a near field wireless network using a third antenna  460 . The near field network includes a Bluetooth based network. 
     The GPS device  440  determines the location of the MDS  120  by receiving signals from satellites that are part of an orbiting constellation of GPS satellites (not shown). Location data from the GPS  440  can be accessed and used by applications executing on the MSD  120 . 
     The touch sensitive user display  425  is used to send and receive information from a customer using the mobile smart device  120 . Information can be displayed on the touch sensitive user display  425  and the touch sensitive user display  425  can determine the location on the display  425  of one or more touches made by the customer. This information is used by software executing on the MSD  120  to control the features and functions of the MSD  120 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 5 , there is provided high-level flow charts illustrating exemplary methods of operating the customer interaction manager system  100 . The exemplary method describes the interaction of the customer interaction manager  110  executing on the CIM server computer  200  with the PCS server computer  125  and the MSD  120 . 
     In this examples a customer wishes to dine at a restaurant employing the restaurant system  105 . The restaurant is located within a structure that may include both enclosed areas and areas open to the elements. The structure may include buildings and floating structures such as boats, barges and the like. 
     The customer enters the restaurant, is greeted by restaurant waitstaff and requests to be seated. The wait staff assigns the customer to a table and the customer is escorted to and seated at the assigned table. The waitstaff, using the PCS terminal  130 , starts a purchase transaction for the assigned table and the customer at this time, the identity of the customer may not be known so at least initially, the purchase transaction is only associated with an ID for the assigned table. Each table at the restaurant is assigned a unique ID and the IDs are Known to the waitstaff. Starting the purchase transaction includes making a “start purchase transaction request” to the POS server computer  125 , using the POS terminal  130 . 
     The POS server computer  125  creates a record for the purchase transaction. The record is stored in a database. The record may be a single record with a large number of fields stored in a table in the database or the record may include fields that point or link to other records in the same table or other tables in the database. The record initially only includes the assigned table ID where the customer is seated but will be updated to include details for all items ordered by the customer. The items include all food, drinks, merchandise and other services or products provided to the customer. The record will also include a running total for the items and when payment is made, the amount and type of payment. The record also includes the time, date and length of the purchase transaction. 
     At some point during the purchase transaction, the customer may be identified and this information is also stored in the record. The item and payment information can be entered from any of the terminals or devices used by the waitstaff of the restaurant  105 . Payment application software can also provide customer identification information when used to process the customer&#39;s payment. 
     When the POS server computer  125  creates the record for the purchase transaction, it also creates a “purchase transaction started notification”. This notification includes the assigned table ID and a restaurant ID. The POS server computer  125  then transmits the notification to the customer Interaction manager  110  executing on the CIM server computer  200 , using the Internet  115 . The purchase transaction is ended when payment is made by the customer. When the purchase transaction ends, the PCS server computer  125  creates a “purchase transaction complete notification” and sends it to the customer interaction manager  110  executing on the CIM server computer  200 , using the Internet  115 . This notification includes the unique identification and causes the customer interaction manager  110  to terminate the purchase transaction and to close communications with the MSD  140 . 
     The CIM server computer  200  executes the customer interaction manager  110 . The functions described as performed, by the server computer  200  are performed as a result of the processor  210  executing the instructions  220  stored in the memory  215  including instruction comprising the customer interaction manager  110 . 
     The processor  310  in the POS server computer  125  executes software that controls the POS server computer  125  and the other terminals and devices connected to network  150 . The software also performs customer transactions and controls the operation of the restaurant. Additionally, the software interacts with the customer interaction manager  110  executing on the server computer  200  using network  155  and  160 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 . At step  502 , the POS server computer  125  receives a playlist from a jukebox  145  located at the business. The jukebox  145  is connected to the POS server computer  125  over network  150 . In some embodiments, the jukebox  145  uses a wireless network to communicate with the POS server computer  125 . At the start of day or at whenever the playlist changes, the jukebox  145  sends a copy of the current playlist to the PCS server computer  125 . The POS server computer  125  sends a copy of the playlist to the server computer  200 . The customer can then request a copy of the playlist from the server computer  200  using their MSD  120  and request a selection from the playlist. The server computer  200  receives the selection and transmits it to the POS server computer  125  which then commands the jukebox  145  to play the selection. If there is a charge associated with playing the selection, the POS server computer  125  adds it the customers purchase transactions. 
     At step  504 , the POS server computer  125  starts a purchase transaction for a customer that is present at a business. In this example, the business is a restaurant. The customer has entered a restaurant and has been seated at a table for dining. Waitstaff, using a POS terminal  130 , started a purchase transaction for the customer and stored information identifying the customer&#39;s table with the purchase transaction. 
     At step  506 , the POS server computer  125  establishes as Internet session with the server computer. After the purchase transaction is started, the POS server computer  125  creates a “purchase transaction started notification” and transmits it to the server computer  200 , over networks  155  and  160 . The server computer  200  then establishes a logical Internet session with the POS server computer  125  over networks  160  and  155 . The Internet session is used by the two computers to send and receive data to each other. 
     At step  508 , the POS server computer  125  receives a unique identifier (ID) that identifies the purchase transaction from the server computer  200  using the Internet session. The server computer  200  generated a unique ID based on the purchase transaction information in the notification and transmitted it back to the POS server computer  125  over networks  160  and  155 . 
     Steps  504  through  506  can be performed prior to the customer being seated. For example, the waitstaff requests a table assignment for the next available table able to accommodate the customer and any guests. The POS server computer  125  assigned a table, starts a purchase transaction, sends a “purchase transaction started notification” to the service computer  200  and receives the unique identifier all before the customer leaves the greeting area to be seated. In this case, the POS terminal  130  prints the URL, unique ID and table ID on a paper which the waitstaff takes and gives to the customer after conducting them to their table. 
     At step  510 , the POS server computer  125  provides the unique ID and a uniform resource locator (URL) for a web page to the customer. The URL points to a web address that is serviced by the server computer  200 . 
     At step  512 , the POS server computer  125  receives a request from the server computer  200  using the Internet where the request, includes unique ID. 
     At step  514 , the POS server computer  125  processes the request from step  510 . The request includes the unique ID which is used to identity the customer&#39;s purchase transaction that was started in step  504 . Processing the request includes perform any number of different functions including requesting: waitstaff go to the customer&#39;s table, waitstaff to bring a drink to the customer&#39;s table and to add the drink to the purchase order, waitstaff to refill a drink at the customer&#39;s table, an item to be added to the customers purchase order which could require sending a message to the kitchen to prepare the item, that the customer&#39;s vehicle be brought up, a check be brought to the customer, a pickup of a payment from the customer, playing a request on a jukebox and splitting the items on the purchase transaction. 
     In some embodiments where a valet service is provided, the customer may request that their car be brought up by the valet. The customer uses the MSD  120  to make the request to the server computer  200 . The server computer  200  transmits the request to the POS server computer  125  which then sends the request to the valet terminal  135 . Once the car has been brought up, the valet will enter the “car ready” status information on the valet terminal  135 . The POS server computer  125  receives the “car ready” status and sends to the server computer  200  for transmission to the customer. 
     In some embodiments, the customer may have to wait for a table to become available before they can be seated. In this case, the waitstaff, using the POS terminal  130 , starts a purchase transaction for the customer. The POS terminal  130  prints out a paper that includes a URL to a web site serviced by the server computer  200  with a unique ID that was generated by the server computer  200  after the POS terminal  130  started the purchase transaction for the customer. The process is the same as described above for starting a purchase transaction. 
     The customer then proceeds to a waiting area and accesses the web site using the URL and enters the unique ID provided. The POS server computer  125  has communicated to the server computer  200  that the customer is waiting to be seated so the server computer  200  provides a different set of selectable actions from those provided when the customer is seated at table for dining. These actions allow the customer to receive an estimated wait time for seating or a notice that they can now be seated. This information is provided by the server computer  200  which receives updates from the POS server computer  125  about the customer and the wait times. 
     The customer may also requests drinks from a bar in the restaurant or complete customer satisfaction surveys or review information about specials of the day or other promotional information. A request for a drink is sent to the POS server computer  125  which sends the request to the a POS terminal located at the bar. 
     When the customer is seared at a table, the table ID for that table is associated with the purchase transaction and the server computer  200  is notified that the customer has been seated. The server computer  200  then changes the selectable actions the customer can select from to those actions defined for a customer seated at a table. 
     Although particular reference has been made to an embodiment that includes a POS server computer interacting with a customer interaction manager and examples have been provided illustrating the invention in a restaurant environment, certain other embodiments, variations and modifications are also envisioned within the spirit and scope of the claims. For example, while the majority of the discloser is made in the context of a presently pictured restaurant system embodiment, it will be recognized that aspects of the present invention may be suitably employed in a wide array of business contexts where improved customer service may be achieved through improved communications between the business and the customer. 
     The invention is envisioned to function in businesses that normally have customers waiting for a service to be performed. For example, in a tire store it is typical for a customer to wait while store personnel either put on new tires or service old tires on the customer&#39;s vehicle. At some time during the purchase transaction, the customer is given a URL to a web site and a unique identifier that identifies the purchase transaction. The customer may then use their mobile smart device  140  to access the web site using the Internet and using the unique identifier receive updates on the status of the work, time to completion, the current costs or a request to meet store personnel to discuss an issue or to request information. The customer may also receive marketing information about additional items for purchase and could have messages posted to social media sites. The customer may also provide feedback to the business about the customer experience. 
     Examples of other types of businesses that may suitably benefit from the invention include auto repair centers, oil change centers, computer repair stores, restaurants with food take-out area where a customer orders food and waits for it to be prepared to take home and hospital emergency centers where non-critical patients check in and wait, sometimes for hours, before seeing a doctor.