JP2002352020A - Field service method using the internet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the cost for a user when household electric appliances or the like are repaired and to perform centralized management of parts in a service company. SOLUTION: A user 5 transmits trouble contents 8 to a service company 3 as a selling agency from a terminal 1 of the user 5 through the Internet 2, and the service company 3 sends interchangeable parts 4a and a work explanation 4b related to the trouble to the user 5, and the user 5 replaces parts with the interchangeable parts 4a in accordance with procedures of the work explanation 4b and returns the replaced parts (defective parts 4c) to the service company after confirming that a function operation has been normally restored, and the service company 3 confirms returned defective parts 4c and informs the user 5 of an amount asked 6 through the Internet 2, and the user 5 pays the charge (the amount asked 6) to the service company 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention makes use of the Internet, in which a user orders and replaces parts by himself / herself, and minimizes a paid repair cost that occurs in the event of a failure. Related to field service systems.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, when a failure occurs in a home electric appliance or the like, it is general to bring the home electric appliance or the like to an electric appliance store or a service center (service company) of a manufacturer to estimate a repair. . As described above, when a user brings home electric appliances or the like to an electronic store or a service center or sends it by mail, it takes time and effort. Also, when dispatching service personnel to a home where a failure has occurred, check the failure status in advance, estimate the approximate cause of the failure, judge the repair technology and the necessary replacement parts corresponding to that, and go to the user. become.

[0003]

[0005] However, in the case where the home appliances and the like are brought to a service center for repair or a service person is dispatched as described above, the parts cost and the component shipping cost for the repair of the home appliances and the like are required. Cost more than. As a result, the cost that the user must bear increases. Further, the service center (service company) had to set up a service base or a parts center for each region.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and reduces the cost for a user in repairing home electric appliances and the like, and eliminates the need for a service center (service company) to be installed in each region. It is an object of the present invention to provide a field service system using the Internet.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is achieved by connecting a terminal used by a user and a terminal used by a service company of a sales company via the Internet. A field service method using the Internet, wherein a step of receiving the content of a product defect from a terminal used by a user via the Internet at a terminal used by a service company of a selling company,
The method includes a step of sending a replacement part and a work manual related to the defect from the service company, and a step of transmitting the billing amount from the terminal used by the service company to the terminal used by the user via the Internet. Features.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
Via the Internet, it is possible to notify the service company of the content of the defect of the product (such as a household electrical appliance), and the service company sends a replacement part and a work manual based on the content of the defect to the user, and the user based on the information The product can be repaired. Then, the service company determines the fee based on the replacement parts and the operation manual, notifies the user of the charged amount via the Internet, and the user pays the charged amount. Since the repair of the product is performed in such a flow, there is no need for the user to bring the product into the service company or to send it out, and the service company does not need to dispatch a service person. As a result, the cost burden on the user is reduced, and the service company can centralize the parts center.

[0007] The invention according to claim 2 is a field service method using the Internet by connecting a terminal used by a user and a terminal used by a service company of a selling company via the Internet. The process of receiving the contents of the product defect from the terminal used by the terminal used by the selling service company via the Internet, the process of sending replacement parts and work instructions related to the problem from the service company, A step of receiving the return of the defective part by the service company, and a step of transmitting the charge from a terminal used by the service company to a terminal used by the user via the Internet.

Therefore, according to the second aspect of the present invention,
Via the Internet, it is possible to notify the service company of the content of the defect of the product (such as a household electrical appliance), and the service company sends a replacement part and a work manual based on the content of the defect to the user, and the user based on the information The product can be repaired. Then, the service company determines a fee based on the replacement part, the operation manual, and the defective part returned from the user, notifies the user of the billing amount via the Internet, and the user pays the billing amount. Since the product is repaired in this way, there is no need for the user to bring or ship the product to the service company, and there is no need to dispatch a service staff at the service company and product parts Can be centrally managed. As a result, the cost burden on the user is reduced, and the service company can centralize the parts center.

Further, the invention according to claim 3 is a field service method for using the Internet by connecting the terminal used by the user and the terminal used by the service company of the selling company via the Internet. The service company receives the contents of the product's defect, sends the replacement parts and work instructions related to the defect from the service company, and sends the billing amount from the terminal used by the service company to the user via the Internet. Transmitting to the terminal to be used.

Therefore, according to the third aspect of the present invention,
The user is notified of the content of the defect to the service company other than the Internet, for example, by telephone, and the service company sends the user a replacement part based on the content of the defect and an operation manual. The user is shown the amount billed by the service company and pays the bill. Therefore, the user does not have to take the product to the service company or send the product to the service company, and the service company does not need to dispatch a service person, and the cost of repairing the product can be reduced.

[0011] The invention according to claim 4 is a field service method using the Internet by connecting a terminal used by a user and a terminal used by a service company of a sales company via the Internet. A process in which the service company receives the contents of the product defect, a process in which the service company sends replacement parts and work instructions related to the problem, a process in which the service company receives the return of the defective component from the user, Transmitting a billing amount from a terminal used by the user to a terminal used by the user via the Internet.

Therefore, according to the invention described in claim 4,
The user contacts the service company with the contents of the defect via the Internet, for example, by telephone.The service company sends the replacement part and the operation manual based on the defect to the user, and the user returns the defective part to the service company. . The service company determines the amount to be charged based on replacement parts, work instructions and defective parts, informs the user, and the user pays the amount of the charged amount. This eliminates the need for the user to bring or ship products to the service company, which eliminates the need for the service company to dispatch service personnel, lowers the cost of product repairs, and allows the service company to centralize the parts center. Become.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Example 1) A terminal 1 used by a user 5 and a terminal used by a service company 3 are connected by the Internet (communication line) 2. And user 5
Is the Internet 2 in case of trouble in home appliances etc.
Is contacted to the service company 3 of the sales agency via the. With reference to FIG. 1, a flow of processing when a malfunction occurs in a household electrical appliance or the like will be described.

The user 5 reports the contents of the defect 8 from the terminal 1 of the user 5 to the selling service company 3 through the Internet 2. The service company 3 sends the replacement part 4a and the operation manual 4b related to the malfunction to the user 5. The user 5 replaces the replacement part 4a according to the procedure of the work procedure manual 4b, and after confirming the normal operation of the functional operation, returns the replaced part (defective part 4c) to the service company. However, the defective part 4c may not be returned to the service company. For example, this corresponds to the case where the defective component 4c is in a state where it is not sufficient to return it.

The service company 3 returns the defective part 4c
Is confirmed, and the billing amount 6 is
Notify. Finally, the user 5 pays the fee 9 (charged amount 6) to the service company 3 (it is also possible to make a card payment on the Internet).

(Example 2) Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same components as those in Example 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The user 5 informs the service company 3 of the selling company about the contents of the trouble 8 such as home electric appliances through the telephone 7. The service company 3 sends the replacement part 4a and the operation manual 4b related to the malfunction to the user 5. The user 5 replaces the replacement part 4a according to the procedure of the operation manual 4b, confirms the normal return of the functional operation, and then returns the replaced part (defective part 4c) to the service company 3. However, as in Example 1, the defective part 4c may not be returned to the service company.

The service company 3 returns the defective part 4c.
Is confirmed, and the billing amount 6 is
Notify. Finally, the user 5 pays the fee 9 (charged amount 6) to the service company 3 (it is also possible to make a card payment on the Internet).

[0020]

According to the present invention, the replacement work is carried out by the user, so that the parts cost and the shipping cost of the parts are borne, so that the amount borne by the user can be minimized. Also,
Since the service company can centrally manage the ordering and shipping of parts, the parts center can be centralized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a field service method using the Internet of Example 1 showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a field service method using the Internet of Example 2 showing the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Terminal 2 Internet 3 Service company 4a Replacement parts 4b Work manual 4c Defective parts 5 User 6 Charged amount 7 Telephone 8 Problem description 9 Charge

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A field service method using the Internet by connecting a terminal used by a user and a terminal used by a service company of a sales company via the Internet. The process of receiving via the Internet at the terminal used by the selling service company, the step of sending replacement parts and work instructions related to the defect from the service company, and the method of charging the billing amount from the terminal used by the service company to the Internet Transmitting to a terminal used by the user via the Internet. 2. A field service method using the Internet by connecting a terminal used by a user and a terminal used by a service company of a selling company via the Internet. The service company receives the information via the Internet at the terminal used by the selling service company, sends the replacement parts and work instructions related to the defect from the service company, and returns the defective parts from the user. A field service method using the Internet, comprising: a receiving step; and a step of transmitting a billing amount from a terminal used by a service company to a terminal used by a user via the Internet. 3. A field service method using the Internet by connecting a terminal used by a user and a terminal used by a service company of a selling company via the Internet. Receiving, sending a replacement part and operation manual related to the defect from the service company, transmitting the billing amount from the terminal used by the service company to the terminal used by the user via the Internet, A field service method using the Internet, comprising: 4. A field service method using the Internet by connecting a terminal used by a user and a terminal used by a service company of a selling company via the Internet. Receiving the service, sending the replacement parts and work instructions related to the defect from the service company, receiving the return of the defective part from the user by the service company, Transmitting to a terminal used by the user via the Internet.