JP2002169757A - Method and system for examining answer to electronic mail from user - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an answer examining method, etc., for electronic mail which can efficiently distribute mail from a user. SOLUTION: This is a method for answering a question by electronic mail from a network-connected user terminal. A question fixed form incorporated in a fixed form so that one of categories representing genres of questions can be selected is sent to the user at a request from the user terminal and information having question items entered into the sent question form while at least one of the categories is selected by the user is received. The selected category is checked from the received information and the question items are sent to the terminal of a person in charge of the category.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and system for examining a response to a question made by a user via e-mail.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are not a few companies that respond to various questions and inquiries from users about products and services sold by the company as a customer service center by concentrating the department in one place. .

[0003] Many emails such as inquiries and questionnaire responses are sent from users to such customer service centers. Among them, there are many emails that are ambiguous as to what the theme is or what they want to hear. It is complicated to manually sort and distribute these mails to operators in each specialized field, and there is a problem that labor costs increase. In addition, such questions and inquiries are valuable information for products and services to be sold at a later date, but it was also difficult to compile the types of questions that were frequently asked by field.

[0004] On the other hand, an e-mail which has nothing to do with the customer service center may arrive. In such a case, an operator who responds to the user specifies the fact and sends it back to the sender. It was complicated.

[0005]

As described above, conventionally,
In the customer service center, there is a problem that sorting mails from users is inefficient. The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for examining a response to an e-mail, a response examination system, and the like, which can efficiently distribute a mail from a user. I do.

[0006]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for answering a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, comprising: Transmitting, to the user, a question standard form incorporated in a standard form so that any one of a plurality of categories indicating the field of the question can be selected by a request from the user terminal; and the question transmitted by this step. Receiving at least one of the categories selected by the user in the fixed form and receiving information describing the questionnaire; examining the selected category from the information received at this step; Transmitting the questionnaire to the terminal. To provide answers consider how to.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for answering a question by an electronic mail from a user terminal connected to a network, wherein a large item and each of the large items are requested by the user terminal. Sending to the user a question fixed form incorporated in the fixed form so that any of a plurality of categories indicating the field of the question having a hierarchical structure can be selected as a sub-item in the user; Receiving at least one of the categories by the user in the completed question form and receiving information describing the questionnaire; examining the selected category from the information received at this step; Transmitting the questionnaire to the terminal of the person in charge of To provide an answer study method for the e-mail.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for answering a question by an electronic mail from a user terminal connected to a network, wherein a large item and each of the large items are requested by the user terminal. Are displayed integrally, and by selecting one of them, a question fixed form incorporated in the fixed form so that any of a plurality of categories indicating the field of the question can be selected is provided to the user. Transmitting, and receiving information in which at least one of the categories is selected by the user and written in the question fixed form transmitted by this step, and the question item is described. Examining the category, and transmitting the questionnaire to the terminal of the person in charge according to the category. Wherein, to provide answers studied method for the e-mail from the user.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for answering a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, wherein a large item indicating a field of the question is requested by the user terminal. Transmitting one of a plurality of fields to the user with a question fixed form embedded in the fixed form so that any one of a plurality of fields can be selected; and Receiving at least one of the large items selected by the user; transmitting a plurality of small items included in the large item selected by the step to the user terminal; Receiving information on the selected sub-items among the plurality of sub-items and the question items in the fixed-form question form. A step of examining a category from the selected large item and the small item from the information received in this step, and transmitting the questionnaire to a terminal of a person in charge corresponding to the category. Provides a method for considering responses to e-mails from

[0010] According to claim 5 of the present invention, the category is a field related to finance, securities, or pensions, and the electronic category from the user according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein Provides a method for examining responses to email.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for responding to a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, wherein a plurality of requests indicating a field of the question are indicated by a request from the user terminal. Means for transmitting to the user a question fixed form embedded in the fixed form so that any of the categories can be selected; and at least one of the categories is selected by the user in the question fixed form transmitted by the means. Means for receiving information describing the question, and means for examining the selected category from the information received by the means, and transmitting the question to a terminal of a person in charge corresponding to the category. A feature is provided of a system for examining a response to an e-mail from a user.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for answering a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, wherein a large item and each of the large items are requested by the user terminal. Means for transmitting to the user a fixed-form question form incorporated in the fixed-form form so that any of a plurality of categories indicating the field of the question having a hierarchical structure can be selected as sub-items in the form; Means for receiving at least one of the categories selected by the user in the completed question form and describing the questionnaire; examining the selected category from the information received by the means; Means for transmitting the questionnaire to the terminal of the person in charge who responded to the e-mail from the user. To provide answers examination system.

[0013] According to claim 8 of the present invention, there is provided a system for answering a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, wherein the fixed form of the question transmitted in response to a request from the user terminal is provided. A web server that holds a form, a category database server that stores in advance a plurality of categories indicating a field of a question regarding the question fixed form and a responder of a question belonging to these categories, and the plurality of categories in response to a request from the user. Means for transmitting a fixed-form question form incorporating the category of; a means for receiving a category and a question item selected at the user terminal in the fixed-form question form transmitted by the means; and the selected form received by the means. Send the category to the category database, Base sends the appropriate responder terminal, characterized in that it consists of a mail sorting unit, provides an answer study system for e-mail from the user.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for responding to a question by an electronic mail from a user terminal connected to a network, wherein the fixed form of the question transmitted in response to a request from the user terminal is provided. A web server that holds a form, a plurality of categories indicating a question field having a hierarchical structure of large items and small items with respect to the question fixed form, and a category database server that stores in advance responders to questions belonging to these categories; Means for transmitting a fixed-form question form incorporating the plurality of categories in response to a request from a user, and receiving a large item, a small item, and a question item selected by the user terminal in the fixed-form question form transmitted by the means; Means and a category determined from the selected major and minor items in the category database Feed, characterized in that it consists of a mail sorting unit that transmits to the responder terminal corresponding examining the responder corresponding question, provide answers studied system for e-mail from the user.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the category is a field related to finance, securities or annuity, and the electronic category from the user according to any one of the fifth to ninth aspects. Provide a response examination system for e-mail.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, in a system for responding to an e-mail question from a user terminal connected to a network, data for determining a respondent from a category of a question made by a user is stored. A category database server that stores a plurality of categories that can be selected by a user terminal and persons who answer questions that belong to these categories, respectively.

[0017]

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

FIG. 1 shows an overall system according to an embodiment when the present invention is applied to customer service of financial products.

The Internet 11 is connected to an e-mail response examination system 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, user terminals 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d are provided.
Etc. are connected. These user terminals are personal computers (personal computers) that can be connected to the Internet, and mobile devices such as mobile phones and PHSs.

The answer examination system 12 includes a web server 14 for sending a standard mail form created in HTML in response to a request from a user terminal, a category such as a question field, predetermined items such as large items and small items, and A category database (DB) server 15 storing operators corresponding to those categories, and terminals 16A and 16B of operators in fields corresponding to categories of mails of a predetermined form sent from the user terminal via the Internet. , Sending mail to 16C
7 In this example, there are three respondents.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. If a user wants to ask a question about a financial product of a securities company, in FIG. 1, for example, the user terminal 13b is connected to the Internet 11, and the browsing software accesses the answer examination system 12 of the securities company connected to the Internet. .

Then, in step S11 of FIG. 2, a request is made to transmit a standard mail form for a question. This request is input to the web server 14 in the answer examination system 12. In response to this request, the web server 14 replies to the web server 14 in step S13 about the input items of the basic information and the categories of large items and small items related to questions and inquiries. In response to this, the web server 14 sends a fixed-form mail form in which the above category is embedded to the user terminal 13b in step S14.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a standard mail form transmitted to the user terminal in step S14.
As shown in FIG. 3, the form is a basic information input area 31a.
And a question content input area 31b. The basic information input area 31a has areas for entering a company name, a department, a name, an address, a telephone number, a fax number, and an e-MAIL address, respectively. Items in parentheses, such as company name and department, are optional input items. As will be described later, a question item category and specific contents of the question can be input to the question content input area 31b.

First, on the screen of the user terminal 13b, the user enters a company name, a department, a name,
An address, a telephone number, a fax number, and an e-MAIL address are input. After that, as shown in FIG. 4, in the category field 41 of the question content input area 31b, a large item is selected to roughly determine what kind of question the question is about.

Clicking on the black inverted triangle 42 at the right end of the category column 41 displays a pull-down menu to display all selectable categories, ie, large items: small items. One example of this category is shown in FIG.

The major items are defined contribution pension, investment theory,
There are financial products, ..., others, defined contribution pensions have small items such as personal pensions, corporate pensions and other general items, and investment theory has small items such as risk and return, asset allocation, portfolio, and diversification. There are investments and other general items, and financial products include small items such as stocks, deposits and savings, investment trusts, and other general items. The user selects, that is, clicks on the category most suitable for what he / she wants to ask among the categories displayed by the pull-down menu (step S15).

For example, when it is desired to select a financial product as a large item and select an investment trust as a small item, the user selects by clicking on the row indicated by 51 in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, "financial product: investment trust" is displayed in the column of the category of question content input, and then a specific question is entered in the column 61 of the text below.

In this example, the user inputs "I want to know the details of the MMF, so I would like you to mail the material or give me the address of the home page on which the material is posted". As described above, once the content of the question is input, the content of the question can be sent by clicking the send button 62 (step S1).
6).

The e-mail in which the category has been selected and the question has been entered in the fixed form sent from the user terminal is distributed to each respondent in the mail distribution unit 17 in the response examination system 12 (step S17).

At this time, the category responder table stored in the category DB server 15 is referred to which category is assigned to which operator. That is, in the category DB server 15, as shown in FIG. 7, the name of the response operator is determined for each of the large item and the small item of the category. The mail sorting unit 17 inquires the category DB server 15 of an operator corresponding to the category according to the category selected by the user in FIG.

Based on the answer, the mail distribution unit 17 distributes the mail to the three operators A, B, and C. In this case, if the “large item: small item” of the category is “financial product: investment trust”, the operator is the operator C as shown at 71 in FIG. The mail sorting unit 17 includes the user terminal 13
The question from b is distributed to the operator C terminal.

The operator C prepares an answer to the above-mentioned question from the user, and from the operator C terminal 16C,
Reply to the user terminal 13b by e-mail (step S
18).

In the above-described embodiment, the operator makes an answer using the terminal, but the answer may be made by another method such as a telephone.

By the way, when categories are displayed by a set of large items: small items as in the above embodiment, all categories can be displayed at once by a pull-down menu or the like, and there is an advantage that the user can select an appropriate category from among them. is there.

However, when there are a large number of large items and small items, if many categories are displayed at one time, there is a case where it is too many and which one should be selected. In such a case, a large item is displayed first, and after one of the large items is selected, the options in the large item can be displayed as small items.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a large item is displayed.
As shown in (a), individual-type pensions, company-type pensions, and the like, in which the major items are small items in the defined contribution pension, are displayed. When the investment theory is selected as a large item, next, as shown in FIG. 9B, the small items therein, such as risk and return, asset allocation, etc., are displayed. Similarly, when a financial product is selected as a major item, stocks, deposits and savings, investment trusts, and the like are displayed as minor items.
In this way, one category can be selected step by step in the order of large items and small items.

In this case, when a large item is selected, the fact is notified to the category DB server 15 in the answer examination system 12, and the small item included in the large item is sent to the user terminal. Should be displayed.

According to this embodiment of the present invention, there is an advantage that a user can easily select a category even when there are many large items and small items.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the category has two stages of the large item and the small item has been described. However, the category may be three stages so that there is a middle item between them.
Further, the number of stages may be four or more.

In the description of the above embodiment, the category relating to the question field has a hierarchical structure of large items and small items. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Also, the number of selected categories may be plural instead of one. In this case, the respondents may be given priorities or may be assigned to the respondents who have a good hand.

[0041]

As described above, according to the present invention,
This has the effect of efficiently distributing the questions from the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a flow of processing of a response examination method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of an input screen of a fixed-form question form input by a user terminal in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example in which a question is input halfway on an input screen of a fixed form input by a user terminal in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of a category pull-down menu according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example in which input has been completed on an input screen of a question fixed form input by a user terminal in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a table of categories and corresponding persons stored in a category DB server of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pull-down menu of a large item according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a pull-down menu of small items according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Description of Signs] 11: Internet, 12: Answer examination system, 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d: User terminal, 14: Web server, 15: Category D
B server, 16A ... operator A terminal, 16B ...
-Operator B terminal, 16C ... operator C terminal,
17 ... Email distribution unit.

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A method for answering a question by an electronic mail from a user terminal connected to a network, wherein any one of a plurality of categories indicating a field of the question can be selected by a request from the user terminal. Transmitting a question fixed form incorporated in the fixed form to the user as described above; and transmitting the information in which at least one of the categories is selected by the user and the question is described in the question fixed form transmitted by this step. Receiving, and examining the selected category from the information received in this step, and transmitting the questionnaire to a terminal of a person in charge according to the category, characterized in that it comprises: How to consider responses to email. 2. A method for answering a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, wherein a large item and a small item in each of the large items are hierarchically structured according to a request from the user terminal. Sending to the user a question fixed form incorporated in the fixed form so that any one of a plurality of categories indicating the field of the question can be selected; and Receiving at least one of the categories and receiving information describing the questionnaire; and examining the selected category from the information received at this step, and inquiring the terminal of a person in charge according to the category. And sending a response to the e-mail from the user. Debate. 3. A method for responding to a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, wherein a large item and a small item in each of the large items are integrated by a request from the user terminal. Transmitting to the user a question fixed form that is displayed and is incorporated into the fixed form so that any of a plurality of categories indicating the field of the question can be selected by selecting one of the questions; Receiving at least one of the categories selected by the user in the transmitted question-fixed form and describing the questionnaire; examining the selected category from the information received by this step; Transmitting the questionnaire to the terminal of the person in charge according to the request. How to consider responses to emails. 4. A method for responding to a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, the method comprising selecting one of large items indicating a field of the question according to a request from the user terminal. Sending to the user a question fixed form embedded in the fixed form so that any one of a plurality of fields can be selected; and transmitting at least one of the large items by the user to the question fixed form transmitted by this step. Receiving the selected information, transmitting a plurality of small items included in the large item selected by the step to the user terminal, selecting from the plurality of small items transmitted by the step Receiving the information including the sub-items and the question items in the fixed-form question form; and Checking the category from the selected large item and the small item from the received information, and transmitting the questionnaire to a terminal of a person in charge according to the category. Answer examination method. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the category is a field related to finance, securities, or pensions. 6. A system for answering a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, wherein any one of a plurality of categories indicating a field of the question can be selected by a request from the user terminal. Means for transmitting to the user a question fixed form incorporated in the fixed form as described above; and information in which at least one of the categories is selected by the user and the question is described in the question fixed form transmitted by the means. Receiving means, and checking the selected category from the information received by the means, and transmitting the questionnaire to a terminal of a person in charge according to the category. An answer examination system for e-mail. 7. A system for responding to a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, wherein a large item and a small item in each of the large items are hierarchically structured according to a request from the user terminal. Means for sending to the user a question fixed form incorporated in the fixed form so that any of a plurality of categories indicating the field of the question becomes selectable; and Means for receiving information in which at least one of the categories has been selected and the question item has been described, and the selected category is checked from the information received by the means, and the question is sent to a terminal of a person in charge corresponding to the category. A system for examining a reply to an e-mail from a user, comprising: means for transmitting a matter. 8. A system for answering a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, comprising: a web server holding a fixed form of a question to be transmitted in response to a request from the user terminal; A category database server that stores in advance a plurality of categories indicating the fields of questions and responders to questions belonging to these categories with respect to the question fixed form, and a question fixed form incorporating the plurality of categories in response to a request from the user. Means for transmitting a category and a question item selected by the user terminal in the question fixed form transmitted by this means, and sending the selected category received by this means to the category database, Examine the responder of the corresponding question and find the end of the responder Mail sorting, characterized in that it consists of a part, say study system for an electronic mail from a user to send to. 9. A system for responding to a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, comprising: a web server holding a fixed form of a question to be transmitted in response to a request from the user terminal; A plurality of categories indicating a question field having a hierarchical structure of large items and small items with respect to the question fixed form, and a category database server that stores in advance responders to questions belonging to these categories, and in response to a request from the user, Means for transmitting a fixed-form question form incorporating a plurality of categories; means for receiving a large item and a small item selected by the user terminal and a questionnaire in the fixed-form question form transmitted by the means; The category determined from the items and sub-items is sent to the category database, and the Characterized in that it consists of a mail sorting unit that transmits to the responder terminal applicable examined 応者 answer studied systems for e-mail from the user. 10. The system according to claim 5, wherein the category is a field related to finance, securities, or pensions. 11. A server for storing data for determining a responder from a category of a question asked by a user in a system for responding to a question by e-mail from a user terminal connected to a network, the server comprising: A category database server that stores a plurality of selectable categories and persons who answer questions belonging to these categories in association with each other.