JPH07210767A - Purchase deduction management device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the purchase deduction management device which prompts a customer to use a discount ticket while maintaining a customer service system. CONSTITUTION:This device is equipped with a host 4 which registers a discount amount corresponding to the amount of money of a purchase when a customer which bears a card 1 for customer discrimination information makes the purchase, an automatic ticket issuing machine 6 or ticket issuing printer 9 which issues a discount ticket for a specific amount according to a command when the cumulative amount of discount amounts by the discrimination information reaches a specific amount, a host 4 which retrieves the balance of unused issued discount tickets at every certain period and generates a balance list when there is the balance, and a urging information printer 10 which prints a balance report to the customer corresponding to the balance list.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a purchase discount management device for managing discount tickets issued to specific customers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in department stores, supermarkets, and other stores, a so-called "Friends 'Association" membership system has been established to provide preferential services to customers who are members of the Friends' Association.

As an example of such a service, when a customer who is a member of the friend's association buys a product, a discount voucher corresponding to the discount amount is issued on the same day or on the customer's desired day after the next day, and the product is purchased with the discount voucher. There is a system that allows This system is becoming more and more popular because it has a good reputation with customers, as compared with the case of discounts when purchasing products.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional discount ticket issuing system, there is a possibility that unused discount tickets may accumulate.

In particular, the customer may forget to use the discount ticket issued on or after the day after the purchase date. However, the current prize law prohibits the accumulation of discount amounts. Therefore, this discount ticket has a note that it will be used on the day of issue.

[0006] On the other hand, the customer may not know because the above-mentioned prize method is not common, and if the discount ticket is small or there is no product desired to be purchased, the discount ticket is collected and the total amount is collected. Sometimes you may want to use a discount voucher when you get a certain amount of money or when you want to purchase a product. In such a case, invalidating the discount coupons collected by the customer by clearly indicating the premium method will ruin the excellent customer service system.

The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and provides a purchase discount management device capable of urging a customer to use a discount ticket while maintaining the excellent customer service system. With the goal.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention registers a discount amount according to a purchase amount when a customer who holds a card of customer identification information purchases the same.
When the cumulative amount of discounts for each piece of identification information reaches a predetermined amount, a means for issuing a discount voucher of the predetermined amount according to a command and an unused remaining amount of the issued discount voucher are searched at regular intervals. When there is a balance, a means for creating a balance list and a means for printing a balance notice for the customer according to the balance list are provided.

[0009]

Therefore, according to the present invention, it becomes possible to encourage the customer who considers the prize method to use the discount ticket while maintaining the excellent customer service system.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of a purchase discount management device of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a friend's association membership card (hereinafter simply referred to as “card”), and this card 1 is engraved with customer identification information such as a member's name and membership number (as shown in FIG. 2). ing.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a POS register, which, when a member presents the card 1 and makes a payment, inputs customer identification information and issues a receipt. Reference numeral 3 is a POS management computer connected to the POS register 2, and temporarily stores the discount amount and the member number, which are the customer identification information from the POS register 2. Reference numeral 4 denotes a host computer (hereinafter, simply referred to as "host"), which controls the entire system. The host 4 and the POS management computer 3 are connected by a dedicated communication line via the modem 5,
It communicates at a communication speed of 9600 bps. And POS
The customer identification information temporarily stored in the management computer 3 is registered in the memory 41 of the host 4.

An unattended automatic ticket issuing machine 6 issues a discount ticket, and is connected to the host 4 via the modem 5 by a dedicated communication line having a communication speed of 2400 bps. When the member inserts the card 1 into the automatic ticket issuing machine 6 after purchasing the product,
It is checked with the customer identification information registered in the host 4, and if it matches, a discount voucher 7 called "special discount coupon" is issued. That is, the automatic ticket issuing machine 6 constitutes an unattended ticket issuing machine.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a service counter terminal (hereinafter referred to as "terminal") operated by an operator, which is connected to the host 4 via the modem 5 by a dedicated communication line having a communication speed of 4800 bps. A ticket issuing printer 9 prints a discount ticket and is connected to the terminal 8. When the member hands over the card 1 after purchasing the product, it is collated with the customer identification information registered in the host 4 by the operation of the operator, and if it agrees, the ticket issuing printer 9 is caused to issue the discount ticket 7. That is, the terminal 8 constitutes a manned ticket issuing machine.
A reminder notice printer 10 prints a reminder notice postcard (which will be described later) according to a command from the host 4.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the discount ticket 7.
FIG. 3A shows a 500-yen discount coupon issued by the automatic ticket issuing machine 6, and FIG. 3B shows a 100-yen discount ticket issued by the service counter.

Next, the operation of the purchase discount management device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the discount ticket issuing process executed by the host 4. In this flowchart, the service counter terminal 8 or the automatic ticket issuing machine 6
It is determined whether or not the card 1 has been input to (step S11). If there is a card input, it is determined whether or not it is a card input from the service counter terminal 8 (step S12). If it is the service counter terminal 8, the memory 41 is searched and the member number registered when the sales are generated. Then, it is determined whether or not they match with each other (step S13). If the verification results match, a discount ticket issuance command is transmitted to the service counter terminal 8 (step S14). According to the received command, a predetermined number of 100-yen discount coupons are issued from the ticket-issuing printer 9 by the operator's operation.

If the card is not input from the service counter terminal 8 in step S12, it is determined whether the card is input from the automatic ticket issuing machine 6 (step S1).
5) In the case of the automatic ticket issuing machine 6, similarly, the memory 4
1 is searched, and it is determined whether or not they match with the data such as the member number registered when the sales occur (step S16). If the collation results match, the discount ticket issuing command is transmitted to the automatic ticket issuing machine 6 (step S1).
7). Upon receipt of this command, the automatic ticket issuing machine 6 issues a predetermined number of 500-yen discount coupons.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an operation for promptly prompting the member to use discount coupons when the discount coupons are accumulated. In this flowchart, it is timely determined whether or not a card is read (step S21). This is a process in which the member inserts the card 1 into the automatic ticket issuing machine 6 or requests the operator of the service counter to know the cumulative amount of discount tickets, that is, the total balance of the discount amount registered in the host 4. is there.

If the card is not read, it is determined whether or not a fixed period has passed, in this case, the end of the month (step S22). If it is the end of the month, each member is searched for each customer balance (step S23), and it is determined whether there is a balance (step S24). If there is a balance, a list is created (step S25), and the reminder notice printer 10 is instructed to print a reminder notice postcard to promptly use the accumulated discount ticket (step S2).
6) Then, the reminder notification routine ends.

If the card is read in step S21, it is determined whether or not the member has a balance (step S27). If the member has a balance, the automatic ticket issuing machine 6 is used.
Alternatively, the service counter terminal 8 is instructed to promptly use the accumulated discount vouchers for use (step S28). Further, it is determined whether or not there is an instruction to print the details of the displayed contents according to the wishes of the member (step S29), and if there is an instruction, a command is issued to print the reminder statement (step S3).
0), the reminder notification routine ends.

If it is not the end of the month in step S22,
If there is no balance in steps S24 and S27, and if there is no print instruction in step S29, the reminder notification routine is ended as it is.

In addition, postcards are printed at step S26 to all members, and when notifying the contents of event information, product information, etc., the discount accumulated only for members with a balance. It is also possible to give a notification that the ticket will be used promptly.

FIG. 6 is an example of a statement “use receipt” printed by the automatic ticket issuing machine 6. FIG. 6A is a detailed description of copying two sheets, which is a copy of the member and the store. The balance is printed on the portion A as "remaining preferential treatment amount". FIG. 6B is a single-table specification and is a copy for members only. However, the cost can be reduced as compared with the case of copying two sheets.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a receipt given to a customer who is a member who is shopping and presents a card. The characteristic of this receipt is that between the portion A on which the purchase date and the like are printed and the portion C on which the purchase amount and the like are printed, there is a portion B in which the member number, the purchase item, and the special discount amount are printed. That is. Usually, the part that prints out that the membership number, purchased item, and special discount amount are registered is
Do it at the end of the receipt. However, if it is printed at the end, it may be used for crime.

For example, even if fraud does not occur inside the store, special sales may be performed outside the store, such as outdoors, and it is not always the case that only regular store employees are in charge of the cash register. In such a case, it is possible for an outsider who is familiar with this system to give a receipt with the last part cut off to the member who forgets to show the card and register the special discount with his or her card. Become.

However, according to the receipt printing format shown in FIG. 7, such an unexpected crime can be prevented.

Although the above embodiment is the system of the purchase discount management device constructed according to the present premium method, the premium method may be revised in the future. For example, the prohibition of accumulating discount amounts may be relaxed.
Therefore, in the above embodiment, the operation program of the host 4 is created in preparation for such a case. That is,
It is possible to deal with the revision of the law by making a slight program change, such as simply changing “use prompt” to “notice”.

[0029]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a purchase discount management device capable of urging a customer to use a discount ticket while maintaining the conventional excellent customer service system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a purchase discount management device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a membership card of a friend club.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a discount ticket 7.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a discount ticket issuing process executed by a host 4.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an operation for performing a reminder notification executed by the host 4.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a statement printed by the automatic ticket issuing machine 6;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a receipt when a member is shopping and presents a card.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Membership Card 2 POS Register 4 Host Computer 6 Automatic Ticketing Machine 7 Discount Ticket 8 Service Counter Terminal 9 Ticketing Printer 10 Reminder Printer

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] July 4, 1994

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0021

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

If the card is read in step S21, it is determined whether or not the member has a balance (step S27). If the member has a balance, the automatic ticket issuing machine 6 is used.
Alternatively, the service counter terminal 8 is instructed to promptly use the accumulated discount vouchers for use (step S28). Further, it is determined whether or not there is an instruction to print the details of the displayed contents according to the wishes of the member (step S29), and if there is an instruction, a command is issued to print the reminder details on a postcard (step S29).
30), the reminder notification routine ends.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. When a customer who holds a card of customer identification information purchases a discount amount according to the purchase amount, and when the accumulated amount of discount amount for each identification information reaches a predetermined amount, A means for issuing a discount voucher of a predetermined amount in accordance with a command, a means for searching the unused balance of the issued discount voucher at regular intervals, and a balance list when there is a balance, and a means for creating the balance list. A means for printing a balance notice for the customer according to the purchase discount management apparatus.