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Specifically, we want the service to handle both a) where is x? and b) what do I need to accomplish y or to make z?
http://www.helpping.co/
You're lost in the store, but there's a "magic" button in front of you.
Would you use it?
A lot of stores already have this "magic" button. It simply pages an employee and brings them to you. And yes, I would use it.
Have you used the current solutions? What did you think of them?
I would get rid of your use of "OnStar".
What do you think about the "Instant Chat" analogy?
I like the "chat" aspect especially since (on the backend) it could be taken care of with machine learning & automation. Most of the time looking for a store employee I just want to know what aisle product X is in.
As a third party service for smaller stores and a white label solution for larger chains, it sounds like a nice business model.
There's no app/service for this already? This is a pretty good idea. I like the "chat" aspect especially since (on the backend) it could be taken care of with machine learning & automation. Most of the time looking for a store employee I just want to know what aisle product X is in. As a third party service for smaller stores and a white label solution for larger chains, it sounds like a nice business model.
But, in our early tests, what we found is that shoppers quickly move from "where is x?" to "what do I need for y?"
Our general hypothesis is that you need both machine learning / automation + human agent to create enough value for the shopper that they want to come back
What's HN's thoughts on this?
Should we keep searching for users for whom this is "a hair on fire" problem? or, try to find a different related problem that's more painful (for more people)?
There's no app/service for this already? This is a pretty good idea. I like the "chat" aspect especially since (on the backend) it could be taken care of with machine learning & automation. Most of the time looking for a store employee I just want to know what aisle product X is in. As a third party service for smaller stores and a white label solution for larger chains, it sounds like a nice business model.
There are apps that handle different parts of this, e.g. Aisle411 for product location, AisleFinder, etc. But, in our early tests, what we found is that shoppers quickly move from "where is x?" to "what do I need for y?" Our general hypothesis is that you need both machine learning / automation + human agent to create enough value for the shopper that they want to come back
I figured that would be the case. I imagine that there would be a "HelpPing administrator" (similar to live chat support on websites) that could a) jump in to assist on more complex questions and b) assist in mapping those complex questions into the system algo?
I like the idea. Get out there and do it. I hope, though, that the button isn't gonna look like the "easy button" from Staples ;)
Edit: Also, check patents and/or patent asap
Yes, it's a problem, but it's along the lines of my microwave getting dirty over time, or needing to fill a car tire occasionally. I don't need or care about a service that only cleans microwaves or only fills tires.
If you want to improve on brick-and-morter, feet-in-the-store retail problems, why not, say, show me a big pinterest-style list of everything in every grocery store around me? That would save me some time instead of perusing up and down aisles and not being sure whether I should visit that farmer's market that sometimes has interesting stuff.