51–60 of 65 posts
"Please be sure to spend some time practicing before you call - make sure the message is enthusiastic, /sincere/ and emotionally connected!" (my italics)
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Which would get him an hourly wage between $30 (about $6,200 per month) and $60 (about $11,300 per month), depending on the mix of plans people signed up for. Oh, you have to subtract the cost of the calls which are probably negligible – I guess something like $50 or so for a flat rate. He could hire some poor student who makes some calls and pay minimum wage (about $1,600 per month for all the current calls, there a…
Honestly, I'm tempted by this job. It sounds awesome.
Somewhat off-topic, but very related: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao
On the surface, I would say this idea would fail - I don't like it since it seems trivial.
However, I'm not the target customer segment so my opinion doesn't matter. As Peter Drucker says: "you don't define what is value, your customers do". The only way to figure this out is by releasing and shipping products.
The true test will be the # of reoccurring purchases for the service.
You need to sell this service to Foxconn! Imagine how many suicides you could prevent!
What a weird creepy service. Only in America...
Seriously, who buys something like this? Even as a joke it's weak and drags on for at least a month. I can imagine it's not funny anymore after several days. Like canned laughter.
At first it was kind of amusing. Absolutely did not have any affect of making me feel positive or awesome. More of a 'ha ha check out this wacky service' conversation topic than anything.
After a week it started to get old very quickly. I started to avoid answering when that 'UNKNOWN' number called in, preferring to receive my false affirmations via voicemail. There is an interesting/creepy dynamic in that I am having the same people call every day and forming these unspoken "yes we know each other" type relationships.
The one thing that has helped me enjoy the service again in the last week is that they hired some female callers. I know that these calls are just a service, but there is some deeply hardwired circuits in my lizard brain that make a cute girly voice insincerely saying "You're awesome!" make me feel much better than a guy doing it. Not "Oh my day is great now!" better, but it at least makes me smile and feel good for a moment. Evolutionary heritage at work.
All in all it was fun, but I won't renew for another month. I do feel good about trying it out rather than just passing armchair judgement about whether or not it would actually be enjoyable.
Somewhat off-topic, but very related: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao
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Wouldn't this get old real quick? Like after one message.
To be fair. The current concept would appear to have this flaw as well.
They could send MMS with audio attachments instead.
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I disagree entirely. "make them feel loved." Having some stranger cold call me and read a script at me isn't going to make me feel loved. It's going to make me pissed off and hang up the phone. But OTOH I'm British - we don't go for the smarmy at all. Sure, there's a market for this, just like there's a large market for horoscopes. But at the end of the day, it, just like horoscopes, is preying on the stupid.
But at the end of the day, it, just like horoscopes, is preying on the stupid. Okay, I take issue with that. It actually pisses me off. Unlike horoscopes you are not led to think you'll receive something which is not actually delivered. This is a legitimate product which delivers fully on what is sold. Enjoying a positive, potentially humorous daily event does not make people like "Holly" or "Logan" from the sample p…
[9/10/10 11:49:44 AM] Awesomeness Reminders: hola mi amigo
[9/10/10 11:50:24 AM] Awesomeness Reminders: customer 463...AHHHHmazing..what a story
[9/10/10 11:50:49 AM] Zachary Burt: oh yeah?
[9/10/10 11:51:30 AM] Awesomeness Reminders: when i called yesterday she was at the hospital visiting her neice who has leukemia. she promptly handed the phone over and i was able to tell this kid that she is amazing
[9/10/10 11:51:39 AM] Zachary Burt: oh my god
[9/10/10 11:51:42 AM] Awesomeness Reminders: and awesome
[9/10/10 11:51:47 AM] Awesomeness Reminders: and a fighter
[9/10/10 11:51:56 AM] Awesomeness Reminders: i cried all freakin' night....
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probably better knowing he didn't pay for the compliment :)
How do you know somebody didn't pay me to do that?
But if I started receiving calls from random strangers telling me I'm awesome I'd probably be inclined to doubt the callers were motivated by sincere belief in my awesomeness. Actually I'd probably be saddened to think the only compliments I was getting were from people paid to do it, or concerned that someone, somewhere, was probably secretly laughing at me.
Zack, if you fancy pivoting I'd be more likely to pay to listen to the funniest responses you get :-p