A new directory assistance (DA)/mobile service launched this morning (1-800-Know-Now) that promises to allow users to ask any question. It has a distributed call-center model, which the company is building out (work at home). I asked:
- “Who won the Academy Awards for best picture last night?” (The Departed)
- “What’s the best sushi restaurant in NY city?”
In response to the first question, the operator knew because he’d read the NY Times this morning and could answer immediately. The response to the second question was more involved. He started looking on Google and then went to Citysearch (I asked) and would up giving me a personal recommendation (he was in NY).
I spoke informally with the operator, who was very nice. I asked him, “have they given you any guidelines for how long to stay on the call?” He admitted to me that they’re supposed to answer a single line of questioning and keep calls generally to under five minutes.
Ultimately the service will be ad supported. But until the company can get coverage or sufficient advertiser volumes, calls will be $1 (per call) to consumers.
The open-ended nature of the service and the ability to talk to a human (about any subject) are appealing features that potentially differentiate it from other DA services. But the question is the cost structure. InfreeDA died because it had the wrong cost structure. Jingle keeps calls at or under $.15 per contact.
A point I tried to make at the BofA technology conference I spoke at last week (mobile panel) was that these nouveau DA/free DA services are, for many, appealing alternatives to mobile search on a cell phone. Although their capabilities are more constrained, users already know how to use DA/411. In most respects and for many users, they’re easier than trying to use a mobile keypad and deal with some of the corresponding frustrations.
