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Ask HN: Is There a Market for a "Phone-Only" VA Proxy?

2•ibogunov•59m ago
There exists pure technical solutions like "hold the call" & Virtual Assistants solutions (subscribe for remote worker for 500$/month).

I’m thinking about building a service specifically for Phone Tasks, distinct from the general "Virtual Assistant" market.

The Problem with the Current Options:

* OS Features (Apple "Hold Assist"/Pixel "Hold for Me"): Great for holding, but they fail the "Dead Air" test. Agents hang up on silence/bots. They also can't execute complex tasks (negotiating, scheduling).

* General VAs (Wishup/Magic/Upwork): The model is "Hire a person for 15-35$/hour.". This is overkill if you just need one specific, high-friction call made. The onboarding friction (interviews, contracts) is too high for a transactional task.

The pain: High-earners don't want another employee to manage. They want a "Button"/tool that solves a specific headache.

The Solution: "Solve For Me " (Phone Only)

Not a General VA (so it can be semi-automated later). We don't manage your email, travel, or groceries. We only do one thing: Interact with the Analog Phone System.

Task-Based: You don't pay us to "work for an hour." You pay per outcome (e.g., "Appointment Booked," "Subscription Canceled," "Discount Applied").

Specialized Stack: Unlike a VA using their personal cell, we use masked numbers, call recording (for evidence), and persistent redialing.

Low-Trust First: We are starting with "External Actions" (finding mechanics, canceling gyms, negotiating bills) where we don't need your SSN/sensitive data.

I’d love to hear the community’s thoughts on these questions:

1. The "Unbundling" Thesis: Do you believe a "Phone Specialist" is distinct enough from a "General VA" to warrant a separate service? Or is the friction of using a separate tool too high?

2. The "Dead Air" Problem: For those who use Pixel's "Hold For Me," how often do agents actually hang up on the bot? Is this a pain point you experience?

3. Pricing Psychology: Would you prefer a flat fee per task (e.g., $25 to cancel Comcast) or a monthly "insurance" subscription (e.g., $50/mo for unlimited calls)?

I am manually testing this workflow this week (Scheduling mechanics, canceling subs, disputing bills? - not sure if possible without sensitive data).

If you have a call you've been avoiding and want to test the service: I’ll handle it for you. I don't want payment. If I succeed, I just ask that you donate $1 to a charity of your choice (or leave a comment here with a review). Use this google form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScechDHb0zzREtPajBC-k-OZjdwbPHn6igKw91rutSoGwKj8Q/viewform?usp=dialog

Looking forward to the discussion.

Edit (i suck at fortmatting on HN)

Comments

skvmb•41m ago
I'd pay for something like this. Not for like talking to my attorneys or related, but I would definitely use this to call my ex and tell her that I'm taking her to court, scheduling appointments (which would need sensitive info), checking inventory of nearby distributors, ordering carryout, and more than what I can think of right now.

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