1. Describe the problem:
I'm a commercial photographer with 8 years of experience. I shoot important life events: Christenings, Church Weddings, Birthdays, Newborn Hospital Discharges. About 20–30% of my potential clients prefer to contact me by phone (possibly even more). During the high season (summer), this is about 5–10 calls per month; in winter, it's 1–2 per month.
But I don't pick up the phone.
Why? Because over the last 3–4 years, the number of spam calls has increased so much that I receive 3–5 unwanted calls per day. I simply stopped answering unknown numbers. This protects me from spam, but it also cuts off real clients.
I tried a solution — and it failed.
A few years ago, I set up a voice assistant. It answered calls and asked what message to pass on. But clients don't want to talk to a robot. It's important for them to hear a real person because it's about trust. They are planning an important event and want to be sure that I am someone they can trust with their photography. In 99% of cases, after speaking with the assistant, they simply hang up and don't call back.
Adding to all this, I'm an introvert, and psychologically, communicating by phone is more difficult for me than texting. But that's not the main issue. I'm willing to talk to clients. The main problem is spam and the lack of a tool that filters calls without scaring away real people at the same time.
But I don't pick up the phone.
Why? Because over the last 3–4 years, the number of spam calls has increased so much that I receive 3–5 unwanted calls per day. I simply stopped answering unknown numbers. This protects me from spam, but it also cuts off real clients.
I tried a solution — and it failed.
A few years ago, I set up a voice assistant. It answered calls and asked what message to pass on. But clients don't want to talk to a robot. It's important for them to hear a real person because it's about trust. They are planning an important event and want to be sure that I am someone they can trust with their photography. In 99% of cases, after speaking with the assistant, they simply hang up and don't call back.
Adding to all this, I'm an introvert, and psychologically, communicating by phone is more difficult for me than texting. But that's not the main issue. I'm willing to talk to clients. The main problem is spam and the lack of a tool that filters calls without scaring away real people at the same time.
2. How often does the problem occur?
Every time a potential client calls. In summer — up to 10 times a month. In winter — 1–2 times a month. The problem is systemic and has been recurring for years.
3. What attempts have you made to solve the problem?
- Voice assistant (standard): Clients don't want to talk to it. It sounds like a robot, doesn't inspire trust, can't answer simple questions, and certainly can't book a shoot.
- Ignoring calls: I'm losing clients.
- Manual answering: Checking every time whether it's spam or not takes time and nerves. After 3–5 spam calls in a row, you just stop picking up.
4. How much are you willing to pay for the solution?
I am willing to pay $6–10 (about 500–800 rubles) for each booked client that the AI agent successfully schedules for a shoot.
A monthly subscription is not beneficial for me because I have few clients in winter and many in summer. Pay-per-result is the ideal model for my business.
What is needed (as I envision it):
Such a tool would help me win back the 20–30% of clients I'm currently losing and free me from the daily battle with spam.
A monthly subscription is not beneficial for me because I have few clients in winter and many in summer. Pay-per-result is the ideal model for my business.
What is needed (as I envision it):
- An AI agent that sounds like me. Not a faceless robot, but a warm, natural voice, completely similar to mine. The client should think they are talking to me.
- Integration with the calendar (iPhone). The agent can see my available dates and can immediately offer the client a time and book them in.
- Ability to answer basic questions: cost of the shoot, duration, what's included in the service.
- Automatic creation of an event in the calendar after confirmation.
Such a tool would help me win back the 20–30% of clients I'm currently losing and free me from the daily battle with spam.
5. Problem author:
The author of this problem has indicated that they are ready to provide feedback to the developers and want to receive 1% equity in the startup that will build a ready-made solution. You can contact the author directly via the contacts above.