TalkTo

Spring Forward with a Text Back

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 11:43:00 -0400

Ah, spring. A time of new beginnings. Warm weather, blooming flowers, and the start of baseball season. Even if the ground is still covered in snow (we feel for you, New England!), the beginning of spring provides an opportunity to start anew.

What better way to start spring than to engage in some spring cleaning? Whether it would do you good to switch out your winter wardrobe, scrub down the kitchen floor (or hire a cleaning service…), or even plant a garden all your own, TalkTo is here to help.

Clothing stores are stocked with spring clothes already, so text your favorite to see if they have warm weather outfits or a swimsuit in your size.
Does your apartment look like it survived a dust storm? Text a local cleaning service to arrange for a little outsourced spring cleaning.
Want to renew your devotion to that New Year’s Resolution and eat healthier? It’s time to start planting if you want to grow some veggies of your own. Text around and see who has the seeds and gardening supplies you need to get started this weekend.

These and other spring chores can be done with texts from TalkTo, and you’ll feel fresh, renewed, and ready to face the rest of 2013 head-on.

So go ahead, don’t wait any longer! It’s time to spring into action.

Girl's Night Out

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:38:00 -0400

It’s happening again.

Maybe your boyfriend has just spent too much time discussing Wes Welker’s move to Denver, or you just can’t listen to your kids talk about the virtues of Minecraft anymore. What you need is a night out. A night to talk about anything else, like why on earth Taylor Swift would pick a fight with Amy Pohler and Tina Fey.

But girls’ nights out aren’t easy to coordinate. Where do you go? What if an extra friend unexpectedly shows up… Or someone can’t make it at the last minute? And, of course, what to wear?

TalkTo has you covered. Text some of your favorite restaurants to find out what reservations are available and whether they can be flexible on party size. Shoot a text to your pub of choice to make sure your favorite Malbec is available.

No one wants to show up to a date with her girlfriends with her roots showing. Use TalkTo to grab that long overdue hair appointment. Need something to wear? Check on in stock sizes and colors with a few texts.

Once you do finally get out on the town with the girls, please put the phone away. You deserve it!

You Are What You Text

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 09:44:00 -0500

If you’re anything like us, your New Year’s Resolution went out the window, oh… about a month ago. But with swimsuit season in the near future, it’s time to get back up on that horse. There’s also another reason to shape up: March is National Nutrition Month.

Eating well, and getting the right ingredients, can be time consuming. What was the name of that fish you bought and enjoyed last week on the fish man’s suggestion? Send Whole Foods a quick text to jog your memory. Looking for your favorite fusilli pasta, but made with whole wheat instead? Text a few grocery stores in your area to find out who stocks it. Try texting your favorite lunch spot to see what salads they have on the menu – dressing on the side, please.

Don’t stop at nutrition. It’s also time to revisit those fitness goals. Want to know when spin classes are scheduled at your gym? Shoot them a text with TalkTo. Text city hall to find community fitness programs in your area. Send a text to register for that yoga class you’ve finally been meaning to get to. Text the shoe store to see if that new pair of running shoes you’ve been eyeing are available in your size.

Gear up. Game on.

March’s Winter Wonderland

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:58:00 -0500

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that the dog days of winter throughout March can be tough. The pretty, white majestic snow starts to look a shade closer to dirt, and being “snuggled” inside the house all day has lost its charm as cabin fever sets in. At TalkTo, we argue that the best cure for the winter blues is to head into the great wild to recapture some of that December joy. After all, snow is a limited commodity and you can’t very well strap on your skis in July.

Planning a winter sports trip can be an expensive hassle, but – lucky for you – TalkTo is perfectly equipped to handle all of your equipment. Text your favorite rental shop from here to Killington to find the best deals on rental boards and boots. Curious about the conditions? Go ahead and text the mountain operator to figure out which black diamond you’ll be swooshing down soon. Make sure to text the mountain retailer for the cost of helmets – nothing ruins a ski trip like a journey to the hospital.

Once your activities are squared away, you’ll need a nice lodge to cozy up in. Text to find a room, and while you’re at maybe you’ll want to arrange a nice bottle of icy champagne upon arrival? Shoot an under-the-radar text to your hotel concierge on the journey up.

See you on the slopes.

Lights, camera, action!

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:43:00 -0500

And the winner is…

TalkTo!

No, sadly, we’re not nominated for an Oscar this year. But, happily, many of this year’s greatest movies are, including Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, and Zero Dark Thirty. The Oscar bash is one of the great joys of the Academy Awards, and TalkTo has you covered for everything you need to ensure your party doesn’t accidentally look like a recreation of Les Miserables.

Have you heard the people sing? You can’t very well accurately fill out your ballot if you haven’t seen all the movies. TalkTo can help you text movie theaters for those last-minute show times. Do your best Rachel Zoe impression and text stores to determine what their stocks of red carpet-worthy gowns look like. Text your favorite restaurant for that perfect appetizer recipe to get your attendees heralding you as best leader since Lincoln..

Don’t worry if your favorite movie didn’t win. The silver lining is that there’s always next year. In the meantime, use TalkTo to text your watering hole to ensure they’ve got your favorite whiskey and an open seat.

Be a Holiday Hero

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:48:25 -0500

Ruh-roh.

Did the droopy, over-priced flowers you grabbed at the last minute fail to impress? How about the sexy “silk” boxers acquired in a moment of unclear thinking?

Ah, Valentine’s Day. We’ve all suffered the aftermath of plans gone awry: forgotten dinner reservations, a complete lack of chocolate, and the missing flowers while the deliveries came in for all your sweetie’s coworkers.

Never again! Next holiday, things will be different. Next time, you’ll use TalkTo and get it all done quickly and easily with text messages.

Grab that reservation at your favorite restaurant while still sitting in your meeting. Don’t argue with the florist over the cost of a dozen long-stemmed roses, text each flower shop in your neighborhood to find the best deal. Don’t worry if the perfect gift is going to be in stock, text the store to make sure what you want is there – and in the right size – before sneaking out of the house.

Here’s to happier holidays in 2013! Purim, St. Patrick’s Day, Passover and Easter will be here before you know it. Get texting!

Heading South?

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 12:13:18 -0500

It’s that time of year when everyone is sick of Winter. Two of our own TalkTo employees are heading to warmer climates this week to get a break from the snow and ice.

As exciting as it is to head towards the equator - traveling can still be stressful. There are the long lines at security, concerns about remembering to pack everything, and the lingering suspicion that you left the space heater running. Not to mention the endless possibilities for mini disasters - What if my plane is delayed? Or my rental car was handed out to someone else? Or my hotel reservation wasn’t properly processed?

Enter: TalkTo. Texting businesses is always handy, but especially so when traveling. Is your flight delayed while you are left to starve out on the tarmac? Send a text to find out what time the In & Out Burger at your destination closes. Forget your iPhone charger? Text the hotel to see if they can arrange for a loaner. Finally going to indulge in your daydreams of hanging 10 on Waikiki Beach? Text surf shops to find instructors.

Hopefully TalkTo can make your winter travels a little less stressful this year. Surf’s up!

Hold On, I'm On Hold

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:50:00 -0500

Hate being stuck on hold listening to muzak and Kenny G?

You’re not alone. More than 85% of people are put on hold every time they call a business. We discovered this when we commissioned a survey of 500 consumers.

The sad truth is we are growing old on hold. Check out these crazy stats: Half of respondents spend 10-20 minutes per week on hold. That adds up to 13 hours per year and 43 days spent on hold in a lifetime! And as if waiting on hold wasn’t bad enough, nearly 50% say that calling businesses is unproductive because the people on the other end aren’t helpful when they do answer.

There has to be a better way to get answers from businesses.

And there is, it’s TalkTo. Texting is the universal mode that consumers prefer. More than 61% of people in their 20s and 35% of people in their 30s send more than 50 text messages per week! Even 25% of people in their 40s send between 26-50 texts per week.

Below is an infographic illustrating just how frustrating it can be to wait on hold. Want to let un know what you think about it? Just send us a text with TalkTo.

Buh-bye, Kenny G.

Embed this graphic on your own site:

<div><a href="http://blog.talkto.com/post/41221909391/on-hold-survey"><img src="http://taltko-blog.s3.amazonaws.com/on-hold-survey-infographic.jpg" alt="Don't Grow Old On Hold"></a></div>

Talking To Strangers

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 21:19:00 -0500

“If you don’t like the news, go out and make some of your own.” - Wes Nisker

We’ve spent time recently talking to the press, and have received some wonderful recognition as a result. We’re proud to be named one of Mashable’s 25 Standout Apps of 2012. Media attention like this helps us spread our message that TalkTo can make your life easier by allowing you to text any business in the U.S.

We’re looking forward to a bright and shiny new year with more news, more new TalkTo users, and more buzz. Here’s some of our favorite recent coverage:

Mashable, “25 Standout Apps from 2012”: December 3, 2012

“TalkTo allows you to text businesses and get a direct reply from the location nearest you, without the fuss and discomfort of making a call. Don’t get stuck waiting on hold; just shoot off a text while you’re eating dinner, studying, getting a haircut or whatever. Suddenly, businesses are easier to… TalkTo.”

LifeHacker, “TalkTo Lets You Text Message Businesses So You Don’t Have to Call Them”: November 13, 2012

“TalkTo works in the background to find the best way to contact the business with your message, delivering it by chat, SMS, email, or by phone if necessary. Then it sends you a text response. In this way, it kind of acts like a virtual assistant.”

Momprenuer Mogul, “Get more things done by texting and say goodbye to phone calls with TalkTo”: November 14, 2012

“The possibilities are endless regarding the multitude of ways that TalkTo can simply your life and help you get in touch with the businesses and products that you love most.”

Reuters, “Forget phoning a business, new app sends a text instead”: November 19, 2012

“Texting a business is similar to texting a friend. Users simply start typing the business name and then select it from a directory that includes tens of millions of businesses.”

TechCrunch, “Disrupt Finalist TalkTo Brings Its SMS-Based Communication Platform To The Web”: November 13, 2012

“The first time you get a text response after typing a question into a search result, you’ll understand the power of the platform.”

Free Times: “APP OF THE MONTH: TALKTO”: December 3, 2012

“Search for a business, type your message, and a few minutes later you’ll get back a response. Magic. That’s it. Get answers, don’t waste time on the phone, get on with your life (this should be their slogan).”

Resolve to Spend Less Time on Hold

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 05:41:00 -0500

With all the talk this week of New Year’s Resolutions, we’re eager to join in. We’ve decided on the following company resolutions for TalkTo:

We resolve that “your call is important to us” will never be heard again by our customers.
We resolve to kill the phone tree.
We resolve to rid the world of smooth jazz.
We resolve to bankrupt Kenny G.

Please let us know how we’re doing on these resolutions. We love hearing from TalkTo customers, so send us a text. Heck, send any business a text with TalkTo!

Resolution Execution

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 07:44:00 -0500

It’s a new year, and time for a resolution - right? With all the ads, headlines and discounted gym memberships, you’ll be tempted to make a New Year’s resolution, but unfortunately, most resolutions are quickly forgotten.

We hope this year will be different for you, and we want TalkTo to help. Use TalkTo to take an easy first step on your resolution. If you give your resolution a little burst of forward momentum, it has a better chance of picking up steam and sticking.

How can TalkTo help you kickstart your resolution? Use TalkTo text the yoga studio near you to find out when a beginner’s class starts. Send a text to see if CVS has the stop-smoking gum you’ve heard doesn’t taste terrible. There’s a yarn shop around the corner, but you’re not sure if they have knitting classes? Yeah, you can text them, too!

If you’re looking to start a new resolution, TalkTo can help you make it happen. Send a text and get on with your day, knowing that the first step in making your resolution happen is already under way.

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Hipster Neighborhood

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 17:47:00 -0500

Forbes posted a list of “America’s Hippest Hipster Neighborhoods,” which included places like Downtown Portland, Maine, the Warehouse District in New Orleans, and a neighborhood not too far from our office; Allston-Brighton in Boston.

What all these neighborhoods have in common is an abundance of live music, coffee bars, galleries, boutiques and some of the best microbrews around. Even if you don’t consider yourself part of this “hipster” crowd, these neighborhoods are still a great place to hang out on the weekends. But, they can be pretty busy.

So how can you avoid the crowds and still enjoy the best these neighborhoods have to offer? Consider texting the places you plan to visit to make your plans ahead of time.

Use TalkTo to text for reservations and appointments, to find gifts and products you’re looking for, and to make sure the places you want to visit are open when you want them to be.

Here are some ideas to make your planning easier:

Text for a cab: Pick up at 9 a.m. please!
Text the local bar: Who’s playing tonight? Do you have the fall microbrew on tap?
Text the florist: Can you make up a special bouquet? I’ll be there at noon.
Text the art gallery: What artist are you showing this weekend?
Text the local shop: Do you sell handmade linens?

You could ask all these questions without making a single call, and you’d have answers a few minutes later. Ditch the phone calls, and enjoy the neighborhood!

End of Days

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 11:35:00 -0500

You’ve heard the chatter. The Mayans forecast today to be the end of the world.

It’s late, but there’s still hope. You can use TalkTo to text local businesses for the supplies you’ll need to survive. With TalkTo you text any business in the United States and they’ll respond.

So what businesses should you text? The first thing you need is safe air so text your local Army Surplus store and ask them if they have a gas mask.

Next, you’ll need shelter. TalkTo Atlas Survival Shelters to get the price on a nuclear fallout shelter.

Now that you’re breathing safe and chilling in your layer, let’s talk water and food.

Normally, you could text your favorite pizza place and have them deliver you a pie and soda, but those are luxuries of the industrialized world. TalkTo REI about a handpump, water purification pills and water bottles.

You need enough food to survive while honing your hunting, gathering and fishing skills. TalkTo your local grocery store and see if they have cases of ramen you can pick up.

You’ll also need some tools. Text your local hardware store and ask them to hold you a Leatherman knife, Maglite flashlight, and a headlamp.

Good luck and TalkTo you on the other side.

Tickle Me TalkTo

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 08:07:00 -0500

There’s a hit toy every holiday season. Remember Tickle Me Elmo? In holidays past, it was Cabbage Patch Dolls, Transformers, Furbys, Tamagotchis, and, of course, Tickle Me Elmos. This year, it’s the Wii U.

Just as there is always a hit holiday toy, there are always the parents who are stuck having to buy it. For parents, this year’s holiday secret is TalkTo. Mom and Dad can use TalkTo to text any store.

Say goodbye to the holiday tradition of driving all over town trying to find a store that has this year’s hit. Knowing it’s in stock before you go? If that’s not a great gift, we don’t know what is.

(click here to view)

Joe Liccar
The Examiner- Gatehouse News …
Dec 26, 2006

EditorialCartoonists.com

Hello, texting. 20 looks good on you.

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:11:00 -0500

That’s right. Everybody’s favorite way to talk just turned twenty this week. The first SMS was sent on Dec. 3, 1992 when Neil Papworth sent the message “Merry Christmas”. Nothing’s been the same ever since. For most people, texting is now preferred to calling, which is why we created TalkTo.

We know you’re busy and would prefer to text a business since you’re on-the-go and don’t have time to wait on hold for 20 minutes. With TalkTo, you text a business, and it texts you back.

Our web and mobile app is simple and free. We’ve taken the spirit of that first SMS and applied it to how customers talk with businesses. It’s the same text message as back in 1992, but all grown up.

We’ve come a long way, baby.

Dear AT&T, We're Sorry!

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:28:00 -0500

According to the NY Times, smartphone apps “…could cost the world’s wireless companies tens of billions of dollars in lost revenue.”

Why? Because texts sent through apps like TalkTo generally fall outside a texting plan with a carrier. “Cellphone users are sending more text messages than ever, but increasingly they are free.”

Texting businesses for free is awesome, and we’re pretty sure TalkTo customers don’t mind giving less money to their wireless carrier. We’re going to keep at it, even if it means one less zero on a Wall Street balance sheet somewhere.

Wii Wish U a Merry Christmas

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:57:00 -0500

You know you want one.

A Wii U, that is. And you’re not alone. Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime told CNET in an interview that Wii U sold 400,000 units in the first week following its launch. The device sold out as soon as it hit the shelves, placing it in the hallowed holiday hit cannon beside Tickle Me Elmos, Cabbage Patch Dolls, and Furbys.

So how do you get a Wii U? Enter: FindaWiiU.com, TalkTo’s Wii U-themed web page. FindaWiiU uses text-any-business TalkTo technology to track down which stores in your area carry the Wii U and allows you to easily text the store to find out if it’s in stock.

FindaWiiU removes the stress of giving the hottest gift this season so you can spend the holidays where you ought to: at home with a glass of Eggnog.

A License to Text

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 10:24:00 -0500

Have you seen it yet? I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but you’ve got to see the fight scene on top of the train. And it’s got all the usual fare: exotic locales, femme fatales, a humorously evil villain, and martinis that are shaken, not stirred.

It’s in IMAX at select theaters. Did I mention the explosions? I believe there’s even an Aston Martin in there somewhere.

What am I talking about? In case you haven’t guessed, it’s TalkTo’s new video. That’s right… I laughed. I cried. I rocked out. I watched TalkTo’s new video. You can too:

The Many Faces of TalkTo

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:52:00 -0500

There is a good chance you know TalkTo as a mobile app you use on your iOS or Android phone or tablet. Today is the coming out party for another face of TalkTo, messaging any business on the web.

The need to text a business often comes up when you are on the go, so we’ve been focused on making the mobile TalkTo experience fantastic. But when you are at home or the office, you’ve got a big screen and keyboard, and we want you to take advantage of them.

That’s where talkto.com comes in so handy. Your TalkTo account, with all your discussions, is now available on the web. There’s no need to leave your browser and dig around to find your phone, just open up talkto.com and send a message to any business.

Have a friend or family member that’s been skeptical about TalkTo? Have them give it a quick try at talkto.com. No download and no account registration is required! Just search on the name of the business you want to text and type in your message. It’s all the magic of TalkTo with none of the fuss.

Send us a message with your thoughts on the web app once you give it a try. We’re eager to hear what you think and to continue improving the experience for you.

How to find in-stock emergency supplies

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 17:00:13 -0400

Hurricane Sandy devastated portions of the East Coast last week, leaving a trail of destruction in its path. Our thoughts go out to all the people and businesses effected by the storm.

These types of storms cause widespread wind damage, flooding and power outages. One thing that’s consistent with these major storms is that the supplies needed to prepare for and recover from them are usually in short supply.

We are happy to see that many TalkTo users used it to communicate with hardware stores to find in-stock plywood, sandbags, generators and diesel fuel. By using TalkTo, they were able to quickly text these stores and get a text response. They were able to better spend their time preparing for and recovering from the storm, rather than waiting on hold, or worse, wasting trips to stores that were already out of supplies.

We’re thrilled to have played a tiny little part in helping the folks in the path of the storm prepare and recover. If you are still working to recover from Hurricane Sandy, or if you’re preparing for the next storm, here are some links you can use to send a text message to the stores near you:

Text a Lowe’s Home Improvement

Text a Home Depot

Text an Ace Hardware