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

2 points by ibogunov 4 hours 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)