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(Mis)Uses of Technology

by Carlo Longino

Tue, Nov 29th 2005 8:45am





Google Tests Click-To-Call

from the click-ring dept

Google's started testing a click-to-call service that connects consumers to advertisers over traditional phone lines. Consumers click a button, enter their phone number, and the service calls them and the advertiser, and Google pays for the call. It's not too revolutionary, just the evolution of the 1-800 number, really, but it's yet another tool in Google's growing arsenal of types of advertising it sells. The only question is how Google managed to get this going so much faster than eBay -- after all, offering a service like this that links eBay buyers and sellers was part of the reason they dropped $4 billion on Skype.

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  1.  
    identicon
    kingmanor, Nov 29th, 2005 @ 9:10am

    You think eBay sellers want to answer calls??

    aside from eBay sellers big enough to pay someone to handle their customer service, no lone eBay sellers would want to talk to buyers, or bidders for that matter. How many old ladies will call to ask a stupid question about shipping? And how much time will be wasted answering it instead of firing off a quick email. Google's play is good because users call legitimate businesses that already have a phone and are expecting calls. This just saves users the terribly arduous task of looking at the screen and dialing the number. I'm still scratching my head as to why eBay bought Skype. Its a nice program, but I dont think it will ever mesh with eBay.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    John, Nov 29th, 2005 @ 9:44am

    Re: You think eBay sellers want to answer calls??

    Did you actually read what tech dirt has said about the eBay skype deal? They agree with you. In another post I see u making fun of tech dirt for not actually reading an article, and here you are doing the same thing. You shouldn't accuse of people of stuff if you can't do teh same

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    Bira Rai, Nov 29th, 2005 @ 10:15am

    telephone numbering system

    Current telephone number system and the PSTN network are not compatible with the internet. Any company who this that creating a solution the involves old (area code) and 7 digit numbers is in for a rude awakening. People should give up there land based numbers and use Skye, yahoo or Microsoft instant messenger.

    Bira Rai

    birarai

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    Christopher TruLove, Nov 29th, 2005 @ 10:38am

    Re: You think eBay sellers want to answer calls??

    >> no lone eBay sellers would want to talk to buyers<< br>
    There are still lone sellers on EBay?
    I can see why they did it... mostly because they seem to be firmly entrenched in providing a portal for distribution businesses...

    The woman selling reconditioned antiques out of her basement, on the otherhand, is mostly forgotten, as one-offs make a lot less coin than 50 odd "buy now" Crapco USB hubs.

    Not that I'm bitter or anything. I just miss the old days... you know, when E-Bay was an online auction site.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    Jared Anderson, Nov 29th, 2005 @ 10:40am

    One Click

    This would not work becuase Amazon will probalby sue them claiming Google violated the one click patent.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    El Chupacabra, Nov 29th, 2005 @ 10:50am

    Re: One Click

    Sprint DSL already uses this method for access to their tech support.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    Jared Anderson, Nov 29th, 2005 @ 11:06am

    Re: One Click

    *psst I was kidding*

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  
    identicon
    lisa, Nov 29th, 2005 @ 11:20am

    Re: You think eBay sellers want to answer calls??

    I'm a "lone seller" and I'm doing quite well with both auctions and fixed price sales of "Crapco USB hubs" or whatever.

    But there is a huge group of sellers who run their listings like its still 1995.

    Personally, I love it when I see a seller who won't ship outside the 48 states, won't take PayPal, won't stand behind their merchandise, and has thousands of nasty words about what will happen to you if you don't pay.

    It's another sale for me.

    My phone number has been in my listings for a long time and I've never gotten a call. (I'm not a total idiot, however. It's an 800 number that rings to my cell phone. I can turn off the phone at night, and I can change the number in a flash if I run into some crazed individual.)

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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