Screenwerk: FastCall 'Widgetizes'

Greg Sterling
As part of a syndication move, FastCall411 is now offering an API and widgets that can reside on partner/affiliate sites. The model, whether in mobile or on the desktop is intended to remedy the problem of local merchants not answering their phones — or calls being connected only 20% to 25% of the time.

What I’m wondering about the service is whether it works as well if you take the urgency out of the scenario (e.g., locksmith, plumber). CEO Richard Rosen spoke to me prelaunch about the most responsive and service oriented businesses rising to the top because they will typically be the ones that answer calls. Accordingly, the FastCall411 algorithm rewards those businesses by featuring them over time.

In the recent WebVisible-Nielsen local search/user survey, “friendly customer service” was ranked number one as the factor that had the “largest impact on your decision to purchase a product or service from a local business?”