LucyPhone
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications, Customer service |
| Founded | March 2010 |
| Founder | Mike Oristian, Tom Oristian |
| Headquarters | Richmond, Virginia , United States |
| Products | Call center hold time bypass service, virtual queueing platform |
| Parent | CallPromise LLC (later acquired by Virtual Hold Technology) |
LucyPhone was a complimentary service designed to help consumers bypass hold times when connected to call center agents.
Established in March 2010 by brothers Mike and Tom Oristian—both alumni of Stanford University and residents of Richmond, Virginia—LucyPhone rapidly gained popularity, reaching between 70,000 and 80,000 uses monthly by August 2010. The company's name drew inspiration from the famous phone in the television series I Love Lucy and also served as an acronym for "Let Us Call You." The service has since been discontinued.
History
The Oristian siblings began developing LucyPhone in mid-2009, financing the project through their web consulting enterprise, Decogram Corp. Driven by widespread dissatisfaction with lengthy hold durations, they introduced a solution that would automatically return calls to users once customer service representatives became available.
Their marketing approach involved utilizing Twitter to locate users tweeting about being on hold, subsequently following them to spark interest. This tactic successfully attracted early users and media attention, including securing representation from a publicist recommended by a pleased customer.
An iPhone application complementing the service was downloaded 60,000 times during July 2010. By August of that year, the founders were the only staff managing the expanding user base. Although initially contemplating a subscription-based revenue model, they ultimately opted to provide the service without charge, intending to generate income through businesses embedding LucyPhone widgets on their websites.
LucyPhone operated under CallPromise LLC, a company founded by the Oristians. CallPromise created a cloud-hosted "virtual queueing" platform that enabled customers to hang up and receive callback notifications when support agents were ready. This technology attracted corporate clients such as Intuit and MetLife.
In 2015, Virtual Hold Technology (VHT), headquartered in Akron, Ohio, acquired a minority interest in CallPromise; by 2016, VHT obtained full ownership and incorporated LucyPhone's technology into its broader suite aimed at enhancing call center operations.
Service
Users input customer support phone numbers into LucyPhone or search for company contact information. When placed on hold, pressing "**" allows users to disconnect their line while LucyPhone remains connected to the customer service call. Once an agent answers, LucyPhone initiates a callback to the user.
The business model relies on collaboration from customer service representatives who must press 1 to connect with waiting callers. Some agents unfamiliar with automated calls disconnect; however, fewer than 10% of calls end prematurely. Certain government agencies, including the IRS, do not accept calls facilitated by LucyPhone.
The platform was accessible via desktop and mobile devices running iOS and Android. While commended for its convenience, some feedback suggested potential improvements such as skip-ahead features found in competing applications.