Fonolo (News - Alert), which interestingly catchphrases itself as 'the company that makes it easier and less frustrating to call large companies,' has announced the availability of its free iPhone (News - Alert) application.
What? Ah, here we go: 'The frustration of having to 'press 1 for this, press 2 for that' to navigate through lengthy phone menus is universal. From quickly changing a flight time, to reaching an agent about your phone bill, Fonolo allows consumers to visually navigate a company's phone menu with a single tap of the iPhone, before making a call.'
Wow. We need this app.
'Users have long been asking for a way to use Fonolo on-the-go,' said Fonolo COO Jason Bigue. We bet they have. We didn’t even know this app existed six minutes ago and we're asking for it. 'Our iPhone application is a powerful way to access Fonolo's unique service eliminating the hassle of dealing with phone menus, no matter where you are.'
With Fonolo for the iPhone, reaching an agent is as simple as 'tapping' on a company's menu. Fonolo automatically does the rest -- calling the company, navigating their phone system and connecting users when it reaches the right spot in the menu.
'Fonolo's mission has always been to improve the experience customers have when calling their large service providers,' said Bigue. 'Happier callers is a top priority for companies seeking to build brand loyalty and distinguish themselves from their competitors.'
Companies that deploy Fonolo-powered products can offer their customers 'visual navigation, integrated directly into their web or smart phone properties, in addition to other customer experience enhancements.'
Fonolo is privately held and based in Toronto. It received mention in '50 Best Websites 2009' from Time.com.
In July, with the launch of Fonolo's Deep Dialing capacity, TMC's (News - Alert) Calvin Azuri reported that 'another new capability is the new Quick Tones feature. It allows users to set up numbers they frequently use during calls such as account IDs and frequent flyer numbers in a personalized, secure list. When a company’s phone system prompts for the same, the user can play back the digits with a single click as if he had entered them manually.'