You have your phone next to you right now, and I bet the readers will probably read this over their phones too. All the time, we are receiving messages, notifications, and emails, but people tend to forget that this thing – their mobile phone – is, first and foremost, a telephone. Phone calls are coming, too…but sometimes, we choose not to answer.
Technology has advanced so much in the last number of years. Everything is so digital, designed, branded and personalised. Companies and organisations put so much effort into getting your attention, so isn’t it strange that phone calls look exactly the same as they did 20 years ago?
At PicUP, we have an ambitious vision to change the way phone calls look, and how the call feels. The current experience of an incoming unidentified phone call from an organisation is an intrusive unpleasant one and the voice-only interaction is old-fashioned.
We are changing that. PicUP’s technology adds a personalised digital layer to the incoming call that allows the caller to inform the recipient who is calling and why. This is done with a beautifully designed message, as well as engaging and efficient digital interactions between the agent and the customer before, during, and even after the call.
How did you come up with the idea for the company?
We realised that the phone channel is broken. Unknown calls from businesses are intrusive and inefficient. We understood we can create a technology that will help add a digital layer on top of the incoming phone call screen for recipients, and completely transform the call experience.
With our digital call technology, you can see it’s your doctor or your bank calling – their logo is right there in front of you. Before you pick up, there is an image of the caller on your screen and details around why they are calling. You can also click a ‘call me later’ button to reschedule, and click another button to convert to chat or sign forms while talking. It’s the complete modernisation of the phone call experience.
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How has the company evolved over the last couple of years?
Vodafone was the first leading brand to realise that this is the future of calls. They were one of our earlier clients; we started our journey with them.
We now work with some of the largest telecom companies and financial institutions in Europe. PicUP is currently installed on over 25 million devices, helping millions of customers get better calls from their service providers.
What can we hope to see from PicUP in the future?
We are building a platform that can serve almost every company in the world. We’re working hard on building a future where calls from businesses to clients will become digital calls, that combine voice with visual layers.
I’m confident that digital calls, powered by our technology, will be the new standard for calls for the next generation.
