It alluded to the Once-lers, who basically used natural resources once and then never bothered to recycle or repurpose anything until the whole world was a left in utter ruins. And while the lesson of that Dr. Seuss tale is more evident and prescient today when it comes to natural resources than it was when it was introduced decades ago, many people still struggle with how EXACTLY to reuse all kinds of stuff (small and large) in a way that is practical and useful. And although our customers are not conglomerates chopping down entire rainforests, they do run into scenarios whereby they end up with something that appears useful but may be puzzling to actually reuse. That’s where Hal comes to the rescue!

This particular dialog was with a person who, each time she bought new shoes or sneakers, had a question that many people have but rarely bother to ask: what are those little packets that feel like sand doing in the shoes and can I repurpose them for anything that will actually be helpful?

As it turns out, they can be very useful and extremely multi-purpose items to keep and collect! They are called Silica Gel Packets and the texts we shared back and forth got really interesting when the customer asked about them and their potential reuse. It went something like this:

Hal (aka Me): “Just a sec…I’m here…how can I help you?”

Customer: “Hey Hal! I buy a LOT of shoes (don’t ask!) but every time I open the box I see these little packets that have like beads or sand in them. I know that they must be useful for shipping or something, so I just kept them all for some weird reason because I wanted to get around to asking someone what I could do with them. So..what can I do with them, since I def don’t keep them in my shoes any more, once I take them out of the box?”

Hal: “Great question! Actually, these little packets are Silica Gel or Silica Beads and they have LOTS of uses well beyond keeping shoes dry in transport. Let’s dive into a few other uses that you may find helpful! First off, if you decide to open up two of those little packets and put them all into a Ziploc bag for reuse, you can use a small amount of beads with your dish soap to clean out stubborn stains in hard to reach places like inside bottles (or glassware that has a long neck) — any areas that you basically cannot stick your hand into but needs a scrubbing. It’s a miracle to see how it unearths ANY stuff left behind when you just add the beads, water, and dish soap and give it a few shakes. Poof! Everything inside that glassware is completely stain free in no time!”

Hal: “Secondly, have you ever mistakenly “over-watered” an indoor plant and had the water leak out of the bottom and onto your table or counter? Well, now you can open about 5–6 of those little packets and sprinkle the beads into the soil of any plant/flower pot you have indoors, like those on a kitchen counter or a tabletop. Next time you water those plants/herbs/flowers, any excess water you add will be immediately absorbed by the Silica Gel crystals and prevent the water from spilling all over the table or countertop out from the bottom of the planter. No more mess even if you are a little too generous with the water!”

Customer: “I actually have a tiny herb garden for basil and stuff so that would be cool! What else?”

Hal: Third, if you leave your disposable razors in the shower or near the sink, you usually see little rust spots show up fairly quickly. Next time, just place a little packet near the metal portion of the razor and it will prevent the rust from forming on the blades to you can get some additional life out of that disposable razor! If you really want it to work faster, stick the razors into a small Tupperware container, drop in the Silica Gel packets & close the lid. That will accelerate the process for you.

Hal: Fourth, you can open a bunch of Silica Gel packets into a cup and if you spill your coffee or beverage of any kind onto a notebook or paper that you are writing on, just sprinkle a healthy amount of Silica Gel beads over the whole spill on the notebook, place a napkin or folded paper towel over it and press down gently. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and presto — -the paper is complete clean and the color of the liquid is completely absorbed into the crystals…and your paperwork is now pristine to write on once again — no more redoing that homework all over again or re-writing that letter!

Customer: Wow…that’s awesome! I journal a lot and this would be IDEAL for that!

Hal: But wait…there’s more! Since these magic little beads absorb moisture and prevent humidity from ruining things, you can stick a couple packets into a toolbox to remove rust from any of your tools! This also works with knives that may have little rust spots as well.

Hal: Another great use is that you can put a bunch of Silica Gel packets into an extra large Ziploc bag along with smaller clothing items & seal it — and then use it for packing clothes in your suitcase to keep them fresh…or stick the slightly open, small Ziploc bag and put that inside your sneakers to absorb all the sweat and keep them dry for the next trip to the gym. Some ppl even put the crystals into those “sachet” bags that have very tiny little holes in them and make them into sachet bags for their sneakers as well.

Hal: As if that isn’t enough, I will leave you with two other cool things about those little packets you’ve been saving: the first is that you can REUSE them constantly by putting them in a microwave on the DEFROST cycle for about 9–12 minutes for every 10 packets, and all the moisture they collected (after a month or so) will be “cooked out” of the packets — and now they are ready to be re-used all over again. It’s an endlessly renewable little packet of magic!

Hal: And if you see all this value but you aren’t willing to buy more shoes just to get more Silica Beads (LOL) — or you just aren’t sure WHEN to put them in the microwave, you can buy a color changing set of Silica Beads on Amazon for around $10.00. Once the color changes from orange to dark green, it means the crystals need to be put in the oven so they can do their job for you all over again. The color change takes the guesswork out of when to take them out of use and put them in the oven to ‘recycle’ them for reuse once again. It’s a very inexpensive option if you find yourself using them more often for more applications.

Customer: Ok Hal …you have officially blown my mind and made me VERY happy that I saved all these little packets for the last few months! This is great stuff. I will be putting them to use all over the house now, thanks to you. And it is kinda cool that I’m being environmentally friendly by reusing them instead of just dumping them into the garbage. Total win/win! Thanks Hal!

MAVRick

Image: https://superrare.com/artwork-v2/stuck-in-the-routine-37285

The post Ok Hal …you have officially blown my mind appeared first on Got help?.

And when Hal first started out over two years ago, who knew that the advice that was shared that long ago would yield an evolutionary solution for a person who asked a simple question? If it sounds confusing, allow me to simplify it for you with this cool story about some truly interesting advice that worked out much better than any Hal could have hoped for!

It was 2108 and as the Hal app was getting started, I had the privilege of being a Hal. The text I got was really a different kind of request, but being a bit of a geek and a curator of newer apps, the timing of this request, as it turns out, could not have been better.

The intro came up to which I responded, as all Hals do, with “How can I help you today?”

I texted the customer initially about how unique and cool their name was, since the app is encrypted and that is really the only data point we Hals have to build a rapport with (unless the customer offers up more info about themselves or their location for a specific request. The Hal app puts privacy first above all else).

After sharing some texts back and forth, it turns out that this customer just wanted a forum to experiment with in an attempt at becoming a radio personality or possibly a future podcaster. Although they certainly could have used their voice memos app to practice with, it was clear that this customer wanted something “new and cool” and ideally provided less of a one-way experience. The request came across the app about how “…someone who was only 17 years old could find an app to practice and have fun with audio stuff to become a radio jock or a podcaster someday”. As it happened, they got me as a Hal — and I had what I thought was just the thing!

Backstory: Although AnchorFM was a relatively unknown app when it emerged in 2015, I loved their novel approach, so of course, I was all in and just watched to see what the company might do to either add functionality, create a new market or — like the HBO show, Silicon Valley states — “Pivot!” This little app, which was only starting to gain traction by early 2017, was actually designed to focus on your smartphone’s microphone. The app let users record up to two minutes of audio, then publish it. And then users could reply to posts with their own audio messages. It was considered similar to SoundCloud, but nothing can be pre-recorded, no recording can be longer than two minutes and it really didn’t feature music, per se.

The story goes that one of the founders felt that starting a podcast was rather difficult on a couple of fronts, since you need to build an audience and you need really good sound quality to accomplish that, at a minimum. So he and his co-founder set out to change that whole idea and create AnchorFM. Unlike traditional radio, AnchorFM is multi-directional. It’s not a one-way broadcast. When you listen to the radio, there’s no way to interact with it. On AnchorFM, you could reply to everything you hear to start a real discussion. And so a new market was born!

OK..back to our tale: This app ended up being ideal for this would-be future radio/podcast star. They loved the idea because they were literally ‘practicing’ to either become a radio on air personality and/or start a podcast “when they had enough practice online”. AnchorFM was the perfect app to give them a new interactive audience and help them to use the app’s ability to enhance the recording quality to practice their craft. Further, it was “new and cool” and also allowed them to build an audience or at least experiment with how to do so over time.

Since they were amazed that an app like AnchorFM even existed, I was happy that another Hal customer was very satisfied with the recommendation they got from the Hal app…and I thought that would be the end of it.

But wait…there’s more.

Fast forward two years later: I get a request from a customer whose name was so unique I had to look twice: it was the same teenager from two years earlier, since the spelling of the name was unmistakable! I was stoked because the odds of any Hal getting the same customer more than once are kind of like being struck by lightning…but in this case, it was the real deal. Of course, once I confirmed the request from two years ago regarding AnchorFM, it was clear that I was speaking with the same customer over 24 months later!

I shared that I was “that Hal” that shared AnchorFM with them, which they were quite amazed to learn, since they also knew how rare it would be get the same “Hal” on any given session. I immediately asked about their aspirations to become an on air radio personality or future podcast star, and the reply I got blew me away:

Customer: “Hal …you won’t believe this one…it’s almost like a movie! When you turned me onto AnchorFM, I loved it right away and really got into it. And I stuck with it, which was fortunate, because then it pivoted from AnchorFM to Anchor, which gave me even more of a platform to grow an audience. From there, over the next 15 months or so, my little “radio station” started to grow into an actual following of more than 10,000 followers over time and quickly morphed into a podcast since the “new” Anchor app focused on creating podcasts. And is if that wasn’t enough, then Anchor started adding things like intros, outros, sound effects of all kinds and a means to create asynchronous communication with the audience I had built. Before my eyes, I was a full fledge podcaster!”

Hal (aka Me): “Wow, so what happened from that point? Did your following continue to grow once Anchor pivoted directly into the podcast market?”

Customer: “It actually got even BETTER because Anchor cut a deal with certain larger advertisers to help small time guys like me monetize their podcasts with actual sponsors who paid a little bit of money for the production. But since I started with 10,000 followers, the advertisers would pay a little more if the following continued to grow, since they would be reaching a larger audience. It also upped the overall ‘swagger’ of my podcast to have advertisers, since the really popular podcasts ALL have a sponsor. So, I got two sponsors right away at first, and then my audience tripled, which meant bigger advertisers came along and would be willing to give me even MORE money to do what I loved. It went from a hobby to a side hustle and now the money actually rivals what I make at work!

Hal (aka Me): “Are you thinking about quitting your job at this point?”

Customer: “I’m a little too timid to do that just yet, but I do have some good news: Spotify acquired Anchor in February of last year and now I am on their list on the Spotify app with exposure to literally millions of new ears! If my growth spikes enough, and it is moving in the right direction, my goal is to quit my job. And it’s all thanks to your recommendation way back when…BEFORE Anchor was the powerhouse it is today and aligned with a market leader like Spotify. You really called that one, Hal. You really called it!”

And with that, I learned how one piece of good advice to help a teenager carve out his passion in this world became a solution that yielded a force to reckon with in the podcasting industry…all because he asked Hal a single, focused question.

Although I cannot promise EVERY recommendation will turn you into a rock star in the podcasting space or give you a side hustle that will challenge your full time job in terms of income generation, I will certainly give you my best effort to complete your request, as every Hal does.

So…”How can I help you today?”

MAVRick

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClyDFKasLZL/

The post “It’s almost like a movie!” appeared first on Got help?.

This customer was trying to take the long pause that life force fed all of us during this unusual situation and use it not only for self-improvement — but to also educate their teenage children in a way that school could not: to raise awareness around the systemic influence of racism in America.

When the customer texted me, they shared that they wanted to take the downtime that was afforded them during the shelter in place and use it to help their children understand the impact of racism and make sense of what the kids were seeing on TV regarding current events around George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many, many others. They asked what they could do to raise that awareness in a way that could be both educational and helpful, since they were unaware of what resources may be available or best suited to share with their teenagers to convey the importance of these issues — and some of the origins of racism itself.

Fortunately, there are many such resources — but because they don’t get the same amount of press, the customer needed some help in locating them. I started by sharing that there is a Netflix documentary (featured for free on YouTube) called 13th that was produced by Ava DuVernay. That powerful documentary talks about the link between systemic racism and the prolific imprisonment of blacks in America.

I also shared that there is a great series of videos on YouTube by renowned black Stanford social psychologist, Jennifer Eberhardt, which introduces her book “Biased”. It is a deep dive into the genesis of racism and how it infects both black and white communities and traces the origins of some of the deep rooted issues that plague the American historical landscape. It also examines the collateral damage that racism has done and continues to do in America. It is a journey that unveils to us all just how universal this problem is and it is narrated by the author herself.

I later uncovered that this customer also has a subscription to Hulu. As fate would have it, Hulu is featuring several shows and documentaries to help raise awareness in this area as well. Those shows include Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland,16 Shots, Roots,Whose Streets?, The Rape of Recy Taylor, and Your Attention Please. Some of these premium HBO or Showtime features or documentaries are actually available for free into late June or into the month of July to allow ALL viewers to see these shows. Many are powerful gripping stories ripped from the pages of buried news stories that speak to the deep rooted injustices against blacks or historical accounts of how black people suffered under white supremacists in America for decades. Hulu also features an entire platform of shows that are featured by black creators of television and drama as well.

The added bonus in all of this was providing the Skillshare website because it actually helped in two ways: it provided the customer a means for continuing education on their own — and also another platform to help educate their children about the importance of Juneteenth!

Skillshare has a number of both free and paid coursework that anyone can enroll in for ahost of skills they want to acquire to include writing, photography, business skills, artistic endeavors, and so much more. Beyond that, this month there were three artists who were showcased on Skillshare to help raise awareness around Juneteenth. It was a perfect opportunity to help the customer educate their children around this important date and its significance relative to racism. Although Juneteenth is still not recognized as a federal holiday in America, the fact that awareness is getting raised and companies like Google and other major tech companies are bringing it to the forefront, it is now becoming an area that is slowly becoming more widely recognized and hopefully will shed light on the impact of racism in the United States.

Needless to say, the customer was thrilled that there were so many areas that they could explore to help engage their teenagers and raise awareness around how to recognize and prevent racism. It was also refreshing to see both dramatic and educational resources that they could utilize to provide a well rounded picture of the historical injustice and what could be done better or differently to help move the cause of racial justice and equality forward.

So there you have it! A plethora of resources that adults and teens can learn from — from cautionary tales, to a sordid historical past, to a hopeful future. This is just one more reason why being a Hal is so very rewarding and serves other people with a type of “social intelligence” that is far from artificial. (Sorry — Not Sorry, Siri!)

MAVRick

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd919Yijdnt/

The post Sorry — Not Sorry, Siri! appeared first on Got help?.

….W-40?

Yup! Good ol’ WD-40.

It was a refrain from mom’s everywhere that is all too familiar: “My kid’s room is a mess!” In this case, the mess was rather specific: her son plays videos games in his room where he also manages to enjoy lots of burgers (with tons of ketchup!) and also has a habit of falling asleep with his favorite chewing gum in his mouth after a marathon of game play on Twitch. The latter issue has resulted in the chewed gum falling out of his mouth and onto the carpet, where it co-exists with way too many ketchup stains. Yikes!

Fortunately, the Hal app was ready for her concerns — and as her “designated Hal”, I took on the challenge of stubborn ketchup stains AND chewing gum stuck to the rug with one terrific idea: WD-40.

As it turns out, this little potion does a whole lot more than just fix squeaks on hinges or lubricate bicycle chains — it is a little cleaning miracle in a can as well. Since she happened to have a can hanging around the house, the implementation of my ideas were rather immediate and very well received. Here’s are the WD-40 tricks I shared to give her a few ‘life hacks’ and a way to re-purpose that can of WD-40:

First off, when it came to the gum, I told her that she should be sure and use the little red straw nozzle that comes with the WD-40, since it will allow her to efficiently spray around the gooey perimeter of the gum stuck onto the carpet. I shared that once she sprays around the edges, the majority of the gum will come right up. After that is removed easily, re-spray the more stubborn area that remains and the rest of the gum comes off seamlessly from the carpet fibers. Boom! The gum is completely gone literally in under a minute and no residue nor any discoloration to the areas of the carpet that once held the sticky substance.

Next, it was onto the ketchup stains in the bedroom rug. For this application, no nozzle needed — just spray a generous amount after wiping up the initial stain with a damp cloth. I shared that a microfiber cloth would work fine for the first one to two applications to remove the red stain. By the second application it went from red to pink, so that the final spritz did the trick and she could use a dry towel to fully dry off the area. She was THRILLED with the results!

But wait…there’s still more! I also shared that our little miracle in a can can also get rid of fingerprints on her stainless steel appliances and restore the luster on them all. I then shared that the same magic will also work on her stove to remove the baked in food that stubbornly remains (esp. when the kids try to cook eggs and too much of it ends up ON the stove instead of IN the frying pan).

Of course, there’s also the advantage of using WD-40 to easily remove those annoying bar code stickers that show up on everything from your new coffee mug to your new glassware. Just spray a small amount all around the glue that is still remaining on your item and with a little elbow grease, the glue is completely gone and your item has no ugly residue from the sticker!

If you happen to be a camper and love the great outdoors — but it doesn’t love you back and you get rained on — you can bring along some cotton balls and a can of WD-40 and start a fire that will light even in the pouring rain just by spraying the cotton balls in WD-40 first, then lighting them with your matches. If you managed to keep the wood dry prior to the downpour (or even during a light, steady rain), that should be enough to keep that fire burning!

And last but not least, you can use it for stubborn zippers to make zipping up that jacket or raincoat a whole lot easier — just remember to definitely use the little red straw nozzle for that type of application so the spray is targeted to a small area on the zipper itself.

So there you have it! Being a Hal means you get to solve problems in the coolest way possible each time a customer presents their particular request. It’s the unique value proposition that our community of Hals offers to each and every customer that needs assistance. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

MAVRick

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZr7Kj5OZFD/

The post A Day in the Life of a Hal (Part IV) appeared first on Got help?.

When I heard that familiar noise on my iPhone indicating an inbound customer request, I admit I did not expect the texts that followed. However, I immediately understood why it is important to respond quickly to any incoming requests!

The dire request showed up around 11:30 PM EST. And the customer just cut to the chase as to what they needed:

Customer: “Hey Hal! This is REALLY urgent! I am at my new girlfriend’s house and I clogged her toilet — but there is NO plunger anywhere! She’s asleep but I need to find a way to unclog this toilet without a plunger. I need help here. This is really embarrassing. Any ideas?”

Hal (aka Me): “You’ve come to the right place! Give me just a moment to curate a couple of ideas for you that use household items to get the job done.”

Customer: “Please hurry! I really don’t want her to see this! We’ve only been dating for two weeks and it’s going really great, so I don’t want this to screw up our momentum, ya know? It’s just too embarrassing!”

Within seconds I was scouring the Internet for a DIY solution that the customer could act on quickly and that didn’t require specialty or oddball items to get the job done. I found what I thought may be ideal for this situation, so I went to work:

Hal: “Can you find some liquid dish soap (the more the better!) and can you heat up some water in her microwave? It doesn’t need to be boiling hot so you can quietly carry it to the toilet, but the hotter, the better. And if she is one of those people who uses a bath bomb in her bath, that could also assist the effort, but it’s not necessary to have. We’re using these to lubricate the bowl and the pipes.”

Customer: “Yes! She has both of those things and I can turn off the microwave before it chirps to make sure I can heat up the water quietly.”

Hal: “OK. Perfect. First dump about HALF of a bottle of liquid dish soap, like Dawn, into the toilet. If you can find a ‘bath bomb’, drop that in if you have it. Next, if the super gross flood water in the bowl is low enough now, heat up a large container of water in the microwave next while the liquid soap does its job.”

Customer: “Yes! OK. I put in a ton of the liquid soap. But I can’t find a bath bomb. When do I add the hot water?”

Hal: “Let’s add it now, since the next step is that we will need to wait 15 minutes for this to work.”

Customer: “OK, Hal. Now we wait. Don’t go anywhere on me. I REALLY need this to work!!”

Fifteen minutes pass and now we’re at the critical point in this dilemma:

Hal: “Let me know if you see the water level going down, since that would be a good sign.”

Customer: “Yes, Hal. It’s WAY down now. It’s almost like there’s very little water in the bowl at this point.”

Hal: “Perfect! Let’s flush it now and see how it worked.”

Customer: “Hal! You did it! I can’t believe this worked! And she’s still fast asleep! You really saved my night here. This is awesome!!”

Hal: “Perfect! Great to hear! And to top it all off, I have another cool suggestion that you can use for next time — wherever you are. Check out Amazon or eBay for what’s called a Pongtu Toilet Plunger Sticker. It’s completely portable and folds up in a backpack easily. If this happens again, you just pull the sticker out, cover the entire open area of the toilet under the lid, and the pressure it creates, like a soft balloon, will allow you to push down on the sticker covering the bowl. After about 3–5 gentle pushes, the toilet will flush! You can find them here: https://amzn.to/30cGzuw and they aren’t too expensive to buy either. It also beats buying a plunger and trying to stash it somewhere she won’t see it!”

Customer: “You are a genius! I love that idea, since it can travel with me without the embarrassment of the whole “plunger” thing. Hal, you have def earned my ongoing business on this one. Cheers!”

And so, as night falls and our hero in this story cuddles with his new girlfriend after a successful DIY process to keep her toilet clean of any backup, he now has another solution that he can use ‘on the fly’ if the situation were to ever recur.

I must admit, when I discovered those cool Japanese plunger stickers, I was amazed at how easily and how well they worked once I bought a set myself. Their YouTube video link really sold me on how efficient and disposable the whole sticker idea was — and it prevents having to clean a grody looking plunger with all that bacteria teeming all over it.

What can I say? Life as a “Hal” is prone to all kinds of requests. But when life hits you with a new problem to solve, don’t panic — Just reach for the Hal Personal Assistant app and let Hal do the work for you!

MAVRick

Image: https://www.instagram.com/p/BtybHPxFoWU/

The post Getting Into A “Flow” State — Hal Style appeared first on Got help?.

This challenge was one that I found intriguing because it was born out of a desire to genuinely communicate with another set of people. It was both sweet and intriguing as to why this customer needed help: she simply wanted to be able to interact genuinely with the people that came to clean her home.

Sometimes the way people communicate via text over the Hal app really is very telling. This customer punctuated a lot of her concern with capital letters and exclamation points, which told me that there was more than a mere hint of desperation in this request. The bottom line was that the people who came to clean her home once per month were from Brazil and spoke almost no English. She had some specific requests about how to clean certain areas of the home and she also wanted to uncover if she could provide them a more significant tip for the great work that they did.

Moreover, she wanted them to know how grateful she was for their diligence, their kindness and their mere presence in her home. However each time she attempted to share specifics around the use of certain clean supplies or how to clean certain areas, the conversation came up dismally short. When she tried to compliment them, the smiles would come initially — but then quickly run away from their faces. Their inquisitive look into her eyes as she tried to describe things in English showcased how they wanted to interact, but the conversation was clearly not getting through.

The customer went on to tell me how she really wanted to ensure that if she provided a tip, it would remain with them — and she was unclear if she could give them cash or simply add it to the check that she provided each month. She was concerned that if she did one versus the other, that the money may not go to them directly for their hard work. She also wanted to communicate that (even though their past conversations were not yielding any results) the work they did perform was stellar and she wanted to compliment them in their own native tongue. But who has time to learn Portuguese?

Once again, it was Hal to the rescue!

I could sense her exasperation and her frustration because she truly did want to reach out to this very diligent team and make sure that they were rewarded directly for all that they did with a substantial tip and heartfelt thanks. Moreover, she was anxious to let them know from her heart that she genuinely appreciated the effort that they put in and how meticulous their cleaning efforts were each month they arrived in her home, not to mention that she really loved their congenial company whenever they arrived.

I knew that giving her a language program/app of some sort would never work. If she wanted to learn a language in its entirety, she would have never come to Hal to seek out an answer. Fortunately, technology has a way of bridging a lot of gaps. And this request was no different. I shared with customer that there is a new feature in an existing app that could make this work seamlessly. The best part of all would be that it took no effort on either parties’ part to make this work — and it also was an app that works across all platforms, so whether she had an iPhone or an Android phone made absolutely no difference. The feature is called Conversation Mode. The app is Google Translate.

I walked her through how to download the app on her particular phone and then shared with her that it had several features that she could leverage to begin a real, genuine conversation with her Portuguese friends. I also shared that she could use the camera feature to point to signs or other documents in different languages to translate them instantly on her phone. Of course the big key in this use case was facilitating dialog. Once she understood that there was a Conversation Mode whereby she could speak English, turn the phone around so they could see it, and then they could hear her conversation/requests/accolades in their native language, she was thrilled!

The other fantastic part of this app is that they could respond in their native language back to her and she would hear it back in English. Since it operated in real time, it’s simply a matter of turning the phone’s microphone back to the party speaking and then listening to the response to facilitate an actual conversation with very little wait time. The fact that they could interact organically through the use of this app and the conversation could flow (and not be stilted and full of long stares) was a complete revelation to the customer. She literally said that she could not imagine how she could’ve accomplished this without coming to Hal for a specific answer.

It was clear that she was beyond appreciative that this solution was both simple to employ and required almost no effort on her part to implement. She now had a gateway to ongoing communication with people that she had truly wanted to share her heart with. Her incapacity to clean due to her disability — and their constant smiles and heartwarming arrival — truly did mean a great deal more to her than simply resulting in a clean home. Furthermore, she could ensure that if she provided them a healthy tip, it will remain in their pockets and not in the hands of their employer, which she was also concerned about. And now she could finally express her appreciation in her own words and in a way that touched the hearts of the people whose visit made a difference on more than one level.

It was readily apparent to me from our texts over the Hal app that this team represented so much more than just a bunch of people coming to clean the house; it was one of the few visits that she got which actually gave her something to look forward to. Even though the communication between them up to this point was difficult and almost nonexistent, they did their best to communicate with gestures and smiles — but so much was still lost in all those attempts and left her feeling wanting. Now an entire new world will open up for all of them thanks to this handy little app and its ability to quickly convert language in an instant. Needless to say, this customer was over the moon!

MAVRick

Image: https://www.instagram.com/amandaharwal0412/

The post How the Hal App Builds Bridges… appeared first on Got help?.

What made this one interesting is that it was something that you could see in any family who are in close quarters and are trying to grapple with coexisting together. In this case, the customer had come to visit her parents for a week and then when the COVID-19 outbreak took hold, she ended up staying there a lot longer than she planned. Her issue was one that is very challenging, given the circumstances. Let’s take a look at how this shook out:

Customer: “Hey Hal! I have a real big problem. I came to visit my parents in Florida and then this whole pandemic broke out, so now I am here until they lift the shelter in place order. The issue is that I am an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) and things like loud sounds or bright lights can be really bothersome to me — to the point of giving me really bad headaches! Unfortunately, my father, who is hard of hearing, is constantly watching TV at a volume that is so loud I can’t even think straight. I know it’s his house, so I am trying to be respectful, but now I’m battling daily headaches and I’m not sure how long I can endure that since I have no idea when I can leave their home to go back to my own place. Is there any solution here for me? And don’t say earplugs because that doesn’t help enough. I’ve tried.”

Hal (aka Me): “I can see where that’s a real quandary and where it can be hard for you to ask something of him that would interrupt his enjoyment of watching the television. Of course I can see where it’s inconveniencing you as well. But I think I have a solution for you. My first question is how old is the TV?”

Customer: “It’s an older Sony Bravia model. If I had to guess it’s probably at least 10 years old. Is def not one of the smart TVs that has Wi-Fi or anything. But it does have stuff like some of the newer flat screen TV features you find today. What do you have in mind?”

Hal: “Well, if you don’t mind just spending a little bit of money I think we can make it fun for your dad and super helpful for you. Have you ever heard of a Bluetooth transmitter before?”

Customer: “Not sure, but I’m not very tech savvy so I am curious. Is this going to be something that takes a lot of effort — because I’m really not good with tech stuff?”

Hal: “Actually, you’re gonna find it pretty easy. Simply put, you can install a small box that’s about half the size of a pack of cigarettes in the back of the TV. You simply plug it in and leave the box behind the TV — and then turn it on. It will send a Bluetooth signal from the TV audio to a pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones. All you need to do is order a Bluetooth transmitter, which should only run about $16 — and then pick up some inexpensive wireless Bluetooth headphones. You can get all of that on Amazon for a total of around $30-40. If you’re more of a bargain shopper, then you may even want to check out eBay and cut the cost by another third. Either way it’s a solution that will make everybody happy!

Customer: “So there’s just like a little headphone jack in the back of the TV like what I use for my wired earbuds on my cell phone?”

Hal: “That’s exactly what exists back there! Once you plug that into the TV and press the button until you see a blinking blue light, it sends a signal so you can pair a few devices to it. That way, if your mom wanted to watch the same show as your dad, she just needs her own pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones as well. The great news is they can adjust the volume themselves individually and it may be even less harmful for their ears that way. Since each person can control the volume of their own Bluetooth headphones, your mother doesn’t have to suffer with that loud noise either — even if she’s politely endured it for years. She’ll finally have the TV volume that’s comfortable for her while your dad will have a volume that’s comfortable for him. Meanwhile the house is quiet and you can finally rest easier and avoid all those headaches that you’ve been enduring all this time. It’s a total win-win. And it’ll be great if you come back to visit later on & need that peace and quiet again.

Customer: “Wow Hal! That solution is pure genius! I would’ve never thought of anything like that. Then again, like I said, I’m really not that tech savvy and would’ve never put it together. But it will be ideal… and my mom will appreciate that she doesn’t have to hear all that blaring and can listen to the TV at a volume she likes. What a great idea!

Hal: “Well, that’s exactly what I’m here for: coming up with those solutions that may not occur to you — and because you deserve some personal assistance. That’s a literally the essence of what I do for people. And I’m glad the solution sounds like a winner for you. The installation is going to be so easy you’re gonna smile when you see how simple it all is. Like I said, it plugs in to the 3.5mm jack in the back of the TV just like your headphones on your cell phone.

Customer: “I have to admit Hal, I was a little skeptical about this app. But I actually may jump off my wallet and pay for this if you can keep coming up with ideas like this one. It sounds like it will actually be worth a subscription, which I can’t say about too many apps I’ve seen lately. So cool.

Hal: “That’s a good report! Glad I could be of assistance and remember, I’m always here for you whenever you need me.

It’s always intriguing when someone is frustrated and doesn’t know about the choices that may exist for them to solve a problem—and not just for themselves, but for others as well. You don’t always get lucky enough to get a two-for-one solution like this, but knowing your way around some technology that’s easy to implement certainly served our customer well in this case. Although it’s cool that the Hal app helps maintain privacy and anonymity between me (as a Hal) and the customers that I serve, at times like this, it would’ve been great to circle back and see how the solution worked for the customer as well.

I’ve got a feeling based on the enthusiasm that was shared over the texts we exchanged that they’re all going to be very pleased with the results. It may be the best $30-$40 that she’s ever spent!

MAVRick

Image: https://www.instagram.com/amandaharwal0412/

The post A Solution That Speaks Volume(s) appeared first on Got help?.

My point is that we can (and should!) celebrate our respective work roles whenever possible, because we were selected (or in the case of consultants, freelancers, digital nomads, creatives and remote workers, we selected ourselves) to do something on behalf of someone else: a third party client, a direct customer, a new user, a first time buyer and the list goes on. In my case, I’m a Hal — and it’s one of the most rewarding opportunities available!

Yet another great thing about being a Hal is that you are constantly surprised and delighted by how customers respond to having their requests fulfilled. The funny thing is, it is often the details that they remark about the most. It can be the little things that you incorporate in answering a request that can make all the difference in the world to people. And as a Hal, I still find myself underestimating how key it is to exceed the customer’s expectations in those very tiny details. Let me share another Hal story with you that really demonstrates my point about how the small things make a BIG difference for others:

As you might expect, my side of this story always starts out the same, because the Hal app introduces the customer in a way that helps them engage with their Hal. And then, through the magic of technology, I begin the conversation with, “How can I help you today?” This time the request was very specific and posed an interesting challenge:

Customer: “Hey Hal! I have a confession — I am obsessed with the show Billions! I binge watch it and re-watch it every chance I get because the writing is amazing and the actors are really incredible on this show. As I have been re-watching some of the episodes, I have noticed how whenever there’s a scene with food, it’s almost like they are featuring the restaurant in the scene when they’re dining or snacking all over NYC. But then I thought they may be fake restaurants because it would seem like the owners are getting free press on a major show. I’d love to know if they just change the names of these restaurants for the sake of the show itself or are they real?”

Hal (aka Me): “Wow! That’s an intriguing request. Can I ask the name of a few of these restaurants and the city or cities they appear to be located in on the show?”

Customer: “Sure. The pizza place that Bruno runs is called Capparello’s. It’s the pizza joint that the main character, Bobby Axelrod, used to go to as a kid (the character, not the actor Damian Lewis). It was featured in Season 1. And then there’s these food trucks they have all over NYC. I would love to know about those food trucks, like the Donut one that the other character, Chuck Rhoades, paid a visit to in Season 1 with his kids.”

At this point, I was very fortunate because this customer’s admitted obsession was chock full of details I could use to research this request. I had the main characters names, one actor’s name, the show name and a couple of restaurants to delve into and research. I sensed that there were going to be a few sources that would be reliable and updated enough that I could at least confirm or deny the existence of these restaurants as a first step. But what I uncovered (no spoilers) was the mind blowing part of fulfilling this request in a way that truly served to amaze this customer.

I let the customer know that it may take me a few minutes to look into this very unique request but that I would check back with him in a little while. I also used the very next text I sent to provide a bit of a commercial as to why Hal is such an amazing service — and why the wait time is important:

Hal: “And by the way, one of the reasons the answers are not instantaneous is because I take the time to curate the information I find, avoid the ad-based results I locate and try to confirm the source info so you get the best possible set of answers. That’s not to say I cannot do a second or third search to find more — I just wanted to level set you as to why I will be a couple minutes before I complete your request.”

I have yet to have a reasonable customer ever complain about that reply…unless they never read the description of the Hal app, in which case they come back to me way too quickly and wonder why I haven’t automatically turned of the lights in their room or replied with the quadratic equation they were looking for. (We’ll talk about those customers another day)

As I scoured for the answers, I came across a Reddit post that happened to pick up on the name of the pizza place in a Billions subreddit! That lead then linked to another redditor who was a native of NYC and who linked the information about the pizza place to the actual location in NYC for the place where the scenes were filmed. From there, I went into full on “Google Fu” (that’s like Kung Fu, but with Google search results) and tried to cross reference that with the actor’s name and his character’s name.

And that’s when it happened!

I uncovered a blog site about EVERY restaurant for EVERY SEASON of the Billions show for the last three seasons — and the best is yet to come! The blog site is actually periodically moderated by none other than the lead character, Damian Lewis aka Bobby Axelrod! Once I realized that every single restaurant was listed with the actual address in places all over New York AND had the distinct advantage of having content and even some video featuring the lead actor on the blog site, I sensed this would meet the need for the customer. I also uncovered that all is not as it appears on Billions: Capparello’s is actually Rosa’s Pizza located in Middle Village, NY. But conversely, the Donut Food Truck is actually called Carpe Donut and is the real deal.

Admittedly, I had to move like lightning so I didn’t keep him waiting too long…and it was a good 6 minutes before the research paid off. However, it was neat to uncover that the majority of the restaurants that are featured go by their actual name and often feature the actual owner or chef. Only in a few instances are the names changed, but the locations are identified to corroborate the information right on the blog. And what came next made it worth the wait for all involved:

Hal: “Thanks for being so patient. I know 6 minutes while you await a text can seem like a long time.”

Customer: “No problem. Whaddaya got for me, Hal?”

Hal: “Well, I found out that most of the places featured are actual restaurants or food trucks in every case. Second, about only 20% of them are renamed something else for the sake of the show. The vast majority are places you can visit in and around NYC and upstate NY. And in a couple of cases, the actual restaurants were open during filming but have actually closed some time thereafter. In each case, you will be able to see those details.”

Customer: I am so stoked to get this info, Hal! Can you possibly send me some of the spots and their addresses from Season 1 or maybe even Season 2 if I give you some more names of these restaurants? You have NO IDEA how into this show I am! I bought a wool vest with the Axe Capital logo on it and a bunch of Billions swag from the HBO channel online. If I can get even a few of these restaurants to look into, I will be in heaven!

Hal: Well, get ready to live with the angels because I located a blog that has content FROM the lead character himself, Damian Lewis, with a complete listing of every restaurant from ALL THREE seasons of the show — with links to each location, and in some cases, even websites for the food trucks as well!

Customer: OMG! Damian Lewis actually is featured as part of the site?? This is more than I ever imagined. You have no idea how much this means to me. I never thought I would get SO much and have my fave actor be a part of the fulfillment of my request! I feel like I just won the lottery right now! Can I get the link?

Hal: Sure thing. Here’s the link: (imagine link here) Also, it has a lot of fan contributions on the site, which should make it fun for you to review further, as well.

I had hit the motherlode for an obsessed fan who could not even fathom that his favorite actor on his favorite show featuring all of the specific restaurants for all three seasons was even within the realm of possibility! Once again, the details played a major role in how this customer felt valued after using the Hal app.

The reality is that I could have been much more matter of fact about the request and simply come up with some itemized listing of these locations without the added touch of having a fan-based blog site literally categorize his very request in order of appearance by season — but if I walked by that resource for the sake of expediency, I would have done him a huge disservice. In other words, that blog went SO far beyond his expectation that to have access to it meant more to him than anything else. It was literally the best of both worlds, when all that was asked for was a couple of the restaurants in the show from Season 1. But when I was armed with all that other information, it became evident that finding this blog could make the fulfillment of the request go from good to great!

The customer went on to rave about how I completely went above and beyond on their request, which was very humbling. Perhaps even more importantly was the fact that hearing their enthusiasm via text (and then a follow up text after that…and one after that) was the most rewarding feeling ever. It’s like seeing a unicorn up close when the data that is found lines up better than expected to please a customer in a way they never thought possible.

So there it is: a fun, rewarding interaction with someone I will never directly meet or see at any point (recall that all personal info is anonymized by the Hal app for privacy purposes as a default for all customers) — but their enthusiasm based upon what I shared with them really made me feel tremendous. And when it comes to enjoying what you do and hearing those kinds of accolades from the people you serve, it doesn’t get any better than that. It’s those moments that make being a Hal so very rewarding. So take that all you “I hate my job” co-workers. You won’t see me complaining around the water cooler!

MAVRick

The post A “Hal-lowed” & Rewarding Opportunity appeared first on Got help?.

The Hal session, on this occasion, went something like this:

Customer: “Hey Hal! I have a weird question, but these things are now really bugging me, so I figure that maybe you can help me out with them. They’re gonna seem random, so I will just tell you the top two. First, I bought a cable for my iPhone and as usual, it’s frayed near where the cord meets the little plug part. The metal isn’t exposed, but I don’t wanna buy a new cable. Any ideas?”

Hal: “Sounds very familiar! And yes…I have a neat solution that I believe will help you that is both affordable and kinda fun. Have you ever heard of sugru?”

Customer: “Is that an app? Or some new cheaper cable manufacturer?”

Hal: “Actually, it looks a lot like silly putty or clay, but it is a tiny powerhouse of a solution for MANY of those nitpicky things that we want to fix, but never knew how to fix! You can buy it in several colors so it will blend into the color of what you are fixing (like white — for your white cable that works with your iPhone). They come in a 3-pack or larger if you have other uses that are different colors. All you do is buy a pack of sugru (you can get it online at their site, sugru.com, or pick it up at most Target stores) and then open one of the little packs. The malleable “silly putty”, once you have wrapped it around your exposed, frayed cable and plug areas and smooth it out so it all blends in, will cure in 24 hours to a flexible but waterproof and durable rubber. Now your cable is protected from splashes AND is like new again!”

Customer: “I think I get it. You just cover the exposed area and blend it all in & since it’s all white, you can barely see the fix. Nice. This sounds like a good solution so far. OK..next annoying thing. I have a broken zipper handle on my hoodie AND on my backpack. Technically, the little handle broke off, so it’s actually gone. Obviously I could go to dry cleaners and have them repair the hoodie, but they wanted $12.00 to do it! No way! And the backpack is making me crazy because I have nothing to grip when I try to open that zipper pocket on the outside of my backpack. Any cheap fixes on that one?”

Hal: “I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but honestly, that is also a sugru fix. Cable fixes and zippers are literally two of the uses that most ppl rave about with sugru. All you need to do is find a large paper clip. Feed it through the hole on the zipper, then grab some sugru and wrap it around the entire surface area of the paper clip to literally “create” a zipper handle. You can make it wider at the end and tapered near the stem or you could texturize it by pressing an old cloth against the sugru once you’re done shaping it for an easier grip. Wait 24 hours and BOOM! You have two new zippers!”

Customer: “Are you getting a commission on this sugru thing? Lol. JK. It sounds like it def could work for both of annoying issues, so I will give it a go.”

Hal: “It’s pretty cool and is VERY versatile to use for fixing lots of those ‘pebble in the shoe’ problems that don’t necessitate buying something brand new if you can repair them easily and inexpensively. I am definitely NOT a DIY guy with stuff, but even I can use sugru and make it work on many things. Here’s a link to a video on just a few of sugru’s use cases to give you more ideas on how to use it around the house: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSmtg0zYKc4 “

Customer: “Great! I will check it out. Is it expensive?”

Hal: “It’s only $9.99 for a 3-pack. The advantage of seeing the video is that you’ll want to use an entire pack once you open it, since it only lasts about a week before it starts curing on its own in the opened package. You can wrap it tightly in aluminum foil if you want, to use some now and some later, but if you see HOW it can be used for other fixes you can use up one of the three little packets right away and maximize its use once it is opened. One little “ball” of this mouldable glue can go a long way if you only are fixing one or two things — like cables and zippers. It’s really awesome and you’ll see a TON of other examples that ppl submit on the site, many of which are very creative. Stuff like creating bumpers on the corners of iPad, iPhone or Android phone cases, fixing shoes that are separating from the sole, make grips for hangers, re-attaching handles on pot lids, creating a magnetic utensil solution for your kitchen items, fixing holes in the bottom of sneakers or rubber boots, making hooks at lower levels for kids to hang stuff, creating cool-to-the-touch handle grips for pots and pans, fixing broken toys for kids, cable organizers and more.”

Customer: “Ok Hal, you def earned your stripes today. I gotta admit I am kinda shocked that one product ended up solving my crazy requests. This stuff sounds pretty amazing! I am gonna check out that vid and see about some other uses for that stuff and make that a little project during this whole shelter in place time I have on my hands. Sounds really cool. Thanks again, Hal. Color me happily shocked with your sugru ideas.”

So there you have it! It’s amazing that we now have so many choices out there to explore, but so many of us have not had the time or the inclination to curate these hacks in one place and then reach for them when they are needed. The great thing about being a Hal is you can share things like this and really help people save time, save money and remove that ‘pebble in their shoe’ feeling associated with the issue they may have. The Hal app is a real bridge to assist and enrich other people, if you know where to look as a Hal to get an answer that works. In this case, my little friend, sugru, was ideal. (And no, I do not work for sugru or get a referral commission — I just love stuff that is clever and works to solve a problem!)

MAVRick

The post Say “Hal”lo to my little friend appeared first on Got help?.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the latest installment while I outline how Hal helped yet another customer:

As I’ve shared in previous articles before, I’m a bit of a night owl so the later hours usually bring interesting requests of all kinds to the Hal platform. This evening was no exception.

I suddenly got notified of a customer who was making a request on the Hal app around 1:30 AM. I jumped on the request immediately to ensure that the customer knew someone was there to help them. (Long wait times may be off-putting and/or can result in the customer dropping off the app completely, so timeliness is a very big deal in our Hal community) When I texted my usual “How can I help you?,” the text that came back was, “I can’t sleep, because my boyfriend called me a name & broke up with me…and now the whole school calls me by that name. I literally cried all day.”

At first I thought maybe this was a teenager who had been bullied, but I had to confirm an age requirement to ensure I was talking to someone that the Hal platform considered to be a user of legal age. Since Hal does have a requirement for people above the age of 13 as valid users, I felt compelled to at least ask the person’s age. The reply came back, “I’m 22 years old.”

In that moment, I had a stark realization: I was talking to someone who had been wounded verbally as an adult and perhaps had gone through this kind of treatment their entire life. The combination of what may be years of bullying has now manifested in a sleepless night and a broken heart. I knew this was not a typical request, but now that we were inextricably linked over the Hal app, I needed to provide the right kind of assistance. What started out as a perception of simply a teen having her first encounter with cruel kids turned into a completely different scenario in an instant.

I will confess that I did research the best way to listen and comfort someone who is in the kind of distress in order to ensure that I didn’t say anything dismissive or unhelpful. When someone is in real emotional distress, they don’t want a lecture. They may not even want answers. They may simply want to share the experience and if they solicit a need for solutions, then perhaps they would be willing to receive some feedback. Treading cautiously and being a good listener was going to be extremely important in this case.

The interesting thing for me was this is a complete paradigm shift from what Hal usually renders for customers. We are usually the people who research, curate, explore, explain, delve deep and simplify the complex and relay information to people who have questions. However this type of Hal request was one that required a completely different orientation. I admit that I had to truly pivot in order to ensure that I served the needs of someone who was hurting. You can’t Google empathy.

This person laid out via text much of what I had presumed: that they have been bullied or teased most of their life based on their name and some other aspects of their physical characteristics; and they shared a painful road from high school and now into college — all of which was riddled with a history of hurtful name calling that stuck. I listened intently and simply used gentle, affirming words to ensure they knew they were being heard. Since we could only communicate over text, there were moments when even that proved to be a bit of a challenge, but based on the ongoing replies from the customer, I knew that my texted attempts at good listening skills were being warmly received.

It wasn’t until 38 minutes later that the request came in the form of a question: “What should I do to feel better about all of this?”

Since I am no armchair therapist, I wanted to ensure that I was moving slowly and correctly in the direction that would meet the need. I asked if she wanted me to look into things that could boost self-esteem or help her feel better about herself as a first step. I then asked if she wanted me to look into therapists in her area that she may want to consider reaching to as well. At that point, she agreed. Suddenly my research skills were being applied and I was able to provide a few informational dividends to another hurting human being to bring them a little closer to wholeness.

I found a couple of terrific articles that gave some very “easy to implement steps” at gaining more self-esteem and also re-frame name-calling by other adults into a better perspective, along with a few accredited LMH (Licensed Mental Health) professionals. The customer literally said that she did not recall anyone providing her tools like those to dig out from this emotional pit. Since I don’t know the scope of her full situation by any stretch, I’m unclear if she presumed she didn’t have the resources for therapy or that other solutions even existed, (or perhaps she was just so wounded & exasperated that she didn’t have the desire nor the energy to search them herself), but I found myself very honored that she would decide to trust a stranger at 1:30 in the morning with a very vulnerable issue that had plagued her for well over a decade.

Asthe popular saying goes, “Be kind to everyone because you don’t know what they’re going through”. That phrase was never more poignant as it was that morning in the wee hours of a Tuesday.

One of the great things about working with this team is recognizing that Hal is so very versatile as compared to other personal assistant apps. Although none of us are qualified psychologists, we do have an FAQ if someone shared concerning phrases or trigger words that indicated they may be suicidal so we can redirect them to the right resources such as the Suicide Hotline. However, at times like the one I have just described, it’s simply about a listening ear and an empathetic person who’s available — when someone needs it most — which can be all that is required.

As you may have concluded by now, yet another takeaway about the unique value that Hal brings is that it actually connects humans with other humans. Although I am a professed technophile and love how technology continues to make our lives easier and better, there are certainly things that still require the human touch. Relating to hurting people and meeting them where they are is something that AI is light years away from. Fortunately, Hal has that covered.

MAVRick

The post A Day in the Life of a Hal (Part III) appeared first on Got help?.