The history of mobile search services dates back to the early 2000s when access to the Internet on cell phones was limited by expensive data plans. During this time, various services emerged that offered mobile search without the need for an Internet connection. For example, Americans could call GOOG-411 to find local businesses between 2007 and 2010, while they could text 242-242 to have any questions answered by the ChaCha company between 2006 and 2016. Similarly, Brits could call 118 118 or text AQA to 63336 for similar services.
Behind the scenes of these mobile search services were real people answering questions, rather than artificially intelligent robots. Hayley Banfield, a former 118 118 call center employee, shared her experience of working for the directory inquiry service from 2004 to 2005. During her shifts, she would answer hundreds of calls, with patterns emerging in the types of questions people asked. Late-night calls tended to be from drunk individuals looking for taxis and kebab shops, often forgetting to finish their sentences due to intoxication. Banfield recalled receiving invitations from callers to accompany them on nights out and dealing with disgruntled individuals who were not satisfied with her recommendations for massage parlors or saunas.
One common request Banfield received during her time at 118 118 was for the contact information of local takeaway restaurants during what she jokingly referred to as “pizza hours” from 8 pm to 10 pm. With a computer in front of her loaded with a simple database, Banfield would input postcodes and use shortcuts for common inquiries like “PIZ” for pizza or “TAX” for taxis. Some callers even mistook her efficiency for psychic abilities, but Banfield was simply well-trained in navigating the database to provide quick and accurate responses to a wide range of queries.
Overall, the evolution of mobile search services before the widespread availability of Internet access on smartphones sheds light on a time when human interaction played a crucial role in information retrieval. While today’s Internet searches are primarily powered by algorithms and AI, there was a time when real people like Hayley Banfield served as the human face behind the screens, assisting callers with their inquiries and providing valuable assistance in a pre-Google world.
Article Source
https://www.wired.com/story/google-search-118-118-aqa/