This morning, Google launched Helpouts, a system built around Google Hangouts where people can receive support and help from real people. If you have a problem, simply type in the question you have, then relevant people who can help answer your question or guide you through an experience are listed.
For example, if you need help baking a cake, a hopefully-qualified baker will be listed, whose time can then be bought and they will help you one-on-one over Hangouts. Need help learning guitar? You can bet there are plenty of people that can help you rock a few chords in no time for the right price.
Here’s the basic idea on Helpouts as listed by Google.
With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone.
Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.
For now, the service is closed to those who want to sign up to give Helpouts, as Google is sure to keep an eye on its quality assurance. The last thing they need is unqualified individuals ruining the service’s good name and not helping people who are looking for genuine help and paying real money.
There is an Android app for the service, which will give you a good idea of what Helpouts can be used for as of right now. Give it a try if you need help and let us know what you think.
Play Link
[youtube]http://youtu.be/K-VFC9AQM1k[/youtube]
Via: Google
Google has everything. Why would someone not be in this ecosystem.
I give it a week before the first “Artist’s Model” shows up.
So it’s like Youtube, only live.
I believe this has HUGE potential. Excited!
Hangouts for me is really blurry, too much compression going on. I can’t get friends to bother using it because of the poor quality. Doesn’t matter if I’m on WiFi or 4G, same picture quality. Any way to improve the quality? Galaxy Note 2, Verizon.
I won’t use helpouts.
Great idea
helpout on learning how to wax. that would be great.
but how will Google know how qualified people are in their expertise in order to be able to helpout other properly. For all i know i could get a helpout from someone who can’t even articulate proper English.
Now the real question is that we hopefully dont have to use Google Plus for this new feature.
Anyone who wants to offer a service on Helpouts has to submit an application to Google and then is interviewed by a Helpout employee over a Hangout video chat to insure they are experts in their area.
Do people get paid for this service or do you pay for the help? Or is it volunteer only? Just curious, I’m an ex chef
I see this being a huge opportunity for tutoring.
Were you able to get the Helpouts you needed for your problem ? Is there anything else I can assist you with ? Well thanks for calling Helpouts have a nice evening/day. Be sure to fill out the helpful hangouts survey to let me know how your experience went and how we can better serve you the next time.
Based on the picture alone, this looks like it could turn into a sexcam pay service…LMAO
That dude looks mighty creepy. I feel a meme developing.
Yep, that guy on the laptop looks like a creeper or axe murderer.
Super cool idea. In general, I can’t wait for Hangouts to really take off! This seems like it’d be a really welcome addition (if done right).
There are also lots of free Helpouts. I posted a bunch of listings for Android related help.
Interesting the commercial does not have this year’s Nexus 7… I wonder if this is something they shot a while back.
I wonder how long until experts are ‘qualified’ to help with stimulation .. >_<
helpouts, meet internet. haha
“No, you aren’t doing it right. Go lower….lower…lower…therrrrrre you go. I’ll need to watch your first session to make sure you get it right…”
This call may be recorded for training purposes
“Hangouts with a cause, and price”…and creeps. What are these people who help going to see? Sort of like the Kindle’s new help line.
That picture looks creepy.
“I’m sorry, the lotion goes where? What hose?”
like Leslie implied I am shocked that some people can get paid $5442 in a few weeks on the internet. useful reference… www.day37.com
Okay, next, remove all of of your clothes, then soap yourself down, then… I better stop, I’m turning myself on 😀 LOL
And how does this help me fix a flat tire? = P
You know there is going to be a bunch of prank videos associated with this. I’ve been waiting to see when amazon help videos go viral with people doing stuff on their tablets.
Programs must be written for people to read, and only
incidentally for machines to execute. Just turn to this way to make your
dollars… http://www.bay35.ℂℴm
Dear Helpouts,
All the boys stare at my boobs when i walk by. How can i get them to stop?
Signed,
57 year old fat guy
This seems like a really cool idea. I’m excited to see where it goes.
Cool idea…now to go solicit myself! Anyone need any Tech help???
I hope you know what you’re getting into… May the force be with you 🙂
Somehow I don’t think he does, LOL.
I tried helping my parents do something on a computer using Google Hangouts video chat once. I love my parents, but it was by far one of the most frustrating things I have ever done. I couldn’t imagine helping people I didn’t know no matter how much they paid. Godspeed haha.
I work in IT for a living…so trust me I’ve dealt with quite a few users that make you want to bash your head into the desk. But it’s what I love doing…I see it as a challenge. The most computer illiterate person will be the biggest accomplishment if I can get them to do what they need to!
Doing it as a job vs offering a helping hand to the Internet, they are quite a bit different.
Thats like opening the flood gates and hoping that you standing in its path will hold back the waters…
Can’t agree with you…
If I didn’t like doing what I do, I wouldn’t be doing it as a job. I would obviously pick something else. You dont enjoy doing things BECAUSE of where you work…but rather the opposite; People tend to pick jobs that relate to things they like doing in their lives. Hope that makes sense…LoL
You haven’t felt the effect of opening the flood gates to agree with me. Once experiencing it, you will.
I do the same exact job and I hate it.
Hell, I own my own computer repair business and I can’t stand it.
If it hadn’t been for the terrible pay and impossible metrics, I would have happily done tech support for U-Verse a long time. I love puzzles, and there is no trickier puzzle than trying to walk a 95 year old Chinese woman through repairing a residential gateway and set top box I’ve never seen or used in my life, or trying to find the correct department to get a can of diesel out to the generators that are the only thing keeping the phones working for people in Galveston after a hurricane. If I had access to an HD video chat during some of those calls? Oh boy. That would have been incredible.