Some of the hottest software this year revolves around capturing voices. Whether it’s the sharp dictations of Wispr or the always-listening ears of Granola, voice-centered software currently feels inescapable. Voice dictation is getting so sharp, in fact, that I often write drafts in my notepad and then dictate aloud to my laptop.
I rarely email customer support unless something substantially negative has happened and I’m fishing for a refund. I’m much more open to giving feedback by blabbering for 20 seconds into my phone, good or bad, than I am to waiting on hold for who knows how long until someone answers. “In the last two years, we hit a tipping point,” says Karan Gupta, CEO of Voicebox, a startup designed to collect feedback via voice. “That voice could now be accurate. It could be fast.”
Companies can also follow up over email, if needed. Voicebox has partnered with airport terminals so that travelers can give their two bits about bathroom messiness or gate directions. Giving feedback through Voicebox is simple. Shoppers can scan a QR code or tap their phone to an NFC chip posted in a store and then say whatever they want. The feedback is automatically transcribed and sent to the company’s dashboard, with a sentiment analysis.
The directory expands Voicebox’s potential from a customer-complaint vehicle centered around business needs into something more like Google Maps, with crowd-spoken reviews. This voice-centric approach mirrors other popular software trends, where the future of dictation feels so natural that using your thumbs to tap away on a smartphone may feel cumbersome and outdated.







