Why We Built Pal Calls

Hi, I'm Scott. I'm a dad and a software engineer. Pal Calls started with a simple experiment during the 2024 holiday season: what if kids could call Santa and have a real conversation?

We built the Santa Hotline in a weekend. Within 48 hours, 529 families had used it — with zero marketing. Parents shared it with other parents. Kids changed their behavior because a character asked them to. We didn't ask for reviews, testimonials, or shares. They happened on their own.

That's when I realized: the magic wasn't the technology. It was the relationship between a kid and a character they trust. And if that relationship could change behavior, it could drive business outcomes too.

I started talking to family entertainment businesses — FECs, play spaces, mobile party companies, zoos. The same problem kept coming up: they had incredible experiences, but they couldn't follow up with families because they never captured their data. Walk-ins came and went. Party guests went home. Everyone had fun, but no one came back.

These businesses were piecing together five or six different tools — Mailchimp for email, some SMS tool, a review management platform, maybe a CRM they never used. And none of it was built for their world.

Pal Calls is the platform I wish existed for them. Character AI calls that kids love. Automatic lead capture. Email and SMS automation. Review generation. An engagement dashboard. All in one place, all purpose-built for businesses that serve families.

The trading card is the bridge. Kids get a collectible card at your venue or party. They scan it, call the character, and have the time of their lives. Meanwhile, you capture their family's data and the marketing pipeline kicks in automatically.

We're just getting started. But the vision is clear: every family business should have a character kids love, a way to capture the families they serve, and the tools to bring them back.