TELL MEL

How it works

All they have to do is answer the phone

Other services email your parent a question every week and leave the rest to them. Mel calls, asks what you wanted asked, and actually listens — following the story through back and forth conversations, in the language they are most comfortable speaking.

  • Mel talks via the telephone - no app or login required
  • Real back and forth talk, not a pre-scripted list of prompts
  • Mel speaks their language — English, Spanish, French, German, Hindi, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, Italian, and Dutch

  1. Step

    1

    Mel learns what you want

    Mel calls you first. You name the people, the places, and the questions you have always meant to ask, and Mel builds the interviews around them.

    About
    Who they are and what shaped them
    Learn
    The questions you want asked
    Why
    What this memoir is for
    A younger family member talks with Mel by phone before the narrator's interviews begin
    Welcome call with Mel You tell Mel about the narrator

  2. Step

    2

    Deep conversations with your loved one

    They pick up the phone and talk for 10–15 unhurried minutes. Mel remembers what they said last time, so every answer opens the next question.

    First
    They answer a familiar phone call
    Then
    Mel follows the story through back and forth talk
    A mother talks on the phone while her daughter looks through family photographs
    Conversation with Mel A familiar phone call

  3. Step

    3

    They say when to talk next

    Before that same call ends, Mel simply asks when to talk again — the way a friend would. They answer out loud and it is set. There is nothing to book, no calendar link to open, and no reminder to keep track of.

    First
    Mel asks before saying goodbye
    Then
    They name a day and time, and Mel calls then

  4. Step

    4

    Their Living Memoir comes alive

    Mel turns each call into a written chapter using the original audio. The next one is already on the books, so the memoir keeps growing on its own.

    First
    Read and listen online
    Then
    Share with family or revise by phone
    Again
    Repeat steps 2–4 for every new chapter

Getting started

Plans, billing, signing yourself up, and getting more than one memoir underway.

Can I sign myself up to tell my own stories?

Of course you can! Just give your own name and contact information as the Narrator, and tell Mel you'll be doing this for yourself.

How does your money-back guarantee work?

We guarantee you'll love Tell Mel. If you are not satisfied in the first 14 days of purchasing Tell Mel, email [email protected] and if we cannot resolve the issue, we will refund your purchase.

How do plans and interview hours work?

Tell Mel offers two price sets. The new plans start at $39; depending on your location, the plan either renews automatically or is paid one year at a time. Your first year includes the interview hours from the offer you chose — 2, 12, or 24 — and each $39 renewal keeps your Living Memoir online and adds 2 new interview hours. With a one-time hour pack, you pay once with no renewal, and your hours plus Living Memoir hosting are valid for one year from purchase. Additional interview hours do not extend hosting.

Will my plan renew automatically?

Only when checkout explicitly says your membership will renew automatically. Where automatic renewal is available, it renews once a year at $39, adding 2 new interview hours and another year of Living Memoir hosting until you cancel. Otherwise, your purchase is charged once and we ask you to renew manually after one year. A one-time hour pack never renews automatically.

How do I cancel?

If your membership renews automatically, you can cancel anytime from your Account & Billing page or by emailing [email protected]. Cancellation stops future renewals and takes effect at the end of your current year. A one-time purchase or manually renewed plan does not renew automatically, so there is nothing to cancel.

How long does my Living Memoir stay online?

Every initial plan or pack purchase includes one year of Living Memoir hosting. Where automatic renewal is available, a $39 membership renewal extends hosting for another year automatically. Otherwise, we ask you to renew manually for $39 after one year. Buying additional interview hours does not extend hosting. We reserve the right to take a Living Memoir offline after its hosting term expires, though no site is disabled today.

How can I sign up multiple people at once?

We're thrilled people want to sign up multiple loved ones (for instance, both parents) or a memoir group activity. Please contact us at [email protected] for a special set up and a group discount!

Calls and chapters

What conversations feel like, how stories become chapters, and what to do when a call is missed.

How long is each call?

Each call with Mel typically lasts 10–15 minutes, ensuring the process is easy and enjoyable. Calls can go up to an hour if needed.

Can I join the calls with my loved one?

Absolutely! Schedule calls at a time that works for everyone. Just remember, Mel works best when there's one speaker at a time.

What do the write-ups look like?

Each call is summarized into a beautifully written memoir chapter, capturing the storyteller's unique voice. Here's an excerpt:

From Molecules to Medicine: A Journey of Discovery

Looking back, I can pinpoint exactly when my journey into medicine began. It was my freshman year of high school, and I had this remarkable biology teacher, Mr. Holm. He wasn't your typical science teacher—he had a goofy sense of humor and a passion for discovery. His classroom was a treasure trove of specimens and artifacts from his adventures across California.

How are edits made to the write-ups?

After each call, the narrator will receive an email with a link to preview the write-up. If the narrator does not have an email, it will be sent to the Champion (the person who purchased the memoir). From the preview, you have two ways to make edits. You can have Mel call you or your narrator to make changes over the phone (recommended) — just click the edit link in your preview email. Or for small edits, you can alternatively make manual edits yourself by clicking the pencil icon to open a text editor where you can update the title and content directly. Once you're happy with the write-up, approve it and it will be shared with your memoir group.

Does Mel update the questions over time?

Yes! Mel learns from each conversation and tailors future questions based on the stories your narrator has already shared. This means the questions become more personal and relevant over time, helping to uncover deeper memories and new topics that come up naturally during calls.

Will this work if loved one has a hard time hearing?

As long as your loved one can have a telephone conversation, they should have no problem talking to Mel. Many hearing aids now connect directly to cell phones. Give it a shot, and if it doesn't work for you, contact us at [email protected] for a full refund.

Why did Mel's call go to voicemail?

We're sorry you missed Mel! When a scheduled call goes straight to voicemail, it's almost always your phone's spam-filtering at work. Here's how to fix it — most of these take under a minute.

  1. Save Mel as a contact. Add +1 (415) 707-0768 to your contacts as “Mel — Tell Mel.” This one step solves the vast majority of voicemail problems, because most spam filters skip numbers that are already in your contacts.
  2. Check your recent calls for the time the call was scheduled.
    • If Mel's number doesn't appear at all, skip to step 4.
    • If it appears with a label like “Spam Likely,” “Potential Spam,” “Scam Likely,” or “Telemarketer,” that's why the call went to voicemail — go to step 3.
  3. Turn off “send spam to voicemail” features. Check whichever applies to you:
    • iPhone: Settings → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers — make sure this is off.
    • iPhone: Settings → Phone → Call Blocking & Identification — confirm nothing related to Mel or our 415 number is listed.
    • T-Mobile Scam Shield: open the app → Settings — make sure “Scam Block” and “Block Categories” aren't routing “Likely Scam” or “Telemarketer” calls to voicemail.
    • AT&T ActiveArmor: open the app → Calls — turn off spam-to-voicemail, or add Mel's number as an exception.
    • Verizon Call Filter: open the app → Block list / Filter level — set the filter to “Low” or add Mel's number as an allowed contact.
  4. Check Focus or Do Not Disturb for your scheduled call time.
    • iPhone: Settings → Focus — make sure no Focus mode (Work, Sleep, Personal, Do Not Disturb) was silencing non-contacts during your interview. Once Mel is saved as a contact (step 1), adding Mel to “Allowed People” in each Focus prevents this for good.
    • Android: Settings → Sound & vibration → Do Not Disturb — review Schedule and Exceptions.
  5. Make sure your phone was actually reachable at the scheduled time.
    • Was it powered on, with signal?
    • Wi-Fi Calling fails if you're somewhere without good Wi-Fi or cell signal.
    • If your number forwards to another phone (Google Voice, RingCentral, etc.), make sure that chain is working — if any link is broken, the call dies.
  6. Try a quick test. Call +1 (415) 707-0768 from your phone. If it rings through, your phone can reach our system just fine. If it doesn't, there's a network or block-list issue specific to your phone. You can also reply to your most recent reminder email — or visit your account — to request a fresh interview call.
  7. Still going to voicemail? Email us at [email protected] with:
    • Your carrier (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Google Fi, etc.)
    • Your phone's make and model (iPhone 14, Pixel 8, etc.)
    • Whether the missed call showed up in your recent calls
    • Whether you saw a spam-related label

Privacy and security

Who can read the memoir, who owns the stories, and how your family's information is protected.

Are my stories private?

Yes, your stories are completely private. We do not sell or share your data, and all conversations are stored securely with encryption. Only you and the people you choose have access to your memoirs.

Who owns the stories?

You own your stories. All transcripts, audio recordings, and memoirs created with Tell Mel belong to you, and you can download them or request deletion at any time.

How is my data secured?

Your data is stored using industry-standard encryption and secured on servers that comply with strict privacy regulations. Access is limited to authorized personnel, and all access is logged and monitored.

Can I delete my data?

Yes, you can request deletion of your data at any time by contacting [email protected]. We'll ensure all transcripts, recordings, and related information are permanently removed.

Ready when they are

Begin with the first conversation.

Set up the memoir now, or email [email protected] if there is something we have not answered.

Buy Now