Many memoir services now advertise a way for parents and grandparents to tell their stories over the phone. It sounds like one feature, but it isn't. Behind the same word, "phone," there are three very different experiences, and only one of them actually interviews the storyteller. This guide explains what happens on each type of call, why the difference shows up in the finished book, and how to tell which one you are paying for.
The Short Answer
A phone recording asks one question and records the answer. A family call connects the storyteller with a relative, who asks the questions. A guided phone interview asks a question, listens, and then asks follow-up questions based on what the storyteller said. Only a guided phone interview does the interviewing for you, and it is the one that most often turns short answers into full stories. Memorygram includes guided phone interviews in its $93 one-time Legacy Book. Storyworth includes them only on its $199 Unlimited plan, which renews at $99 per year. Remento's $25 phone add-on records answers without follow-up questions in its documented call flow.
The Three Types of Memoir Phone Calls
1. Phone Recording
What happens: The service calls the storyteller, reads the week's question, and records whatever they say until they hang up.
Who asks follow-up questions: No one
Works best for: Natural talkers who already know what they want to say
2. Family Call (Bridged Call)
What happens: The service dials the storyteller and a relative at the same time, plays the question, and records their conversation.
Who asks follow-up questions: The relative on the call
Works best for: Families with someone who has the time, and the interviewing instincts, to be on every call
3. Guided Phone Interview
What happens: An automated interviewer asks the question, listens to the answer, and asks follow-up questions about the people, places, and feelings the storyteller mentioned. The conversation is then written into a finished story.
Who asks follow-up questions: The interviewer
Works best for: Almost everyone, especially storytellers who give short answers or aren't sure where to start
Why Follow-Up Questions Change the Book
Most people don't tell a full story on the first try. Asked about their first job, a storyteller on a phone recording might say, "I worked at the hardware store downtown for a couple of summers. It was fine." Then the recording ends, and that is the story that goes in the book.
On a guided phone interview, the same answer is just the start. The interviewer might ask who ran the store, what a typical day looked like, or what they spent their first paycheck on. Each answer opens up details the storyteller would not have volunteered: a name, a smell, a lesson, a funny moment. Those details are what families remember when they read the book years later.
A family call can get the same result, but only if a relative is available for every call and knows how to ask good follow-up questions. A guided phone interview builds that into every call.
How to Tell Which One You're Buying
Marketing pages often use words like "voice," "talk," "guided," or "interviewer" for all three types. Ask these questions before you buy:
- Does the call ask follow-up questions based on what the storyteller says? If the call reads a question, plays a beep, and records, it is a phone recording, whatever it is called.
- Who is asking the questions? If a family member has to be on the call to ask them, it is a family call.
- Which plan includes it? Some services offer phone recording on mid-tier plans and save the interview for their most expensive plan.
- Is it included or an add-on? Check whether the phone feature is part of the price or added at checkout.
- Is it a one-time purchase or a subscription? A low first-year price can renew every year unless cancelled.
- Does it work on a landline? Many older storytellers prefer the home phone they have used for decades.
Which Services Offer Which Type of Call
Memorygram
Guided phone interview: Included in every Legacy Book
Price: $93, one-time; no subscription or renewal
Works on a landline: Yes
Storyworth
Phone recording: Color ($99) and Unlimited ($199)
Family calls: Monthly on Color, weekly on Unlimited
Guided phone interview: Unlimited only, $199, auto-renews at $99 per year
Works on a landline: Yes
Remento
Phone recording: $25 add-on to the $99 plan, which auto-renews at $99 per year or $12 per month
Guided phone interview: No follow-up questions in the call flow described in Remento's help center
Works on a landline: Not mentioned in Remento's help article
For full pricing, renewal costs over three years, and what each plan includes, see the complete Memorygram, Storyworth, and Remento price comparison.
How Memorygram's Guided Phone Interview Works
Families pick the days and times for weekly calls. When the phone rings, the storyteller answers and Memorygram's automated interviewer asks one question, then follows up on what they share, such as what they saw, who was with them, what they felt, and what they learned. If a question doesn't fit, the storyteller can ask for a different one during the call.
Storytellers who miss a call can start one from an email link or dial Memorygram's interviewer number whenever a memory comes to mind. Most stories take 5 to 15 minutes, with up to 30 minutes per call. It works on any phone, including a landline, with no internet, app, or smartphone needed, and is available in the United States with U.S. phone numbers.
After each call, the conversation is written into a polished story with filler words removed. The original audio is saved as a downloadable file, and a QR code in the printed book plays the storyteller's voice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a guided phone interview for a memoir?
A guided phone interview is a call where an automated interviewer asks the storyteller a question, listens, and asks follow-up questions based on their answer. The conversation is then written into a finished story for the memoir.
What's the difference between a phone recording and a phone interview?
A phone recording asks one question and records the answer with no follow-up. A phone interview responds to what the storyteller says with follow-up questions, which draws out names, places, and details that a single question usually misses.
Do memoir phone calls ask follow-up questions?
Only some do. Memorygram's phone interviews ask follow-up questions on every Legacy Book. Storyworth's do only on its $199 Unlimited plan. Remento's phone add-on records the answer without follow-up questions in its documented call flow.
Is a family call the same as a phone interview?
No. On a family call, the service connects the storyteller and a relative, and the relative asks the questions. On a guided phone interview, the service's interviewer asks the follow-up questions, so no family member needs to be on the call.
Which memoir service includes guided phone interviews in its base price?
Among Memorygram, Storyworth, and Remento, Memorygram is the only one that includes guided phone interviews in its standard price: $93, one-time, with no renewal fee.
Related Guides
- How Much Do Phone Interviews Cost? Memorygram vs. Storyworth vs. Remento
- Storyworth Color vs. Unlimited: Which Plan Includes Phone Interviews?
- The Best Memoir Gift for a Parent Without a Smartphone or Internet
Features and prices as of October 2026, based on each company's published pricing pages, checkout pages, and help center articles.
