Intercom has modified rather a lot recently. It began as a messaging device for gross sales and advertising and marketing groups. Now, by including new options like detailed buyer profiles and dialog notes, they seem to be a first rate customer support device as nicely. These modifications assist assist groups do their job higher.
The largest change is their concentrate on AI. They even name themselves an “AI-first customer support platform.” Their AI device, Fin, seems to be spectacular. However lots of their finest options are solely in costly plans. This implies not everybody can use them.
Different firms provide related instruments, generally for much less cash. And if you happen to’re a fan of AI, loads of these instruments provide AI options as nicely. We have made an inventory of 12 alternate options to Intercom so that you can have a look at.
The 12 finest Intercom alternate options for 2024
If supporting prospects and clear pricing are your priorities, listed here are the 12 finest Intercom alternate options to take a look at:
Assist Scout
HelpCrunch
Olark
HubSpot Service Hub
Zendesk
Freshdesk
Tidio
Crisp
Zoho Desk
Hiver
1. Assist Scout
Finest Intercom different for full buyer assist.
At Assist Scout, we imagine that delivering nice customer support should not be exhausting. There are too many assist instruments on the market which might be impersonal and chilly, cumbersome to arrange and use, with a person expertise that is lower than splendid for purchasers and assist groups alike.
We needed extra for our prospects so we constructed Assist Scout to do the precise reverse of what these different instruments do — put the client first.
Assist Scout is an intuitive (however highly effective!) buyer communications platform, with all the instruments assist groups want to offer high-quality assist and create pleasant buyer experiences.
Inbox
Our shared inbox makes it straightforward to collaborate on incoming conversations throughout your entire channels (e-mail, chat, social media) seamlessly, irrespective of how your prospects choose to attach.
Inbox has the whole lot it is advisable do your finest work, together with:
As well as, we provide iOS and Android apps so that you simply’re ready to answer prospects whereas on the go.
Self-service
We love to assist our prospects one-on-one, however we all know that usually prospects would like to assist themselves. That’s why our data base device, Docs, is out there throughout all of our plans.
Docs makes it straightforward so that you can get all the info your prospects want — issues like solutions to FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and firm insurance policies — revealed in a matter of minutes. With Docs you possibly can:
Construct and launch a customized assist heart
Create media-rich data base articles shortly and simply
Customise your Docs website to suit your model character
Monitor article efficiency and spot content material gaps by way of a devoted reporting dashboard
Proactive messaging and assist
Our internet widget, Beacon, may be embedded on any internet web page or inside your app to offer your prospects easy accessibility to dwell chat. Whereas we’re all about offering accessible assist, good customer support must be a two-way avenue. That’s why, along with being a chat hub, Beacon is a good way to achieve out to your viewers in between e-mail, chat, and social media periods.
With Beacon you possibly can:
Present prospects with entry to your assist heart content material from anyplace inside your person expertise
Ship proactive customer support by surfacing a chat window or assist article to assist prospects via difficult spots within the buyer journey
Ship focused messages to segments of your viewers which might be triggered by standards like time on web page and scroll conduct
Gather suggestions via NPS and microsurvey options
AI instruments
Assist Scout has all the time been customer-first, and we all the time will probably be. Whereas we do assume that the enhancements in LLMs and elevated entry to generative AI may be useful, we don’t assume AI ought to exchange customer support groups.
As an alternative, we imagine AI instruments ought to empower them to do their finest work and perhaps get a bit of time again of their day to concentrate on extra useful duties that may enhance the client expertise. We’ve constructed 4 AI instruments that we expect just do that:
AI summarize breaks down lengthy dialog threads into a number of bullet factors, permitting you to rise up to hurry on circumstances extra shortly.
AI help helps you polish buyer replies and Docs articles by adjusting size or tone, checking for spelling and grammar points, or translating the textual content with a single click on.
AI drafts use generative AI, the content material out of your assist heart, and previous buyer conversations to draft correct replies to buyer messages. Merely assessment, edit if wanted, and hit ship.
AI solutions (coming quickly) is a brilliant search device that may present a particular reply to buyer questions utilizing generative AI and the content material in your Docs website.
Integrations
We all know how necessary it’s on your complete tech stack to work collectively, which is why we provide integrations with well-liked software program platforms like Shopify, Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, and Jira. Don’t see the combination you’re on the lookout for? Use our API and create your personal!
Analytics
To verify your staff can measure success and establish areas of enchancment, we provide reporting dashboards to trace metrics like dialog quantity, channel utilization, staff efficiency, buyer satisfaction, and extra. Need to monitor one thing else? No downside! You’ll be able to create your personal filters based mostly on tags, customized fields, or views so that you could report on what issues most to you.
Help
We expect our product is one thing particular, however considered one of our best belongings is our devoted assist staff. Our assist execs are Assist Scout consultants and can be found 24/6 to make sure that you all the time really feel correctly supported. We even have useful assets like dwell lessons, weblog content material, ebooks, and a strong assist heart for these fascinated about diving a bit of deeper.
We imagine that Assist Scout is a good different to Intercom for groups which might be targeted on customer-first assist at a aggressive worth level.
In case you’re fascinated about making the swap, our platform’s knowledge migration capabilities don’t require any IT involvement, making it straightforward to deliver your buyer knowledge and dialog historical past to Assist Scout. And in case you have any questions alongside the way in which, don’t hesitate to achieve out — we’re completely happy to assist!
Value: Free trial out there. Plans begin at $22/person monthly.
2. HelpCrunch
Finest Intercom different for multi-channel messaging.
HelpCrunch is one other Intercom competitor to think about. Very like Intercom and Assist Scout, HelpCrunch permits brokers to simply handle buyer interactions throughout your entire channels from a single device. Talking of channels, apart from e-mail and dwell chat, HelpCrunch helps tons of messaging platforms like Fb, Instagram, and WhatsApp. You’ll be able to even add Telegram and Viber chatbots to the combo.
Moreover dialog administration, HelpCrunch additionally has e-mail advertising and marketing and automatic messaging instruments in addition to a data base builder to assist prospects discover useful info while not having to contact assist. AI-wise, Assist Crunch is within the technique of rolling out AI options. The primary is their AI-powered writing assistant that may assist together with your copy’s spelling, grammar, tone, size, and translation.
If HelpCrunch looks as if the correct alternative for you, in addition they provide free knowledge migration from different well-liked assist desks like Intercom and Zendesk.
Value: Free trial out there. Plans begin at $12/member monthly.
3. Olark
Finest Intercom different for stand-alone dwell chat.
In case you’re on the lookout for chat software program that may assist interact web site guests, Olark is a good alternative. You’ll be able to customise your chat expertise to match your model tips, seize necessary buyer information upfront with pre-chat surveys, and when your staff is offline, they’ve chatbots to assist reply to buyer queries.
In case you’re intimidated by creating your personal chatbot flows, Olark will construct them for you! In case you select to pay for Olark’s CoPilot program, their staff will construct bots catered to your small business’ wants and use circumstances.
Different Olark options embrace computerized focused messaging, integration with different instruments in your tech stack, in-depth reporting capabilities, and searchable chat transcripts, making certain that they are often simply referenced sooner or later.
Value: Free trial out there. Plans begin at $29/seat monthly.
4. HubSpot Buyer Platform or HubSpot Service Hub
Finest Intercom different for big companies who’re already HubSpot customers.
HubSpot is a well-liked martech device with a plethora of options for SaaS and different on-line companies. HubSpot’s all-in-one suite of instruments, HubSpot Buyer Platform, contains software program for touchdown web page creation, lead technology, e-mail advertising and marketing automation, buyer assist, gross sales prospecting, operations, and extra.
That is why HubSpot is smart as an Intercom different for big manufacturers who’re already energetic throughout the HubSpot ecosystem. All the instruments combine with one another, and you may preserve your entire buyer comms in a single place.
Nonetheless, if you happen to aren’t a present HubSpot buyer and are simply fascinated about a buyer assist device, you possibly can join particularly for his or her service providing, Service Hub. Each merchandise have a freemium possibility and paid plans that begin at $15 per seat.
Value: Free plan out there. Paid plans begin at $15/seat monthly. Study different instruments much like HubSpot.
5. Zendesk
Finest Intercom different for AI-first enterprise firms.
Zendesk is a well known customer support software program answer and doubtless probably the most sturdy device on this listing, making it an awesome Intercom competitor for enterprise firms targeted on scalability.
Once you join, you get entry to a shared inbox that may monitor SMS, voice, e-mail, and social. There’s additionally a dwell chat answer, entry to its data base builder (Information), the power to create a neighborhood discussion board or buyer portal, workflows and triggers to assist automate mundane duties, macros (saved templates) for responding shortly to FAQs, reporting dashboards, entry to tons of integrations, and extra.
Very like Intercom, Zendesk is an instance of an organization that has made a robust push towards AI. They provide a digital agent, agent help options, AI-powered ticket routing, and even instruments for figuring out content material gaps in your data base. Whereas AI-first isn’t for everybody, whether it is for you, then Zendesk is an efficient possibility.
Value: Free trial out there. Plans begin at $19/agent monthly.