Top 10: Customer Service Chat software

Updated: August 01, 2023

Customer service chat platforms are digital tools that enable businesses to offer real-time support and assistance to their customers through live chat interactions. These platforms provide a convenient and efficient way for customers to seek help, ask questions, and resolve issues directly from a company's website or application. Customer service chat platforms often include features like chatbots for automated responses, canned messages for quick replies, and file-sharing capabilities to send documents or screenshots. With the ability to handle multiple chat conversations simultaneously, businesses can efficiently manage customer inquiries and reduce response times. The integration of customer service chat platforms with other CRM and ticketing systems allows for seamless customer data management and follow-up. By providing immediate and personalized support, customer service chat platforms contribute to improved customer satisfaction, enhanced brand loyalty, and overall customer service excellence. Some of the most popular customer service chat services are listed below.

See also: Top 10 Live Chat platforms

2019. Zendesk acquired Smooch to improve support via messaging apps like WhatsApp



Customer support service Zendesk has completed the acquisition of Smooch, a startup renowned as an "omnichannel messaging platform." Smooch enables customer care teams to engage with individuals across various messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, WeChat, Line, Messenger, as well as SMS and email. The startup has been a long-standing partner of Zendesk, contributing to the development of features including Zendesk's WhatsApp Business integration. This acquisition highlights the significant impact that messaging apps have had on customer service. Although phone and internet remain crucial channels of contact, messaging apps have emerged as one of the most sought-after features requested by Zendesk's customers.


2019. Salesforce brings AI and Quip to customer service chat



Salesforce Service Cloud has received AI enhancements to its customer service capabilities. One notable improvement is the utilization of machine learning to provide real-time article recommendations, response suggestions, and next best actions to agents during customer interactions. Additionally, similar technology is employed to offer response recommendations that agents can easily copy and paste into chat conversations, accelerating response times. Furthermore, based on the ongoing conversation, Salesforce can suggest the most suitable next action before concluding the interaction. To optimize customer service routing, machine learning is applied to ensure individuals are directed to the most appropriate service representative. Lastly, Salesforce has integrated Quip, a company it acquired in 2016 for $750 million, into the customer service console. This integration enables agents to collaborate with one another, facilitating the resolution of complex issues.


2015. Live support chat Zopim goes Premium



Customer service software provider Zendesk has introduced the Premium version of its live support chat tool, Zopim, specifically designed to assist growing businesses in scaling their live chat operations. Zopim Premium aims to enable businesses to deliver exceptional customer support as they expand. The new plan encompasses workforce management tools, operational scalability, and enhanced customizability. These features empower support team managers with the necessary resources to effectively manage customer expectations and agent productivity. Zopim Premium is tailored to provide managers with deeper insights into their operations, facilitating efficient management of customer expectations and agent productivity at scale. The Real-Time Monitoring feature offers metrics on customer satisfaction, chat queue activity, and agent workload, ensuring compliance with service level agreements (SLAs) and enabling early detection of potential issues before they become major concerns.


2014. LivePerson buys co-browsing tool Synchronite



Customer service chat provider LivePerson has acquired German startup Synchronite in order to obtain its co-browsing and video-chat technology. This acquisition is expected to enhance LivePerson's real-time customer service offering by enabling agents to view the customer's screen, enabling them to provide guidance in tasks such as form filling, completing purchases, and other functionalities on the client's website. Other companies operating in a similar space include Unblu, LiveLook, and Firefly. The specific purchase price for Synchronite, based in Mannheim, has not been disclosed.


2011. Salesforce Service Cloud 3 allows to help customers via live chat, Facebook, Twitter and Facetime



The guys from Salesforce, that are engaged in developing Service Cloud, can't help repeating that traditional customer support systems (Call-centers + CRM / Helpdesk) - are already obsolete. They are built in expectation that a phone call is the primary communication channel that customers use to get support. But the world has changed. Customers want to solve their problems via the Internet - in Facebook, Twitter, forums. They want to talk to tech support via online chat or personal account at the company's website. They want to read what other users say about a product. They want to use video and screen-sharing, to show the problem to support engineer, rather than explain everything by phone. All these requirements are met in the new version of Service Cloud 3. ***