![\"digitation-picture\"](\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/Digitation-Picture.png\")
<\/a>[6]<\/p>\nHowever, this is not enough, as a large and important segment requires more direct support. Aimed at this market, Intercom provides customer messaging products to assist customer interactions for sales, marketing, and customer support teams. [1] The company enables businesses to have a streamlined point of contact for all customer support. Through a suite of solutions, Intercom fosters communication and efficiency for a customer support team and enables seamless work. One of these solutions is its \u201cEngage\u201d product that synthesizes all inbound messages into one mailbox, providing the full team of customer support specialists with visibility to view responses, respond to inquiries, and collaborate and problem solve on challenging issues. One specific feature, for example, is \u201csave reply,\u201d which allows for shortened triage time by providing templates for common customer inquiries. [7]<\/p>\n
Intercom has identified a business opportunity where its technology can disrupt the traditional customer support model, by reducing inefficiencies inherent in customer service, enabling companies to reduce their cost to servicing a customer. What makes Intercom unique is that it has diversified its portfolio to handle a wide range of customer communications, from support services to marketing activities. [8] By creating an array of products that enable customer conversations, Intercom has utilized technology to reduce the barriers for businesses to serve end-customers in a myriad of ways. Intercom\u2019s ability to be successful in many areas, allows them to have a stickier customer base and build a brand based on technological innovation.<\/p>\n
Intercom also stands out for its business model. Unlike other SaaS businesses, Intercom does not charge based on the number of internal users of the product, but instead levies a flat-fee based on audience size. [9] What makes this innovative is that it does not hinder Intercom\u2019s own customers from optimizing their internal structure (i.e. number of employees per team, touch points per each customer). It also aligns the incentives of Intercom and its customers \u2013 when the businesses grow, attracting more customers and generating more revenue, both the underlying company and Intercom benefit. The strength of Intercom is evidenced by the quality of customers it has attracted, including Expensify, Chariot, and General Assembly, and the $166MM in funding it has raised. [1,10]<\/p>\n
How does Intercom accomplish this? It uses a guide of operating principles to build its business. Intercom promotes short timelines and builds detailed roadmaps for its product launches. It uses specific frameworks for decision making and focuses on accountability and transparency throughout its operational processes. [11]<\/p>\n
Example Roadmap.<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite this progress, there is still more to be done. Intercom can continue to make its own customer relationships stickier, by building out a robust analytics platform that helps companies to understand their customer service problems. By educating companies on customer touchpoints, Intercom can enable smarter customer support decisions and resource allocation. Intercom would also be able to aggregate all customer data to provide best practice recommendations for its users. Another opportunity for Intercom is to move beyond its monthly pricing mechanism. If Intercom were to introduce contracts, it could not only increase its own user retention, but also create a predicable stream of returning revenue. These additional features would help to increase Intercom\u2019s credibility as a business, allowing it to better serve its customers and create more value in the marketplace with its customer service software.<\/p>\n [Word Count: 783 words]<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cited Sources:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1] Intercom, <\/em>accessed 11 November 2016, https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n [2] \u201c15 Surprising Customer Service Statistics That Will Change The Way You Do Support,\u201d (22 September 2015), accessed 11 November 2016, https:\/\/www.groovehq.com\/support\/customer-service-statistics<\/a><\/p>\n [3] \u201cThe 3 Deadliest Challenges of Scaling a Startup,\u201d (27 March 2014), accessed 13 November 2016, https:\/\/www.groovehq.com\/blog\/scaling<\/a><\/p>\n [4] \u201cThe Big List of 43+ Customer Experience Statistics,\u201d (2015 1 April), accessed 11 November 2016, https:\/\/www.sprinklr.com\/the-way\/big-list-customer-experience-statistics\/<\/a><\/p>\n [5] \u201c75 Customer Service Facts, Quotes & Statistics,\u201d HelpScout<\/em>, accessed 11 November 2016, https:\/\/www.helpscout.net\/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics\/<\/a><\/p>\n [6] \u201cHow to Scale Customer Service When You Can\u2019t Hire More People,\u201d AnswerDash<\/em> (3 February 2015), accessed 15 November 2016, http:\/\/www.answerdash.com\/blog\/how-to-scale-customer-service<\/a><\/p>\n [7] Intercom<\/em>, accessed 15 November 2016, https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/customer-support<\/a>?<\/p>\n [8] \u201cFounders of Slack, Stripe Back Startup Intercom,\u201d Fortune<\/em> (7 April 2016), accessed 13 November 2016, http:\/\/fortune.com\/2016\/04\/07\/intercom-help-desk-startup\/<\/a><\/p>\n [9] Intercom<\/em>, accessed 15 November 2016, https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/pricing?product_store_location=-store-add_bundle-count-undefined<\/a><\/p>\n [10] Crunchbase:<\/em> Intercom<\/em>, accessed 17 November 2016, https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/organization\/intercom#\/entity<\/a><\/p>\n [11] \u201cLessons Learned From Scaling A Product Team,\u201d Paul Adams,<\/em> accessed 17 November 2016, https:\/\/blog.intercom.com\/how-we-build-software\/<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Other sources referenced:<\/p>\n<\/a>[11]<\/p>\n