Intercom has revealed the biggest update to its Messenger solution to date, with dozens of new features that make it "the most customizable messenger ever".
The company says the next-generation Messenger will have "the best user experience design on the market" and will be able to handle more business-critical actions in one place. The app is fully customizable and configurable to best reflect any company's brand.
Intercom has also announced several additional new features, one of which is messenger-first tickets. These allow companies to receive the most complex support requests through the Messenger and into the Intercom platform.
"Intercom has earned the loyalty of our customers because we provide the solutions they need to increase customer retention, which is a challenge facing every business," said Paul Adams, Chief Product Officer at Intercom.
"We believe the answer is better customer communication, which is why we pioneered the Messenger eleven years ago. Today we've reinvented it for the next decade, when in-product messaging will become the primary channel for businesses to engage with customers."
The New Messenger
Messenger has been completely redesigned to enable users to do more in one app. Brands can customize the app so that it follows unique customer journeys through a variety of styles, colors, and sizes that complement brands' images. Companies can offer different versions of the Messenger to free users and paid users and therefore set up the app depending on who the customer is.
The app has also been redesigned to be more intuitive for end-users so they can easily navigate conversations, self-serve help resources, company news, and more. Moreover, it offers checklists to guide users through a set of actions.
On the news tab, companies can share product launches, feature updates, events, and company news directly in the app. Messenger also comes in desktop and mobile versions to provide a seamless experience across various devices.
Enhanced machine learning-driven article suggestions for businesses to give customers more relevant article suggestions within the Messenger.
Features like basic customization, Messenger spaces, machine learning article suggestions, and updated settings are currently available, while the rest will follow over the coming months.
Messenger-first tickets
Messenger-first tickets offer both live and asynchronous support, enabling companies to handle customers' queries within the Messenger without switching to a separate app. This contributes to a shorter resolution time since companies can set up bots to collect customer information.
The feature shows ticket progression and sends customers notifications to keep them up to date. Messenger-first tickets work within Intercom's Inbox, which launched earlier this year.
Intercom has also announced two new products, a visual bot builder that enables businesses to increase the number of customer questions they can resolve with automation, and Tooltips, non-disruptive and contextual messages that provide additional information about products to customers.
