Top 10 alternatives to Kustomer as a customer service tool for small business owners
In this article we discuss the top 10 alternatives to Kustomer as a customer service tool. We explain what a customer service tool is, why it matters to you as a small business owner and what alternatives to Kustomer there are.
A customer service tool explained
Before we move on, let’s explore what a customer service tool is. Providers like Kustomer offer an inbox solution to manage customer service. Channels like live chat, email and social messaging channels like Instagram DM, WhatsApp, Telegram or Facebook Messenger are integrated to manage multiple channels in one place. Chatbots are often used as a first line support to answer questions.
How a customer service tool helps your business and why it matters
A customer service tool like Kustomer matters to you as a small business owner because such a tool helps you to service your customers in an efficient manner. It brings different communication channels into one place so you can easily reply to customer inquiries.
Such a customer service tool helps you to build true omnichannel experiences. It doesn’t matter whether a customer reaches out to your business via email, live chat or through a social messaging app like Facebook Messenger. You can be where your customers are.
Customer service tools like Kustomer also saves you time. Often these types of solutions provide chatbots and Conversational AI for your first line support. Basically, this means that a chatbots answers first, but when a chatbot can’t help the conversation is handed over to a human being. Easy questions like “Where is my package?” or “Are you open on Sunday?” can be automated.
Customer service tools also often integrate with other systems to make handling customer inquiries easier. Things like Shopify or WooCommerce for eCommerce or Salesforce or HubSpot for CRM. This allows a customer engagement platform like Kustomer to pull information like an order status or push information about a conversation with a customer.
A customer service tool like Kustomer also helps you as a small business owner to build up customer profiles. It helps you to get to know your customers better so you can create and manage long lasting, profitable relationships with them.
Finally, more advanced customer service tools can also be used to reach out to customers pro-actively, e.g., to drive more sales or sign ups. Imagine that somebody on your website is struggling to sign up. The live chat can then pop-up and actively ask whether support is needed. Or for example when somebody is looking at a product in your ecommerce store but not buying. Such a proactive approach helps to drive conversion and to drive sales.
Customer service tools and alternatives compared
Let’s move into the comparison. We compare and rank different customer service tool providers like Kustomer, Intercom, LivePerson, Manychat, Gorgias, Tidio, Olark, Trengo, Drift, Messagebird and Table Duck.
We compare and rank customer service tool providers based on features, price, whether the offer a free plan or not and market segment. Let’s list them.
Kustomer
Kustomer is an omnichannel CX platform with everything you need to engage seamlessly with customers in a single timeline
- Features: Customer service, self-service, CRM
- Price: Unknown
- Free plan available: Unknown
- Market segment: Mid-sized to enterprise businesses
LivePerson
LivePerson offers a complete solution to create, manage & optimize Conversational AI. Message with consumers on the most popular digital channels
- Features: Conversation Builder, Intent Manager, Analytics
- Price: Unknown
- Free plan available: Unknown
- Market segment: Enterprise businesses
Intercom
Intercom is complete customer communications platform with bots, apps, product tours, email, messages, and a help center.
- Features: Live chat, chatbots, shared inbox, product tours
- Price: Unknown
- Free plan available: Unknown
- Market segment: Mid-sized to enterprise businesses
Messagebird
A communications platform, where talking with a business is as easy and natural as talking to a human being.
- Features: Live chat, shared inbox, flow builder
- Price: Starting from $ 45 per month
- Free plan available: Yes
- Market segment: Small to mid-sized businesses
Drift
Brings your go-to-market teams together to deliver personalized customer experiences in real time.
- Features: Live chat, chatbots, Conversational Marketing
- Price: Unknown
- Free plan available: Unknown
- Market segment: Mid-sized to enterprise businesses
Manychat
ManyChat is a Facebook Messenger chatbot that automates getting and keeping customers happy.
- Features: Chatbot, social messaging
- Price: Starting from $ 15 per month
- Free plan available: Yes
- Market segment: Small to mid-sized businesses
Trengo
Collaborate with your team. Automate conversations. Create amazing customer experiences.
- Features: Team collaboration, live chat, shared inbox
- Price: Starting from $ 15 per month
- Free plan available: No
- Market segment: Small to mid-sized businesses
Gorgias
The all-in-one helpdesk + live chat, designed for ecommerce stores
- Features: Shared inbox, self-service
- Price: Starting from $ 60 per month
- Free plan available: no
- Market segment: Mid-sized businesses
Tidio
Tidio combines live chat and chatbot tools to help you provide superb customer service and generate more sales.
- Features: Live chat, chatbots, shared inbox
- Price: Starting from $ 39 per month
- Free plan available: Yes
- Market segment: Small to mid-sized businesses
Olark
One app to manage all your customer service channels: live chat, email, social media,
- Features: Live chat, chatbots, shared inbox
- Price: Starting from $ 29 per month
- Free plan available: No
- Market segment: Small to mid-sized businesses
Table Duck
Table Duck is an omnichannel communication platform to manage and automate all your customer conversations in one place.
- Features: Live chat, shared inbox, chatbots
- Price: Starting from $ 19 per month
- Free plan available: Yes
- Market segment: Small to mid-sized businesses
Final thoughts
Choosing the right customer service tool really depends on the needs of your business. Some tools like Kustomer focus mid-sized companies and larger enterprises, whereas Table Duck services especially small business owners.
