5 Best Service Inquiry Chats for IT Support Services (MSPs)

Intercom is a popular customer messaging platform that offers live chat, automated bots, and a knowledge base for websites and mobile apps. Its bot feature, called "Resolution Bot," can answer common questions, gather user information, and route conversations to human agents. Intercom’s interface allows users to create conversational flows using a visual builder, and it integrates with many third‑party tools such as Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk. Intercom’s strengths lie in its scalability, robust analytics, and omnichannel support that extends beyond web widgets to mobile, email, and in‑app messages. The platform also offers a built‑in product tour feature that helps guide new users through software. However, Intercom’s pricing can be steep for smaller teams, and its knowledge base is primarily a document repository rather than a dynamic, AI‑augmented system. Many MSPs use Intercom to streamline support tickets, collect user feedback, and provide proactive notifications. Its ability to integrate with ticketing systems allows support agents to manage conversations within a single interface.

Zendesk Chat (formerly Zopim) is a web‑based live‑chat solution that integrates tightly with the Zendesk ticketing ecosystem. The platform provides real‑time chat, chatbots, and automated triggers that can forward conversations to Zendesk tickets or trigger email notifications. Zendesk Chat’s chatbot builder allows users to create scripted responses and set up escalation rules. Its biggest advantage is the seamless connection to Zendesk’s support suite, which enables agents to manage chats, tickets, and knowledge base articles from a single dashboard. The platform also offers real‑time analytics and a mobile app for on‑the‑go support. While Zendesk Chat is well‑suited for companies already invested in Zendesk, its chatbot features are relatively basic compared to dedicated AI platforms. It lacks a visual editor that allows brand‑specific styling without code, and its knowledge base is document‑centric.

Drift is a conversational marketing platform that focuses on lead qualification and sales acceleration. Its chatbot, known as "Drift Bot," can qualify prospects, book meetings, and hand off conversations to human agents. Drift offers a visual flow builder that lets users design conversational paths without coding. Drift’s key differentiators include its deep integration with sales tools such as Salesforce, HubSpot, and Outreach. The platform also provides real‑time chat widgets that can be personalized based on visitor data, and it offers A/B testing capabilities for chat copy. However, Drift’s primary focus is on marketing and sales, making it less suitable for technical support workflows that require detailed knowledge base integration. MSPs that need a bot to capture leads and direct them to the appropriate support or sales representative often choose Drift for its ease of use and strong CRM integrations.

Tidio is a hybrid live‑chat and chatbot solution that combines real‑time messaging with AI‑powered bot responses. The platform offers a visual drag‑and‑drop builder for creating automated conversational flows, and it can be embedded with a single line of code. Tidio also supports integration with major e‑commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, allowing bots to provide product recommendations and order status updates. One of Tidio’s strengths is its affordability and ease of setup, making it attractive to small MSPs that want instant chat support without a steep learning curve. The platform provides basic analytics, email notifications, and the ability to transfer chats to human agents. However, its AI capabilities are relatively simple compared to dedicated AI chatbot platforms, and customization options are somewhat limited compared to a full WYSIWYG editor.