An owner signs up with Google, connects the support email and one more channel, and a team member's reply goes to a real customer.
Helpbrook
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Microsoft
Email me a link
1. The owner sees Google first, Microsoft beside it, an emailed link for anyone else, and signs in with Google. The account exists with a working Helpbrook address at once.
Name the business
Business name: [ ]
Brand: the business's name Inbox: the working Helpbrook address
2. The owner names the business; its first brand and inbox follow from it.
Connect the support address
Google
Microsoft
Forwarding, with sending records
support@ — verified
Past mail coming in as done conversations
3. The owner connects the support address through Google; it shows verified, and two years of past mail start coming in as done conversations.
Add a second source
A second address
Chat widget on the site
WhatsApp, kept on the phone app
Snippet for the site
Phone numbers take calls at once; texting waits on registration
4. The owner adds the chat widget and puts its snippet on the site.
Inbox
Email — new Customer, first line of message
Chat — new Customer, first line of message
Setup
[x] Name the business
[x] Connect the support address
[x] Add a second source
[ ] Reply to a customer
5. Real messages arrive from both sources in the one inbox, and the Setup list ticks each step from the product's state.
Conversation — email
Customer's message
Reply: [ ] Send
6. A team member opens a real customer's conversation and writes the reply.
Conversation — email
Customer's message
Your reply — sent Status: waiting
Setup: [x] Reply to a customer
The customer's mailbox: a normal message from a person
7. The reply goes out on the customer's channel as a normal message from a person, the conversation shows waiting, and Setup ticks the last step. This is the aha.