Insightly - Detailed Review
Customer Service Tools
Insightly - Product Overview
Insightly Overview
Insightly is a comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) platform that includes a range of tools, particularly its customer service component, Insightly Service, which is integral to its AI-driven product category.Primary Function
Insightly Service is a customer service help desk software aimed at helping businesses close customer support tickets faster and deliver better customer experiences. It is part of Insightly’s unified suite of CRM applications, connecting seamlessly with other tools to provide a holistic view of customer interactions.Target Audience
Insightly’s target market is diverse and includes:- Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) looking for cost-effective CRM solutions.
- Entrepreneurs and startups seeking to establish a strong business foundation.
- Sales and marketing professionals who need to track leads and manage contacts.
- Consultants and freelancers requiring a centralized platform for client relationships and project management.
- Nonprofit organizations managing donor relationships and fundraising campaigns.
Key Features
1. Integration and Visibility
Insightly Service integrates natively with Insightly CRM and Insightly Marketing, ensuring that all customer data is available in real-time across different teams. This integration helps in having more relevant conversations and driving customer satisfaction.2. AI-Powered Summaries
The platform uses generative AI to summarize customer service tickets, saving time for staff by providing a quick overview of the ticket correspondence and resolution. This feature enhances efficiency and provides a fuller picture of customer interactions.3. Speed and Relevance
Insightly Service enables teams to close customer support tickets quickly and access current and historical customer status, facilitating more engaging and relevant conversations.4. Customizable Dashboards and Reports
The platform offers customizable dashboard cards and reports, allowing teams to track performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) in real time. It also scans keywords and phrases in tickets to gain more insights from every interaction.5. Cross-Platform Integration
Insightly Service leverages cross-platform integration to provide a comprehensive view of the customer, breaking down silos and empowering customer support teams to solve tickets efficiently and create account expansion opportunities.Conclusion
By combining these features, Insightly Service helps businesses streamline their customer service operations, improve customer satisfaction, and drive overall business growth. Insightly - User Interface and Experience
User Interface of Insightly
The user interface of Insightly, particularly in its Customer Service Tools and AI-driven features, is crafted with a strong focus on ease of use and user familiarity.
Ease of Use
Insightly’s user interface is designed to be intuitive and familiar, leveraging conventions and layouts from widely used applications like Gmail and Microsoft Office. This approach significantly lowers the learning curve, allowing new users to feel comfortable and proficient without the need for specialized training. The interface is built to provide an immediate sense of familiarity, making it easy for users to discover, understand, and use all the features effortlessly.
Customization and Control
The New Insightly User Experience, introduced in 2017, gives users more control over how they view their CRM information. Lists can be customized and viewed in either a grid or pipeline format, and individual records appear in slide-out panels with a highlights bar. This customization allows users to organize and access their data in a way that suits their needs.
AI-Driven Features
In the context of customer service, Insightly’s AI features play a significant role in enhancing the user experience. For instance, the AI assistant in Insightly Service can summarize customer service tickets, including the nature of the correspondence and the resolution provided. This feature saves time for staff by providing a quick overview of each ticket without the need to read through entire interactions. This integration of AI streamlines the process of managing customer service tickets, making it more efficient and reducing the time spent on each ticket.
Integration and Accessibility
Insightly’s platform is unified, allowing seamless integration between Insightly CRM, Insightly Marketing, and Insightly Service. This integration ensures that all customer service tickets and marketing data are accessible within CRM contact and lead records. This unified approach aligns teams and enables them to create better customer experiences by having all relevant data in one place.
User Feedback and Experience
Users have generally positive feedback about Insightly’s user interface and overall experience. Many appreciate the user-friendly features, effective tools, and the ability to link with other applications to increase productivity. The dashboard is highlighted as a great feature, with excellent visuals and the ability to alter pipelines, which is quite beneficial for managing sales and client data.
Conclusion
In summary, Insightly’s user interface is designed for ease of use, with a familiar and intuitive layout, customizable views, and AI-driven features that enhance productivity and efficiency. The overall user experience is positive, with users appreciating the accessibility and integration of various tools within the platform.
Insightly - Key Features and Functionality
Insightly Customer Service Tools
Centralized Customer Interactions
Insightly Service allows teams to centralize all customer interactions, making it easier to manage inquiries, track issues, and provide timely resolutions. This centralization ensures that all customer data is accessible in one place, enabling agents to deliver personalized and effective support.Ticket Management
The ticket management system streamlines the entire process from initial inquiry to issue resolution. Key features include:- Capturing every detail of customer interactions to ensure consistent service.
- Empowering agents to create tickets on behalf of customers for a smoother experience.
- Tracking tickets in queues to monitor which agent is supporting each customer.
- Creating tasks and opportunities directly from tickets to enhance the customer-facing experience.
- Setting Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to meet customer expectations.
Analytics and Insights
Insightly Service provides a dashboard that offers a high-level overview of the customer service operation. This includes:- Data on tickets created by hour, weekday, and month.
- Information on open, unsolved, and pending tickets.
- Customizable dashboards and reports to align with unique business needs (available in Professional and Enterprise plans).
AI-Driven Features
Insightly is integrating AI into its customer service tools in several ways:- AI-Powered Ticket Summaries: AI reads through all interactions in a ticket and generates a short summary, including the nature of the ticket and the resolution provided. This saves time for staff and provides a fuller picture of customer interactions.
- Business Card Scanner: The mobile app uses AI to accurately recognize and import contact information from business cards, making it easier to add new contacts into the system.
Integration with CRM and Marketing Data
Insightly Service is part of a unified platform that integrates with Insightly CRM and Insightly Marketing. This integration ensures that all customer service tickets and marketing data are visible within CRM contact and lead records, aligning teams and enhancing customer experiences.Performance Reporting and Dashboards
Insightly offers customizable performance dashboards and reporting. These dashboards display real-time key metrics, allowing users to track performance against KPIs. This feature is particularly useful for managing team output, schedules, and resources more proactively.Chatbot Integration
While not a native feature of Insightly, third-party solutions like Copilot.Live offer chatbot integration with Insightly CRM. These chatbots can automate tasks such as data entry, task automation, and lead management. They also provide real-time updates on CRM activities and support multi-language interactions, enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.Conclusion
In summary, Insightly’s customer service tools are enhanced by AI-driven features that streamline ticket management, provide valuable insights, and integrate seamlessly with CRM and marketing data. These features help businesses deliver exceptional customer service, build trust, and cultivate long-lasting customer relationships. Insightly - Performance and Accuracy
Performance
Insightly Service, part of the Insightly platform, is designed to enhance customer service performance through several features:
- It allows teams to close customer support tickets faster by providing real-time access to mission-critical customer data. This integration with other Insightly applications ensures that all teams have relevant information, leading to more efficient and relevant conversations.
- The platform uses AI to summarize customer interactions, saving staff time and providing a quicker overview of each ticket. This feature helps in managing customer relationships more effectively by giving a concise view of the ticket correspondence and resolution.
- Insightly also offers customizable dashboard cards and reports, enabling teams to track performance against KPIs in real time. This helps in managing team output, schedules, and resources more proactively.
Accuracy
The accuracy of Insightly’s customer service tools is improved through several AI-driven features:
- AI summaries of customer interactions ensure that staff can quickly grasp the nature of the ticket and the resolution provided, reducing the need to read through entire correspondence. This enhances the accuracy of their responses and decision-making.
- The platform’s ability to analyze tickets by support channel and scan keywords and phrases in tickets provides deeper insights into customer interactions. This helps in driving enhanced customer success and engagement by ensuring that customer issues are addressed accurately and promptly.
Limitations and Areas for Improvement
Despite its strengths, Insightly has some limitations and areas that need improvement:
- Customer Support: Insightly has been criticized for its slow response times and ineffective support. Users have reported delayed response times and difficulties in resolving issues, which can impact the overall performance and satisfaction of the customer service team.
- Customization: The platform’s customization options are limited, particularly in customizing fields to fit specific business needs. This can be a hindrance for businesses that require more tailored solutions.
- User-Friendliness: Some users have found Insightly difficult to use, with a steep learning curve. The lack of free instructional videos and intuitive setup processes can make it challenging for new users to get started efficiently.
- Feature Gaps: Insightly lacks certain features such as built-in telephony and a comprehensive products module, which can be significant gaps for businesses that rely on these functionalities.
In summary, while Insightly’s customer service tools offer significant performance and accuracy enhancements through AI-driven features, there are notable limitations, particularly in customer support, customization, and user-friendliness. Addressing these areas could further improve the overall effectiveness of the platform.
Insightly - Pricing and Plans
Insightly Pricing Overview
Insightly offers a structured pricing system with several plans to cater to different business needs, including a free option for small teams.Free Plan
Insightly provides a free plan that is suitable for up to 2 users. This plan allows you to manage basic project tasks, such as converting won leads into projects, tracking and managing milestones, and handling project, workflow, and task management. Here are some key features of the free plan:Key Features:
- Manage customer contact information, sales data, and projects.
- Integration with apps like Xero, Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, G Suite, Quickbooks, and Mailchimp.
- Limitations include no customizable sales process options, no lead management or mass email features, limited configurable profiles and page layouts, and no intelligence dashboards.
Plus Plan
The Insightly Plus plan is priced at $29 per user per month when billed annually ($35 per user per month when billed monthly). Here are the key features included in this plan:Key Features:
- Lead management tool
- Mass emailing feature
- Email template options for contact management
- Lead visualization with Kanban boards
- Contact and organization management
- Limited to two user roles or profiles, and no phone support or customizable dashboards.
Professional Plan
The Insightly Professional plan costs $49 per user per month when billed annually ($59 per user per month when billed monthly). This plan includes all the features from the Plus plan, plus:Key Features:
- Email scheduling for marketing or sales pipeline management
- 100 customizable real-time insight cards for creating charts and graphs
- Customizable BI (business intelligence) dashboards
- Complete workflow automation
- Role-based permissions and priority email support
- However, it still lacks features like custom validation rules for workflows and dynamic page layout rules.
Enterprise Plan
The Insightly Enterprise plan is priced at $99 per user per month when billed annually ($129 per user per month when billed monthly). This plan includes all the features from the previous plans, plus:Key Features:
- Unlimited number of customizable real-time insight cards
- Deployment of custom apps on any platform
- Dynamic page layout rules for modifying fields based on the user
- Unlimited records and storage
- Dedicated specialist support
- Additional features like Insightly Voice and customized support are available at an extra cost.
Trial and Grace Period
Insightly offers a trial period, after which your account will enter a 14-day Grace Period if you do not subscribe to a paid plan. During this period, only the Administrator user remains active, and all other users are deactivated. If you do not upgrade to a paid plan within this period, your account will be fully locked and eventually become unrecoverable.Subscription and Payment
Insightly subscription plans apply to the entire account and all users on the account; you cannot mix different plans for different users. Payments can be made via credit card, and there is no option to pay via PayPal. Insightly - Integration and Compatibility
Insightly Overview
Insightly, a cloud-based CRM and project management tool, offers a wide range of integrations that enhance its functionality and compatibility across various platforms and devices.Integrations with Other Tools
Insightly integrates seamlessly with a variety of applications to streamline business processes. Here are some key integrations:ERP and Finance
Insightly can sync data with financial applications such as NetSuite, QuickBooks, and Sage, allowing for the synchronization of customer, order, and invoice data.E-Signature
It supports integrations with e-signature tools like Adobe, DocuSign, and HelloSign, making it easier to manage documents electronically.Marketing
Insightly integrates with marketing tools like HubSpot, MailChimp, and SurveyMonkey to automate end-to-end marketing campaigns.Microsoft Products
Insightly works well with Microsoft Office 365 tools, including Outlook Email and Calendar, OneDrive, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Azure AD, and Microsoft Word. This integration enables users to sync emails, calendars, and documents directly with Insightly.HR and Payroll
Integrations with HR and payroll systems such as BambooHR and ADP Workforce Now help in managing employee data and payroll processes efficiently.Compatibility Across Platforms and Devices
Insightly is highly compatible across different platforms and devices:Web and Mobile
Insightly offers a unified platform that works seamlessly on both web and mobile devices. The mobile apps for Android and iOS include features like a business card scanner that uses AI to accurately import contact information from business cards.No-Code Integration Engine
Insightly’s AppConnect is a powerful, no-code integration engine that allows users to connect various applications without requiring technical expertise.Scalability
The platform is scalable, supporting businesses of all sizes by connecting applications and handling large volumes of data without restrictions.AI-Driven Features
Insightly is enhancing its capabilities with the integration of AI across its suite of applications. For example:Business Card Scanner
The AI-infused business card scanner in the mobile app improves accuracy in recognizing and categorizing contact information from business cards.Customer Service
AI is being introduced in Insightly Service to help customer support agents by summarizing interactions and reducing the time spent on resolving customer service tickets. Overall, Insightly’s extensive integration capabilities and compatibility across different platforms and devices make it a versatile and efficient tool for managing CRM, marketing, and customer service operations. Insightly - Customer Support and Resources
Insightly Customer Support Options
Insightly offers a comprehensive range of customer support options and additional resources to ensure users can maximize the potential of their Insightly subscriptions.
Support Channels
- Email Support: Users on paid plans can email Insightly Support at support@insight.ly for assistance.
- Phone Support: Paid plan users have access to priority phone support, which can be initiated by clicking the profile icon in the top right of the screen and selecting ‘Phone Support’.
- Online Chat: Insightly also provides an online chat feature, accessible via the chat bubble on any page, subject to availability.
Additional Resources
- Insightly Help Center: This resource is available to all users and includes articles, guides, and tutorials to help with product functionality and troubleshooting.
- On-Demand Training: Insightly offers on-demand training sessions, online knowledge resources, webinars, and in-product guides to help users learn and use the platform effectively.
- Customer Webinars and Videos: Users can access recorded videos, live webinars, and demos for insider tips and tricks on using Insightly.
- Integration and API Support: Resources and documentation are provided to help users integrate Insightly with their existing systems and work with Insightly’s API.
Premier Support and Success Plan
For users on the Premier Support and Success Plan, additional benefits include:
- Customer Success Manager (CSM) and Technical Account Manager (TAM): These managers provide regular account reviews, hands-on training, and help with new feature releases.
- Enhanced Technical Support: Faster response times and more personalized support are available.
- System Design and Architectural Guidance: Expert guidance to ensure the system is scalable and future-proof.
- Staff Training and Expert Coaching Sessions: Training programs and one-on-one coaching to help teams use Insightly efficiently.
- Long-term Adoption Programs: Ongoing partnership from Insightly’s customer success team to maximize team adoption and usage.
Insightly Service App
For those using the Insightly Service App, additional features include:
- Public Portal Website: A customizable, multi-lingual customer service website where customers can access Knowledge Articles and submit Tickets to support agents.
- Tickets: A system for capturing customer requests and subsequent conversations, allowing agents to manage and resolve issues efficiently.
These resources and support channels are designed to ensure that Insightly users have the help they need to effectively use and benefit from the platform.
Insightly - Pros and Cons
Advantages
Integration and Unified Platform
Insightly’s customer service tool, Insightly Service, is integrated seamlessly with Insightly CRM and Insightly Marketing. This integration provides a unified view of customer information, allowing all departments to access the most up-to-date customer data and statuses. This helps in breaking down silos and enhancing customer success and engagement.AI-Driven Efficiency
The AI features in Insightly Service significantly improve efficiency. For instance, AI can summarize lengthy customer service interactions, saving staff time by providing a quick overview of the ticket correspondence and resolution. This allows agents to review tickets quickly and focus on resolving issues more effectively.Multi-Channel Ticketing
Insightly Service offers a multi-channel ticketing system that centralizes all customer support requests from various channels such as email, web portals, chats, or call centers. This centralization increases productivity and visibility, enabling service agents to manage tickets more efficiently.Customizable Dashboards and Reports
The tool provides customizable dashboard cards and reports that make it easy to track performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) in real time. This feature helps in analyzing tickets by support channel, managing team output, schedules, and resources more proactively.Automated Tasks and Responses
Insightly Service includes features like ticket automation, routing queues, and the use of macro and canned response templates. These automate routine tasks and make responding to customers quicker and more accurate. Agents can also create and delegate tasks directly from the ticket interface.Customer Portals
The platform allows businesses to create customizable, branded knowledge bases and customer-facing portals. These portals provide customers with the information they need to resolve issues autonomously or request one-on-one support, enhancing their overall experience.Disadvantages
Learning Curve
While Insightly’s integration and AI features are beneficial, they may require some time for staff to get accustomed to, especially for those who are not familiar with CRM and AI-driven tools. This could lead to a temporary decrease in productivity as staff learn the new system.Dependence on Technology
The heavy reliance on AI and automation means that any technical issues or downtime can significantly impact the efficiency of customer service operations. Ensuring reliable infrastructure and support is crucial to mitigate this risk.Cost
Insightly offers various plans, including Professional and Enterprise, which can vary in cost. The more advanced features, such as unlimited performance dashboard cards, are available in higher-tier plans, which might be a financial burden for smaller businesses or those with limited budgets.Limited Information on Specific Drawbacks
There is limited information available on specific drawbacks or user complaints regarding Insightly’s Customer Service Tools. This suggests that the platform is generally well-regarded, but it’s always important to conduct thorough reviews and trials to identify any potential issues specific to your organization’s needs. In summary, Insightly’s Customer Service Tools offer significant advantages through their integration, AI-driven efficiency, and customizable features. However, there may be a learning curve, a dependence on technology, and potential cost considerations that need to be evaluated. Insightly - Comparison with Competitors
Insightly’s Unique Features
Insightly’s customer service platform, Insightly Service, integrates seamlessly with its CRM and marketing tools, providing a unified view of customer interactions. Here are some unique features:
- Business Card Scanner: Insightly’s mobile app uses AI to scan business cards, automatically extracting and organizing contact information such as names, titles, addresses, and phone numbers.
- Ticket Summarization: AI is used to read through customer service interactions and generate summaries, saving time for staff and providing a quicker overview of ticket correspondence and resolutions.
- Cross-Platform Integration: Insightly Service offers integration with CRM and marketing data, allowing teams to access valuable customer service tickets and marketing data within the CRM contact and lead records.
Comparison with Freshdesk
Freshdesk, another popular customer service platform, offers several AI features:
- Freddy AI: A chatbot for customer self-service, auto-triage for categorizing and assigning tickets, predictive support for suggesting solutions, and agent assist for providing context and recommending responses.
- User-Friendly Interface: Freshdesk is known for its intuitive interface and strong mobile app, but it has limited customization options compared to some competitors. AI features are available on the Growth plan and above, starting at $15/agent/month.
Comparison with Zendesk
Zendesk is a comprehensive customer service solution with advanced AI capabilities:
- Generative AI for Agents: Zendesk’s AI helps summarize long tickets, create help desk articles and macros, and expand agent replies. It is trained on a large CX dataset and can detect ticket intent, language, and sentiment.
- Omnichannel Support: Zendesk optimizes omnichannel support processes with click-to-configure capabilities, requiring no programming or significant in-house effort.
Comparison with Tidio
Tidio offers AI customer service software with a bot called Lyro AI:
- Automated Replies and Triage: Lyro AI can detect frequently asked questions, automate replies, identify support opportunities, and recognize user behavior to make sales recommendations. It comes with predefined templates and can route tickets and recommend products and discounts.
- Pricing: Tidio offers a free plan and various paid plans starting at $25 per seat/month, with Lyro AI available as an add-on.
Potential Alternatives
If you’re looking for alternatives to Insightly, here are a few considerations:
- ConvergeHub: This CRM tool offers features like canned messages for customer service, project management modules, and automated reminders for sales process management, which are not available in Insightly.
- HappyFox: While not detailed in the sources, HappyFox is another customer service platform that might offer different AI features and integrations, making it a potential alternative to consider.
In summary, Insightly’s strength lies in its seamless integration with CRM and marketing tools, along with its AI-driven business card scanner and ticket summarization features. However, competitors like Freshdesk, Zendesk, and Tidio offer a range of AI features that might better suit specific business needs, such as advanced chatbot capabilities or omnichannel support optimization.
Insightly - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Insightly’s Customer Service Tools
What is Insightly Service?
Insightly Service is a customer service and support application that helps teams efficiently manage inquiries, track issues, and provide timely resolutions. It centralizes customer interactions, allowing agents to access comprehensive customer profiles and ensure personalized and effective support.
Do I have to use Insightly CRM and Insightly Service together?
No, you do not have to use Insightly CRM and Insightly Service together. Both applications are robust and can stand on their own. However, using both together provides your teams with full visibility into the customer, aligning them with a 360-degree view that helps elevate the customer experience.
What are the benefits of using a customer service application like Insightly Service?
Using a customer service application like Insightly Service helps your team close tickets faster and deliver personalized experiences. It provides tools to manage inquiries, track issues, and ensure timely resolutions. Additionally, it offers features like automation, analytics, and knowledge articles to enhance customer support.
What is an SLA (Service Level Agreement) in Insightly Service?
A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and a customer that defines the types of service and the standard of service the provider will provide. In Insightly Service, you can define and manage your organization’s SLA, and the SLA countdown feature keeps teams informed of how quickly customers are being served to ensure service goals are met.
How does Insightly Service streamline ticket management?
Insightly Service streamlines the entire ticket management process from initial inquiry to issue resolution. It allows you to capture every detail of a customer interaction, create tickets on behalf of customers, track tickets in queues, and set Service Level Agreements. You can also create tasks and opportunities directly from tickets to enhance the customer-facing experience.
Can I customize dashboards and reports in Insightly Service?
Yes, you can customize dashboards and reports in Insightly Service, but this feature is available only in the Professional and Enterprise plans. These customizable dashboards provide a high-level overview of your customer service operation, including data on tickets created by hour, weekday, and month, as well as information on open, unsolved, and pending tickets.
What is the Public Portal Website in Insightly Service?
The Public Portal Website is a multi-lingual customer service website generated by Insightly Service when your administrators create a Brand. This portal allows customers to educate themselves with Knowledge Articles, share collective knowledge in the Community, and submit tickets to support agents if needed. You can customize the look and feel of the portal to match your product’s identity.
How does Insightly Service integrate with other applications?
Insightly Service is built natively on Insightly’s Unified Data Platform, which means it is seamlessly connected to all sources of customer data across an organization. It can integrate with other CRMs and customer service applications, although using it with Insightly CRM provides the most comprehensive view of the customer.
What are the pricing plans for Insightly Service?
Insightly Service is part of the broader Insightly platform, and its pricing is tied to the Insightly CRM plans. The plans include Insightly Plus ($29/user/month billed annually), Insightly Professional ($49/user/month billed annually), and Insightly Enterprise ($99/user/month billed annually). Each plan offers different features and limits to suit various organizational needs.
Are service desk applications like Insightly Service only for big companies?
No, service desk applications like Insightly Service are not only for big companies. Any organization with more than one customer service agent can benefit from using this technology. Insightly Service is designed to be intuitive and affordable, making it accessible to businesses of various sizes.