What is Channel Talk?

What is Channel Talk?

In 2014, Josh Kim often found himself walking back home after long days at the office while building his startup at the time. The business was struggling and his mind was filled with concerns: “Is this going to work? Is there are market for this?”

On his nightly walks, Josh always passed by the local barber shops and bakeries, and throughout the years those shops were still standing.

It made him wonder, how do these mom-and-pop shops never go out of business?

And then it dawned on him.

These types of local businesses are pillars of the community, their customers live around the area and come in regularly. And through word-of-mouth, they tell the people around them to visit as well.

These shops thrive because the store owners know their customers on a personal level, forging deep connections within their community.

These local shops thrive because of conversations with the customers.

Josh Kim (far left) and his team working on his second start-up AdbyMe

The Birth of Channel Talk

Now on his 3rd startup, Josh was working hard to make his new venture Walk Insights, essentially a Google Analytics for offline stores, successful. With $44 million ARR and clients like Samsung, LG, and Olive Young under his belt, Josh was feeling pretty confident in this company.

But then, there was a missed email.

Walk Insight's top VIP customer sent a message asking an important question but it was left unanswered for days. After looking further, the team found three missed inquiries from VIP customers.

Josh and the team were extremely frustrated after discovering these missed emails. The fear was that this could happen again. Feedback was critical for the company at that stage if there was another unread message from a VIP customer, it could be detrimental to the business.

At the time, the Walk Insights team was using Slack and Intercom, and customer questions were being missed because there was no communication between the platforms.

The solution? Channel Talk.

By combining a team messenger and customer messenger into one product, Channel Talk was able to create a seamless communication platform so that you can’t miss a single customer’s voice.

Red Choi (right) and Josh Kim (left), co-founders of Channel Talk

Just like those local barber shops and bakeries that have daily conversations with their customers, with Channel Talk online businesses are able to recreate that offline experience and talk with their regulars to build long-lasting relationships.

Channel Talk Today

In just six months, Channel Talk gained 4,000 new customers. It took Walk Insights years to achieve that same number.

It was truly a turning point for Josh and his team. There was a need for e-commerce companies to have seamless communication with their customers and Channel Talk was that missing link.

In just a few years, Channel Talk has become the #1 CRM-based live chat tool in Korea and Japan with notable clients like:

• New Balance Korea

• Coach Korea

• Arc'teryx Japan

• BEAMS

From small startups to enterprises, the majority of companies in these two regions have turned to Channel Talk to manage their customer communication.

Customer service is often overlooked at first but the reality is that talking to customers, especially your loyal VIP fans is the key to gaining a deeper understanding of your business.

The companies that understand this are the companies that see the most success.

What Makes Channel Talk Different

There are a variety of customer communication tools companies can choose from, but with Channel Talk, you’ll have a software that can help elevate the experiences of your VIPs through our robust CRM segmentation so you can ensure each customer is getting personalized treatment.

Here’s how:

1) Efficiency

Channel Talk’s Support bots can help resolve 70-80% of inquiries.

Simple questions like shipping, refunds, and sizing can all be answered through automated chatbots so you have more time to focus on your most important customers.

The ones who purchase multiple times, the ones who post you on their Instagram stories - your VIPs.

The other 20-30% of inquiries come from your VIPs – automation can't solve these questions.

And you wouldn’t want it to, either.

2) Preventing VIP Churn

The best way to prevent VIP churn is to treat these customers like a VIP and have real conversations.

In the world of customer service, automation can handle a significant portion of conversations, but it's those crucial 20-30% that you don't want to miss.

VIP customers don't inquire about sizing; they offer critical feedback when things go wrong. Missing their input can lead to churn.

Channel Talk offers a powerful CRM system that segments customers so you can create distinct experiences for different customer groups, particularly VIPs.

This personalized touch ensures that your most valued customers receive the VIP treatment they deserve.

No more automating 100% of the conversation – Channel Talk can help you keep your VIPs happy.

3) Increasing the LTV of Your VIPs

Through our research at Channel Talk, we found that 80% of the revenue from our most successful clients came from the top 20% of their customers - the VIPs.

Identifying your VIP customers and engaging in meaningful conversations with them can significantly boost their lifetime value.

With Channel Talk, all the ways you communicate with your customers - email, text, live chat, and messengers - are all combined into one channel so it’s easier for you to talk to your top fans.

Promoting private VIP events, exclusive discounts, or new collections becomes especially easy with Channel Talk.

The result of customer conversations? Increased sales and customer loyalty.

At Channel Talk, we take customer conversations seriously we’re not automation-driven like everyone else, we're customer-driven.

While our competitors focus solely on automation and AI, we believe in the importance of real customer interaction.

So, while others focus on automation, we focus on you – your efficiency, your VIPs, and your customers.

Looking Ahead: North America

While our journey so far has been marked by incredible growth and success, we are now setting our sights on the North American market, where customer service expectations may differ from those in Asia.

We believe that our VIP concierge approach, efficiency, and dedication to real customer conversations will resonate with businesses and customers in North America.

Channel Talk is about more than just technology; it's about fostering relationships, understanding your customers, and ensuring that no voice goes unheard.

Our journey continues, and our mission remains the same - to elevate customer service and bridge the gap between businesses and their valued customers.

With 200 team members and a track record of doubling our growth every year, we are committed to delivering a customer service experience that goes beyond expectations.

Ready to provide exceptional customer service?

Choose Channel Talk and start the conversation.