Writing
I write about AI in customer support, mostly on the Hay.chat blog.
AI Chatbots for Business: Where They Pay Off and Where They're Oversold
Which use cases pay off, which are oversold, and how to choose the right approach for your team.
Customer Service Chatbot ROI: The Business Case, the Risks, and What Pays Off
Real costs, real returns, two case studies of what goes wrong, and how to build the business case that gets budget approved.
Helpdesk Automation: Three Strategies, One Most Teams Miss.
Helpdesk automation covers triage, deflection, and agent assist.
Why Your HubSpot CRM Integration Only Pays Off When AI Can Use It
HubSpot CRM integration becomes dramatically more valuable when AI can access your full customer journey.
Conversational AI for Customer Service Fails More Than It Works. Here's Why, and What to Do About It
Here's why most implementations break, what the companies getting results do differently, and how to evaluate what you actually need.
Open Source Helpdesk Software: Same Principles, Less Infrastructure
We compare Zammad, Chatwoot, osTicket, and explain when managed open source makes more sense.
Why Your Intercom and HubSpot Integration Keeps Breaking (And What to Do About It)
Intercom and HubSpot integration breaks silently in four specific ways.
Free Zendesk Alternatives That Actually Resolve Customer Issues
This guide covers what six popular alternatives actually deliver, where each one falls short, and why the real question isn't which helpdesk is cheapest.
Shopify Customer Service in 2026: What's Breaking and How to Fix It
Shopify customer service is hitting a wall: satisfaction is down, ticket volumes are up, and most AI tools make it worse.
Gorgias vs Zendesk for Shopify: The Honest Comparison Nobody Writes
Gorgias charges by ticket volume. Zendesk charges by agent count.
AI-Powered Chatbots in 2026: What Works, What Fails, and How to Tell the Difference
A practical guide covering what separates successful implementations from expensive failures, with real examples and an evaluation framework.
Intercom Pricing 2026: What You'll Actually Pay (Including Fin AI Add-Ons)
Complete 2026 breakdown of Fin AI's $0.99 per outcome, hidden add-ons, and when alternatives make sense.
Customer Service KPIs That Actually Predict Churn (Not Just Measure Activity)
Customer Service KPIs guide: which metrics predict churn vs. which just fill dashboards.
How to Handle Angry Customers: De-Escalation Guide 2026
Learn how to handle angry customers with the HEARD de-escalation framework, 50+ ready-to-use phrases, and scripts for turning complaints into loyalty.
Zendesk Pricing 2026: Real Costs Breakdown
Full breakdown of every tier, add-on, and hidden cost for 2026.
Support Ticket Response Templates: 25+ Examples That Sound Human
These 25+ support ticket templates include annotations explaining why each works, plus the psychology that makes customers feel heard.
Why Your FAQ Page Isn't Reducing Support Tickets
Here's why your FAQ page isn't reducing support tickets, what actually deflects volume, and where AI fits.
Scale Support Without Burning Out Your Team
Scale your support team without burnout: a practical playbook for leaders facing rising ticket volumes and flat budgets.