

Show HN: Simplest chat for platforms and marketplaces - bevenky
http://gaglers.com/index.php/blog/the-simplest-chat-for-platforms-and-marketplaces/

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aacook
Olark and other live chat systems work well when you want to provide all of
your own customer support... you're basically in the middle of the
transaction. This doesn't scale too well, especially when you have to query
both parties to get answers and provide them. You have to become good at
knowing the transaction, have good answers and information beforehand, and
become good at knowing what questions to ask to reduce loops. Real time
support on a marketplace this way is a challenge.

This system allows you to onboard all of the costs above onto the sellers in
the marketplace.

My feeling is this would well in a marketplace where your supply side is tech-
savvy. Otherwise you'll need a desktop client to keep them signed on.

Even if your sellers are tech savvy, they'll need to keep your browser window
open all the time. Sure, you could build an app and push notifications, but
it's hard to provide real time chat support on your mobile device. Integrating
with Google Chat, Skype, etc... may be the way to go (this works well for me
when using snapengage). I'd be really interesting in using this as soon as
that ability is offered on the buyer-side.

~~~
ad93611
Just to be clear. Sellers using Gaglers can be using any IM client or Gtalk as
well. For sellers who do not want to configure an IM client, they can just use
the browser.

On the buyers side, buyers have to use the browser to ask their quick
questions. You can have the buyers use a IM client, only if you know the buyer
ahead of time.

Can you explain how else you envision buyers using Google talk or any IM
client? We'll be happy to collaborate with you to do this.

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nirajr
This is a wide open space, and I think a tool like this definitely adds a lot
of value to engagement on e-commerce sites. Everytime I've bought an item on
eBay, I've had questions for the seller, and getting the answers quickly on
chat would definitely have helped me a lot. From what I understand, that is
exactly the use-case that Gaglers is targeting.

~~~
ad93611
Yes, that is exactly the problem we want to solve. Thanks Niraj!

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nostromo
Cheers for the MVP, but jeers for the copying of Olark's branding.

I used to work for a business chat company and I bet moderation will be your
biggest challenge. When you put an open chat box online, the amount of times
it ends up as sex chat approaches 100%. Think chatroulette, but text.

~~~
ad93611
There is no copying of Olark's branding. As I mentioned earlier, the website
is a template from themeforest.

You are also wrong about this being a open chat. This is a chat initiated with
a seller of a product for a specific purpose. Can you please try to understand
the product before commenting on it.

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prezjordan
Very similar color scheme, layout, and design in general. Big no-no for me,
but I applaud the effort.

~~~
ad93611
The similarity is unintended. We are a group of programmers, and so we picked
up a theme from themeforest for now. We are working on a better design for the
site.

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tymekpavel
Why is the logo of such poor quality?

~~~
ad93611
Sorry, that was a quick design work to get the product out. We are working on
making the design better.

~~~
tymekpavel
It's not so much the design. Rather, the image quality is very low, like it's
a fully compressed JPG? Just save it as a GIF or PNG.

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minouye
How would you embed this in a marketplace listing? Pretty sure that'd be a no-
no on eBay.

~~~
ad93611
eBay will have to deploy this for their marketplace.

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haxplorer
Wonder why Olark didn't build it. I just didn't realize that this was missing.

~~~
ad93611
The problem that they want to solve and what Gaglers solves are for different
people.

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bevenky
People? I thought this was supposed to be for marketplaces right?

~~~
ad93611
Yes, this is for sellers at platforms and marketplaces to interact directly
with their prospective buyers.

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joyinsky
Does it exist something open source like this?

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hessenwolf
How does this compare/contrast with ZenDesk?

~~~
ad93611
Gaglers and Zendesk seems complementary to me. Do you think there is any
overlap?

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hessenwolf
I don't know yet - I was hoping I could be lazy and let somebody just tell me.

I've actually been meaning to try the whole live-chat with customers, but
haven't gotten around to it; it'd be interesting scaring the bejesus out of a
few potential buyers.

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suren
How is this different from Olark?

~~~
nedwin
So it's different in that Olark can't be used by two sides of a marketplace
without using a chat application like Adium and having accounts?

~~~
ad93611
Yes. This can be used without any Adium or other IM accounts. Sellers could
choose to use any IM client, if they prefer.

