The new economics of support: where we spend the time Fin gives back

We've been talking a lot about our new AI Agent Blueprint, and I wanted to take a moment to shine a light on one of the most exciting aspects: the new economics of customer support.

For years, support has been seen as a cost center, a place where teams are tied up in repetitive, low-value work, constantly reacting and unable to spend the time they want to truly help customers be successful.

But what happens when an AI Agent like Fin takes on that work for you? Your team gets their time back.

Introducing Intercom’s “consultative support” program

At Intercom, we're not just seeing this in theory – we're living it. We’ve used this newfound time to launch a “consultative support” program. Led by our creative and visionary Director of CS for EMEA Franka Martinovic , this initiative transforms our reactive support approach into a proactive one, with our team actively engaging customers to help them get more value from our products.

How it works (in practice): 

• Our support team leverages deep product expertise and proximity to customers to advise them on their own transformation journeys – without worrying about a burning backlog.
• We go beyond simply answering a question and help drive product adoption, increase trial-to-paid conversions, and grow expansion revenue.
• This isn’t ad hoc; it’s a measurable program designed to reduce future support volume for key accounts and increase adoption and conversion rates.

What changes for our customers – and us

Our support team isn’t just reacting to issues anymore; they’re acting as consultants, armed with years of real-world problem-solving. That lets us move beyond simple troubleshooting and partner with customers to achieve their business goals.

In practice, that means we’re:

• Proactively identifying opportunities to expand product usage.
• Helping customers get more value from their investment.
• Reducing repeat contacts by solving the underlying problems.

Ultimately, driving new revenue for Intercom. We are turning support from a cost center into a value driver for our business.

A competitive edge

For Intercom, this is a game-changer. Our own support team's success isn't just an internal win – it's our most compelling case study.

We are the first beta customers for every new feature, and our ability to transform our own support operations through Fin is the ultimate proof point for our customers: over 75% of our inbound volume is now resolved by Fin!

When they see how we've turned our support function into a revenue-generating machine using our own tools, it builds trust and demonstrates the true power of an AI-first approach. Because we're not just selling a product; we're selling a blueprint for success – one that we've already proven ourselves.

No matter where you’re at on your AI journey, I’d recommend giving “The AI Agent Blueprint” a read. It’ll not only give you a detailed breakdown for how to launch an AI Agent like Fin, but it’ll also help you start thinking about what to do with the time you get back and how you can scale AI’s impact within your broader business. 

If you have questions, thoughts, or feedback, send them our way. We always love to hear from you!

Ruth O'Brien

Senior Director, AI Support

Check this out

We’ve been busy in the podcast studio over the last few weeks. Here are three episodes I’m excited to share with you:

• Inside “Scale it” and the organizational shifts behind AI at scale: Our VP of Support, Declan Ivory, and I take you inside Part 2 of “The AI Agent Blueprint.” We share what changed after being the first team to deploy a generative AI Agent – including the new roles we created, how we kept CX front and center, and the metrics we focus on now. We talk about what surprised us, the trade-offs we made, and how we prove long-term business value. Listen here.

• A deep dive into Clay’s program “The Wheel”: I sit down with George Dilthey, Head of Support at Clay, to unpack “The Wheel” Clay’s rotational program that starts in customer service and develops future operators. I love this because I’ve seen firsthand how time on the frontlines sharpens product sense and decision-making. I firmly believe that support shouldn’t be a pit stop, it should be a foundation. We get into how Clay makes that real and what I’d borrow for my own team. Listen here.
• Tier one is disappearing – how to train for what’s next: As AI Agents deflect more conversations, the work that lands on humans is deeper and faster-moving. In this episode, our Senior Director of Human Support, Bobby Stapleton, talks with Mark Hughes, CEO of SolidRoad, about why tier one support is fading and how essential simulation-based training has become in an AI-first world. They also get into how the best companies are training their humans and AI Agents alongside each other. Listen here.