A shared inbox is not a chat app

One person with a phone does not need software. The trouble starts at two, and it is never about the messages themselves.

The three questions

Every shared inbox exists to answer the same three questions, over and over, for every open conversation.

• Who is dealing with this one?
• Has anybody replied yet, and what did they say?
• Is this finished, or is it still waiting on us?

Two people answering the same customer is not twice the service. It is half the trust.

Assignment, status and notes are not features bolted onto messaging. They are the actual product; the messaging is the easy part.