Everything You Need to Know About Finding the Right Podium Alternative for You and Your Team

Podium is a brilliant software choice. It's great for businesses and organizations looking to enhance their online reputations and streamline customer interactions. 

Specifically, the Podium chatbot gives you a great way to start conversations and generate leads (I’m a fan - no joke).

But suppose you’re looking for a Podium alternative. In that case, you’ll want to know all of your options. 

So I’ve compiled a guide to help you evaluate Podium alternatives like MessageDesk and other great software solutions.

In this article, I cover:

1. What Podium is (pros, cons, who it’s best for, etc.)
2. 7 reasons why you might need a Podium alternative
3. Positive and negative Podium customer feedback
4. How to migrate your Podium phone number to a Podium alternative
5. The top 7 Podium alternatives
6. Answers to frequently asked questions when switching to a Podium alternative

By the end, you’ll have all the information you need to choose the right Podium alternative for you.

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What Is Podium?

Podium is a platform for local businesses. It’s best for local businesses that need to enhance their customer communication and engagement. Podium does this by helping you manage customer interactions, collect reviews, and communicate with customers through various channels. These channels include SMS, webchat, and social media. Podium is particularly popular among businesses, such as those in the retail, healthcare, home services, and automotive industries.

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Podium Features:

1. AI-Powered: Podium added AI features to its various tools across its product.
2. Customer Messaging: Podium centralizes your customer communication. It integrates various messaging platforms into a central inbox. This allows you to manage conversations across SMS, web chat, Google, Facebook, and more.
3. Teamchat: Podium facilitates internal communication with 1:1 and group messaging.
4. Customer Feedback: Podium makes it easy to collect Net Promoter Score (NPS) feedback via SMS to gauge customer satisfaction.
5. Surveys: Gather customer feedback through customized surveys sent via SMS.
6. Business Reviews and Reputation Management: Podium helps you collect and manage Google reviews, Facebook reviews, and more. It also enables you to solicit reviews via text, making it easier to build a positive online reputation.
7. Payments: Podium offers a payment solution that allows businesses to request and receive payments via text message. This feature streamlines the payment process for both you and your customers.
8. Marketing Campaigns: You can use Podium to create and send text message marketing messages directly to your customers. This helps you engage with your audience more effectively.
9. Webchat: Podium provides a webchat feature. This allows you to chat with your website visitors in real-time, to convert more leads into customers.
10. Analytics: Podium makes it possible to measure customer interactions related to your business. You can access business insights and competitive benchmarking through an analytics dashboard.
11. Integrations: Podium integrates with various CRMs, ERPs, and POS systems for automated review invitations and messaging.

Who is Podium best for?

Podium is best for small to medium-sized businesses that rely on local customer interactions. 

It's especially useful for those who need to manage customer communications, reviews, and payments more efficiently. 

Specifically, Podium makes it easy to strengthen your online presence and improve your reputation through customer reviews. 

Specific industries that benefit most from Podium include:

1. Retail: Local retailers who want to engage with customers, manage reviews, and offer streamlined payment options.
2. Healthcare: Clinics, dental practices, and other healthcare providers that need patient communication management, appointment reminders, and feedback or review collection.
3. Home Services: Businesses like HVAC, plumbing, and other home service providers that need to communicate with customers quickly, manage appointments, and handle payments efficiently.
4. Automotive: Car dealerships, repair shops, and other automotive businesses that want to enhance customer communication, manage reviews, and streamline the sales or service process.
5. Hospitality: Restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality businesses that need to engage with customers, handle reservations, and collect feedback.

Positive and negative Podium customer feedback

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Positive Podium feedback:

1. Ease of Use and Efficiency: Customers note that Podium's interface is intuitive and widely accessible. "Podium is incredibly user-friendly. Our store has a wide range of computer knowledge—from advanced to those who struggle to find the back button. Podium has been a good fit for all levels." ​(Capterra).
2. Automation Benefits: Customers find value, value time savings, and efficiency in Podium's automation features. "Podium's ability to automate necessary communications saves hours per week that would otherwise be spent on manual tasks. It helps businesses appear more professional and stay organized and efficient." (TrustRadius).
3. Reputation Management: Many users appreciate how Podium helps improve their online reputation through streamlined review management. One reviewer states: "Efficient Review Management: Podium makes it easy to manage customer reviews from various platforms like Google and Facebook in one place. Users can quickly and efficiently track and respond to reviews." ​(RepMan).

Negative Podium feedback:

1. Customer Support Issues: Poor customer service is a common complaint among customers​. Some describe it as “unhelpful” and even “sketchy”. Customers also mention a lag in issue resolution times, leaving them frustrated with the lack of assistance. (TrustRadius).
2. High Pricing: Smaller businesses often cite Podium’s cost as a drawback. They often state that the software is much more expensive vs. other Podium alternatives. Some customers feel that Podium’s cost doesn’t justify the features and functionality offered. (RepMan)​ (TrustRadius).
3. Contractual Difficulties: On occasion, customers have reported problems switching to a Podium alternative. This customer states, "Tried to cancel this and was not allowed...You CANNOT call or write in and cancel ever! They have their methods and basically won't let you out of a contract." (RepMan).

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7 Reasons Why You Might Need a Podium Alternative

Your business or organization may need an alternative to Podium for several reasons. This will depend on your specific needs, budget, and operational requirements. 

Here are the top seven reasons why people look for Podium alternatives:

1. Cost concerns and scalability:

High Pricing: Podium can be expensive, especially for smaller businesses or those with tight budgets. If you’re on a budget, you’ll likely need a more affordable Podium alternative.

Scalability: As your business grows, Podium’s costs often increase. This can be a problem if you need a more scalable solution.

2. Specific feature needs, like reporting:

Customization Limitations: Podium might not offer the level of customization your business needs for communication, review management, and payment processes.

Advanced Reporting: Your organization may require more comprehensive analytics and reporting features that Podium doesn't provide.

3. Mobile app user experience:

Mobile App Functionality: Some customers find Podium’s mobile app limited. If your business needs better mobile support, then Podium might not be for you.

4. Integration and CRM requirements:

Integration Issues: You’ll want a different solution if Podium doesn’t integrate well with your other software tools.

SMS CRM Integration: Your businesses might need tighter text messaging integration with your CRM. This may be beyond what Podium offers.

5. Customer support:

Support Delays: If your business needs quick and effective customer support then Podium may not be for you. Some customers report problems with Podium’s response time.

6. Overwhelming notifications:

Notification Management: Some customers report that the volume of notifications from Podium can be overwhelming. You might look for an alternative if you need better notification management.

7. Specific industry needs:

Niche Requirements: Your industry may have unique communication or payment needs that Podium doesn’t address.

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How to Migrate Your Podium Phone Number to a Podium Alternative

Podium is essentially a VoIP provider. This means your Podium phone number is a voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone number.

VoIP phone numbers are easy to host or port to another service. This makes switching to a Podium alternative relatively easy.

Here’s the step-by-step for hosting your Podium phone number with a Podium alternative, like MessageDesk. 

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1. Check your Podium contract and terms of service

You’ll want to check your Podium contract before you migrate your Podium phone number. 

Some Podium users report problems when switching to a Podium alternative. Podium locks some customers into contacts that come with termination fees.

So be sure to understand any termination fees or obligations. Ensure that you’re aware of your contract’s end date and any cancellation policies.

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2. Request number hosting or number porting

Contact your Podium alternative: 

Reach out to your new solution’s customer support team to initiate the phone number hosting or porting process. They will guide you through their specific requirements.

Gather necessary information: 

Prepare all necessary documentation and information required for number hosting or porting, such as:

• Your current Podium account details
• Your business’s billing address and authorized contact person
• A copy of your most recent Podium bill (to prove ownership of the phone number)

Submit a number hosting or porting request: 

There’s a difference between number hosting and number porting. 

If you’re just moving your SMS functionality to a new provider, then you’ll want to complete a phone number hosting request.

If you’re moving your SMS AND voice functionality, then you’ll need to submit a phone number porting request. 

In both cases, your new Podium alternative will help you to choose the right option. They’ll help you navigate submitting the right documents and business information.

👀 Note: Business texting platforms like MessageDesk can work with you and a different VoIP provider like RingCentral. It’s possible to configure texting and your VoIP calling features separately.

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3. Schedule a phone number disconnection date with Podium

Notify Podium:

Next, you’ll need to schedule a disconnection date with Podium. This releases your phone number and allows a new service to port or host your existing voice service, text messaging, or both. 

Avoid canceling Podium prematurely: 

Do not cancel your Podium account until the number porting process is complete. Cancelling early can lead to losing your phone number.

This is important because Podium gets its phone numbers from two telecom providers, Twilio and Synch. Both services require you and Podium to release your number before moving it to a new service.

Sign a letter of authorization:

What is a letter of authorization (LOA)? An LOA is a letter to a phone number provider or carrier. An LOA grants a different provider access to your phone number. 

In some cases, an LOA authorizes a full number port, in other cases it authorizes just phone number hosting.  

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4. Wait for hosting or porting to complete

Porting timeframe: 

The porting process can take 1-2 weeks. But this timeframe can vary depending on your location and provider. During this time, ensure customers can reach you via other communication channels.

Monitor for updates:

Keep in touch with both Podium and your Podium alternative to stay updated on the porting status. Your new provider will notify you once the porting is successful.

5. Test and verify your phone number

Test your phone number’s voice and texting:

Test your phone number after you receive confirmation that your host or port is complete.

Configure your Podium alternative:

Set up your new communication workflows in your Podium alternative. This might include automated text responses, customer groups, and campaigns. You can also take this time to import any data you backed up from Podium.

6. Get approved by carriers for business text messaging

Have you already registered your Podium phone number with telecom providers and the TCR for carrier compliance? If yes, then you can skip this step - your new provider will help you transfer your active campaign.

If not, then read on.  

All telecom carriers in the U.S. require businesses and organizations that text to complete A2P 10DLC carrier registration. 

They do this to prevent phishing scams and SPAM messaging from bad actors.

To register with carriers you have to use a Podium alternative, like MessageDesk. 

You also have to adhere to various standards like opt-in and TCPA regulations. 

But the good news is that most Podium alternatives come with features that help you manage opt-in, compliance, and registration for you.

Every service has its way of managing opt-in and carrier registration. But here’s how we do it at MessageDesk:

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Step 1: Submit and validate organization info with carriers through MessageDesk

We start the carrier registration process by validating that your organization is legitimate. We do this simply by submitting a form that collects the following information:

1. Business identification: You need to provide proof of your business's existence and legality. This includes your Employer Identification Number (EIN) or other tax identification numbers.
2. Business address: The official address registered with your organization.
3. Contact Information: A primary contact within the business, including name, phone number, email address, and website.
4. Messaging purpose and examples: Explain why and how your business uses SMS messaging. This involves providing message examples.
5. Opt-in and opt-out processes: Describe how your contacts opt-in and out of receiving messages. This includes how you collect consent and how you manage and honor opt-out requests.
6. Message content and volume: Carriers need to know about the volume and content of the messages you’ll send. This helps carriers understand your messaging patterns. It also ensures that your messages align with anti-spam policies.

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Step 2: Publish a carrier-compliant business text messaging policy on your website

You submitted and validated your information. Next, the compliance team at MessageDesk will work with you or your web developer. 

Carriers require that you have a website and that you publish a business text messaging privacy policy on it.

Your privacy policy must explain the following:

1. The type of contact and personal information your organization collects
2. How your organization collects information from contacts
3. How your organization uses any information collected
4. How your organization protects contact data
5. That your organization does not share information
6. How contacts can opt out of receiving text messages

🚨 Note: having a website with a privacy policy is an absolute must for business text messaging. Without it, carriers will not approve your organization for texting. 

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Top 7 Podium Alternatives

I covered what Podium is, detailed its features, and feedback, and showed you how to migrate your Podium number.

Next, is a list of the top seven Podium alternatives. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and I didn’t rank any of these solutions in a particular order.

1. MessageDesk | MessageDesk vs Podium

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Who MessageDesk is best for:

MessageDesk is best for those who need to start text conversations from their website or a landing page. 

When a customer starts a conversation through the MessageDesk chatbot, 

MessageDesk helps you and your team organize, route, share, or assign the conversation. 

It also works well for communicating reminders, follow-ups, logistics, dispatching, support, service, recruitment, staffing, reviews, feedback, and more.

MessageDesk overview:

MessageDesk offers a website chatbot and comprehensive texting service for businesses. It enhances communication efficiency and customer service by syncing conversations into a shared team inbox.

MessageDesk features:

• Website Chatbot: Install MessageDesk’s website chatbot on any site or landing page to start text conversations with leads and customers.
• Shared Team Inbox: Centralizes all conversations, providing visibility and collaboration for team members.
• Text-Enable Existing Numbers: Allows businesses to use their current phone numbers for sending and receiving texts.
• Bulk Messaging: Send personalized bulk text messages to multiple recipients simultaneously to collect feedback or send review request links.
• Message Templates: Use pre-saved templates for common customer service responses to save time.
• Automated Messages: Schedule and automate messages for reviews, reminders, updates, and notifications.
• MMS Support: Send and receive images.
• Contact Management: Organize and segment contacts for targeted messaging.‍
• Compliance: Ensures compliance with carrier regulations and improves message delivery rates.

What MessageDesk customers say:

Sylvia L.

Programmatic Account Manager

"MesageDesk is great for sending mass texts for the staff or communicating with returning clients. We have sent promotional deals to our returning clients. We can also group clients if need be based on categories."

Joylyn O.

Marketing Consultant

"MessageDesk is an effective texting app with excellent customer service. The templates are customizable with tagging features to personalize messages. MessageDesk also has fantastic customer service where real people answer your questions."

2. Birdeye | Birdeye vs Podium

Who Birdeye is best for: 

Birdeye works best for multi-location businesses and franchises. It provides a comprehensive platform to manage customer reviews, online reputation, and customer communication at scale.

Birdeye overview:

Birdeye is a leading customer experience and reputation management platform. It helps businesses enhance their online presence and engage more effectively with customers. 

Birdeye does this by centralizing and automating the collection of customer reviews. It enables your business to improve visibility on search engines, gather insights and feedback, and streamline communication.

Birdey integrates with hundreds of business applications. This makes it a versatile solution for businesses of all sizes, particularly those with multiple locations. 

The suite of Burdey tools also includes survey creation, messaging, web chat, and social media management. Each tool ensures your business maintains a positive and proactive relationship with your customers across all channels.

Birdeye features:

• Review Management: Collect, monitor, and respond to customer reviews across multiple platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp.
• Online Reputation Management: Track and manage your business's online reputation with real-time alerts and detailed analytics.
• Customer Surveys: Create and distribute surveys to gather customer feedback and measure satisfaction.
• Web Chat and Messaging: Engage with customers directly through web chat, text messaging, and social media platforms.
• Automated Review Requests: Automatically send review requests to customers via email or SMS, boosting your review count.
• Social Media Management: Post updates and manage your business's social media presence from a single dashboard.
• Insights and Analytics: Gain valuable insights from customer feedback with comprehensive analytics and reporting tools.
• Integration Capabilities: Integrate with over 1,000 business applications, including CRM systems, scheduling tools, and POS systems.

What Birdeye customers say:

Edwin M.

Translator/Interpreter

"Birdeye allows me to stay in touch with my clients in a quick and practical way. Whenever I need to text them or send them information without having to call them or when client's can't be on the phone. I can have those quick conversations without having to call. All this without having to use my own cellphone."

Jordan R.

Director of People and Culture

"One minor drawback we've encountered is the inability to reply to OpenTable reviews directly through BirdEye. Instead, we are required to log in to our OpenTable account separately to respond to these reviews. While this process adds an extra step, we understand that it's a limitation that may be addressed in future updates."

3. Broadly | Broadly vs Podium

Who Broadly is best for:

Broadly works best for small to medium-sized local businesses. It provides a simple, user-friendly solution for improving customer engagement, collecting reviews, and managing online reputation.

Broadly overview:

Broadly is a customer engagement and review management platform tailored for small to medium-sized businesses. It helps you enhance your online presence and build stronger customer relationships. 

Broadly focuses on simplifying the review collection and management process. This helps your business improve its visibility on search engines to attract more customers. 

In addition to its core review management capabilities, Broadly offers other tools. These include web chat and feedback collection. Each feature works together to streamline communication to provide a better customer experience.

Broadly’s interface is also straightforward and setup is easy. There’s no need for extensive technical expertise.

Broadly features:

• Review Collection: Easily collect customer reviews through automated email and SMS requests.
• Online Reputation Management: Monitor and manage your business’s online reputation across various review platforms.
• Customer Messaging: Communicate with customers via text messages and emails to nurture relationships and resolve issues quickly.
• Web Chat: Engage with website visitors in real time through a user-friendly web chat feature.
• Feedback Collection: Gather direct feedback from customers to identify areas for improvement.
• Automated Follow-ups: Send automated follow-up messages to ensure customer satisfaction and encourage positive reviews.‍
• Analytics Dashboard: Access a centralized dashboard to track reviews, customer feedback, and messaging performance.

What Birdeye customers say:

Sheryl K.

Small Business Owner

"We have been serving our community for over 30 years (before the internet was popular). We had never mastered success getting customers to give us a review even when we exceeded their expectations. Since we have partnered up with Broadly, we have received many amazing and uplifting reviews which lets us know our technicians are going the extra mile for our customers!"

A Cut Above Landscaping S.

Business Owner

"We received about 20 reviews over a 9-month period broadly. We received the same amount of reviews by just emailing the client a google review link. We were not interested in broadly for anything except the text for reviews feature. We have sent broadly links to over 150 clients this year, and have gotten 20 reviews. We also requested on sign up to be put on a month-to-month plan, which our salesman agreed to."

4. Weave | Weave vs Podium

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Who Weave is Best for:

Weave is best for dental and medical practices that need a platform to manage patient interactions. It’s also best for streamlining office operations and enhancing patient engagement.

Weave overview:

Weave is an all-in-one communication platform designed to improve patient and customer interactions. It does this through features like automated reminders, online scheduling, integrated payment processing, and review management. 

Weave integrates seamlessly with various practice management systems. The platform provides a unified solution for office management and patient communication.

Weave features:

• Patient Communication: Automated reminders, confirmations, and personalized communications via text, phone, and email.
• Appointment Management: Efficient scheduling, rescheduling, and cancellations with automated reminders to reduce no-shows.
• Reviews and Reputation Management: Send review requests and manage online reviews across multiple platforms.
• Payment Processing: Secure and efficient transactions, including text-to-pay and payment plans.
• Two-Way Texting: Real-time text conversations with patients for inquiries and information sharing.
• Analytics: Track key performance indicators, patient satisfaction metrics, and financial data.
• Patient Information Management: Centralized patient profiles, treatment history, and contact details.
• Team Collaboration: Internal messaging system for streamlined communication among staff.‍
• Automated Marketing Campaigns: Targeted outreach, promotions, and announcements to engage patients.

What Weave customers say:

Janet D.

Small Business Owner

"I think Weave is a fantastic platform for office use and patient communication. Our office uses the interoffice text/instant message communication feature to communicate with each other during the work day. We also use the text feature to quickly and efficiently communicate with our patients multiple times a day."

Craig E.

Small Business Owner

"Very unreiable automessaging. Weekly failures of the system requiring calls to get support to restore functionality. Very time consuming and frustrating. No explanation from Weave about why the problems are fixed and then repeatedly fail week after week. In addition, the desk app interface is very small, the size of a cell phone screen. We've requested that this be increase and made scalable since we started using Weave, but they haven't changed it."

5. Swell | Swell vs Podium

Who Swell is best for:

Swell is best for small to medium-sized businesses. Especially those that need an affordable, platform to manage reviews, reputation, and engagement via text and web chat.

Swell overview:

Swell is a versatile customer experience platform. It helps businesses of all sizes, particularly small to medium-sized businesses. 

Swell is like other Podium alternatives. It helps you improve your online reputation, engage with customers, and drive growth via positive reviews. 

Swell’s platform offers a range of tools. They’re all for collecting customer feedback, managing reviews, and communicating with clients via text messaging and web chat. 

With Swell, you get a user-friendly interface and affordable pricing. This makes it an attractive option for enhancing your online presence while reducing complexity.

With Swell, you can easily gather and showcase customer reviews. You can also streamline customer interactions, and gain insights into customer satisfaction, all from a single, integrated platform.

Swell features:

• Review Generation: Send automated review requests via SMS and email to increase the volume of positive reviews.
• Online Reputation Management: Monitor and manage customer reviews across platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp.
• Customer Messaging: Engage with customers through text messaging to improve communication and customer satisfaction.
• Web Chat: Implement a web chat feature on your website to capture leads and assist customers in real time.
• Feedback Collection: Gather valuable feedback from customers to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
• Automated Campaigns: Set up automated follow-up campaigns to encourage reviews and maintain customer relationships.‍
• Analytics and Reporting: Access detailed reports and analytics to measure the success of your review and communication strategies.

What Swell customers say:

Krista R.

CISR Personal Lines

"Swell allows our clients to connect with us just like anyone else in their contact list. It quickly brings our communication into their lives, creating more interaction and helping us access photos and documents."

Karen S.

Senior Operations Manager

"Swell's layout takes time to get used to. Having to either keep all conversations in the inbox or archive them is a bit frustrating. Also when trying to get many texts out back to back the program tends to freeze if you are going quickly. It will either not pull up the name you want or not allow you to type. Refreshing helps, just wish it worked at the speed I do. Another thing is auto delivery texts don't work properly. Some guests will get three texts in a row, and a few get none. We haven't solved that issue yet."

6. Intercom | Podium vs Intercom

Who Intercom is best for:

Intercom is best for businesses of all sizes, particularly SaaS companies and tech startups. Intercom is a robust, unified platform made for managing customer support tickets, marketing automation, and live chat.

Intercom overview:

Intercom offers a comprehensive customer messaging platform. It helps your business engage with customers more effectively across multiple channels. This includes live chat, email, and social media. 

Intercom is best known for its powerful combination of customer support, automation, and chat tools. It allows businesses to deliver personalized customer experiences at scale. 

The platform integrates seamlessly with other tools and services. This makes it a versatile choice if you’re looking to streamline your customer interactions and improve overall engagement. 

Intercom’s capabilities extend beyond simple communication. It also offers robust analytics and automation features that enable you to optimize your customer journeys and drive growth.

Intercom features:

• Live Chat: Engage website visitors and customers in real-time with custom live chat widgets.
• Customer Support: Manage customer inquiries, support tickets, and conversations from a unified inbox.
• Automated Messaging: Create and send personalized automated messages based on customer behavior and segmentation.
• In-App Messaging: Communicate with users directly within your mobile or web app.
• Knowledge Base: Build and manage a self-service knowledge base to help customers find answers on their own.
• Integration with CRM and Other Tools: Seamlessly integrates with popular CRM systems, email marketing tools, and more.
• Analytics and Reporting: Access detailed analytics on customer interactions, messaging performance, and user behavior.‍
• Bot Automation: Use chatbots to automate routine tasks, qualify leads, and provide instant support.

What Intercom customers say:

Cristina C.

Customer Service and Operations Senior Executive

"The Customer Satisfaction report has become a must in my daily and weekly review regarding the interactions we have had with our users and makes it easier for the manager to track what can be improved in our end and provide feedback to our employees on time to increase the satisfaction of our customers!"

Karen D.

Customer Support Manager

"While the platform offers incredible value for larger enterprises, the pricing tiers might be slightly steep for startups or small businesses with limited resources. A more flexible pricing plan or potentially a free tier with limited features could make Intercom accessible to a wider range of businesses."

7. Clientbook | Clientbook vs Podium

Who Clientbook is best for:

Clientbook is best for retail businesses, particularly those in the luxury and boutique sectors. Clientbook offers a specialized platform for clienteling, personalized customer communication, and relationship management.

Clientbook overview:

Clientbook is a clienteling and customer relationship management (CRM) platform designed specifically for retail businesses. It focuses primarily on the luxury and boutique sectors. 

The platform enables your sales associates to build and maintain personalized relationships with customers. It helps you tailor communication, enhance customer loyalty, and drive repeat sales.

Clientbook also empowers retail teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences both in-store and online. 

Its intuitive interface and mobile app make it an easy choice for sales associates. Especially those that need to manage client interactions, track customer preferences, and increase engagement from anywhere.

Clientook features:

• Clienteling Tools: Manage customer relationships with detailed client profiles and personalized communication.
• Automated Follow-Ups: Set up automated reminders and follow-up messages to stay connected with customers.
• Personalized Messaging: Send tailored messages via SMS, email, or in-app to engage customers with relevant offers and updates.
• Client Activity Tracking: Monitor customer interactions, purchase history, and preferences to provide a personalized experience.
• Mobile App: Access Clientbook on the go with a user-friendly mobile app designed for sales associates.
• Task Management: Organize and prioritize tasks related to client outreach and follow-ups.
• Analytics and Reporting: Gain insights into client engagement, sales performance, and communication effectiveness.‍
• Integration Capabilities: Integrate with existing POS systems and other retail tools for seamless data sync.

What Clientbook customers say:

Ashley H.

Sales Associate

"It allows you to reach out to client's without having to always call them on the phone when they are at work, or may be busy during the day. You can send cad images, photos of product, and get quick answers from your clients!"

Jazmin V.

Small Business Owner

"I have just recently been having issues with clientbook. We have 2 locations and each time I send a message it says that my customer has contacted the other store even if they aren't allocated to it. I also think AI could use some work because it will give you repeat customers."

Frequently Asked Podium Alternative Questions

Below is a list of questions frequently asked when migrating to a Podium alternative.

What steps should I take before canceling my Podium account?

Back up your customer and conversation data and export it before you cancel your Podium account. Also, be sure to review your Podium contract and cancellation terms.

How do I ensure that I don’t lose any customer data when switching platforms?

Export all relevant data from Podium. You want to ensure you don’t lose any customer data when switching to a Podium alternative. 

This data might include customer contact information, conversation histories, and review records. Use Podium’s export tools to download this data in a .csv file.

How long does it typically take to transition from Podium to a Podium alternative?

Transitioning from Podium to a Podium alternative typically takes a few days to several weeks. 

Your transition time depends on data migration complexity, phone number hosting or porting time, and the setup of your new system.

You can complete a simple transition in a few days. Other more complex setups may require additional time to ensure everything is fully operational.

Can I run both Podium and my Podium alternative simultaneously during the transition period?

Yes, you can run both Podium and your new platform simultaneously during the transition period. This approach can help you make sure your data is correct and that your new platform works as expected.

Will my customers experience any downtime during the phone number hosting or porting process?

Your customers may experience some downtime during the phone number hosting or porting process. This process is largely seamless since the transfer occurs behind the scenes. 

However, there might be a brief period—usually just a few minutes—where your phone number isn’t available.

To minimize any potential disruptions, inform your customers in advance and provide alternative contact methods if needed.

Most service providers will work to ensure minimal downtime, often scheduled during off-peak hours.

Can I keep all my existing customer conversations and messages when switching platforms?

Yes, you can keep all of your existing customer conversations and messages when switching to Podium alternatives like MessageDesk. For others, it depends on the capabilities of your selected Podium alternative platform. 

Before the switch, export all of your conversation data to a .csv from Podium using its data export tools. 

Make sure your new platform supports importing your data.

What are the terms for canceling my Podium contract?

The terms for canceling your Podium contract can vary depending on your specific agreement with Podium. 

Generally, you should review your contract for details on the cancellation policy. This includes any required notice period, potential early termination fees, and obligations you must fulfill before canceling. 

Some Podium contracts may require a 30-day notice, while others might have specific terms tied to your contract’s length. 

If you're still under a fixed-term contract, you might face penalties for early termination. Be sure to contact Podium’s customer support team to clarify the cancellation process. You’ll want to ensure that you understand any financial implications before proceeding.

How do I ensure Podium won’t charge me after I switch?

To ensure you’re not charged for Podium after switching, cancel your account through customer support. You’ll also want to obtain written confirmation of your cancellation date. 

Be sure to review your final bill for accuracy and monitor your bank statements for any unexpected charges. You’ll also want to keep records of all communications in case you need to dispute any charges.

What should I do if Podium tries to enforce early termination fees?

Review your contract terms and conditions regarding early termination if Podium tries to enforce fees.

Does the contract state any termination fees? If yes, then you’ll most likely need to pay them. 

However, you can try negotiating with Podium. Explain your reasons for canceling, and request a waiver or reduction of the fees. 

Think your fees are unfair or not clearly outlined in the contract? You might consider disputing them through Podium's customer support or seeking advice from a legal counsel to explore options. 

Be sure to document all communications for reference.

Can I transfer my Podium contract or services to another business if needed?

Transfering your Podium contract or services depends on the terms of your Podium contract. Most service agreements include clauses about moving or assigning your contract.

If your contract allows, you might be able to transfer your agreement to a Podium alternative. If you can’t transfer, you may need to revise the contract or explore other options.

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