Messaging works well when support teams are small and volume is low. But, as soon as more customers start reaching out on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, chat and other social messaging channels, things change quickly.
Many businesses use platforms like Intercom or HubSpot to manage support. These tools are powerful, but messaging often breaks as teams scale. Not because the tools are bad, but because messaging introduces new complexity.
This article explains the most common messaging issues that companies face as they scale Intercom or HubSpot, why these problems appear, and how can teams fix them.
Why messaging becomes harder as support scales
At the start, messaging feels simple. Customers send short questions. Agents reply quickly. Everything stays manageable.
As volume grows, messaging becomes:
- Faster
- More frequent
- More fragmented across channels
Unlike email or tickets, messaging requires quick responses and shared context. Without the right setup, even strong support platforms struggle to keep up.
1.Treat messaging apps as side channels
One of the most common mistakes that customer support teams make is treating messaging as an extra, not a core channel.
Teams often:
- Prioritize email and tickets
- Handle WhatsApp and Instagram manually
- Respond to messaging only when there is time
This leads to slow replies and inconsistent experiences.
Customers expect messaging to be fast. When it is not, trust drops quickly.
Messaging needs to be part of the main support workflow, not an afterthought.
2.Rely only on native messaging integrations
Intercom and HubSpot both offer native messaging options. These work well for basic setups, however problems appear when:
- More channels are added
- Volume increases
- Support spans regions or brands
Native integrations are designed for simplicity, not scale. They often support one number, one account, or limited routing. As a result, teams hit limits faster than expected.
To handle this, many companies keep Intercom or HubSpot as their main support platform and add a messaging integration layer on top.
Tools like Octopods help teams connect channels such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram directly to HubSpot and Intercom. This allows businesses to go beyond native limitations without replacing their favorite customer support platform or changing how teams work.
Discover the difference between native integrations and 3rd party integrations
3.Lose customer identity across messaging channels
Messaging channels identify users in different ways.
- WhatsApp uses phone numbers
- Telegram uses user IDs and usernames
- Instagram uses social profiles
When identity is not handled properly:
- Conversations cannot be linked
- History gets lost
- Agents repeat questions
- Reporting becomes unreliable
This is one of the biggest sources of frustration for support teams.
4.Automation that works only on one channel
Automation is one of the biggest reasons teams choose Intercom or HubSpot. The problem is that automation often behaves differently across channels.
Teams see issues like:
- Bots replying on chat but not on messaging apps
- Routing rules that ignore certain channels
- Tags applied on email but not on WhatsApp or Telegram
When automation is inconsistent, agents lose trust in the system and revert to manual work.
5.No clear visibility into messaging performance
As messaging grows, managers need answers. Common questions include:
- How many messages are coming from each channel?
- Which conversations are waiting too long?
- Where are messages failing or not delivered?
Without proper visibility:
- Bottlenecks go unnoticed
- SLAs break
- Performance becomes hard to measure
Messaging without insight is hard to scale.
How companies overcome messaging challenges when scaling
Most companies do not replace Intercom or HubSpot when messaging breaks. Instead, they extend their setup.
They keep their main support platform as the central inbox and connect messaging channels into it using a dedicated integration layer.
A tool like Octopods helps businesses bring WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, and other messaging apps into Intercom or HubSpot, so conversations stay centralized and workflows remain consistent as volume grows.
Want to connect your messaging channels to your central inbox?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does messaging feel harder to manage than email or tickets?
Messaging feels harder to manage than email or tickets because it is real time, conversational, and spread across multiple channels. In platforms like Intercom or HubSpot, email and tickets follow clear, linear workflows, while messaging conversations are continuous and expect fast replies.
Can messaging channels be scaled without changing platforms?
Yes. Many businesses keep Intercom or HubSpot as the central inbox and scale messaging by connecting additional channels the platforms instead of managing them separately. This is usually done through an integration layer like Octopods, instead of replacing their existing tools.
Are Intercom and HubSpot bad at handling messaging?
No. Both platforms are strong at managing conversations. Messaging problems usually come from how channels are connected and organized, not from the platforms themselves.
Why do messaging automations break across different channels?
Messaging automations often behave differently because each channel has its own rules and constraints. When channels are not centralized, workflows may trigger on email or chat but not on social messaging channels, which leads to inconsistent customer experiences.