Zingle

Zingle, now operating as Medallia Zingle, was established in 2009 by founder Ford Blakely. The company originated from Blakely's personal frustration as a consumer; he sought a more efficient way to order his morning coffee and, as an avid texter, developed a solution for businesses to accept orders via text message. This initial concept evolved into a comprehensive, two-way communication platform for businesses and their customers. Before founding Zingle, Blakely worked as a business and financial consultant, an experience that informed his approach to developing the platform.

The company provides a business-to-business, software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform focused on real-time customer engagement and messaging. Initially targeting a range of service businesses, Zingle later sharpened its focus primarily on the hospitality, travel, and retail industries. Its core product is a guest and customer messaging platform that unifies communications from various channels—including SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and web chat—into a single inbox for staff. This enables businesses to manage guest interactions, resolve issues promptly, and enhance operational efficiency. The platform integrates with existing property management and CRM systems, allowing businesses to leverage customer data for personalized communication.

Zingle's platform incorporates artificial intelligence and automation to manage workflows. Features include automated replies, message routing, language translation in over 90 languages, and the ability to create service tickets directly from a conversation. The system's AI can analyze message intent to suggest responses or trigger automated actions, streamlining service delivery. On September 24, 2019, Zingle was acquired by Medallia, a global leader in experience management, for approximately $42 million in cash. This acquisition integrated Zingle's real-time messaging capabilities into Medallia's broader Experience Cloud platform, allowing clients to both receive feedback and act on it in the moment. The product is now often referred to as Medallia Concierge.

Keywords: customer messaging, guest engagement, hospitality technology, business texting, multi-channel communication, customer service automation, real-time messaging, SMS marketing, guest experience, Medallia Zingle, hotel communication, travel technology, retail engagement, contact center software, AI chatbots, customer support platform, workflow automation, Medallia Concierge, Ford Blakely, service recovery