sales-hiver

What this skill does

# Hiver Platform Help

Helps with Hiver — a Gmail-native help desk that adds shared inboxes, ticketing, live chat, WhatsApp, voice, and AI capabilities directly inside Gmail. Zero learning curve for Google Workspace teams.

## Step 1 — Gather context

If `references/learnings.md` exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.

Ask the user:

1. **What are you trying to do with Hiver?**
   - A) Set up Hiver shared inboxes for the first time
   - B) Fix automation, assignment, or SLA issues
   - C) Configure AI features (Copilot, AI Agents)
   - D) Connect Hiver to CRM or other tools
   - E) Compare Hiver to other help desk tools
   - F) Something else — describe it

2. **How many support agents?**
   - A) 1-5 (solo / micro team)
   - B) 6-20 (small team)
   - C) 21-50 (growing team)
   - D) 50+ (scaling)

3. **Which plan are you on (or considering)?**
   - A) Free — shared inboxes, live chat, WhatsApp, voice, knowledge base
   - B) Lite ($19/user/mo) — automations, SLAs, custom fields, customer portal
   - C) Growth ($29/user/mo) — custom reports, advanced integrations
   - D) Pro ($49/user/mo) — chatbots, CSAT, API access, advanced analytics
   - E) Elite (contact sales) — HIPAA, SSO, skill-based routing
   - F) Not sure / evaluating

**If the user's request already provides most of this context, skip directly to the relevant step.**

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

| If the question is about... | Route to... |
|---|---|
| Comparing help desk platforms broadly | `/sales-helpdesk-selection {question}` |
| Contact center / CCaaS selection | `/sales-ccaas-selection {question}` |
| Live chat strategy across tools | `/sales-live-chat {question}` |
| Chatbot marketing strategy | `/sales-chatbot {question}` |
| Connecting tools via Zapier/Make/API pipelines | `/sales-integration {question}` |
| Customer feedback / CSAT strategy | `/sales-customer-feedback {question}` |

For Hiver-specific questions, continue to Step 3.

## Step 3 — Hiver platform reference

**Read `references/platform-guide.md`** for the full platform reference — capabilities, pricing, data model, Zapier triggers, API details, and integration recipes.

Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

You no longer need the platform guide — focus on the user's specific situation.

- For **slow performance**: Reduce browser extensions, clear Gmail cache, limit open tabs with Hiver sidebar. High-volume inboxes (500+ emails/day) may need periodic browser refreshes.
- For **assignment issues**: Check automation rules for conflicts. Verify round-robin is configured with correct agent availability. Check if the conversation was already manually assigned (manual overrides auto-assignment).
- For **plan selection**: Start Free for basic shared inbox. Upgrade to Lite ($19) for automations and SLAs. Growth ($29) for analytics. Pro ($49) only if you need API access, CSAT surveys, or chatbots.
- For **AI setup**: AI features are a $20/user/mo add-on on any plan. Includes AI Compose, Summarizer, Tagging, Sentiment Analysis, and Suggested Responses.

If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in `references/learnings.md`, append it there.

## Gotchas

> *Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and pricing that may be outdated.*

- **Gmail-only.** Hiver requires Google Workspace — no Outlook, Apple Mail, or standalone option. If the team isn't on Gmail, look at Front, Help Scout, or Freshdesk instead.
- **API is Pro-only ($49/user/mo).** REST API access is locked to the Pro plan. Lite and Growth users must use Zapier for integrations.
- **AI is a paid add-on ($20/user/mo).** AI Copilot, Summarizer, Tagging, and Sentiment Analysis are not included in any base plan.
- **Performance degrades at high volume.** Users report lag and slow loading when handling 500+ daily emails. Frequent browser refreshes help.
- **Features migrate to higher tiers.** Hiver has historically moved features from lower to higher-priced plans. Verify current plan inclusions before committing.
- **Conversation view forced.** Hiver requires Gmail's conversation view, which some users find painful for tracking individual messages.
- **Search limitations.** Shared inbox search can return imprecise results — use Gmail's native search operators for better filtering.
- **Self-improving**: If you discover something not covered here, append it to `references/learnings.md` with today's date.

## Related skills

- `/sales-gmelius` — Gmelius platform help (Gmail AI collaboration, Meli assistant, Kanban boards, API). Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-gmelius -a claude-code`
- `/sales-front` — Front platform help (AI-powered shared inbox, omnichannel, Autopilot/Copilot, REST API). Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-front -a claude-code`
- `/sales-missive` — Missive platform help (collaborative team inbox, internal threads, co-drafting, multi-channel). Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-missive -a claude-code`
- `/sales-helpdesk-selection` — Compare help desk platforms (Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom, Help Scout, and more). Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-helpdesk-selection -a claude-code`
- `/sales-zendesk` — Zendesk platform help (ticketing, Help Center, AI agents, API). Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-zendesk -a claude-code`
- `/sales-live-chat` — Live chat strategy across tools
- `/sales-chatbot` — Chatbot marketing and conversational automation
- `/sales-customer-feedback` — Customer feedback, NPS, CSAT, VoC
- `/sales-integration` — Connect help desk to CRM and other tools
- `/sales-do` — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do -a claude-code`

## Examples

### Example 1: Setting up shared inbox for a support team
**User says**: "We're a 10-person SaaS team on Google Workspace. We want to set up [email protected] as a shared inbox with assignment and SLAs."
**Skill does**:
1. Reads platform guide for setup steps
2. Recommends Lite plan ($19/user/mo) since they need SLAs and automations (not available on Free)
3. Walks through: create shared mailbox → invite agents → set up round-robin assignment → configure SLA rules
4. Notes that collision detection prevents two agents from replying to the same ticket
5. Suggests enabling the customer portal for self-service
**Result**: Step-by-step shared inbox setup with plan recommendation

### Example 2: Connecting Hiver to Salesforce via Zapier
**User says**: "How do I sync Hiver conversations to Salesforce automatically?"
**Skill does**:
1. Reads platform guide for Zapier triggers and integration patterns
2. Explains Hiver has 10 Zapier triggers (new inbound conversation, conversation updated, CSAT rating, etc.)
3. Provides recipe: "New Inbound Conversation" trigger → Zapier → create Salesforce Case with subject, assignee, and tags
4. Notes that direct API integration requires Pro plan ($49/user/mo) and provides a cURL example for listing conversations
5. Warns that Hiver doesn't have a Make integration — Zapier is the primary iPaaS option
**Result**: Working Zapier recipe with API alternative for Pro users

### Example 3: Hiver performance issues with high volume
**User says**: "Hiver keeps freezing when we're processing our morning email queue. We get about 400 emails before 10am."
**Skill does**:
1. Acknowledges this is a known issue — Hiver can lag with high-volume inboxes
2. Recommends: reduce Chrome extensions, dedicate a browser profile to Hiver, close other Gmail tabs
3. Suggests enabling auto-assignment to distribute load across agents automatically
4. Notes that periodic browser refreshes (every 1-2 hours during peak) help
5. If the problem persists, recommends evaluating Front or Freshdesk for higher-vo