Customer service feedback platform TalkBin is being shutdown by Google

TalkBin, a customer feedback platform for businesses that was incubated at Y Combinator and then acquired by Google in 2011, is being shut down on July 31, citing “dwindling usage.” Enquiries sent to the company are receiving a brief autoreply saying that the service is no longer being maintained or supported, that it will be shut down effective July 31, and with suggestions of alternatives to Talkbin. A full copy of that note is below. One of those listed alternatives, Bellevue, Washington-based Talk to the Manager, has further elaborated on the story in a blog post from its CEO John Washam.

Three years after acquiring Talkbin, Google is now shutting the customer feedback platform down. Emails sent to the Talkbin support account are receiving an auto-reply message noting that the service will be shutting down next month. “TalkBin usage has dwindled over the past 2 years, and we have decided to shut down the service on July 31st, 2014,” the email reads. “Effective immediately, all billing has stopped for your existing locations in Talkbin. Talkbin will be completely shut down on July 31st, and all account data will be deleted shortly afterwards.” Google acquired Talkbin in 2011, just five months after the startup had launched. The company’s software let customers at restaurants and retailers send emails and text messages on dedicated numbers to businesses for feedback. Talkbin’s auto-reply message recommends other similar platforms to use, including OwnerListens and Quibble. Another is Bellevue-based Talk to the Manager, whose CEO John Washam penned this blog post about the Talkbin shutdown.