Podium
Podium helps local businesses manage all customer communications in one unified platform.
Podium is a unified customer communication platform that centralizes all interactions for local service businesses—from text messages and web chat to social media—into a single inbox. The platform automates review requests, appointment scheduling, and customer engagement, and includes an AI Employee ('Jerry') that handles inquiries, books appointments, and processes transactions autonomously. Podium serves over 100,000 businesses including auto dealerships, dental offices, HVAC services, and retailers, with customers reporting 30% sales increases and 56% higher appointment show rates.
Problem solved
Local businesses struggle to manage customer interactions across fragmented channels (text, email, social media, review sites), losing leads and failing to capitalize on review opportunities.
Target customer
Small-to-medium sized local service businesses with multiple customer touchpoints, particularly auto dealerships, dental practices, HVAC services, retail stores, and aesthetics centers managing 1-5+ locations.
Founders
E
Eric Rea
CEO & Co-Founder
BYU Information Systems graduate (2012) who previously worked as a Software Engineer at the International Atomic Energy Agency; founded Podium after witnessing his father's tire shop struggle with online reputation management.
D
Dennis Steele
Co-Founder
Serial entrepreneur who founded another company and serves as an angel investor; co-founded Podium with Eric Rea to solve local business communication challenges.
Funding history
Seed
$450K
July 2014
Led by Unknown
· Unknown
Seed
Unknown
December 2015
Led by Album VC
· Unknown
Series A
$32M
May 2017
Led by Accel, Summit Partners
· Unknown
Series B
Unknown
June 2018
Led by IVP
· Unknown
Series C
$125M
April 2020
Led by Y Combinator Continuity
· Sapphire Ventures, Alkeon, Recruit Co. Ltd, IVP, GV, Summit, Accel
Series D
$201M
November 2021
Led by Durable Capital Partners, Album VC, Sorenson Capital, Y Combinator
· Unknown
Total raised:
$440M
Industries
Pricing
Three main tiers: Core ($399/month), Pro ($599/month), and custom Signature plans for enterprises. All pricing is quote-based; actual costs vary by business size, location, and feature requirements. Additional costs include $5/month per phone number, $5/month 10DLC base fee, and $25-50/month per additional user seat.
Notable customers
Over 100,000 local businesses across auto dealerships, dental offices, HVAC services, aesthetics centers, and retail stores. Specific customer names not publicly disclosed.
Integrations
Calendly, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, Salesforce, and 195+ other third-party tools; integrates with Google, Facebook, and major review platforms.
Tech stack
jQuery (JavaScript libraries)
YouTube (Video players)
HTTP/3
WordPress (Blogs)
Google Analytics (Analytics)
HSTS (Security)
Nginx (Reverse proxies)
PHP (Programming languages)
Microsoft 365 (Email)
MySQL (Analytics)
Oxygen (Page builders)
Yoast SEO (SEO)
WordPress.com (PaaS)
Website
Competitors
Zendesk
Enterprise-focused customer service platform; Podium is built specifically for local service businesses with less complex enterprise requirements.
HubSpot
Broader marketing and sales platform; Podium focuses narrowly on customer communication and review management for local businesses.
Trustpilot
Review aggregation platform; Podium provides end-to-end customer communication and automation beyond just review management.
Twilio
Developer-focused SMS and communication APIs; Podium provides a no-code platform purpose-built for local business operations.
Why this matters: Podium has achieved unicorn status ($3B valuation) by solving a massive, fragmented pain point for over 100,000 local businesses—an often-overlooked market segment. The addition of AI Employees (Jerry) capable of autonomously handling customer inquiries represents a significant shift toward no-code automation for small businesses and demonstrates strong product-market fit in an underserved SMB segment.
Best for: Local service businesses (auto, dental, HVAC, retail) that receive customers across multiple channels and need to automate reviews, scheduling, and customer follow-ups without technical overhead.
Use cases
Automated Review Generation for Auto Dealerships
A car dealership uses Podium to automatically send text message review requests to customers after test drives or purchases. The platform personalizes invitations, and Jerry (AI Employee) handles follow-ups, resulting in significantly more Google and Facebook reviews driving local search visibility and sales.
Appointment No-Show Reduction for Dental Practices
A dental office uses Podium's unified inbox to manage appointment confirmations, reminders, and rescheduling requests across SMS and web chat. The 56% higher appointment show rate translates to better revenue predictability and less chair downtime.
After-Hours Lead Capture for HVAC Services
An HVAC company enables Podium's AI Employee to respond to emergency service requests 24/7 via text and web chat, automatically scheduling appointments and collecting payment information. The 80% increase in after-hours appointments fills service capacity and increases revenue.
Multi-Location Campaign Management for Retail Franchises
A retail franchise with 5+ locations uses Podium's Professional tier to send coordinated promotions, manage inventory questions, and handle customer feedback from all locations in one interface, reducing management overhead and ensuring brand consistency.
Alternatives
Zendesk
More powerful for complex enterprise customer support; overkill and costlier for local service businesses focused on reviews and scheduling.
HubSpot CRM
Better for sales pipeline management across teams; less specialized for local business review automation and messaging.
Trustpilot
Pure review aggregation platform without messaging, scheduling, or payment features.
FAQ
What does Podium do? +
Podium is a unified customer communication platform that consolidates text messages, web chat, social media, and review requests into one inbox for local service businesses. It includes automation features like appointment scheduling, review generation, and an AI Employee (Jerry) that handles customer inquiries and transactions 24/7 without human intervention.
How much does Podium cost? +
Podium offers three main tiers starting at $399/month (Core), $599/month (Pro), and custom pricing for the Signature plan. All pricing is quote-based and varies by business size, location, and features needed. Additional costs include $5/month per phone number and $25-50/month per extra user seat.
What are alternatives to Podium? +
Key alternatives include Zendesk (more enterprise-focused customer support), HubSpot CRM (broader sales pipeline management), and Trustpilot (review aggregation only). Each lacks Podium's focus on unified local business communication and automation.
Who uses Podium? +
Over 100,000 local service businesses use Podium, including auto dealerships, dental practices, HVAC services, aesthetics centers, and retail stores. Customers report 30% sales increases, 56% higher appointment show rates, and 80% more after-hours appointments.
How does Podium compare to HubSpot? +
HubSpot is a broader marketing, sales, and service platform suited for mid-market and enterprise teams managing complex sales pipelines. Podium is purpose-built for local service businesses and specializes in unified customer communication, review management, and appointment automation—areas where HubSpot requires additional tools and configuration.
Tags
customer communication
review management
local business
appointment scheduling
AI automation
SMS messaging
small business