In a business climate where customer support is often seen as a cost center, investing in real-time support has been shown to drive revenue and customer satisfaction. Real-time support involves providing immediate assistance to customers through various channels such as chat or messaging platforms. To implement this successfully, businesses need to define key metrics such as first response time and subsequent response time, decide who should receive real-time support, and establish processes for handling ongoing conversations. Operationalizing the real-time inbox requires careful consideration of scheduling, tools, workflows, and communication and feedback. By starting small, learning quickly through open feedback loops, and implementing smart strategies, businesses can overcome operational challenges and unlock revenue potential from their customer support teams.