We deal with 1000’s of assist queries every single day throughout all of our companies, and we’ve used a bunch of various assist desk software program to do it. Though we at the moment are utilizing Groove and are pleased with our expertise, we additionally know that there are many different choices appropriate for small companies.
That’s why we’re right here to assist. We’ve examined plenty of assist desk software program to search out the perfect choices for you. Whereas doing so, we paid consideration to ease of use, workflow automation, and value.
On this article, we’ll present you a number of the greatest assist desk software program available on the market.
An Overview of the Greatest Assist Desk Software program
How Do We Take a look at and Evaluation Assist Desk Software program?
Right here’s what we did to advocate the perfect assist desk software program in your small enterprise:
Discovering out what’s vital – First, we appeared into the important thing components that small companies prioritize when deciding on assist desk software program (like ease of use and workflow automation). This ensured we may deal with the necessities slightly than simply fancy options.
Attempting them out – We really use some choices on the record ourselves for various initiatives, so we’re assured in recommending them. Others are fashionable choices that we examined ourselves. We might not advocate a product that we wouldn’t use.
Studying consumer suggestions – We take note of actual tales and evaluations from individuals who use the software program. This makes positive our ideas are based mostly on actual experiences and conditions that individuals really encounter.
Being trustworthy – If there are any downsides, we’ll inform you. We wish to be straight up about what we discover.
Why Belief WPBeginner?
At WPBeginner, our editorial group has over 16 years of expertise in WordPress, eCommerce, and on-line advertising. We dive deep into each plugin or software program, take a look at them on actual web sites, and guarantee they meet our excessive requirements earlier than recommending them.
Wish to know extra about how we do it? Simply take a look at our editorial course of.
1. Groove
Out of all the assistance desk platforms we’ve tried, Groove is likely one of the most inexpensive and best to make use of. At a small business-friendly value, it presents all the important thing options you’ll want to present quick customized assist to your clients.
In truth, we use Groove at WPBeginner to handle our e mail assist wants.
First off, Groove’s intuitive shared inbox means that you can simply handle buyer conversations through e mail, reside chat, and even social channels like Fb Messenger and Instagram. This manner, you may be current wherever your customers are most energetic.
Plus, you’ll be able to simply create a self-service information base that your clients can use 24/7, which helps to cut back assist requests.
Groove additionally contains easy-to-read studies that can enable you monitor the success of your buyer assist group. It contains vital metrics like common first response time, common decision price, complete resolutions, happiness price, and way more.
Professionals of Groove:
Shared e mail inbox that may hook up with Gmail, Outlook, Workplace 365, reside chat, and social channels.
Options to make dialog assignments extra environment friendly, like collision detection to keep away from double replies, @point out notifications, and personal inner notes for group collaboration.
50+ automation templates and guidelines to streamline your buyer request processes, similar to auto-replies, dialog routing, dialog classification, SLA administration, and extra.
AI options to avoid wasting you extra time, similar to reply help, prompt reply creation, dialog summaries, and dialog explanations.
Simple-to-use and customizable reside chat widget that permits you to work together with clients from any web page in your web site in actual time.
Integrations with fashionable apps and instruments like Slack, HubSpot, Salesforce, and GitHub, simply to call a number of.
Cons of Groove:
WordPress customers can solely combine Groove with their web sites utilizing code.
In the event you use the Normal plan, you then can’t customise your information base utilizing your individual branding.
Pricing: The Normal plan begins at $4.08 per consumer monthly and contains 2 channels, 2 e mail inboxes, reside chat, and extra. There’s additionally a free 7-day trial with no bank card required.
Why we selected Groove: All in all, Groove presents a wonderful end-to-end buyer expertise for assist. You should use it for e mail assist, reside chat, and information base multi function user-friendly and inexpensive platform.
For extra particulars, see our full Groove evaluate.
2. Heroic Inbox
When reviewing software program for this text, we additionally thought-about how some WordPress customers choose to handle their buyer assist processes proper of their WordPress admin dashboard. This manner, you don’t need to commute between two totally different platforms.
If that sounds such as you, then take a look at Heroic Inbox. It’s the greatest assist desk plugin for WordPress as a result of it enables you to handle all of your emails and assist tickets proper out of your WordPress admin space.
The perfect half is that you could add limitless tickets and limitless customers in a single central place. Different choices within the record might include limits, making Heroic Inbox less expensive compared.
Since all the things is completed in WordPress, you’ll be able to merely add current WordPress customers to your inbox in order that they’ll work on their tickets instantly. You may as well add notes to conversations which might be solely seen to your group, good for coordinating responses.
Professionals of Heroic Inbox:
Limitless tickets and customers with no month-to-month charges.
Ticket historical past out there. You possibly can learn earlier conversations with the client so that you’ve got all the important thing info you want whereas offering assist.
Options to avoid wasting time on repetitive duties, like saved replies and auto-responders.
Learn receipts to see when clients have learn your messages.
WooCommerce integration that means that you can see the client’s purchases whereas serving to them out.
Cons of Heroic Inbox:
Throughout our testing, we discovered its Gmail setup not as user-friendly as different choices as a result of you’ll want to create a Google Workspace app first.
Solely contains two varieties of consumer roles: Mailbox Person and Administrator.
Pricing: Heroic Inbox’s plans begin from $199.50 per 12 months to make use of on 1 web site. Not like many different assist desk options on this record, there are not any per-user limits or pricing.
Or you will get the Heroic Bundle Important for $299.50 per 12 months. It additionally contains Heroic KB, which helps you to create a information base to cut back the variety of assist tickets you obtain.
Why we selected Heroic Inbox: In the event you’d slightly handle your tickets inside WordPress, then Heroic Inbox is the perfect assist desk software program for you.
To get essentially the most worth for cash, we advocate getting the Heroic Bundle with the intention to supply buyer assist through tickets and information base. You possibly can study extra about Heroic Inbox in our HeroThemes evaluate.
3. Assist Scout
Assist Scout is likely one of the hottest all-in-one assist desk software program available on the market and for a superb cause. It has almost each function you’ll want to streamline your buyer assist course of after which some.
Like Groove, Assist Scout will help handle your whole chat and e mail assist requests from one place. That method, your clients can attain out utilizing the strategy they like, and your assist group can handle requests from a single queue.
You may as well velocity up assist requests by creating saved replies so your group can reply to frequent questions immediately.
One function that stood out for us throughout testing was the search engine optimization choices for the information base. Included in all plans, you’ll be able to create articles in your assist middle which might be optimized for engines like google utilizing Assist Scout’s routinely generated sitemap.
Professionals of Assist Scout:
Time monitoring report back to see the place your assist group is spending essentially the most time so you’ll be able to enhance your buyer interplay workflows.
The Beacon reside chat can advocate information base articles for customers to unravel issues. If they’ll’t discover a answer, then they’ll chat along with your group.
Survey and score options to gather consumer suggestions on how nicely your buyer assist group did.
Workplace hours to allow automated replies based mostly on your enterprise hours.
SMS and telephone assist can be found through integrations.
Cons of Assist Scout:
With a beginning value of $20 per consumer monthly, the worth could possibly be a bit costly for small companies which might be simply beginning out.
Pricing: The Normal plan begins at $20 per consumer monthly (with a restrict of 25 customers) and contains 2 shared mailboxes, reside chat, 1 information base, and 100+ integrations. A free 15-day trial is accessible.
Why we selected Assist Scout: As a top-rated assist desk software program, Assist Scout presents nice important options and a few extra ones that may scale your assist group. When you have the funds for it, then we advocate utilizing Assist Scout.
4. HelpDesk
Do you wish to make assist ticket assignments simpler in your group? In that case, then take into account HelpDesk.
This software boasts a clear and user-friendly interface, however we discovered that its options transcend the floor. In addition to assigning tickets to brokers, you can even add ‘followers’ to tickets to make sure non-agent customers related to the problem keep within the loop.
Plus, you’ll be able to merge a number of assist tickets right into a single one. This turns out to be useful when coping with duplicate submissions from the identical buyer or managing associated points beneath a single ticket.
Moreover, HelpDesk enables you to create a number of groups to separate conversations associated to gross sales, buyer assist, advertising, finance, IT assist, and so forth. This implies every group can think about their very own work, however they’ll additionally ahead tickets simply if they should.
Professionals of HelpDesk:
Ticket merging to make dealing with duplicate tickets and associated tickets simpler.
Skill to create a number of groups, helpful for separating conversations based mostly on which group is most related to them.
Crew collaboration instruments to deal with buyer points like ticket following, collision detection, and agent mentioning.
Workflow enchancment options like first response time and backbone time to determine the common velocity of responding to a ticket.
Easy pricing in comparison with different choices on the record. There is just one starter plan that features the entire options (besides white labeling), after which you’ll want to improve to a customized plan.
Cons of HelpDesk:
Like Assist Scout, HelpDesk’s beginning value could appear too costly for brand spanking new companies.
Pricing: For groups, pricing begins at $29 per agent monthly and features a ticketing system, a 60-day chat historical past, and extra. A free 14-day trial is accessible.
Why we selected HelpDesk: We had been impressed by the truth that HelpDesk contains a lot of the options within the beginning plan, together with its AI ticket abstract and AI textual content enhancement. Some software program makes you improve for these, however HelpDesk contains them from the beginning.
Although it may appear expensive at first, as your enterprise grows, the fee may really feel extra cheap. It additionally integrates with LiveChat and ChatBot, which we’ll speak extra about later within the article.
5. HubSpot
HubSpot is a widely known all-in-one platform for assist desk, advertising, gross sales, and buyer relationship administration (CRM). Throughout our testing, we discovered that HubSpot is a superb choice for individuals who need an all-inclusive answer for managing their buyer interactions.
With HubSpot’s Buyer Platform, a assist agent can escalate a assist difficulty to a gross sales consultant, who can then observe up with the client. This seamless escalation and collaboration can result in elevated gross sales alternatives and improved buyer satisfaction.
HubSpot’s service desk options are additionally fairly strong. In addition to the usual shared inbox and ticketing system, you additionally get a reside chat bundled with a chatbot perform to reply to buyer questions when your brokers are unavailable.
Professionals of HubSpot:
Connects with different HubSpot merchandise like advertising, gross sales, and CRM so you’ll be able to create a seamless buyer expertise with only one platform.
Trackers for vital assist metrics like ticket quantity, agent response time, and extra. This helps you see in case you are hitting your objectives and assembly your customer support degree agreements (SLAs).
Dialog routing to routinely assign tickets to particular customers, such because the least busy brokers.
Free plan out there.
Cons of HubSpot:
HubSpot is a flexible platform. Nevertheless, as a result of it covers a lot floor, its assist desk options may not be as detailed as a number of the different choices on the record.
Pricing: A free plan is accessible for all customers. The Buyer Platform plans begin from $15 monthly. You may as well get a Starter plan for the service desk solely at $15 monthly for one seat.
Why we selected HubSpot: HubSpot’s assist desk does extra than simply buyer assist. It’s additionally your CRM, advertising, and gross sales hub. It’s a one-stop answer for managing all the things, perfect for many who need simplicity throughout the board.
Study extra about this platform in our HubSpot evaluate.
6. Freshdesk
Freshdesk is one other fashionable, cloud-based assist desk software program choice for companies. It’s very user-friendly, whereas nonetheless providing loads of superior options.
First off, the assistance desk system contains AI automation guidelines to routinely assign tickets based mostly on sure guidelines. For instance, if the ticket’s topic contains refund-related key phrases, then you’ll be able to routinely route it to the agent specializing in that discipline.
What stood out to us about Freshdesk is its ticket conversion options. They let you convert telephone calls, social media direct messages, and even model mentions into tickets and have your group deal with these points. This lets you create an omnichannel buyer expertise.
Professionals of Freshdesk:
AI automation to enhance your buyer assist workflow and run processes on autopilot.
Ticket integration options for changing exterior messages from varied communication channels into tickets.
Skill to create a self-service portal by means of discussion board assist, FAQs, and a assist widget.
Highly effective name middle options, like automated AI voice responses.
Cons of Freshdesk:
There was once an official Freshdesk plugin for WordPress, however it’s now not out there.
Pricing: The essential model of the software program begins at $15 monthly per agent. There’s a free model of the assist software program that helps as much as 10 brokers, however it solely contains ticketing and information base options. A 14-day free trial is accessible.
Why we selected Freshdesk: Freshdesk could be a nice assist desk software program for folks in search of a user-friendly but highly effective software to help their clients. Whereas not as low-cost as Groove, it’s nonetheless way more inexpensive than extra well-known choices like Assist Scout.
7. Nextiva
Nextiva is the perfect enterprise telephone service for small companies. Past telephone assist, they provide an entire multichannel assist answer that works nice for small enterprise homeowners and huge name facilities.
In truth, we use Nextiva at WPBeginner for all of our telephone assist wants. It helps our groups reply to incoming buyer calls from anyplace on the earth with out utilizing their very own private cellular phone numbers.
The built-in assist desk answer can also be glorious. It enables you to talk throughout many alternative channels from a single app together with, telephone, e mail, and group messaging.
The ticket administration system is simple to make use of, and you may set priorities, ship reminders, message your group, and extra.
Professionals of Nextiva:
Options to reinforce your buyer assist processes, similar to canned responses, self-service information base, and prompt insights about your clients.
Like HubSpot, Nextiva presents nice integration throughout totally different providers. In the event you use their assist desk software, then you should utilize it along with their enterprise VoIP and gross sales CRM.
Cellular app out there for brokers to reply to tickets on the go.
Highly effective telephone assist options like name forwarding, customized greetings, digital enterprise telephone numbers, analytics, and extra.
Cons of Nextiva:
Nextiva’s limitless calling is simply out there for customers within the US and Canada.
If you’re not enthusiastic about telephone assist, then utilizing Nextiva in your assist desk can appear to be overkill.
Pricing: Nextiva’s plans begin from $23.95 monthly per consumer. You may as well use our Nextiva coupon to get a 21% low cost.
Why we selected Nextiva: Whereas ticket, chat, and information base assist may be useful, some of us choose speaking over the telephone to get direct help. We discover Nextiva to be good for reaching these clients.
For extra info, you’ll be able to learn our full Nextiva evaluate.
8. LiveChat
Do you wish to use reside chat assist as your main assist desk service? Then look no additional than LiveChat. That is what we use throughout all of our eCommerce initiatives to assist our pre-sales workers, and it integrates with HelpDesk.
The setup is basically fast and simple. Once we went by means of the setup course of, all we needed to do was create a LiveChat account, set up the LiveChat plugin on WordPress, and register by means of the plugin web page. Then, we may see the LiveChat widget instantly on our web site.
LiveChat additionally comes with cell, desktop, and pill apps throughout Android and iOS. This manner, your assist group can reply requests with out logging into the WordPress dashboard.
We additionally like LiveChat’s work hours function. Brokers’ statuses can routinely change to accepting chats throughout enterprise hours and never accepting them when offline. This ensures brokers can end ongoing conversations or switch them to colleagues earlier than going offline.
Professionals of LiveChat:
Simple to arrange on WordPress web sites.
Work hours settings to switch chat requests from offline brokers to on-line ones.
Customizable LiveChat window to match your web site’s branding.
Speedy and responsive chat window. It masses quicker than many different reside chat suppliers and works throughout each system.
In the event you use their KnowledgeBase app, you’ll be able to combine it with LiveChat to browse and ship articles within the chat window.
Cons of LiveChat:
Some primary options that you could be discover in different options, like chat tagging, canned responses, and metrics dashboard, are solely out there if you happen to get a higher-tier plan.
Pricing: The plans begin from $20 monthly per particular person. A 14-day free trial is accessible. You may as well use our LiveChat coupon to get an unique 30% low cost.
Why we selected LiveChat: We’ve been utilizing LiveChat for our personal initiatives, so we’re assured will probably be a superb match for many who wish to use chat assist for his or her assist desk. It’s simple to arrange in WordPress and received’t decelerate your web site.
Study extra about this assist desk software program in our full LiveChat evaluate.
9. ChatBot
Stay chat and ticket assist are nice, however they require human brokers to function and keep. At occasions, chances are you’ll not have the sources to rent customers or the time to truly reply to buyer questions.
That is the place ChatBot can turn out to be useful. This AI chatbot software program makes it simple for small companies and startups to create chatbots that reply questions always. This course of could make your customer support simpler, and unlock time in your assist workers.
We use ChatBot in a number of of our SaaS companies to deal with pre-sales questions and ahead customers to our reside assist group if mandatory.
ChatBot additionally integrates simply with WordPress, WooCommerce, LiveChat, HelpDesk, and/or your customer support software program of selection.
Professionals of ChatBot:
Drag-and-drop builder to create a buyer assist chatbot shortly.
Business-specific chat templates that can assist you develop a singular chatbot based mostly on consumer questions and situations.
Standalone AI (no relations to OpenAI, Bard, or Bing AI), so your information will probably be safe.
Options to enhance your chatbot’s accuracy, like coaching them utilizing unmatched queries and monitoring adjustments you’ve made to your chatbot.
Cons of ChatBot:
Any extra chat that’s not included in your plan will price $0.03 per chat.
Pricing: It begins at $52 monthly billed yearly for as much as 1,000 month-to-month chats, and goes up from there. There’s a 14-day free trial included in each plan, so you’ll be able to see if chatbots work for your enterprise.
Why we selected ChatBot: This assist desk software program is a wonderful choice if you happen to don’t have the sources to rent assistants however nonetheless wish to supply chat assist. You may as well use it to enrich your current assist choices so that you’re at all times out there 24/7.
10. WPForms
If you wish to create a contact kind to submit tickets, then take a look at WPForms. It’s the perfect contact kind plugin for WordPress and is used on over 6 million web sites. We use WPForms right here on WPBeginner and throughout all of our different web sites.
You should use the drag-and-drop builder and the customizable assist ticket template to create a contact kind shortly.
The free model of the plugin enables you to construct a primary contact kind and contains spam safety, e mail notifications, and extra.
The professional model of the plugin takes these options even additional and turns th plugin right into a helpful service desk software. It enables you to create extra superior kinds with conditional logic, kind abandonment performance, geo-location, and extra.
Professionals of WPForms:
Person-friendly kind submission administration dashboard, so you’ll be able to shortly reply to buyer queries in WordPress.
Immediate kind notifications that routinely ship you an e mail when a consumer submits a kind. You possibly can notify your self or your group members in control of buyer assist.
Person journey addon that permits you to see what your customer did in your web site earlier than submitting a kind. This makes it simple to see the place your consumer received caught so you’ll be able to resolve their difficulty quicker.
Tons of software program integrations, together with service desk, HR software program, mission administration instruments, advertising automation instruments, and extra.
Cons of WPForms:
Since WPForms is especially a contact kind plugin, its built-in options usually are not as complete as different assist desk options.
Pricing: The Fundamental plan begins at $49.50 per 12 months and has options for easy kind creation. However to get entry to consumer journey studies, superior integrations, and extra, the Professional plan is $199.50 per 12 months.
You may as well use our WPForms coupon code to get 50% off.
Why we selected WPForms: When you have a small enterprise web site and simply want a easy ticket submission answer, then WPForms could be a nice begin. It additionally integrates with fashionable service desk software program like Freshdesk.
You possibly can study extra about this plugin in our WPForms evaluate.
What Is the Greatest Assist Desk Software program for a Small Enterprise?
If you’re in search of the general greatest assist desk software program answer, then Groove is our high suggestion. It presents an inexpensive and easy-to-use buyer assist platform with a shared inbox, automation options AI help, and customizable reside chat.
Alternatively, in order for you a assist desk plugin to handle your whole assist tickets proper from the WordPress dashboard, then we advocate Heroic Inbox. With options like saved replies, WooCommerce integration, and no per-user limits, it’s a cheap answer for managing buyer assist.
For a extra fashionable selection, Assist Scout could possibly be the proper assist desk software program for you. It comes at a better price ticket than Groove, however it has the important and superior options to enhance your buyer assist.
Assist Desk Software program: Continuously Requested Questions
Now that we’ve mentioned the perfect assist desk software program for a small enterprise, let’s reply some regularly requested questions:
What’s assist desk software program?
Assist desk software program is a software that helps companies handle their assist group and reply to clients’ requests for assist. It contains options like creating tickets for issues, sending automated solutions, and connecting with different instruments to make assist simpler.
Is a assist desk a CRM?
No, a assist desk will not be a CRM system. Whereas each are instruments utilized in customer support, they serve totally different functions and have distinct functionalities. A assist desk is concentrated on offering technical assist to customers, whereas CRM helps companies handle their interactions with present and potential clients.
Which is the perfect ticketing system for small companies?
The perfect ticketing system for small companies is Groove. The value is inexpensive in comparison with most choices available on the market. Nonetheless, it has all of the options you want, similar to a shared inbox and environment friendly ticket task with collision detection and personal inner notes.
Final Guides for Your Enterprise Assist Desk
We hope this text helped you discover the perfect assist desk software program for your enterprise. You may additionally wish to see our picks of the perfect e mail advertising providers for small companies and our information on how to decide on the perfect WordPress internet hosting.
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Disclaimer: Other than the highest assist desk software program on this record, we additionally checked out different suppliers like Zoho Desk, Jira Service Administration, LiveAgent, Hiver, HappyFox, Zendesk Assist, and extra.
Nevertheless, we determined to not record them that can assist you keep away from selection paralysis so you’ll be able to shortly discover the perfect software program choice in your wants.