What is Freshdesk?
Freshdesk is a cloud-based help desk software trusted by over 50,000 businesses of all sizes. It offers a range of features to help manage customer conversations across multiple channels, including email, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, and your website. Freshdesk’s intuitive UI, flexible pricing, and always-on support make it a popular choice for businesses looking to streamline their customer support.
Key Features:
- Omnichannel view: Manage customer conversations from a single, unified view
- Self-service: Launch self-service options to help customers find answers on their own
- Workflow automations: Automate routine, time-consuming tasks to improve team efficiency
- SLA management: Ensure customers get responses and resolutions on time
- Agent productivity features: Enable agents to perform at their best with canned responses, custom ticket views, scenario automations, and in-app notifications
- CSAT: Track and manage customer satisfaction with feedback forms
- Collaboration: Enable your team to collaborate with each other and resolve customer issues faster
- Reporting: Get insights on customer service performance and KPIs with reports and live dashboards
- Marketplace: Leverage flexible APIs and integrate with over 650+ apps on the Freshdesk Marketplace
- Mobile app: Support on the go with the Fresh Desk mobile app available on Android and Apple.
Benefits:
- User-friendly interface for easy help desk management
- Advanced automation features to streamline ticket handling
- Built-in knowledge base for customer self-service portal
- Flexible pricing plans to suit different business needs and budgets
- Always-on support to ensure that you get the help you need when you need it
Freshdesk: Pros & Cons
Pros of Freshdesk:
Freshdesk is a cloud-based helpdesk software solution that offers businesses an intuitive interface, robust automation features, and a comprehensive knowledge base.
One of the standout features of Freshdesk is its ease of use, making it simple to manage customer support across multiple channels. It also offers advanced automation features to streamline ticket handling, allowing businesses to save time and improve customer experiences. Freshdesk’s built-in knowledge base is another major advantage, providing customers with a self-service portal to find answers to their questions.
Additionally, Freshdesk offers extensive customization options, allowing businesses to tailor the software to their specific needs. Integration with Freshsales (Freshworks) is also possible, making it a popular choice for businesses looking for a complete customer support solution.
Cons of Freshdesk:
While Freshdesk has received mostly positive reviews from its users, there are still some limitations to this helpdesk software. One common complaint is that the cost of upgrading the reporting tool is too high for individual users.
Additionally, the software’s search feature and filters on top of search phrases are fairly restricted, which may limit its functionality for some businesses. The technical support team has also been criticized for slow response times, which can be frustrating for users seeking immediate assistance.
Finally, some users have noted that the software is prone to small flaws, such as the dashboard not loading or spam emails not being properly filtered.
What to Consider When Choosing a Help Desk Software?
1. Ease of use
When choosing help desk software, ease of use should be a top priority. It allows support teams to quickly learn and implement the software into their daily responsibilities, leading to more efficient processes and better customer experiences. Freshdesk is a popular choice among businesses for its user-friendly features, such as canned responses, parent-child ticketing, shared inboxes, and reporting and analytics. These features make it easier for support teams to navigate the software and focus on helping customers, rather than fighting with their tools.
2. Security
Security is a crucial factor to consider when selecting help desk software. The software should have robust security features to ensure the safety of customer data. Data encryption, role-based access controls, and compliance with industry standards such as GDPR, SOC2, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS are some of the essential security features that a help desk software should have. These features protect customer data from unauthorized access, breaches, and theft.
3. Budget
When choosing help desk software, budget considerations are important. There are free options available for small teams with inescapable budget constraints or low support volume. For more advanced features, pricing can range from $10 to $100 per user per month. Factors that can affect the cost of help desk software include the number of users, the level of automation, and the level of customization required. Potential hidden costs to consider include the cost of integrations with other business tools and the cost of training staff to use the software effectively. It is important to carefully evaluate the needs of your business and choose a help desk software that fits within your budget while still providing the necessary features and support.
4. Features and Capabilities
When choosing help desk software for your business, there are several essential features and capabilities to consider.
Firstly, ticket management is crucial for tracking customer inquiries and support tickets. Automated workflows can help streamline your support processes, reducing response times and improving customer satisfaction.
Reporting and analytics features enable you to measure your support team’s performance and identify areas for improvement. Multi-channel support allows you to interact with customers through various channels, including email, social media, and live chat.
Finally, integration capabilities enable your help desk software to work seamlessly with other tools your business uses, such as CRM and project management software.
5. Automation
Help desk software can benefit businesses by automating various actions, including ticket assignment, routing, and escalation, as well as sending automated replies, reminders, and follow-up messages to customers. Freshdesk, for example, offers different types of automations, such as ticket assignment based on keywords, canned responses for common issues, and chatbots for instant customer support.
These automations can improve response times, increase efficiency, and ultimately lead to higher customer satisfaction. With automated ticket assignment, support tickets dealing with certain topics go directly to the person best suited to tackle the problem, reducing agent effort and ensuring faster resolution times.
Canned responses and chatbots can also provide quick and consistent support, saving time and effort for both agents and customers. By streamlining repetitive processes and unifying support interactions on a single platform, help desk software can improve the overall support experience and ultimately benefit the bottom line of a business.
6. Support
When selecting help desk software for your business, there are several key features to consider.
- Ticket management is crucial, as it allows for the easy creation and tracking of support tickets, ensuring that all customer inquiries are addressed in a timely and organized manner.
- Automation can also be helpful in streamlining the support process, such as automatically assigning tickets to the appropriate team member.
- Reporting and analytics provide valuable insights into customer support operations and can help identify areas for improvement.
- Collaboration tools, such as the ability to easily share and work on tickets with other team members, are important for efficient teamwork.
- A user-friendly interface is essential for both support agents and customers, and the availability of integrations with other tools can enhance the overall functionality of the software.
7. Team size
When choosing help desk software, team size is a crucial factor to consider. For larger teams, scalability is important as it allows the software to grow with the team’s needs. Look for solutions that offer flexible pricing options based on the number of agents or the size of the organization. Collaboration features are also essential as they increase visibility between team members, keeping everyone on the same page and streamlining communication. A good help desk software should enable agents to track ticket owners, responses, and priorities proactively. Finally, ease of use is vital for larger teams, as it reduces the time and resources required for training. Look for solutions with intuitive web interfaces and consider how much training your team will need to learn the program. Overall, selecting the right help desk software can greatly benefit larger teams by improving efficiency, customer service, and data management.
8. Desktop and Mobile app
Using both desktop and mobile apps for help desk software can provide numerous benefits for both customers and support teams. With a mobile app, support agents can quickly respond to customer inquiries on-the-go, improving response times and customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, using a desktop app can increase productivity by allowing agents to easily manage and organize support tickets, access advanced reporting and analytics, and utilize features like canned responses and knowledge base management.
Some specific features that are particularly useful on a mobile app include push notifications for new tickets or customer responses, the ability to respond to tickets from anywhere, and the option to easily attach photos or other files to a ticket. Meanwhile, desktop apps may offer more advanced features such as integrations with other business tools, advanced reporting and analytics, and the ability to manage multiple tickets at once. By utilizing both desktop and mobile apps for help desk software, businesses can improve their customer support processes and enhance the overall customer experience.
9. Integration
Integration is a critical factor to consider when choosing help desk software. By seamlessly integrating with other tools and applications such as CRM systems and social media platforms, help desk software can provide support reps with valuable data to create a more robust customer conversation. This information can also flow both ways, with data from the help desk system informing other operations such as sales and marketing.
10. Analytics
Analytics and reporting are essential features of help desk software. These tools provide valuable insight into how your support team is performing and how your customers are interacting with your business. With analytics, you can track metrics such as ticket volume, response time, and customer satisfaction ratings. By analyzing this data, you can identify areas where your team is excelling and areas where improvement is needed.
For example, if your response time is consistently slow, you may need to hire additional staff or adjust your workflows to improve efficiency. Additionally, by monitoring customer satisfaction ratings, you can identify trends and patterns in customer feedback, allowing you to make data-driven decisions to improve the overall customer experience.
11. Customer data
Freshdesk allows businesses to store and manage a variety of customer data, including contact information, support history, and purchasing behavior. This data can be used to personalize customer interactions, identify patterns and trends, and proactively address customer needs.
For example, Freshdesk’s reporting and analytics features can provide insights into customer satisfaction levels, response times, and ticket resolution rates. This data can be used to identify areas for improvement and to optimize support processes. Additionally, Freshdesk’s knowledge base management feature allows businesses to create and store articles based on common customer issues, reducing the need for customers to contact support for frequently asked questions.
12. Customization
Customization is crucial in help desk software as it allows businesses to tailor the software to their specific needs, saving time and improving productivity. Popular help desk software like Freshdesk offers customizable features such as custom ticket fields, email templates, and automation rules. These features allow businesses to adapt the software to their unique customer support requirements and workflows.
For example, a business may choose to add custom fields to track specific customer information or create custom email templates to provide a consistent brand experience. Customization also allows for scalability as businesses can easily add new features and workflows as their operations expand.
13. Flexibility
Flexibility is a critical factor to consider when choosing help desk software because it impacts the software’s customization, scalability, and integration capabilities. Customization is necessary for adapting the software to meet the unique customer support requirements of a business. Scalability is equally important as it allows the software to grow with the business needs. The right help desk software should allow for easy addition of users, management of workflows, and incorporation of new features to support expanding operations. Integration is also essential as it allows for more efficient help desk management and a unified customer experience. A well-structured organization that highlights the different aspects of flexibility and how they impact the efficiency of the software can help businesses make informed decisions when selecting the best help desk software for their needs.
14. Visibility
Visibility is a crucial aspect of help desk software that can impact your business in many ways. With better visibility, your team can collaborate more efficiently, reduce silos, and ensure nothing goes unanswered. A good help desk software can keep your global team on the same page, enabling them to see exactly who is responsible for what and ensuring faster resolution with no crossed wires.
15. Security Risks
Help desk software can pose potential security risks if not properly secured. On-premise software can be vulnerable to physical security breaches, while cloud-based software can be susceptible to cyber-attacks. Common security threats include phishing attacks and malware, which can compromise sensitive customer data. It is important to implement secure user authentication and access controls to ensure that only authorized personnel can access the software and customer data.
16. Learning curve
When it comes to implementing help desk software, the learning curve can vary depending on several factors. The complexity of the software, the size of the team using it, and the level of technical expertise of the users are all factors that can impact the learning curve. However, there are ways to minimize potential challenges. Look for help desk software that is easy to learn and use, with a straightforward interface and intuitive features. Also, consider providing training sessions or tutorials to help users get up to speed quickly.
17. Product listings
Help desk software is a tool that enables businesses to manage customer inquiries and support tickets efficiently. The market offers different types of help desk software, including cloud-based, web-based, Saas, and hosted helpdesk software. Additionally, some help desk software is tailored to specific industries, such as education and small business. When choosing help desk software, companies should consider factors such as the size of the company, the complexity of the support process, and the budget. Common features of help desk software include ticket management, knowledge base management, live chat, and reporting. Some solutions also offer features such as asset management and project management.
Freshdesk vs Other Helpdesk Software
Freshdesk is a popular helpdesk software that offers a range of features for managing customer support tickets and inquiries. However, there are several other helpdesk software options available in the market. Here’s the comparison with other helpdesk software:
- Zendesk: Zendesk is a well-known helpdesk software that provides similar functionality to Freshdesk. Both offer ticket management, knowledge base creation, and customer support analytics. Zendesk is known for its flexibility and scalability, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.
- Help Scout: Help Scout is another helpdesk software that focuses on simplicity and ease of use. It offers features like ticket management, email integration, and customer self-service. Help Scout is often favored by small businesses and startups due to its user-friendly interface.
- Zoho Desk: Zoho Desk is part of the Zoho suite of business applications and provides comprehensive helpdesk features. It includes ticket management, automation, and multichannel support. Zoho Desk offers seamless integration with other Zoho products, making it an attractive choice for businesses already using the Zoho ecosystem.
- Jira Service Management: Jira Service Management, formerly known as Jira Service Desk, is a popular choice for IT service management. It offers robust ticketing, incident management, and problem resolution capabilities. Jira Service Management is highly customizable and widely used in software development and IT departments.
- Salesforce Service Cloud: Salesforce Service Cloud is a comprehensive customer service platform that goes beyond ticketing to offer a range of features, including case management, knowledge base, and customer self-service portals. It integrates well with other Salesforce products, making it a suitable choice for businesses already using Salesforce.
Why is Freshdesk a Popular Choice?
With Freshdesk, businesses can manage customer requests coming in from various support channels such as email, phone, social media, chat, and web.
Freshdesk is easy to set up and use, and its pricing plans are more affordable than other helpdesk software options, making it a great alternative to expensive products like Zendesk. With Freshdesk, businesses can deliver quality customer support, reduce customer frustrations, and improve employee experience.
Ubique Digital Solutions brings a wealth of expertise in digital solutions and software implemetation to drive business growth and enhance customer experiences. Contact us and together, we can navigate the intricacies of helpdesk software to elevate your business.
FAQs
Q: What types of data can Freshdesk provide?
Freshdesk can provide various types of data that are important for businesses to improve their customer support operations. Here are the different types of data that Freshdesk can provide:
- Customer interaction data from various channels, including social media, email, live chat, messaging, web, and phone.
- Field service data, including scheduling dashboard, task tracking, and completion status.
- Help desk ticketing management data, including SLA management, workflow automations, canned responses, custom ticket views, scenario automations, and in-app notifications.
- Customer satisfaction data, including CSAT feedback forms and reporting.
- Team collaboration and productivity data, including collaboration tools, reporting, and live dashboards.
Q: What is the cost of Freshdesk?
Freshdesk offers a range of pricing plans to suit the needs and budgets of businesses, with a limited free plan available and paid plans starting at $15 per agent per month for the Growth plan, which includes ticketing, self-service, and reporting solutions. The Pro plan, priced at $49 per agent per month, adds features like automation, time tracking, and custom apps. The Enterprise plan, priced at $79 per agent per month, includes advanced features like AI-powered automation and field service management. Additional licensing costs may apply for Microsoft Outlook email accounts, which cost around $15 to $19 per account.
Q: Does Freshdesk provide support for mobile apps?
Yes, Freshdesk provides support for mobile apps. Freshdesk has mobile apps available for both Android and iOS devices, allowing teams to manage and respond to customer requests on-the-go. However, more robust field service management tools cost extra. Freshdesk’s mobile app is a helpful tool for businesses looking to take their help desk on the road.
