Customer service software plays a crucial role in delivering outstanding customer experiences.
Whether you’re a small startup or a big corporation, selecting the right software is vital for business growth. However, with so many providers offering similar features, it can be daunting to choose.
To help you navigate this decision, we’ve compiled a list of best customer service software for small business in 2024. These tools enhance your customer-centric approach, streamline operations, and boost client satisfaction.
Don’t worry if you’re unsure about which software is best for your business—we’ve got you covered.
What is a customer service software?
A customer support tool is a software application or platform designed to assist businesses in managing and improving their customer support operations.
These tools typically include features such as Microsoft Teams ticketing system, live chat, knowledge base creation, customer feedback collection, analytics, and reporting.
According to a survey by startup Bonsai, 88% of consumers emphasize the significance of customer experience, viewing it as equally important as the product.
This underscores the growing importance of effective customer service. As expectations continue to rise, investing in a reliable customer service tool becomes imperative to enhance the overall customer experience and meet evolving consumer demands.
Customer support tools help businesses streamline customer communication, where service agents can efficiently track, prioritize, manage, and resolve customer inquiries or employee requests.
What are the types of customer service software?
When you use customer service support software properly, it can make customers happier, make support easier, and help businesses understand what customers want. These tools are super important for businesses that want to give great support and keep customers happy.
So, what kind of apps are we talking about here?
1. Ticketing Systems
The workhorses of customer support, these systems capture, track, and manage customer inquiries across various channels (email, chat, phone, etc.). Think of them as centralized hubs for organizing your support workflow, from initial ticket creation to assigning, prioritizing, and resolving issues. Selecting the best helpdesk ticketing system is crucial for ensuring a smooth and efficient support process.
To learn more about help desk software, check out our blog on the Best Help Desk Software in 2024.
2. Live Chat
Providing real-time messaging support, live chat tools enable prompt interaction with customers, ideal for quick questions or troubleshooting. They foster engagement, speed up resolutions, and improve customer satisfaction.
3. Email Support
Asynchronous communication through email remains crucial for addressing detailed inquiries or complex issues. Email support tools streamline email interactions, allowing for organized message threads, canned responses, and internal team collaboration.
4. Knowledge Base
Empowering customers to find answers themselves, knowledge bases are libraries of self-service resources like FAQs, articles, and video tutorials. They reduce ticket volume, deflect simple inquiries, and improve customer self-reliance.
5. Phone Support
While digital channels dominate, traditional phone support still holds value for urgent issues or customers who prefer voice communication. These tools manage inbound and outbound calls, routing them to available agents and enabling efficient call tracking.
Recommended Reading: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing your Mobile Help Desk
6. Social Media Support
Engaging with customers where they are, social media support tools facilitate interactions on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They manage brand reputation, address concerns publicly, and build stronger customer relationships.
7. Customer Feedback Survey Tool
This software collects feedback from customers through surveys or forms. It provides insights into customer satisfaction levels, preferences, and areas for improvement.
8. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
CRM software helps businesses manage interactions with customers across multiple channels. It stores customer data, tracks interactions, and helps businesses nurture relationships with clients.
The key features you should consider for customer service tool
Here are some key features to consider when choosing a customer support solution:
- Omni-channel Ticketing: Upgrade to a robust ticketing system that consolidates communication channels like email, phone, chat, and social media into one platform, simplifying customer interactions.
- Collaboration: Enable better teamwork with cloud-based support tools that allow teams to share ticket ownership, divide tasks into subtasks, and collaborate on solutions in real time.
- Automation: Streamline customer management and interaction handling by incorporating helpdesk automation to automate workflows. This will efficiently route inquiries to the appropriate team or agent based on triggers or predefined criteria.
- Self-Service: Offer customers the option to find answers on their own through self-service features like knowledge base portals, help widgets, and chatbots, reducing the workload on your support team while enhancing customer satisfaction.
- Customization: Choose a flexible customer service system that integrates with your existing tech stack, supports multiple access levels, and can be tailored to match your brand’s identity through custom portals, email addresses, and URLs.
- Reporting and Analytics: Access powerful reporting tools to track team performance and customer satisfaction, with live dashboards providing real-time insights and one-click reports for monitoring and optimizing your customer service strategy.
Explore our comprehensive guide on “14 Key Helpdesk Software Features” for insights into optimizing your customer service strategy.
What are the benefits of customer service software?
Using customer service software offers several benefits:
Improved Efficiency: It helps handle customer inquiries and issues more quickly and effectively, saving time for both customers and support teams.
Better Organization: Customer service software organizes customer information and communication in one place, making it easier to track and manage interactions.
Enhanced Communication: It enables seamless communication between customers and support agents through various channels like email, chat, and social media.
Increased Customer Satisfaction: By providing timely and personalized support, customer service software enhances overall customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Analytics and Insights: It provides valuable data and insights into customer behavior, allowing businesses to identify trends, improve processes, and make informed decisions.
Why use customer service solutions in your business?
According to a study by Microsoft, 95% of customers are likely to return to a business that provides excellent customer service. Gone are the days when customer service was simply a cost center, reacting to issues and complaints.
Today, prioritizing exceptional customer service has become a strategic imperative, influencing everything from brand reputation and customer loyalty to revenue growth and profitability.
Customer service software is essential for businesses to stay organized and responsive to customer inquiries.
Without it, requests might slip through the cracks, leading to delayed responses and missed opportunities for improvement. As your business grows, managing customer support becomes more challenging, requiring tools like ticket systems to handle requests efficiently.
Even for small businesses, customer service tools streamline tasks, automate repetitive processes, and free up time for more critical issues.
If you are interested in improving your customer service response time, read our blog about, 8 ways to improve customer service response time.
15 Best customer service software for small businesses in 2024
After extensive research on numerous customer service solutions, we’ve selected the best 15 customer service software for small businesses in 2024 that can help your business gain a competitive edge.
1. Desk365
Desk365 offers a robust cloud-based ticketing system designed for seamless customer support operations. With user-friendly features and efficient ticket management capabilities, businesses can ensure swift attention and resolution for every customer inquiry.
Mobile Accessibility
Desk365’s responsive mobile version allows support teams to address customer inquiries anytime, anywhere, ensuring exceptional support even on the go.
Shared Inbox
Desk365’s shared inbox feature enables multiple team members to manage customer tickets from a centralized interface, ensuring prompt responses and preventing email oversight. It also supports omnichannel integration, consolidating customer conversations from various channels.
Ticket Creation and Assignment
Desk365 simplifies ticket assignment by seamlessly transforming customer emails into tickets and assigning them to the appropriate support agent for resolution.
Ticket Categorization and Prioritization
Support teams can categorize and prioritize tickets based on the nature of the inquiry or product/service involved, ensuring urgent issues receive prompt attention and preventing escalations.
Ticket Tracking and Escalation
Desk365 enables support agents to track ticket progress from submission to resolution, ensuring transparency and accountability. It also provides mechanisms for easy escalation when necessary.
Automation Capabilities
Desk365’s automation feature streamlines repetitive tasks such as ticket assignment and notification sending, saving time and increasing efficiency.
Collaboration on Tickets
Team members can collaborate on customer issues, share private notes and comments, and provide feedback, ensuring efficient handling of customer conversations and promoting knowledge sharing.
Reporting and Analytics
Desk365 provides valuable insights through reporting and analytics, enabling teams to track key metrics like response times and customer satisfaction, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions.
CSAT Surveys
Desk365’s CSAT surveys gather customer feedback to measure satisfaction levels, helping businesses identify areas for improvement and ensure customer needs are met.
Email Templates
Desk365’s email templates feature pre-written responses to common inquiries, ensuring consistency and accuracy in responses and saving time for support teams.
Check out our blog about, 13 tips for writing customer service emails effectively.
Collision Detection
Desk365 collision detection alerts team members when multiple individuals are working on the same ticket, preventing duplication of effort and promoting collaborative problem-solving.
Pricing: Lowest Paid Plan: $10/agent/month
Highest Paid Plan: $10/agent/month.
Free trial available.
Learn more about Desk365
2. Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is an omnichannel, context-aware help desk designed to boost agent productivity and customer satisfaction. It caters to businesses of all sizes, offering flexible plans and extensive features. As part of the Zoho Suite, it shines with native integrations for seamless collaboration across Zoho products.
Key Features:
- Multichannel Support
- Context-Aware Solutions
- Customization
- Integrations
- Team Management
- Sales Enablement
- Self-Service Portal
Pros:
- Adapts to businesses of all sizes and industry needs.
- Ideal for existing Zoho users seeking deeper synergy.
- Streamlines workflows and improves agent efficiency.
- Provides a holistic view of customer interactions across channels.
- Value-added features for sales-driven teams.
Cons:
- AI (Artificial Intelligence), live chat, and some integrations require higher-tier plans.
- Basic reporting, with advanced capabilities limited to higher tiers.
- Initial setup and configuration might require time and investment.
Pricing– Starts at $20 /agent /month
3. Gorgias
Gorgias is a customer service management platform specifically designed for e-commerce businesses. It boasts seamless integration with major platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento, allowing you to manage support and even handle order edits and refunds directly within the software.
Key Features:
- Manage all customer inquiries across channels (email, chat, social media) in one unified platform.
- Edit orders, modify subscriptions, and process refunds directly from the Gorgias interface.
- Track and manage all customer conversations, including text messages, social media interactions, and live chat sessions.
Pros:
- Ideal for businesses on Shopify, BigCommerce, or Magento, offering seamless data connection and order management.
- Respond to customer questions directly in ads and posts, potentially increasing conversions and sales.
- The intuitive design facilitates easy navigation and learning.
Cons:
- Reporting capabilities are limited, with access to historical data restricted to the past 90 days.
- Advanced features like automation and analytics might require upgrading to higher tiers.
- No phone support is currently available.
Pricing– Starts at $10/month/50 tickets
4. Groove
Groove positions itself as more than just a shared inbox for small businesses; it’s a collaborative support platform offering multi-channel communication and self-service tools. Perfect for lean teams, Groove helps manage support efficiently with features like automation and a built-in knowledge base.
Key Features:
- Shared Inbox
- Automations
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
- Real-Time Email Tracking
- Collaborative Draft.
Pros:
- Shared inbox and draft features facilitate smooth teamwork and efficient communication.
- Automations reduce manual tasks and save time for agents.
- Live chat and knowledge base empower customers and offer faster resolution.
- Gain valuable insights into customer engagement with emails.
Cons:
- Some third-party integrations might have minor delays or limitations.
- Reporting features might not be as robust as in some competitor platforms.
Pricing– Starts at $6 per month/user
5. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a popular social media management platform designed to help businesses of all sizes streamline their social media presence. It offers a comprehensive suite of features for scheduling content, engaging with audiences, and analysing performance across various platforms.
Key Features:
- Scheduling & Publishing
- Engagement & Monitoring
- Analytics & Reporting
- Collaboration & Workflow
- Social Listening
- Competitor Analysis
Pros:
- Ideal for tracking customer sentiment across social media platforms
- Perfect for teams handling numerous support requests through social media, including direct messages and posts.
Cons:
- Sprout Social focuses solely on social media
Pricing – starts at $240/month
6. Sendible
Sendible is a cloud-based social media management platform designed to help businesses streamline their social media presence across various platforms. It offers scheduling, publishing, analytics, and team collaboration features, catering to agencies, marketing teams, and small businesses alike.
Key Features:
- Multi-Platform Management
- Content Calendar
- Team Collaboration
- Analytics & Reporting
- Content Library
- Social Inbox
- Competitor Monitoring.
Pros:
- Intuitive design facilitates easy navigation and learning.
- Manages a wide range of popular social media platforms.
- Streamlines teamwork with effective task management and communication tools.
- Simplifies organization and reuse of marketing assets.
- Offers various plans catering to different needs and budgets.
Cons:
- The free plan has restrictions on some platforms and features.
- Competitor monitoring and some analytics require upgrading to higher plans.
- Reporting options might not be as customizable as in some competitor platforms.
Pricing – Starts at $25 /month
7. Aircall
Aircall is a cloud-based call center software offering robust features for both customer service and sales teams. Its unique differentiator lies in the optional desktop application, ideal for large businesses seeking a native telephony experience alongside an IP system.
Key Features:
- Gain instant customer context with integrated cards displaying names and past interactions upon call initiation. (Integrates with 100+ CRMs and tools)
- Eliminate manual data entry with automatic call notes and tag syncing to your preferred customer service platform.
- Enjoy reliable communication with globally distributed data centers, high-fidelity Opus codec, and dynamic carrier switching for optimal performance.
- Choose between cloud-based access or the downloadable desktop application to suit your team’s needs.
Pros:
- Integrates seamlessly with your existing customer service tools and CRM platforms.
- Easy access and recording of call logs for efficient team operation.
- High-quality calls across international borders thanks to distributed data centers.
Cons:
- Focuses solely on phone support, lacking features for other communication channels like email or chat. 1
Pricing – Starts at $40 /month/licence
8. Talkdesk
Talkdesk is a cloud-based contact center solution known for its robust AI capabilities and omnichannel engagement features. It caters to businesses of all sizes, particularly those seeking advanced automation, scalability, and a focus on intelligent customer service.
Key Features:
- Talkdesk AI
- Omnichannel Engagement
- Low-Code/No-Code Customization
- Advanced Reporting
- Scalability
Pros:
- Streamlines workflows and empowers agents with intelligent assistance.
- Provides seamless communication across preferred customer channels.
- Adapts to diverse team structures and specific business requirements.
- Streamlined reporting capabilities accessible to all user levels.
Cons:
- Some users mention occasional technical issues and bugs.
- Not compatible with all web browsers.
- Costs might be significant, especially for smaller businesses.
Pricing – Starts at $70 /month/user
9. Slack
Slack is a cloud-based team communication platform offering instant messaging, voice and video calls, screen sharing, and various collaboration features. Ideal for businesses of all sizes, it fosters seamless communication, information sharing, and project management within teams and across departments.
Key Features:
- Exchange instant messages individually or in channels dedicated to specific teams, projects, or topics.
- Connect with colleagues through audio or video calls for more nuanced communication and collaboration.
- Share your screen to visually explain ideas, collaborate on documents, or troubleshoot issues in real-time.
- Host virtual meetings or presentations with screen sharing and recording capabilities for wider participation.
- Access all Slack features and stay connected with your team on the go with the intuitive mobile app.
- Personalize your workspace with custom channels, integrations, themes, and notification preferences.
- Integrate Slack with a wide range of third-party apps and tools for enhanced functionality and streamlined workflows.
- Easily find past conversations, files, and information with powerful search and discovery tools.
Pros:
- User-Friendly & Intuitive
- Enhanced Collaboration
- Mobile Accessibility
- Customization & Integrations
- Free Plan
Cons:
- Paid Plans for Advanced Features
- Learning Curve for Complex Integrations
Pricing – Free
10. Clickup
Clickup is a cloud-based project management platform offering comprehensive features for task management, collaboration, goal setting, and reporting. Suitable for teams of all sizes, it boasts impressive customization options and integrates real-time communication tools like chat and comments for streamlined workflows.
Key Features:
- Task Management
- Goals & Tracking
- Workload Charts
- Reminders & Notifications
- Collaborative Features
- Wiki & Docs
- Automation
- Time Tracking
- Scheduling
- API
- Reporting
Pros:
- Adapt the platform to your specific needs and preferences with extensive customization options and views.
- Clean and intuitive interface makes it easy to learn and use, even for beginners.
- Wide range of features to manage projects, tasks, goals, communication, and collaboration effectively.
- Built-in communication features like chat, comments, and tagging foster seamless teamwork.
- Stay productive on the go with the intuitive and feature-rich mobile app.
Cons:
- Extensive features might require some time to fully grasp and master.
- Guest access interface can be less intuitive and user-friendly.
- Can be expensive for larger teams with advanced needs.
Pricing – Free
11. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a popular email marketing and marketing automation platform designed specifically for small businesses. It offers a wide range of features to help you create, send, and track email campaigns, manage your audience, and gain valuable insights to improve your marketing efforts.
Key Features:
- Design automated email sequences based on user behavior and triggers, like welcome emails or abandoned cart reminders.
- Gain valuable data about your subscribers, including demographics, interests, and engagement levels.
- Send targeted email campaigns based on specific audience segments and their behavior.
- Choose from a wide variety of pre-designed templates or create your own with the drag-and-drop builder.
- Design conversion-optimized landing pages and pop-up forms to capture leads and grow your audience.
- Extend your reach and target website visitors with personalized ads on other platforms.
- Visually map out and automate your customer journey for a more personalized experience.
- Test different email subject lines, content, and design elements to optimize your campaigns.
- Connect Mailchimp with hundreds of other tools and platforms, including CRMs and e-commerce solutions.
Pros:
- User-friendly
- Free Plan
- Comprehensive Features
- Automation & Targeting
- Integrations
Cons:
- The free plan has restrictions on features, contacts, and sending volume.
- Paid plans can become expensive with larger audiences and advanced features.
- Some users report long wait times for customer support.
- Advanced features like automation and integrations might require some learning.
Pricing – Free
12. Salesforce
Salesforce Service Cloud is a cloud-based customer service platform designed for enterprise businesses with complex needs. It offers comprehensive features for managing customer interactions across various channels, including self-service, AI-powered support, and contact center solutions. Salesforce shines with its deep customization capabilities and pre-built integrations with other Salesforce products, making it a popular choice for companies already using the Salesforce ecosystem.
Key Features:
- Empower customers to find answers independently through knowledge bases, FAQs, and online communities.
- Utilize chatbots and virtual assistants to handle routine inquiries, freeing up agents for more complex issues.
- Manage customer interactions across various channels like phone, email, chat, social media, and SMS.
- Streamline case resolution with efficient ticketing, routing, and tracking features.
- Enhance your call center operations with tools for call routing, scripting, recording, and performance analytics.
Pros:
- Supports large enterprises with high volumes of customer interactions.
- Highly customizable to fit unique business processes and workflows.
- Leverages AI for self-service, chatbots, and predictive analytics.
- Integrates seamlessly with other Salesforce products, providing a unified customer view.
- Offers comprehensive reporting and analytics capabilities.
Cons:
- Implementing and customizing the platform can be complex and require technical expertise.
- Pricing can be high for larger enterprises, especially with additional customizations and integrations.
- The user interface might require more training compared to simpler platforms.
Pricing – Starts at $25 /month/user
13. SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey is a popular online survey platform used by businesses of all sizes to create, distribute, and analyze customer feedback surveys. It offers a user-friendly interface, pre-built templates, and various features to gather valuable insights on various aspects, including product satisfaction, customer service experience, and brand perception.
Key Features:
- Choose from a library of pre-built templates for various survey types, saving you time and effort.
- Craft your surveys with diverse question types, including multiple-choice, open-ended, rating scales, and more.
- Use conditional logic and branching to personalize the survey experience based on respondent answers.
- Monitor survey responses in real-time as they come in and gain immediate insights.
- Analyze survey data with reports, charts, and graphs to identify key trends and patterns.
- Enhance your surveys with multimedia elements like images, audio, and video clips.
- Send surveys directly to your target audience via email invitations.
- Connect SurveyMonkey with various tools and platforms, like CRMs and email marketing solutions.
Pros:
- User-Friendly
- Wide Range of Templates
- Powerful Features
- Flexibility & Customization
- Integrations
Cons:
- Limited Free Plan: The free plan has restrictions on features, number of questions, and responses.
- Limited Customization for Free Plan: Branding and customization options are limited in the free plan.
Pricing – Team advantage starts at Rs. 1550 per user
14. Intercom
Intercom is a popular customer communication platform that offers a range of features to facilitate interactions between businesses and their customers.
Features:
- Live Chat
- Automated Messaging
- Email Marketing
- Help Center
- Customer Data
- Integration
Pros:
- Its ability to collect and utilize customer data allows for personalized communication and targeted messaging, enhancing the customer experience.
- The platform’s automation features help save time and resources by handling routine tasks and providing immediate responses to customer inquiries.
- Intercom provides robust analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing businesses to track performance metrics, monitor trends, and make data-driven decisions.
Cons:
- Intercom’s pricing can be relatively high, especially for small businesses or startups with limited budgets.
- For some businesses, particularly those with simpler needs, Intercom’s extensive features may be more than necessary, leading to complexity and potential unused features.
- While Intercom offers many integrations, some businesses may find that certain third-party tools or platforms they use are not fully supported or integrated.
Pricing– $39/month/seat.
15. Helpdoc
Helpdoc is a standalone software platform designed to help businesses of all sizes create, manage, and publish comprehensive knowledge bases for their customers. It emphasizes self-service options, empowering customers to find answers independently, leading to faster resolutions and decreased support workload.
Key Features:
- Create visually appealing and well-structured knowledge base articles with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface.
- Help users find relevant information quickly with robust search and filtering capabilities.
- Track changes, revert to previous versions, and ensure information accuracy with built-in version control.
- Gain insights into user behaviour, and popular articles, and identify areas for improvement with detailed analytics and reports.
- Brand your knowledge base to match your website and corporate identity.
- Create and publish knowledge bases in multiple languages to reach a wider audience.
Pros:
- Simple and intuitive
- Cost-effective
- Customization options
- Mobile-friendly
- Multilingual capabilities
Cons:
HelpDocs offers fewer built-in automation features for tasks like routing tickets or triggering actions based on user behavior. This can require manual workarounds or additional integrations.
Pricing – Starts at $69/month/user
How do you choose the right customer support software?
Choosing the right customer service tool can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! Here’s a breakdown of four key steps to help you find the perfect fit for your business:
1. Know Yourself: Unveiling Unique Needs
Imagine a one-size-fits-all solution for every business… sounds unrealistic, right? The same applies to customer service tools. Before diving into options, gather your team and brainstorm. What are your must-have features? Consider everyone’s perspective, from management to interns. Identify your biggest time-consuming tasks and prioritize tools that streamline them. Remember, the perfect tool caters to your unique needs, not generic ones.
2. Scale Up Smoothly: Planning for Growth
No business stays stagnant. Your customer service should evolve with you. So, choose a tool that can scale alongside your growth. Ask yourself:
- Can it handle an influx of customers as you expand?
- Does it allow adding new users as your team grows?
- Does it integrate with your existing software ecosystem?
- Does it offer flexible subscription plans for upgrades?
3. Experience is Everything: Take Tools for a Test Drive
Free trials are like test drives for software! Many customer service vendors offer them, ranging from 7 to 30 days. Use this time wisely to deep dive into the tool. Explore the interface, test features, and play with reporting dashboards. Get a feel for its usability and see if it fits your workflow. Free trials are your chance to try before you buy, so make the most of them.
Desk365’s free trial offers you and your team 21 days to explore all the features of our platform, with our support team guiding you through every step. Request a demo to discover how your team can maximize the benefits of Desk365.
4. Support You Can Count On: Beyond the Software
Technology has quirks, and that’s okay. But when issues arise, reliable support is crucial. Choose a vendor with robust customer support, ideally 24/7. Explore their online knowledge base, and help center articles, and see if the information is clear and relevant. Does it address common concerns? Remember, excellent support means you’re not alone in your journey.
