The 7 Best Help Desk Software for 2023

Help Desk Software is a crucial tool businesses use to manage customer support requests and improve customer satisfaction. Whether a small business or a large enterprise, a Help Desk Software solution can help you streamline your support operations, increase efficiency, and provide better customer service.

In this guide, we'll provide a comprehensive overview of Help Desk Software, including the different types, features, and best practices for choosing, implementing, and using Help Desk Software effectively.

What is a Help Desk?

A Help Desk is a central point of contact that provides assistance to end-users with technical issues and problems related to a company's products or services. Trained support professionals often staff it, and its primary goal is to resolve customer issues as quickly and efficiently as possible. Help Desk teams are responsible for answering questions, troubleshooting problems, and providing solutions to customers.

What is Help Desk Support?

Help Desk Support refers to the assistance provided by the Help Desk team to end-users in solving their technical issues. Help Desk Support includes a wide range of services, such as troubleshooting, incident management, problem-solving, and providing resolutions to technical problems. The ultimate goal of Help Desk Support is to resolve customer issues effectively and efficiently to maintain customer satisfaction.

What is Help Desk Software?

Help Desk Software is a tool that companies use to manage their Help Desk operations. It provides a centralized platform for customers to log their issues and for the Help Desk team to track, manage, and resolve them. Help Desk Software streamlines the process of logging, tracking, and managing customer issues, automates repetitive tasks, and provides reporting and analytics capabilities to help businesses improve their Help Desk operations.

Types of Help Desk Software

There are two main types of Help Desk Software: cloud-based and on-premise. Cloud-based Help Desk Software is hosted on remote servers and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. On-premise Help Desk Software is installed and maintained on the company's own servers or hardware.

Cloud-based Help Desk Software

Cloud-based Help Desk Software offers several benefits, including:

• Accessibility: Cloud-based Help Desk Software is accessible from anywhere, making it ideal for businesses with remote teams or multiple locations.
• Scalability: Cloud-based Help Desk Software can easily scale up or down depending on the company's needs without requiring additional hardware or infrastructure.
• Security: Cloud-based Help Desk Software providers typically offer robust security features and protocols, including data encryption and secure backups.
• Cost-effectiveness: Cloud-based Help Desk Software is often more cost-effective than on-premise solutions, eliminating the need for hardware and infrastructure investments.

Some popular cloud-based Help Desk Software solutions include HubSpot, Zendesk, Freshdesk, and Salesforce Service Cloud.

On-premise Help Desk Software

On-premise Help Desk Software offers some advantages, including:

• Control: On-premise Help Desk Software gives businesses more control over their data and infrastructure, as it is hosted on their servers or hardware.
• Customizability: On-premise Help Desk Software can be customized to meet the specific needs and requirements of the business.
• Privacy: On-premise Help Desk Software provides more privacy and control over sensitive customer data, as it is not stored on third-party servers.

Some popular on-premise Help Desk Software solutions include Jira Service Desk, Zoho Desk, and Spiceworks.

Free vs. Paid Help Desk Software

Another factor to consider when choosing Help Desk Software is whether to go with a free or paid solution. While free Help Desk Software may seem like a good option for businesses with limited budgets, they often come with limited features and support options.

Paid Help Desk Software solutions typically offer more robust features and support, and can be customized to meet the business's specific needs. It's important to evaluate the features and costs of different Help Desk Software solutions before making a decision.

Features of Help Desk Software

Help Desk Software typically includes several key features that help businesses manage and prioritize customer support requests.

Ticket Management

Ticket management is the core feature of Help Desk Software, which allows businesses to create, track, and manage customer support requests. The ticket management feature typically includes:

• Ticket creation: Customers can submit support requests through various channels, such as email, web form, or phone, and the Help Desk Software automatically creates a new ticket.
• Ticket tracking: Tickets are assigned a unique identifier and can be tracked throughout their lifecycle, from creation to resolution.
• Ticket prioritization: Businesses can prioritize tickets based on urgency or severity, and assign them to the appropriate agent or team.
• Ticket updates: Agents can update ticket status, add notes or comments, and communicate with customers through the Help Desk Software.

Knowledge Base

A knowledge base is a self-service portal that provides customers with helpful resources and information, such as FAQs, tutorials, and troubleshooting guides. The knowledge base feature typically includes:

• Content creation: Businesses can create and publish articles, videos, or other types of content that provide customers with useful information and resources.
• Search functionality: Customers can search the knowledge base for specific topics or issues, and find relevant content to help solve their problems.
• Feedback and ratings: Customers can rate the usefulness of articles or provide feedback on how to improve the knowledge base.

Customer Portal

A customer portal is a platform that allows customers to manage their support requests and interact with the business. The customer portal feature typically includes:

• Account management: Customers can create and manage their support accounts, update their personal information, and view their support history.
• Ticket submission: Customers can submit new support requests, track the status of their existing tickets, and communicate with agents through the portal.
• Community forums: Some Help Desk Software solutions offer community forums where customers can share knowledge and experiences, ask questions, and provide feedback.

SLA Management

SLA (Service Level Agreement) management is a feature that allows businesses to set and meet service level targets for responding to and resolving customer support requests. The SLA management feature typically includes:

• SLA creation: Businesses can create and customize SLAs based on their specific needs and requirements, such as response time, resolution time, or priority.
• SLA monitoring: Help Desk Software can monitor SLA compliance and notify agents and managers when SLA targets are at risk of being missed.
• SLA reporting: Businesses can generate reports on SLA performance and use the data to improve their support operations.

Reporting and Analytics

Reporting and analytics features provide businesses with insights into their support operations, customer satisfaction, and agent performance. The reporting and analytics feature typically includes:

• Data visualization: Businesses can view and analyze support data through charts, graphs, or other visual representations.
• Customizable reports: Help Desk Software can generate customizable reports on different metrics, such as ticket volume, resolution time, or customer satisfaction.
• Performance metrics: Businesses can track and analyze performance metrics for individual agents or teams, such as response time, resolution time, or customer feedback.

How to Choose the Right Help Desk Software?

Choosing the right Help Desk Software can be challenging, as many different solutions are available with varying features, pricing, and support options. Here are some best practices for choosing the right Help Desk Software:

Define your needs and requirements

Before evaluating different Help Desk Software solutions, defining your needs and requirements is important. Ask yourself:

• What types of support requests do you receive from customers?
• How many support requests do you receive on a daily or weekly basis?
• How many agents or teams will be using the Help Desk Software?
• What types of features and functionalities are essential for your business?

Evaluate the features and functionalities

Once you've defined your needs and requirements, it's time to evaluate the features and functionalities of different Help Desk Software solutions. Some factors to consider include:

• Ticket management features, such as ticket creation, tracking, and updates.
• Knowledge base features, such as content creation, search functionality, and feedback.
• Customer portal features, such as account management, ticket submission, and community forums.
• SLA management features, such as SLA creation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Reporting and analytics features, such as data visualization, customizable reports, and performance metrics.

Consider the budget and pricing

Budget and pricing are also important factors to consider when choosing Help Desk Software. Some solutions offer free or low-cost plans for small businesses, while others charge per user or per month. It is critical to evaluate the costs and benefits of different solutions and choose a solution that fits your budget and offers the features you need.

Check for integrations and automation options

Integrations and automation options can help businesses streamline their support operations and improve efficiency. When evaluating different Help Desk Software solutions, consider:

• What integrations does the software offer with other tools and systems, such as CRM or project management software?
• Does the software offer automation options, such as ticket routing, prioritization, or assignment?
• Does the software offer an API (Application Programming Interface) for custom integrations or development?

Evaluate the customer support and training options

Finally, evaluating the customer support and training opportunities provided by different Help Desk Software solutions is essential. Consider:

• What support options are available, such as email, phone, or chat support?
• What is the response time for support requests?
• What training resources are available, such as online tutorials, videos, or documentation?
• Are there additional fees for training or support?

Best Help Desk Software for Different Business Needs

Not all Help Desk Software solutions are created equal, and different businesses have different needs and requirements. Here are some recommendations for the best Help Desk Software for different types of businesses:

Best Help Desk Software for Business

HubSpot offers free help desk and ticketing software that provides a unified platform to keep track of customer requests, manage tickets, and find solutions for customers faster.

With HubSpot's help desk software, businesses can build the foundation for exceptional customer support with an easy-to-use ticketing system that logs, organizes, and keeps track of tickets all in one place. This centralized dashboard provides access to the entire customer support team, ensuring customer issues are not lost, emails are not missed, and spreadsheets are not unmanageable.

Features:

• Easy-to-use ticketing system: HubSpot's ticketing system is easy to use, record, and track customer issues in one dashboard accessible to the entire customer support team.
• Help desk and ticket automation interface: HubSpot's centralized help desk automates tickets and adds efficiency to the service team by creating efficiencies and spending less time on help desk management and manual data entry.
• Prioritize requests: With HubSpot's help desk tools, businesses can prioritize requests and quickly assign owners and stages to individual tickets, which HubSpot will organize into a personalized pipeline of work for each team member.
• Conversations: Manage 1-to-1 customer communications at scale through a universal, collaborative inbox that aggregates customer emails, chats, and more.
• Feedback: Get a pulse on customer happiness and deploy surveys to gather feedback that can be used to build a better customer experience.
• Automation and routing: Automate customer service processes with ticket routing, escalation, and task creation.
• Knowledge base: Turn customers' most frequently asked support questions and tickets into a robust, optimized knowledge base of help articles and documentation indexed in search engines.
• Live chat: Engage in contextual, personalized customer service conversations with customers in real-time on the website.
• Reporting: Measure the impact of customer service efforts with built-in reporting tools that track knowledge base usage data, ticket volume and response time, customer feedback, and more.
• SLAs: Meet and exceed customers' expectations with transparency about the team's availability.
• Customer portal: Empower customers to gain ownership over their experience with a secure customer portal.
• Mobile inbox: Stay productive on the go with the tools needed to collaborate and deliver support efficiently.

Get started with HubSpot's free help desk and ticketing software and build a foundation for exceptional customer support.

Help Desk Software for Small Businesses

• Freshdesk: An affordable and user-friendly solution with features like ticket management, automation, and multichannel support.
• Zoho Desk: A comprehensive solution that offers features like knowledge base management, social media integration, and reporting.

Help Desk Software for Medium-sized Businesses

• Zendesk: A popular and robust solution with features like ticket management, automation, and self-service options.
• Help Scout: A user-friendly solution with features like collaboration tools, automation, and reporting.

Help Desk Software for Large Enterprises

• ServiceNow: A comprehensive solution with features like ITSM, ITOM, and CSM designed for large-scale operations and complex workflows.
• Salesforce Service Cloud: A highly customizable and scalable solution with features like AI-powered automation, omnichannel support, and analytics.

Implementation and Integration

Once you've chosen the right Help Desk Software for your business, it's time to implement it and integrate it with your existing tools and systems. Here are some steps to follow:

How to set up Help Desk Software?

• Define your goals and requirements for using Help Desk Software
• Set up user accounts and permissions for your team and agents
• Configure settings for ticket management, routing, and automation
• Customize the look and feel of the customer-facing portal
• Test the system and ensure everything is working as expected

Integration with other tools and software

To get the most out of your Help Desk Software, it's crucial to integrate it with other tools and software you're using. Here are some examples:

• CRM: Integrate your Help Desk Software with your CRM system to keep track of customer interactions and preferences, and provide more personalized support.
• Project management: Integrate your Help Desk Software with your project management software to prioritize and manage support requests in the context of larger projects and initiatives.
• Chat and messaging: Integrate your Help Desk Software with chat and messaging tools to provide real-time support to customers who prefer to communicate through those channels.

Best practices for onboarding and training

To ensure a smooth transition to using Help Desk Software, it's important to have a comprehensive onboarding and training process. Here are some best practices to follow:

• Provide access to training resources, such as tutorials, videos, and documentation
• Schedule one-on-one training sessions with team members and agents
• Start with a limited pilot program to test the system and identify areas for improvement
• Encourage feedback and collaboration from your team throughout the process

Tips for Using Help Desk Software Effectively

Once you've implemented and integrated your Help Desk Software, it's important to use it effectively to get the most out of its features and functionalities. Here are some tips to follow:

Train your team and agents

• Provide ongoing training and support to ensure your team is using the software correctly and efficiently.
• Encourage collaboration and communication between team members to improve productivity and customer satisfaction.
• Set clear expectations and goals for your team's performance and provide regular feedback and performance metrics.

Define and measure performance metrics

• Define key performance indicators (KPIs) for your Help Desk Software, such as response time, resolution time, and customer satisfaction.
• Use reporting and analytics tools to track your KPIs and identify areas for improvement.
• Use data to make informed decisions and optimize your support operations

Use automation and workflows

• Set up automation and workflows to streamline repetitive tasks and improve efficiency.
• Use automation to route tickets to the appropriate team members or agents and prioritize tickets based on urgency.
• Use workflows to ensure consistent and standardized processes for handling support requests.
• Continuously evaluate and optimize your automation and workflows to ensure they're effective and efficient.

Monitor and improve customer satisfaction

• Use customer feedback tools to collect and analyze feedback from customers
• Monitor customer satisfaction metrics, such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) and customer effort score (CES)
• Use customer feedback to identify areas for improvement and make changes to improve the customer experience

Continuously evaluate and optimize the Help Desk Software

• Regularly assess the effectiveness and efficiency of your Help Desk Software
• Solicit feedback from your team and agents to identify areas for improvement
• Keep up-to-date with new features and updates to your Help Desk Software and evaluate if they would benefit your team and customers

Conclusion

Help Desk Software is an essential tool for businesses that want to provide quality support to their customers. By automating support operations, managing tickets and SLAs, and providing self-service options for customers, Help Desk Software can help businesses improve customer satisfaction, reduce support costs, and streamline their operations.

When choosing the right Help Desk Software for your business, it's critical to define your needs and requirements, evaluate the features and functionalities, consider the budget and pricing, check for integrations and automation options, and evaluate the customer support and training provided.

By following these best practices, businesses can choose a Help Desk Software solution that meets their unique needs and helps them provide exceptional support to their customers.