The Top 3 Help Desk Software for WordPress

WordPress is an excellent platform used by all manner of bloggers and businesses. From a business point of view, WordPress allows you to connect with your customers. However, a help desk software is needed to maximize the customer experience. A help desk software can help you log and organize customer complaints, thereby allowing you to address them more quickly. You can also use such software to gather data about customers in order to improve your customer service. There are three brands of help desk software that stand above the rest in the market right now.

#3 Freshdesk

Features

•  Customer complaint tracking

•  Multichannel collection

•  Customer segmentation

•  Feedback management

We are starting this list off with Freshdesk, a relatively newer entry in the help desk market. Despite its rather nascent status, Freshdesk has managed to win a few awards. Just last year it won the award for Best Help Desk Software presented by FinancesOnline. One of the primary reasons for this software's popularity and acclaim is the fact that it places so much emphasis on usability. This is a simple, streamlined software with a very short learning curve.

In spite of its simplicity, Freshdesk has no shortage of features. As a help desk, its features run the gamut providing all manner of help to potential customers and end users. Real-time chat, integrated email, ticket issuing, and tracking, an efficient alert system as well as solid asset management are only some of the features you will be enjoying if you end up using this help desk software. The multichannel capability also helps you provide your customers with top-notch support on every platform, especially WordPress!

One of Freshdesk's most important features is that it manages issues very well. It assigns issues to various portals with you having complete control over what portals lead to where. This can help you distribute the workload evenly among a team of customer service representatives if your enterprise is large enough to require such a thing.

Most help desk software requires a lot of customization before it can be used. Freshdesk, on the other hand, will be ready to use as soon as you install it. If you already have a suite that your employees use, Freshdesk will integrate with it seamlessly. That being said, the lack of customization might be an issue for some. Certain companies might have specific requirements for their help desk software, and if this is the case Freshdesk might not work very well for them. Another problem that you might have is the fact that you're not really using the software to its full potential unless you have a team.

This is because the complete suite costs a lot of money and there are too many features for one person to handle alone. The user interface is minimalistic and simple but at the end of the day, you only have two hands so there is only so much you will be able to do. The pricing is a negative factor, as is the fact that Freshdesk fails to handle certain help desk responsibilities such as handling spam. You also might have a problem with the lack of social media integration, which is a serious issue in our social media addicted world. These problems are not that significant, though, when you consider the vast benefits that this help desk software provides.

Pros

•  Simple, streamlined interface

•  Solid issue management

•  Multiplatform support

•  Reliable live chat

Cons

•  No social media integration

•  No spam filter

•  Not suitable for solopreneurs

#2 Zendesk

Features

•  Call logging, recording, and scripting

•  Queue management

•  Analytics

•  Feedback collection

Right off the bat, the thing that ranks Zendesk higher than Freshdesk is the phenomenal social media integration. Your site may be hosted on WordPress but social media will allow you to expand your customer base. Social media also gives customers easy access to your customer support. Hence, Zendesk's superb social media capabilities help set it apart from the dozens of other brands of helpdesk software vying for a place in the market.

Another appreciable aspect of this software is the quick implementation. A software with multiple features often becomes a nightmare to implement. While it will take some time to fully implement Zendesk into your suite, the process is generally quicker than most brands of helpdesk software on the market. This fast implementation means that Zendesk will thoroughly integrate with any suites or tools you might already be using. It is clear that this is a software that is meant to help you get the best results. It's great that it doesn't try to revamp your whole system, instead, it can be incorporated into preexisting systems to optimize performance.

You can see that this is the case when you notice the packages available for purchase. Many if not most helpdesk software brands require you to buy an entire suite. This can often be inconvenient because it leaves you with a lot of features that you just don't need. With Zendesk you have the flexibility to buy a package that suits your needs instead of forcing you to buy tons of other features.

This allows you to create customer support panels according to the needs of your company. You can customize these panels to give your customers only those features that they will actually use. Excess features can confuse customers and make it difficult for them to access your customer support. Using Zendesk you can make the support process much simpler, thereby enticing customers to avail your services and buy your products more often.

There are a couple things you should keep in mind about Zendesk, though. While you can customize the features in the customer support panel, your own team will have a tough time sorting through the myriad features that this software provides. You can customize packages to only give you the features you need, but the user interface often makes things unnecessarily complicated by creating complex pathways to said features. A more centralized interface might have worked better.

This lack of centralization can also be seen in the way Zendesk collects data. You will find several nodes of specialized information, but no central library where your team can access whatever information they want. This software is somewhat inferior in terms of data collection which is why it failed to attain the top ranking on this list.

Pros

•  Fully integrates with preexisting suites and tools

•  Fast implementation

•  Social media integration

•  Flexible purchase packages

•  Customizable customer support panels

Cons

•  Too many features; user interface becomes tough to use

•  No central location for information, only specialized nodes

#1 Kayako

Features

•  Appointment management

•  Inbox and queue management

•  Self service portal

•  Customer database

•  Real-time chat

Kayako is one of the oldest brands of help desk software on the market. This has helped it become one of the foremost examples of what a help desk software should be, as most other types of software follow its example. Not only does this platform provide social media integration equal to and often superior to that of Zendesk, it is also a highly stable platform. A bug or software crash can be disastrous in terms of customer support. It can lead to enormous loss of data. Kayako ensures that you don't have to worry about such things happening which contributes a lot to the efficiency of your enterprise.

This also means that a Kayako helpdesk requires very little maintenance. It will continue to run smoothly, allowing your team to handle customer complaints with ease without the stress that comes with unstable platforms. You and your team will also enjoy using this software because of its aesthetically pleasing user interface. Most brands of help desk software tend to undervalue aesthetics, but the fact of the matter is that a pretty user interface can make work a more pleasant experience. This boosts a CSR's mood and helps them work to the best of their abilities.

You also get some excellent localization options with this software. What this means is that you can customize the software according to local needs. There is a veritable cornucopia of language options available to you, allowing you to expand into international territories with ease. This further improves your team's experience with the software. Localization options make the software easier for them to use as well, after all.

If you should face a problem with the software, you are going to appreciate their responsive and very helpful customer support. Indeed, your team will probably be able to learn a thing or two by noting how Kayako's customer support team responds to customer complaints! The rather steep price tag is justified by said customer support, as well as the amazing features you get when you use this product. The variety of features you get in the communications suite can help you establish an image as a trustworthy and reliable company.

As for the price tag, there is a way to avoid paying enormous amounts of money. For example, you can purchase a perpetual license. This is sometimes risky because you don't know where a company is going to be in a few years. However, since Kayako has been active for almost a decade and a half, it is safe to say that a perpetual license can be a safe bet for you to look into, especially since it saves you so much money.

Pros

•  Stable, reliable platform free of bugs

•  Little maintenance required

•  Attractive and easy user interface

•  Excellent localization options

•  Good customer support

•  Fully integrated communications suite

Cons

•  Slightly steep price; can be mitigated by opting for a perpetual license