Ticketing software is a program used by customer support to address customer concerns and manage requests for technical assistance. The right ticketing tool improves workplace productivity while enhancing customer service. If you have an interest in working in the customer service department, knowing more about various ticketing tools can allow you to track requests and resolve them on time. In this article, Pritish Kumar Halder, discusses what ticketing tools are, explores 10 tools, and understands the tips for choosing the right tool based on business requirements.
What is Ticketing Software?
Ticketing software is a management software that customer support uses for creating, managing and maintaining a list of customer issues. It is essential for service professionals to store tickets or issues, along with relevant customer information. The software works by creating a virtual ticket that allows users to describe the issue encountered. After the user or customer submits the ticket, the software assigns the ticket to a customer service representative who helps solve the problem.
Usually, most software has a built-in tracking system for following customer requests and updating their progress. Apart from being an excellent management tool, these ticketing tools offer the following functions:
- knowledge base management
- omnichannel support
- automation
- ticket organization and routing
- tracking and measurement
- live chat support
10 Ticketing software to consider
Ticketing tools enhance the way an organization handles and manages customer complaints. Here are a few essential tools that you might use in your everyday work life:
1. Zendesk
Zendesk is a customer service platform designed especially for customer relationship management (CRM). The tool offers a shared inbox allowing the support team to gather customer complaints and inquiries from voice chat, live chat, social apps, emails, and web widgets. It also offers a chatbot feature that makes it easier for customers to get quick responses to the questions or route the customers to an appropriate department for further assistance. Zendesk is a sophisticated tool that meets complex requirements while being simple enough to use.
2. Freshdesk
Another powerful ticketing tool is the Freshdesk, cloud-based software that enables small businesses to provide stellar customer support. The user-friendly tool automatically converts web, email, phone, chat, and social media requests into tickets and unifies them across various channels. One unique value proposition of the Freshdesk is that it lets you automate workflows so that you can complete your customer support services. Freshdesk offers AI-powered support chatbots, field service agreements and predictive support capabilities.
The tool sends automatic email notifications based on the ticket status, performs multiple actions on a ticket with a single click and sets tickets to move to the next stage based on the time and priority. Also, Freshdesk offers an agent collision detection feature that prevents over one agent from working on the same ticket.
3. ActiveDesk
ActiveDesk is a ticketing tool ideal for companies in the service sector. From converting customer dialogues into tickets to providing omnichannel ticketing support, ActiveDesk seamlessly manages your ticketing requirement and delivers excellent customer service to the clients. Apart from automatically converting calls, chats, and emails into tickets, the tool routes the ticket to the right customer support executive for the best support. As the software presents information on a unified platform, there is no toggling between conversations.
4. Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is an excellent choice for organizations with smaller customer-facing support teams. What distinguishes Zoho Desk from other software is its ability to integrate with other Zoho products. So, organizations already using Zoho products might benefit from using their ticketing tool. From ensuring the support team does not miss any top priority issue to helping them organise relevant ticketing data, this tool provides a seamless customer experience. Organizations can set up ticket assignment rules and send the ticket to the right department and agent without wasting time.
5. HappyFox
For organizations looking for a cloud-based solution that offers an integrated ticketing system, HappyFox is an appealing option. Their ticketing system offers a myriad of easy-to-use and powerful features. Customer support teams can manage ticket requests across multiple channels, including social media platforms. It allows customer support employees to interact with a customer via phone using a VoIP integration. Unlike other ticketing systems, HappyFox uses a unique round-robin algorithm for identifying agents’ availability. It even offers a knowledge base so that customers can find answers to popular and commonly asked questions.
6. Help Scout
Another powerful and user-friendly ticketing tool is Help Scout. From offering intuitive customer management tools and shared inboxes to reporting and workflows, Help Scout offers every feature required for providing an enriching customer experience. Apart from managing customers’ conversations in one email box, the tool gathers customer issues from email and live chats. The tool can set up workflows and automatic responses to reduce response time and help customers.
7. Vision Helpdesk
Vision Helpdesk is an appealing choice for cloud-based ticket management solutions. The software allows customer support professionals to automate workflows using different rules-based criteria. This tool records the conversation on calls, chats, web forms, emails, and social media and unifies them in a centralized location. What distinguishes Vision Helpdesk from others is that it sends incident acknowledgment notifications and processes tickets. One unique value proposition is that it allows businesses to gamify activities, set up achievement levels, and reward professionals who surpass or complete them. This encourages the customer support professional to excel in their work.
8. KB Support
The KB Support plugin primarily works with WordPress sites and offers seamless support for custom tickets. Regardless of whether a customer has an account on the site, customers can submit tickets. Once a customer submits a ticket, this platform automatically assigns tickets based on the number of active tickets an agent has. KB Support offers an SLA tracker that defines an organization’s target response and resolution time and monitors performance.
9. Jira Service Management
Jira Service Management is a ticketing tool that allows customers to report bugs, contact the customer support department and access the knowledge base to find answers to commonly asked questions. The tool offers real-time reporting, problem and change management, customizable templates, and automation rules. Though Jira Service Management offers its own intuitive customer-facing UI, customers can submit requests with embedded widgets and email. Once the support receives the ticket, the software emails a notification to the customer.
10. HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot Service Hub is a unique option for cross-functional teams. Apart from providing ticketing functionality, this tool ensures the prioritization of tickets, automation of workflows, and personalization across various service channels. This cloud-based tool helps simplify managing and answering customer queries and complaints. Organizations can use HubSpot Service Hub to answer customer queries by recording short videos, sending help documentation, and creating customized email templates. This software automatically converts emails and chats into actionable tickets. The tool prioritizes, categorizes, and tracks tickets to provide end-to-end customer service and solutions.
Tips for choosing a ticketing tool
Here are a few tips to follow for selecting a ticketing tool based on business requirements:
Offer multi-channel functionality
One essential component to consider is the tool’s ability to support through multiple channels. This is essential because it helps customers submit queries and complaints using email, web forms, chats, embedded widgets, and social media. When all customer requests get combined in a single platform, it becomes easier for support professionals to manage, resolve and keep track of these requests.
Provide a free trial
Before buying a premium or paid version of a tool, focus on using the free trial to understand whether it suits the business requirement. It helps you understand features you might use and you can identify the tool’s learning curve. Usually, when customer support professional uses a tool with a lower learning curve, they can provide faster customer support and solutions.
Ensure it is scalable
If the organization is planning to grow, it is wise to invest in scalable software that allows you to use more features. While one tool might meet the organization’s present need, focus on a tool that can meet the company’s growth potential in the coming years. So, look for products that can meet an organization’s requirements for at least the next two to three years.
Reference: https://in.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/ticketing-software